Colchester Utd (home)

I’m at the allotment, loaded up with runner beans, pears and sweet corn and heading towards the car, when a thought strikes me.

“Hey!” I say to Mike (he’s a Wolves supporter), our allotment neighbour, “the world’ll be a different place when we get back, we may passports to visit Scotland!”

“Yes,” he agrees, “And Walsall might have scored.”

We’re off to New York, joining a tour that eventually returns from Washington D.C. I am certainly looking forward to it; not least after hard-working-no-win-in-sight day at Bescot yesterday.

Playing Colchester, who just sacked their manager, Joe Dunn and his assistant Mark Kinsella (father of our latest prodigy full back Liam Kinsella), for poor performances were not happy to play the role of weak and feeble victims to our “fierce comeback after Tongue lashings following the defeat at Scunthorpe last week” (as per the local media).

There’s an “international break” with no Premier league or Championship games and a number of players are in the stand: Febian Brandy, Brian Flynn, Mark Kinsella and Ben Purkiss to name but a few.

We start quite well, but Colchester match our passion and pace. Some fine challenges and Walsall lose the ability to create space and pass. Our one strength and feature so far this season.

I understand that it is too, too easy to be an armchair manager, but, despite this I cannot understand why Manset, with his frame, strength and ability to hold the ball under pressure is playing somewhere behind a workaholic Tom Bradshaw. Surely the point of having “Big Man” Manset is to use him as a mobile target man? I don’t doubt he has the versatility to play other roles but see the target man role as key to us having a plan B strategy.

 

Some of the challenges are early-exchange assertive; some are blatantly criminal, including one that has Manset crashing onto the track/wall down below us. He is, at least dazed, while being treated (if the holding hands and shaking them our physio was doing can be labelled as treatment) for some moments. But brave or stupid, he’s back on and getting involved again – in mid field. No action from the referee, who, I don’t believe actually saw the challenge.

It is, of course wrong that I am left criticising refereeing decisions: I would love to be concentrating on the play and players, but little was happening.

There were good, solid games from Reece Flanagan (some fine, subtle and determined touches), Liam Kinsella and Kieron Morris. I love the idea that we’re investing successfully in bringing young players through, that I was watching three of them today … but not quite as much as I like seeing my team winning convincingly and that hasn’t happened for a long time. Tom Bradshaw still has that energetic, keen edge, running everywhere, chasing what seem to be lost causes and making something of them. But again getting poor service and needing to drift back too often to get any touches at all.

I am convinced we have the players but something needs to be altered. I like the fact that we have a management team that inspire loyalty and team spirit, but am disappointed that we seem to have just the one strategy. And that one has been sussed already.

Meanwhile Sainsbury’s School Games begin this weekend; meant to inspire they are based on opening-ceremony to closing-ceremony events like the Olympics and include Paralympic athletes. Credit to Sainsbury’s for sponsoring this event, best wishes to all taking part in Manchester.

The Tour of Britain Cycle Race also begins on Sunday. The first stage begins in Liverpool. The race finishes in London. Glad that we have a premier cycling event in Britain, but cannot help but smile at the inevitable comparisons I draw with the Tour de France, The Guiro (Italy) and la Vuelta (Spain). One day maybe, winning the British race will have similar cache, but not for some years and much promotion I fear

In political world news what the media is calling “pro-Russian separatists” are still ensconced and seem determined in the Ukraine. Russia itself seems to be supporting the so-called rebels more and more directly. A N.A.T.O. conference in Newport, wales has some agreement on what action to take and David Cameron is talking tough “ruling nothing out at this stage” … but winter and colder weather is creeping towards us and we get a lot of gas from Russia (along with most of Europe). Watch this space, I guess, to see whether the current ceasefire lasts … and even leads to peace.

Indeed, watch this space, because if all goes to plan we won’t be back until after the referendum in Scotland over independence. It seems ridiculous to me that only residents of Scotland will be voting when the result will affect all of the United Kingdom countries, but hey, what do I know.

I am already aggrieved that Scots and Welsh M.Ps. get to vote in the Houses of Parliament on English laws and decisions, while M.Ps. with English constituencies have no role to play in the Scots or Welsh Assemblies.

Can somebody explain to me how that is fair?

Meanwhile, of course Mike deserved some come-back to his cheeky (if witty) remark about the possibility that Walsall might have scored …

Best I could manage was to ask how long he thought we were going away for …