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Watching him take the ball at the back and decide, sometimes quickly, sometimes after some deliberation, just what he's going to do with it and just how he is personally going to start our next attack is a thing of bittersweet beauty.
There's only so much attachment I will allow myself. The exquisite pain takes me back to a glorious fling in my youth with a Swedish beauty (out my league, like Ronnie) in Thailand. It could only ever last for a fleeting, stars temporarily aligned god given moment. The universe reminding you that events of pure joy can happen but you must always accept and prepare for the Impermanence Of All Things. That's me with Ronnie.
I guess he has to play, in this form, whilst we are still in touch with the crazy pipe dream of the playoffs. You have to play your best team at this stage, loans or not.
But I was already playing this tune in my head yesterday thinking of May's inevitable parting.
1) Koki's 1st touch for his goal. Oooh, World class! 49 times out of 50, even at the top level of football, the player would just smash it and more than likely hit one of the 3 defenders or keeper stood in front of him. Not our Koki. That simple, perfectly executed, cool as absolute f**k, precisely controlled half a yard touch sidewards took out all 4 of the oppo and left him an empty net to thunder it into. Beautiful. Honourable mentions also for his gravity defying leap and stay in mid air to win the header and Yang's 1st touch in the lead up to Chair's 2nd.
2) The press in the 4141 formation, particularly 2nd half. Terrorised Derby as they tried to play out from the back. Field moved up to flank Frey with Chair and they pressed brilliantly as a unit whilst Varane owned the space behind them. Glorious front foot defending. Our number 1 strength right now.
3) Varane's little flashes with the ball. He actually has the ball control and physicality to be able beat the 1st man or 2 and move away up the pitch just with his big stride, without needing any particular tricks or moves. Showed that more than once yesterday. Pinged a couple of nice longer passes too.
I'm hoping that we are seeing the gradual chipping away of his fear based hiding, backwards, sidewards stuff as he clearly as some ability on the ball. Feels like a confidence/mentality thing but there is a lot more potential growth there. Already nailing the defensive side of the game for me.
4) Chair 'arriving' in the box. That lung bursting, get in there ahead of your marker and expect the ball type. Seems to rarely do it much when playing out wide. Delightful to see him do it yesterday for his 2nd. More please.
5) Morrison getting back on the pitch. He's ours, he's 21, he never loses, he has huge potential and he's 1 of only 2 defenders definitely here next year. He needs to be playing.
Morrison, brutal efficency, no talking, no fuss, job done. "Call that a fight?'
Michi Frey, stands sipping his two pints whilst a chair is smashed over his head. Doesn't spill a drop, quietly hands Kieren Morgan his drinks and calmly goes off to end things quickly.
No tunes at our 'in and out' affair at Kingston registry office but if we were to have one it would be this one. Might be bit corny but it is genuinely how I/we both felt not that long after meeting each other. We both considered each other as our 'prize' for all that we'd endured before. It was a blessing from the universe to finally find 'my person'.
Have a great day when it happens and a beautiful life you two. X
I quite like a risky recruit me. Clearly got the technical ability that Marti would like a bit more of in the team. We're gathering a core of younger players comfortable on the ball and they're ours, not loans. Nice.
If he's played over 40 games at left back for Barton in League 1 you'd assume he's not the soft academy boy type. Captaining the England U19's to tournament success must mean some natural leadership skills and at the minimum points to a good attitude on and off the pitch. Marvellous.
If, big If, he isn't ongoingly injury prone, there's every chance he develops nicely here, pushes us on and/or gets sold for a nice profit. Super.
I like to look at it that we're doing our Summer business nice and early!
Ps thanks Clive and Greg, great thoughts and rundown.
Unless there has been a dramatic improvement in nearly all areas of his game I can't see space for him here considering we will probably have Kolli, Lloyd and Celar at least as options next season.
Are people genuinely surprised by this!? I mean, really?
Fair enough if your some innocent, optimistic fresh faced 20 something still to learn how politics really is.
But for me no excuses for anyone who's been around a while and really thought a PM who was already a Sir and only joined Parliament in 2015 wasn't being shoehorned in by the established Power Base.
Everything and I mean EVERYTHING about him has always screamed Blair 2.0.
Edit - not aimed at you Rangersdave. Used quote button by mistake!
I think they all got phones once they started secondary school. Might be a bit harder to hold off that long now a few years on.
As regards the parties, life etc thing... We are, of course, all wired differently but I remember making a conscious decision quite early on in parenting to NOT expect the worse to happen to them and to know that they had to live their lives and have their bumps and lessons on the way. God knows we all did!
So when it came to parties, drink, drugs etc we used to chat about it all with them as they were approaching the age of doing it. Not fear mongering, but more honest discussions about our experiences, what to be careful about and the signs of feeling you might 'need it' too much etc. All tailored to each of their different personalities.
We pretty much let them do what they wanted within reason and they all talked to us about their experiences and didn't feel they had to hide anything (well most things!). I think it means a lot to the kids to be trusted and my experience is that they want to repay that by being trustworthy and honest (ish!) back. It has also meant that if they are sliding towards a problem in that area it is easy to spot and give advice/support allowing them to build their own self management skills, rather than them being isolated with it.
Still plenty of challenges but that's life.
Completely understandable to be fearful for your kids but I reckon you don't want to pass that on to them too much if you can.
I think the last 3 years has traumatised us to the extent there were posters saying they'd 'take a point' away to Plymouth who were bottom of the league and had spent the last 6 months being 'coached' by Wayne Rooney and also to Hull who were in freefall, in a relegation spot and had the worst home record in the league!!
Don't get me wrong I haven't gone into a game for years expecting to win. But I mean, if you're taking a point in those games when are you hoping to get all three?!!
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