Not Fit To Wear The Shirt ?

Well what can you say about yesterday?

It was obvious during and after the game that passions were running high. The 7000 or so City faithful who had made the relatively short trip up to Blackburn clearly didn't like what they were seeing; neither did the rest of us watching it from behind our sofas such was its scary qualities.

It was always going to be a tough game on paper; Rovers had swept us aside with relative ease twice already this season, so I wasn't really that hopeful that we'd get a result - on recent performances why should we ?

Having said that, to go a whole game in an FA Cup Quarter Final without managing a single shot on target is indefensible. If the motivation of reaching a Cup final isn't enough to shake the team out of their malaise, I don't know what is. The chance of playing at the first new Wembley final should have been an added incentive, but our performance didn't reflect this at all.

The players and management came in for a lot of abuse from the fans with accusations of not being worthy of the shirt they wear, with what at times seems complete contempt from some individuals.

Whereas I've lost confidence in Pearce as a manager and I can understand the fan disappointment, I didn't like to see the personal abuse hurled at Pearce in particular, as it's the players and the Board who bear the bulk of the responsibility.

His failings and mistakes as a manager are clear to see, but the bloke is trying his best and must be just as frustrated as the rest of us, although it doesn't help when he doesn't seem to learn any lessons from his bad signings, duff formations and naive tactics. However, he doesn't deserve the personal abuse that we saw yesterday. He does however need to take responsibility though, as do the non-performing players and do what's right for the club.

Sadly for Psycho, his days at Eastlands are now numbered, with the fatal vote of confidence from the Board surely just around the corner. It is they, the Board, who need to take the responsibility and take decisive action now. Pearce is too proud a man to walk away, so the Board need to do what they are there for and take the tough decisions; trouble is, most of us have less confidence in the Board than we do with the management staff.

Pearce is now odds-on favourite to be the next premiership manager casualty and just an 8/1 shot to be gone by the weekend and it's not a foregone conclusion that City will be caught by Charlton before the end of the season.

There's no doubt City are in deep trouble and anything but complete a shake-up right through the club will be a complete waste of time. Let's hope the much speculated takeover happens sooner rather than later, but who in their right mind would want to buy the club at the moment?

Just Two More Wins And We're There !

I'm just beginning to wonder whether, at last, this could be our year for the Cup?

Today's visit to Deepdale was not a journey many Premiership teams would have relished, and I'm sure most neutrals ( and perhaps some seasoned Blues), would not have been surprised if City had crashed out of the competition..... but we didn't !

Nugent's predicted goal came as expected, but perhaps for Preston it came a bit to early in the game, as it allowed City to re-group and attack. For a 21-year old, he sure looks old, but he is an obviously talented striker who I'd love to see in a City shirt.

City need a bit of credit for this win. For sure, we had to grind it out at times, but it was a steely performance, without ever being spectacular.... apart from Ball's and Ireland's goals.

I have to say that I thought Corradi was good today and really unlucky not to have scored. His workrate was of Vassell-like proportions and he took a lot of stick without much protection from Mike Riley. What a contrast to Samaras, who for 99% of the game was in-effective and just doesn't look up for a battle when leading the line. I know he got the (soft) goal, but a lucky deflection isn't really enough from a £6m striker and I'm looking forward to Mpenza's arrival.

I would have liked to have seen Sturridge have another run-out, and I'm surprised that Abdoun didn't even make the bench - he looks a much better prospect that the lightweight Beasley. I was also surprised to see Weaver back in goal and wonder whether that could be one of the final nails in the coffin for Isaksson - I hope not.

But what the hell, we've made it into the quarter finals and are only two games away from Wembley...or Cardiff...or wherever. I couldn't give a stuff where, as long as we make it.

It's going to be a nervy lunchtime tomorrow and it's a cliche I know, but give us a home draw for a change! I will be at Confession early tomorrow and praying for Chelsea v United, Spurs v Arsenal, City v Plymouth and I couldn't care about the other one.

The Saints Are Coming !

Like a lot of Blues, I was expecting to be having a football free weekend, as after all, it's the 4th round of the FA Cup, but amazingly our name is still in the hat; in fact, we're only four games away from the Cup Final !

City take on Southampton at Eastlands on Sunday with a 3pm kick off and it will NOT be televised live, so if you want to see it, you'll need to get yourself along to the ground.

The 3rd round against Sheffield Wednesday had a disappointing turnout of just 25,621, but I guess that's not a big surprise as it was televised and the Christmas / New Year fixtures have taken their toll on fans' finances and self-punishment thresholds.

As it's a Sunday kick-off, travelling away support will be a lot less than had it been a Saturday with a maximum of 3000 Saints expected to take the long haul up from the South Coast.

Bradley Wright-Phillips faces his former club for the first time, and he'll be trying his hardest to do an "Anelka" and prove a point by scoring against us. I would think BWP getting on the score sheet is an odds-on certainty like most City old boys. Similarly, City goalie coach, Tim Flowers , will I'm sure be looking forward to the visit of his former club and I would hope be wanting a City victory.

Apart from wanting to get to the next round anyway, City should be motivated by the fact it was Southampton who beat City at the last ever game at Maine Road, and I also seem to remember a dreadful game against them at Eastlands in the KK era, when we were just shockingly awful and Kevin Phillips and James Beattie combined to (deservedly) hammer us 3 -1.

Saints' teenage wonderkid and Rags target, Gareth Bale should be playing, so it'll be a chance to see how good he really is, although with our current blunted and toothless attack, he may have a quiet afternoon.

Make no mistake, it's going to be a tight game against an in-form team with an excellent manager, but the Cup is important for City and after last weekend's season low-point against Blackburn, I'm expecting the players to redeem themselves and give the blue half of the city something to cheer about.

Doesn't It Just Make You Sick !

If I'm honest, I wasn't expecting to be writing another article tonight with City's name still in the hat for tomorrow's FA Cup 4th Round draw, but I'm not complaining.... even though we didn't exactly cover ourselves with glory in this afternoon's match at Hillsborough with another far from convincing performance.

To be fair though, Wednesday are an improving side this season and a sleeping giant - rather like City when you think about it. I wasn't there today, due to local junior football priorities, but what fantastic away support for City once again.

I was also listening to the 'Nited v Villa game hoping for an upset there, and it so nearly happened. Once again though with irritating regularity, the Rags managed to score a winner in the 91st minute without deserving it....... and where did the four minutes of added time come from, or should I say "Fergie time". Doesn't it just make you sick !

Still, we'll probably draw them again in the next round