Tears Before Bedtime

Several stories in the news today have made me think of this song.

I can see a few tears being shed one way or another during the coming days and weeks.

Mr Hollow Way is no doubt dusting off his Kleenex as we speak.

Then there is Special K, who has apparently been 'summoned' to explain himself to his Board Chair, Mr Ashley.

And you have to feel sorry for Manchester City fans as Sven prepares to go off to pastures new.

Mark Hughes is taking his ball home following Michael Carrick's successful planning application to build a house opposite his (isn't that taking inter-club rivalry just a little too far?)

And Mr Capello is by no means out of the woods as investigations into his business affairs.

But all these are people who make their living out of football.

There are others with tears on their pillow.

Spare a thought for us.

Red Letter Day

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way"
Charles Dickens "A Tale Of Two Cities"

The quote above sums up my experiences of this Sunday.

On the same day that my beloved Leicester was relegated to the third tier of English football, I celebrated the 21st birthday of my beautiful daughter.

Both events brought tears to my eyes. Both events pulled at my heartstrings.

I didn't go the match. Instead, I sat chopping cucumber batons as I listened to the radio commentary on the link given to me by another Foxes fan some time ago. I listened as the other critical games (Southampton v Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich) progressed.

I knew of course that we were at serious threat of relegation. Yet despite the doom and gloom of my recent posts, deep down I thought we would probably pull through by the skin of our teeth.

But as the final minutes were ticking by I could feel the sense of inevitable failure growing. I felt bewildered - not just by the horror of it all ,but at the depth of my own reaction.

There are probably some of you who read this blog who don't regard me as a proper fan. I can understand that. I know for many football fans the love of their club goes back as far as they can remember. I know too that the tone of my posts is often tongue in cheek and that my whole journey into football was a reluctant one.

Trust me though I am hurting. It's like a bereavement.

And then, like I said, there was my daughter's 21st celebration. Yes of course my son and his mates TTP relentlessly. Yes of course I had all sorts of clever comments about black armbands and offers to get free tickets to watch Leicester v Hereford United next season.

But I also had the joy of watching my girl, now a beautiful young woman, share with her love of life with others. Which somehow helped put things into perspective.

So what next? Well Mandaric is reported to have said he wants a few days to 'calm down' before making a decision which seems wise.

I can't see Hollow Way staying though. He came into a difficult situation but he didn't have what it takes IMO.

Suggestions for replacement have included Iain Dowie and Steve Walsh.

I'm going to adopt Mr Mandaric's approach for a few days though before I get sucked into the frenzy of speculation and prediction. Just sit back, lick my wounds and remind myself that tomorrow is another day.

And that where there is life there is hope. Especially when you are 21.

Kiss And Tell

Back in November Georgina smelt a rat.

Not a major surprise then to learn today that Harry Rednap is taking action against the police for the way he and his family were treated when he was arrested last year.

I heard the news as I was travelling down the M5 with my lover on the way to a day out by the seaside.

Obviously as this is a post about football I won't be telling you about the wonderful crab sandwiches I ate at lunchtime at The Anchor Inn in Seatown, accompanied by a lovely pint of local ale. Nor the delicious triple chocolate ice cream I devoured to follow it up.

I won't regale you with story of how I persuaded my lover to climb to the top of a steep hill with me against all his inclinations.

You won't get to know about the groovy red hat I bought in Lyme Regis and wore the rest of the day or the succulent Lemon Sole we bought at a local fish shop and he is cooking for my tea as I post.

Instead I will return the conversation to the harsh reality of The Foxes' situation. Away to Barnsley on Saturday with a desperate need to win.

I should have bought another red hat like mine for Hollow Way. He needs a hat to pull something out of this weekend.

Ian Hollow Way

I'm worried, I'm cross and I'm fed up.

I can't believe we gave away those two points yesterday - very nearly three.

I was not at the match but listened to it on the radio and read the comments by fans who were there. All in all it adds up to a very disappointing performance.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been a big supporter of Holloway and have urged holding the faith on a number of occasions. But you can only rely on blind faith for so long. And for me this really has started to run out.

The thing that worries me most is listening to post match and other interviews with Ollie. He sounds lame and clueless to be honest. So much so that I have invented a new name for him. I will be calling him Ian Hollow Way from now on until he persuades me I should do otherwise.

I don't know what is going on in the dressing room at Leicester City but I sense a lack of direction and a match by match mentality. Whilst I know the fans are cross with the players too, we have some good men on paper who have shown flashes of what they might do within the right set up.

I'm not yet baying for his blood but I have to say if Hollow Way is manager of The Foxes at the beginning of next season I'll be very very surprised.

So surprised, in fact, I will give up pies for a month if he is.

No need to cancel my standing order to Pukka just yet though.

Waterloo

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I didn't get home until the early hours of this morning after watching this lot and this lot live. Of course my lover and I had made arrangements to have the Man U/Roma score text to us as it happened.

I thought I would do a quick entry this morning, however, to tell you about a lunchtime conversation I had at a meeting during the day. I was talking to - lets call him Brian (a good name since it is actually his real one). Brian, I discovered, is a Yeovil fan and goes to most away matches. He is a Bristolian by origin, although he now lives in Somerset, and you'll never guess who he knew a few years ago.

None other than our own Ian Holloway!

It was at the time when Ollie was managing Bristol Rovers, where he is not deemed to have done terribly well. He then moved to QPR where - er - he is not deemed to have done very well either. His time at Plymouth seems to be regarded as more successful, however, and of course the verdict is still out at Leicester.

I don't want that to sound as if I am losing my faith in him. I think he is a great personality and as I have said before there is evidence that he has improved the standard of play by the Foxes since his arrival, albeit still inconsistently.

He does have what I call the 'ouch' factor though. I love his sense of humour but there have been times when I would have looked for a little more gravitas. It is difficult to find much to laugh about when you are hovering around, or worse still in, the relegation zone. At such times the use of humour needs to be measured and subtle.

Brian also shared a rumour that Ollie's Bristolian accent is not entirely authentic in that it is somewhat 'embellished'. I couldn't possible comment of course.

Ollie and the boys can look forward to a hard fought battle this Saturday against Sheffield United I am sure. Reminiscent of the battle I fought at the gig last night against against some dreadful French woman who came and stood directly in front of me then tried to invade my space. Unfortunately for her I have quite bony elbows which I strategically placed either side of me as I bopped. Within 10 minutes the space between us had opened up and it was Waterloo all over again.

Leicester To My Roots

I can't get to the match today unfortunately as I am having my roots done.

That's where I am off to now. Complete with my tiny radio to listen to Talk Sport and Ian Holloway autobiography. I'm not wearing my Leicester City shirt though because it'll get all itchy when I have my ends trimmed.

I'll be back later to report on events at the M69 Derby and other footballing stories of the day.

And of course I will be 'rooting' for those Foxes.

Shaggy Dog Stories

If someone had told me at the start of today we would be celebrating a 4 - 0 victory by the end of it I would have thought they were telling me a tale.

I didn't get to the match as I was supposed to be going away to London (last minute crisis led to a change of plan). So I used to opportunity to watch the Man U/Arsenal rout. Ouch!

And what about Barnsley.

I mean Barnsley. Even we beat them for goodness sake.

And when I wasn't watching football or listening to it on the radio I used my unexpected free time to read some more of Ian Holloway's autobiography.

There are all sort of funny litte stories in it but one that made me chuckle was a tale (or should that be tail) of when a police dog bit a player who was taking a throw in during a match.

So I thought to celebrate our win over Norwich today I would find a few more examples of football-related animal antics to make you smile;

• Monty the Footymad Staffy
• A sports drink supping squirrel (allegedly.....)
• Trying to get in on the action
• A mammouth version
• A bunny
• Even stuffed versions
  

Who said animals are stupid? If they like footy they are OK by me. And there is nothing better than a shaggy dog story. Especially when it is the one about Leicester winning 4 -0.

A Masked Gesture

An 82 year old Ghanaian fan offered his granddaughter's hand in marriage this week to Junior Agogo as a 'thank-you' for scoring the goal that got the team into the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations. Not sure if the offer still stands now they are out of the competition though!

Great gesture.

Talking of which, Foxes fans are being urged to don Ian Holloway masks for the match against Plymouth Argyle tomorrow.

The plan is intended as an act of defiance following public criticism of our beloved manager earlier in the week by Plymouth Argyle Chairman, Paul Stapleton.

I'm not going to the match myself sadly but I will of course be wearing my mask at home as a gesture of solidarity.

I hope my lover can see his way to feeling some level of attraction for a balding 44 year old.

You Know It's Time To Quit When...........

You wonder what the world of football is coming to when:

1. Yet another team goes into administration
2. There are nearly as many players on the subs bench as there are on the pitch
3. There are claims that plans to stage Premiership matches abroad is a way of spreading the English traditions of football when really it is all about money
4. The Plymouth chairman is bad-mouthing our beloved Ollie
   

You know it's time to quit football when:

1. You start dreaming of burgers instead of pies
2. You can't keep quiet during a minute's silence to honour the victims of the Munich Air Disaster
3. You are homesick
   
4. You are Dennis Wise

Fortunately I fall into none of these four categories.

Of Daps, Stingers And Chucky Pigs

Having finally finished the Philip Pullman trilogy I was reading I am at last getting stuck into one of my Christmas presents - Ian Holloway's autobiography.

I have only just started it but it looks as if it is going to be readable.

Being of West Country origin myself, there are already some references that have brought a smile to my face and have made me realise we have quite a lot in common.

For example, he, like me, calls plimsolls 'daps'. So named, apparently, because the factory making them used to have a sign outside saying "Dunlop Athletic Plimsoles". As a child I was encouraged to say 'pumps' because 'daps' was deemed somewhat common in 1970s Gloucestershire. Being the rebel that I am, though, I still call them 'daps' today (only please don't tell my Mum!).

And those of you who read Ollie's BBC column on a regular basis will know that there has been considerable debate about his nickname of "Stinger", following his explanation that he was given the nickname because that is what he calls stinging nettles. I'm definitely a 'stinger' girl I have to say.

Ollie and I are a similar age (although I have more hair than him). Which means that I would almost certainly have seen him playing live during my very brief earlier dalliance with football in the early 1980s when I used to occasionally go to watch Bristol Rovers with my then boyfriend. I can't pretend I remember it though.

Spooky then that with all this in common our paths should cross again with a mutual interest in the fate of Leicester City Football Club.

Of course, whilst I am not suggesting that he is only financially motivated, Ollie does get paid for loving The Foxes. Whilst I do it completely for free.

I wonder if he calls woodlice 'chucky pigs' like me.

When You're Smiling........

Five things that stopped me smiling this weekend are:

1. Leicester City only managed a draw (though not as sad as I would have been if they had lost)


2. The Foxes are just hovering above the relegation zone (lets hope they don't crash and burn)


3. The planned loan of Isaiah Osbourne to Leicester has been called off (an important part of Ollie's improvement plan)


4. Liverpool have been further destabilised by talk of a takeover (not that I am particularly fond of of Liverpool but I believe in managers being given proper support and treated decently)


5. Reading were beaten 0 - 2 by Manchester United despite a brave fight (you should see my lover's little face bless him)

On the other hand, five things that have made me smile this weekend are:

1. The Wise/Bassett empire has suffered an undignified knock at the hands of Doncaster (you see there is a god)


2. Arsenal's 3 goals against Fulham (all three beautifully scored)


3. Keegan "opening talks" with Shearer about a role at the club (if he ends up with anything I predict some meaningless ambassador role)


4. Ollie's weekly column (what a wag he is)


5. Something else - but I think I will keep that one to myself.............

How To Make A Gourmet Meal

Seems we are not the only ones cheesed off by the Foxes performance yesterday girls.

Olly, apparently, is getting tough.

He has made it clear that he intends to bring in some new players during the transfer window. Every player in the squad has their chance to make an impression on him but they will need to get a move on. And they will need to really put their house in order.

One of the things our new manager has identified as missing is teamwork. He is able to recognise some of the reasons, including the way a whole new raft of players were brought in during the summer with apparently no attention paid to creating a sense of unity, a shared passion and vision.

I watched the Liverpool v Manchester United game this afternoon. I thought it was a great match. What stood out for me was the way United really did play as a team. Strong individuals with their signficant talent, working togther. Their goal exemplified this beautifully, with fantastic positioning and accurate placement. Each believed the others would deliver, and they did.

When I conduct recruitment interviews at work I always ask candidates what they think makes good teamwork. It's amazing how that can throw people. Most people are able to identify some elements but I am often struck by the things they leave out, such as communication and trust.

It is a real talent to be able to develop a good team. The skills required to nurture, support and develop individuals, yet always work for the greater good are not to be underestimated.

It reminds me of my cooking really. I often start with great ingredients, but somehow the way I put them together and treat them on the way results in me not realising their full potential.

It sounds as if Olly needs to improve his basic ingredients and buy in some good players. But he will need to make sure he works to a good recipe to ensure the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

So Mr Holloway, I shall put some champagne in my fridge ready to accompany the gourmet meal you are going to serve us up.

Delicious!

Right Backs Need Not Apply

Hey - guess what!

The FA have approached Mourinho about the possibility of becoming the England manager! He is on the shortlist!

I knew there was a reason he did not come to Leicester. He was destined for something else.

Meantime, Ian Holloway, the man who eventually did arrive to manage The Foxes, is starting to win the support and respect of the fans. Not that he came to a hostile reception but looking at the forum discussion when he was appointed there was certainly a sense of "we will wait and see".

Olly has quite a good media profile as we know and he is using this to excellent effect to communicate with the fans and wider football world. In a great article in the Guardian today he bemoans the current profile of the team:

"Everyone is a right-back. I'm going to change our name to Right-Back United.".

He also discloses that he wishes he was Scottish like Alex Ferguson, as being an "ooh-aah person", as he calls it, gives him less gravitas. Mind you I was a little confused about some of his logic:

"I wish I was related to William Wallace because did that bloke deal with some injustice. Would you like your wife to be taken off and shafted by an English laird on her wedding night?"

I think the answer is probably 'no' to that one Olly.

Anyway, there is building excitement in The Foxes' camp as we approach the January transfer window. Mr Holloway will have his first opportunity to spend Mr Mandaric's money. Although it sounds as if his message to potential signings will be "Right Backs need not apply".

Men In Suits

Seems it is not just Steve McLaren who is being held responsible for Wednesday's debacle. Even the government is warning the FA that they need to bring about some fundamental reforms - or else!

This blogger thinks the FA themselves should be sacked. There certainly seems to be considerable evidence that significant change is necessary. As long ago as 2005, a review undertaken by Lord Burns identified a number of major concerns including:

Potential conflicts of interests among FA board members

An unrepresentative council

Lack of confidence in the disciplinary process

Too much power being wielded by the Premier League

Lack of representation for the grassroots game

When you look at the makeup of the Board you can see what he means.

It's always a strange situation when you have a group of people who are the "accountable body". Who are they accountable to? And what power do those they are accountable to have to change anything?

I guess ultimately the FA are accountable to the fans and the commercial investors, which includes the government of course.

There is a real problem though I think when you have organisations who are responsible for recruiting themselves and for assessing their own performance. It is well known for example that so often people and groups recruit in their own image. It is why women and minority groups find it so difficult to reach the top.

Which begs the question, why are there no women on the FA Board? There is a growing women's football movement. You do not necessarily have to have a history within the football world (Brian Barwick the Chair being a case in point) to make a contribution. And maybe just maybe you would get some different perspectives and skills.

Ultimately of course it is about having the right people for the right job and I am not necessarily in favour of quotas or tokenism. But you do have to ask yourself if it is time for a very different approach. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

How different these men in suits seem to our new manager. I heard him interviewed on Talk Sport last night. My impressions were;

• genuine
• passionate
• thoughtful
• open
• kind
• modest
• in-touch
• ambitious
• dedicated
• ordinary (in the nicest sense)
• not simply 'a man in a suit'
  

Having heard him I am not surprised Manadaric chose him. These are all qualities that MM has stated he admires. This is complemented by his performance record, which although he is no Wenger or Ferguson, is respectable.

What touched me most was when he was talking about the team and the state he has found them in. Not judging, not using it as an opportunity to promote himself, but a genuine sense of concern that here were a bunch of young men who had had a difficult time over recent months, experienced instability and change and who just need a combination of TLC and firm guidance and leadership.

As you have guessed I am impressed so far. Ultimately of course it will be the results that count but I'm prepared to invest my belief in him.

Especially after today's 0 2 win against Bristol City.

Olly Olly Olly - Oi Oi Oi!!!!

I Don't Believe It

OK OK . You won't hear me say it very often so listen hard because I can only bring myself to whisper it.................
I was wrong!

At last our 'precious' new manager has been revealed as Ian Holloway.

The worst thing is I won't get any of this.

Our Ian is a West Country boy - like myself. Except of course I am a girl.

He's had a time of it too, one way or another. He has three deaf children. And his wife fought off cancer when they were first going out together.

Enough of that anyway. I'm off to research the answers to the questions posed by one of my readers in the comments on yesterday's post. They are quite hard for a girl who has only just learned to do football.

I'm going to try my very best though.

Feel as if I have to redeem myself after my uncharacteristic blunder.

Are We Nearly There Yet?

Psst!

The fans on the message board reckon Ian Holloway is hot favourite to become manager of The Foxes. So does this reporter.

Mandaric denied it only yesterday, however.

I'm sure Mandaric is speaking true.

Come on though MM. We are getting bored with the wait.

My Precious

We are orphans. Abandoned fox cubs. How sad is that?

Not so Plymouth, our opponents tomorrow. They have Ian Holloway to look after them.

3 fairly interesting things about Ian Holloway are:

• His nickname is Olly or Gollum
• He featured in a BBC Documentary "Stress Test" where he publicly addressed his anger management problems
• When he was manager of Bristol Rover FC he refused to sit in a red chair because it was the colour of their arch rivals, Bristol City

3 fairly strange things Olly has said are:

• Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi."
• "If is a big word. If I had long hair, I could be a rock star"
• "I feel so unlucky at the moment. If I fell into a barrow of boobs I'd come out sucking on my thumb"

We can only hope he doesn't get to do a post match interview tomorrow. With such a poetic style he will dazzle the viewers and put our win into the shade.

Did I say win? I think I did.

Come on you blues!!!

See you at the match. Row T.