The Ron Around
Here we go with another look around the news stories of the week with the rather cheesily titled The Ron Around!
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I think it is fair to say the last two games haven’t exactly set the pulses racing but whilst draws against similarly placed teams seem acceptable to me I don’t think everyone shares that view judging by the moans and groans I heard coming out of Loftus Road on Saturday!
Personally I think the progress we’ve made under De Canio has been magnificent. I really believe we are just a few steps away from being a pretty damn good side but it will take time to get there. Inconsistencies are going to creep in along the way but in the long run this side is heading in the right direction, of that I am sure.
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One thing I am not sure of anymore is how they sort the fixtures list out these days. We go from five games in January and February to a massive seven fixtures in March then back down to four in April, any chance of spreading them out a bit chaps?
Next month presents us with some real challenges as well, the home games against Blackpool and Scunthorpe should give us six points but gawd knows what will happen in the other five.
Kicking off the month at home to Stoke doesn’t look particularly appetising at the moment, especially when you chuck in a live TV audience, and we finish March with two bloody hard looking away games at Wolves and Ipswich.
Hopefully by that time we’d have got enough points on the board to be able to simply relax and enjoy the games!
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Great to see Angelo Balanta break through into the first team picture and score his first goal this month. Everyone seems to be signing his praises right now and he looks to have an exciting career ahead of him.
My cynical side is remembering that we’ve been here before so many times over the last few years, from Dennis Oli and Oliver Burgess, to Scott Donnelly and Kieron St Aimie our kids just haven’t quite made the big step up yet.
Hopefully Angelo will be the first to do so, once you get one through others start to follow and before you know it you have a little production line going on.
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Talking of the youth team good to see them earn another fine victory this past weekend. After sticking five past Peterborough in the Youth Association Cup quarter final they followed that up by shoving another four past them in a league meeting on Saturday.
They really are romping away with the league this year and after winning it last season perhaps the time has come to get the under 18’s back into the academy set up as soon as possible as you have to wonder how much of a challenge this division is now.
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Scott Sinclair is back in the Championship, this time he has joined Charlton on loan until the end of the season, and it should be a good move for both parties.
Scott is an undoubted talent but he just was not interested when he was with us and spent most of his time being too worried about getting hurt and missing out on League Cup ties with Chelsea. With that millstone off his neck I bet Charlton get to see some fine performances from this young lad.
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Another week, another newspaper interview with one of our colourful owners. This time it’s Flavio and The Times. Bloody good piece it is too, I’ll quote you the opening paragraph.
“Flavio Briatore wants to get married and settle down one day, but for the time being the 57-year-old is happy running a Formula One team, owning a football club and dating a supermodel.”
It’s a tough old job Flav but someone has to do it eh mate!
It is great to see the press take us seriously for once though, Flavio and Bernie aren’t just professionals in the business world they know how to work the media and the club is getting nothing but good exposure at the moment. Long may it continue.
More next week ….
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