The Diary

03 September 2007: Tex, Tykes - And Stourbridge Tapas!

Well, it?s the end of the month, six games played, now, two of which were in a knock-out competition, and the leakage of goals against has finally dried up. In every department, we seem to be acting much more cohesively, people actually talking to one another (although, given the mini-United Nations we do have at the club these days, God alone knows in what universal tongue!), and after an awful start, things finally seem to be coming together.

We seem to have found a gem in Tex; for what we paid, he was an absolute steal, a class act, provided he can maintain his current form. Mowbray did say yesterday that it was a pretty daunting prospect for someone coming from the kind of football they play in Portugal, to readily adapt to the sort of stuff that?s bog-standard Championship fare, and he?s dead right. It?s only now that we?re seeing the first glimpses of what he can be, given sufficient time and patience to get his act properly together. That first goal of his yesterday was well worth the admission price alone, evading his minders as if they weren?t there, and by doing so, creating enough space to make the resultant strike a virtual shoo-in. Lovely stuff. And we should not ignore the way in which the second came to be, either.

Agreed, Barnsley?s defending was of the standard that would make even a pub Sunday League side shake with mirth, but well done to Beattie, sweating on a successful strike himself, for grabbing the chance (Tex was the supplier) with outstretched hairy mitts, running with the ball for a considerable distance, while keeping his head ? when you?re one-on-one like that, it?s a pretty daunting proposition, considering that as you progress further upfield, alone, the opposing keeper?s bulk looms ever larger, while the space afforded by the otherwise-untenanted goalmouth seemingly grows ever-smaller ? then putting it away with considerable aplomb. Not an easy task at all, under that sort of pressure, and as we?ve all seen before, many a greater talent than either Beattie or Tex has come drastically unstuck in vastly similar circumstances.

Agreed, Barnsley weren?t exactly the tightest outfit in our division, defensively, but it was really gratifying to see us creating so many really decent chances during the course of the game, at long last. The consensus in the Halfords seemed to be that the Yorkshire outfit were pretty lucky to escape with only two recorded on the ?goals against? side of the ledger: perhaps the combination of their newly-acquired aggressiveness, plus a referee seemingly dilatory in going about his supervisory duties, was the main reason they avoided yet another absolute stonking at our hands.

Ishmael Miller, too, was looking to add to his tally, as evidenced by a move that was almost an action replay of the circumstances surrounding the goal versus Preston. Once more, he tried to power his way past a number of defenders, on went the afterburners as before, but he couldn?t quite control the ball sufficiently this time round to completely ruin the Yorkshire side?s day. But, the season is but young, still, and there will be other opportunities for the lad to shine for the Baggies, I?m sure.

Agreed Kiely didn?t have too much to worry about, fast in the solitude of his peculiar trade for considerable periods of the ninety minutes, but when he was needed, he was reliability personified. That?s what you get when you buy in that sort of experience ? and it showed. That save he pulled off close to the end was top-drawer. Even John Osborne would have loved the magnificent way in which pure reflex kicked in, and the ball safely palmed away within milliseconds of recognising the potential danger.

And, ranged in front of him, our defenders mostly put in a competent performance. However, I do still have lingering concerns about the lad Barnett, whose sporadic errors at the back could have really cost us. Still, again, look at the positive aspects: this was a learning experience for Barnett, and hopefully, in future, he?ll not commit the same basic errors when ranged against a classier side, one more than capable of punishing daft defensive miscalculations with a goal.

I do know that there has been some doubt cast by elements of supporters as to the rightness of Mogga?s team selections, on occasion. Indeed, I?ve expressed profound misgivings myself, both during the course of last season, and this one. But, however much upheaval was created by this massive influx of players, both over the course of the summer and the start of the current season proper, what one has to bear in mind is that our leader is very much into the game of ?horses for courses?.

Given the enormous amount of talent currently at our disposal, lending the side some much-needed strength in depth, we can now match an optimal team selection to the opposition faced in our next game. That?s something we?ve really lacked for quite some number of years, so it?s particularly gratifying to see us going down that particular route, once more.

As the old Biblical proverb used to teach ? and singer Mary Hopkins turned into a hit single B-side, back in 1968 ? ?To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die, and a time to pluck up that which is planted?.? Horses for courses, in other words: as Mogga said at a recent press conference, on some occasions, it?s the ball-winning, closing-down skills of Chappy that?s required at the back: when pencilling in a prospective side for others, you maybe need to utilise the likes of Pele.

That?s a prospect that really excites me: as I recall, it was the lack of sufficient strength in depth that was contributory to us not making it through either the automatic places, or the play-off lottery, last season. Now, suspensions, loss of form, and/or injury shouldn?t affect the overall flow of the side to the extent it did last term, so consistency, a really vital attribute for sides harbouring well-founded pretensions of grandeur, should be much easier to attain this time round. And, if this side is truly what I think it (potentially) might be, a Premier League side temporarily clad in Championship clothing, then exciting times must surely lie ahead.

And how goes the house-hunting front? It?s a pretty crazy sort of game to play: since enthusing over the one we saw yesterday, we slept on it, then, in the cold light of day, thought of several snags that weren?t immediately apparent when we first viewed the place. We were going to arrange a second visit, but since discussing it in depth (over a Spanish tapas meal in Stourbridge, of all places!), we might not bother.

Mind you, we did see another property today that looks as if it ticks most of the boxes: on the flat, detached, cul-de-sac, loads of space, away from the main road, yet close, if you see what I mean, bus routes galore, serving Dudley, Halesowen and Brum, even on Sundays, a good selection of shops (but no chemist: still, I can live with that, given the frequency of the bus service), and, once more, no upward chain. We?re going to arrange a proper visit in the coming week.

It?s long been recognised that moving house is one of the most stressful times in most people?s lives - it even ranks above getting a serious illness, or being sent to jail, as I understand it ? and, having played this particular brand of silly buggers for several weeks on the bounce, now, I can readily understand the reason why!

As our next scheduled game will be against Ipswich, in a couple of weeks time, I don?t propose posting until this weekend, after which we will be spending some well-earned R and R at our rural Shangri-La. That means I should be back up and running on the day before the game, but the usual proviso applies. Any unexpected scandal, major upset, or alien invasion of the Brummie, etc. and I?ll be in full production mode once more.

The Met Office has forecast an Indian summer of sufficient warmth and intensity to make up for the abortion of the previous three months (It?s now been made official: The Summer Of ?07 was the wettest since records began. Why am I not surprised?), so we intend to take full advantage, before the realities of an impending house-move start to assume fearsome proportions. So, Ciaou, everyone, and see you in a week?s time.

And Finally?. One. When I finally came upstairs to pen this piece, I?d left my beloved watching yet another so-called ?reality show?, all about a fairly small group of volunteers (for that, read ?mugs?) tasked with eating, living and sleeping on an open refuse dump for weeks on end, day and night. Not very pleasant, sure ? but put it all into perspective, all you Baggie people out there. In Wolverhampton, they?d call it ?luxury accommodation?, wouldn?t they?

Two?.. Liverpool 6, Derby County 0. Still want to take the rip out of us, Rams-lovers?

Three?. Swansea supporters were recently polled as to whether or not they?d like to see trainee barrage balloon John Hartson (there had been rumours on the airwaves that their gaffer was busily sniffing around Albion?s ankles in a concerted effort to acquire his adipose services) in their ranks. Their considered answer? 65% of Jacks (not exactly the most mentally-stable of supporters, even at the best of times) did the electoral equivalent of screaming: ?NOOOOOOOO!...? Can?t think why for a minute. Can you?

 - Glynis Wright

Contact the Author

Diary Index