SkyDaz Preview ......

You probably haven't realised but when I get into my cosy commentary box at the Blues, had a coffee, a strange sandwich, an ogle at the My Lucky Seat girls and take my seat, I produce from my little camp vanity case more than just the make up that ensures I look beautiful, but also a selection of pre prepared compact discs.

As well as the general everyday mundane stuff that keeps you entertained as you munch on your pie that is clearly too hot for human consumption but you eat it anyway and the hot beverage that is so incinerated merely bringing it near to your mouth brings you out in blisters I have two special cds.

One is neatly labelled ‘Won cd' and the other (guess what?) is called ‘Lost cd'. The ‘won' cd always starts with ‘Story of the Blues' due to it being a ‘mighty' fine track and contains other uplifting tunes to keep you deliriously happy as you queue patiently to exit the stadium. The ‘lost' cd is meant to reflect the melancholy mood that we have had to endure this season along with a statement about the current position. Recent examples have been ‘Build me up Buttercup' and against Liverpool ‘Road to Nowhere' and ‘If I could turn back time'.

Oh what joy it was to release the ‘won' cd on the masses last Saturday afternoon. I know we drew but I don't have a ‘draw' cd you pedantic bunch! The Mighty Wah! were followed by Andy Williams ‘Can't take my eyes off you' and David Bowie's ‘Heroes'. A tad melodramatic, after all it was only a draw, but deserved nonetheless by the magnificent boys in blue. We played well, with passion and commitment, and I thought those lads deserved their ‘won' music and judging by the magnificent rendition at the end of the match of ‘Keep Right On' so did you lot! Fantastic!

The success against Chelsea was as a result of a return to the basics that helped us survive the previous couple of years. We hassled and pushed and forced the Chelsea stars to turn back towards their own goal and eventually resort to hopeful long balls. Admittedly their long balls were more accurate than ours and indeed some of them could even be deemed as bloody good long passes rather than our hoof up the pitch to get rid! But that's because Chelsea are in a different class. Although we made them look quite ordinary at times and maybe this season's title race is not quite over yet.

We still don't look like scoring, apart from Zinedine Tebily of course who looked like the finest footballer on display and considering the company he kept on Saturday that is some compliment.

Our forwards clearly lack confidence. The work rate is fine and the effort acceptable but near goal they crumble and look awkward. The ball arrives unexpectedly whereas for a striker in form he always anticipates that the ball might get through to him and is ready to pounce. Take Fowler and Owen, two very small compact forwards (I'd take them any day!). Why do they score so many goals? Ok Owen is quick but he is small and very one footed, Fowler is also on the small side and as equally one footed albeit his left rather than Owen's right. Their artistry lies in their movement and clinical unerring accuracy to hit not just the target but the side of the net inside the post. They both also score lots of goals pouncing on the goalkeepers as they spill shots. Their first aim though is always to hit the target, you don't have to break the net to score a goal. Our failing is that we don't have enough strikes on target and, excepting Tebily's thirty yard screamer, there was not another effort on goal. Plenty went into the Tilton but Cech had a fairly quiet afternoon. Fortunately Crespo et al also failed to pack their scoring boots and the final whistle was a huge relief.

The Bolton game was cardiac material. Good old goal machine Jiri had a couple of sighters before lashing a left foot drive into the far corner of the net. I wish he had buried his second chance and allowed us all to actually enjoy the second half but I guess that's being greedy and would also be unlike the Blues.

That is two games on the trot that the ‘won' cd has been out. Let's hope it stays in the cd player until the end of the season. Wigan, roll over and play dead. Thanks.

Keep right on. You've got nothing left to lose.