fensaddler

Liking that. Firm slap down. And if he gets game time he needs to deliver. No use throwing your toys out of the pram with Warren as gaffer. He's sorted out big egos at United.

Rate Wazza every time I hear him.

Ange wants a break and Wazza's doing a decent job.

Thanks Embee. Yes it's a stretch, but putting a number of things together I'm hoping somebody can at least reach out to him.

Tin foil. At Woollies. At least twice apparently.

And I am so looking forward to seeing the little ferret back on the wing. He's worth the ticket price on his own for entertainment value...

I think they just sooked about the whole thing TBH. Distance, they'd get s bigger crowd, they were the bigger club etc. At the time City were getting all the media attention, and the former media darlings were feeling a bit put out, I think...

He clearly has a problem with timekeeping, or organisation, or something. I keep coming back to something fundamental, like is the guy suffering from depression (and anybody who has met the black dog knows I'm not putting that out there lightly). He's fundamentally a talented footballer who is clearly struggling, and my sense is that it's in his head. And let's not forget that whilst he butchered several chances last week, he was at least in the right place to butcher them, and he cracked in a seriously high pressure penalty. I'm far from writing him off yet, and at least he isn't sooking on prime time media about how he isn't the centre of the freaking football universe... Seriously? Have you ever struggled at anything? When you do, it might be instructive to meet someone with the attitudes you've expressed and see how much it helps you.

But anything this side of the new year might be a bonus. Sounds like he's not there yet.

Indeed they were. Hence my surprise at the turnout...

Re the discussion with Matt Windley about City attendances, did anyone clock the attendance last night for the Cup Final? Thirteen and a half thousand, yet we got nearly nineteen last year. Clearly Sydney fans not all that bothered...

Quite. He'd hardly be training and too injured to play again.

I hope the lad does well. I sense he has a monkey on his back, if not several.

No, I understood that Mauk equalled player x. Agreed, this is pretty much a unique situation which wouldn't have blown up if it wasn't Cahill. You're right that media would not have been interested. But it's precisely because the media would turn it into a shitstorm that Cahill chose to do what he did, because by doing so he could bring pressure to bear that others couldn't. He thinks he's bigger than the club. We'll see.

Pleased at the tone suggested here about the attitude of the club. 'Hardball' is a good word in this context.

That was Wednesday night? But yes, I agree on where it started...

And who might that be? I think it started about Wednesday...

Mauk wouldn't try it. He doesn't have the arrogance to believe he can dictate selection. And he hasn't taken a shed load of money in the first year to welch as soon as the second year at lower money starts. And yes, he does believe he can win the media campaign and get what he wants, undermining the dressing room in the process. He can't be allowed to.

I want to like this again.

My wife has suggested that she explain to Wazza in broad Lancastrian why this rather displeases her.

I can feel the opinion of the fans change today. He's set us up, he's after money, and you wouldn't put it past him to have conspired with uber flog Aloisi. Grovelling apology Tim, or train alone until you don't get picked for Russia. Quite right playmaker, drain the swamp until we've got rid of anyone pulling in another direction. If necessary play the kids. But on no account give in to this.

Moreover, if he hasn't recanted by Friday and he does play, I can imagine the welcome he'll get from parts of the crowd... Hell hath no fury...

Spot on BT. And as others have said, if he really is trying this on, he should be staying where he is and training on his own, or paying a good chunk of last year's wages back as part of any release settlement. Already some bollo in Guardian Australia today about how City should do what he wants. Media can go hang. We can't be any more hated as a club anyway. But he needs to be well away from the dressing room pronto. Absolute money grabbing flog.

But La Rocca has played exceptionally well prior to this. Joyce was picking players in form and keeping to a winning team. We'd all have picked La Rocca for this game based on recent performances. Galekovic likewise. And Malik had a decent game, it wasn't his fault we lost. There will be changes and I'm sure Brattan and Kilkenny will be picked, or will be very close to being picked, in the first eleven next week.

But of that lot La Rocca is at least benched for Jako. And Ross is potentially crocked or disciplined. At worst on the plane back to Birmingham. The only cover we've really got for Musky is Pierias, and he's not got near the squad so far.