Match Report

Who’d a thunk it eh? Winners of the Group of Death at a virtual canter with a result as impressive as any other in Europe this season, minus the aesthetics. I’ll cover the full ‘Frankfurt Experience’ in the fanzine, so you can all treat yourselves to that for Christmas but the trip was a belter. The Germans to me are the most underrated people in the whole of Europe – great hosts as they were in the summer for the World Cup, good crack, makers of blinding beer and afficianados of some surreal pop music. Bon Jovi will never go hungry as long as Germany exists, that’s all I’m saying.

Anyway, back to the match itself. After a lengthy walk to the ground through a forest after a ‘misunderstanding’ with a local taxi driver and one of our lot, the stadium loomed up almost out of nowhere. Lovely ground it is as well after the 82-mile hike to get into it. All fitted up for the World Cup, all quite high tech and a mile better than 90% of the Premiership grounds at a quarter of the price for the ticket. Very canny! Noisy a owt as well when their (excellent) fans got going. Being Germans and efficient bassas they even have a choreographed singing routine, which has the whole ground chipping in bits here and there. Really impressive stuff, especially given the rank awfulness of their side!

Maybe it was to do with 24 hours solid supping (I thought I was tripping in the first half but all their flags were upside down…weren’t they?) and maybe that clouded my judgement of the game somewhat but they didn’t look like scoring if they had played on for another 90 days. The first half was well, it was piss poor frankly with nothing much going on and no real sense of urgency from Frankfurt. Their strikers especially looked a yard off it and Titus (gulp) and Taylor had them firmly in their pockets all night. Mention again to Solano who is just a class act at right back. Just his awareness of the game and brain make him a million times the player Carr will ever be and he MUST stay there.

The second half was better. Uncle Albert Luque shuffled off after an hour or so and frankly was just out and out mingin’. Excuses over really, the bloke is a professional and he doesn’t seem to have either the inclination or the talent to do it. Sad really. Martins made a difference by giving us some pace and touch and we could have nicked it through Emre (all huff and nee puff!) and then a inexplicably scissor kicking Zog but then so could they – put clean through a striker chipped it about a mile over and for all the ‘chances’ they had it just wasn’t going to happen for them.

As I said at the start, this was a good result for us – another clean sheet away from home in Europe, which is never easy and some players who looked to be drifting and/or lost causes coming into form. In this category I would put Nicky Butt straight to the top of the pile. A lad I have slated in the past few months, I will eat das humble strudel if he keeps this up. Tremendous last night and for me the Man of the Match – passing, tackling, positional sense all first rate and fair play to him if he can keep this going. The defence looks as solid as it has for a long while after Cheech and Chong have lost their full back places and Shay is back and looking fit and solid. Very satisfying indeed and long may it continue.

Hopefully by the time the next Euro trip comes along, we’ll be breathing space away from relegation, my head will have stopped pounding and flashing odd patterns before my eyes (very odd indeed) and we can enjoy a nice diversion from the real deal.

Now wouldn’t that just be super, Ja?

Keep the Faith

GH