News and Updates

Everton make it hard!

In a purely non-sexual way I should add. Expense, disruption, frustration and mood changing. Much like women folk I guess. Where to start? Probably with the bad, bad decision to make 6 changes for a Derby game. A Derby game - 6 changes!! I mean, local bragging rights, chance to go above them, 2 places worth around £2m at the end of the season. Breaking up a winning team on a unbeaten run. Why, why oh why?

Well, to stay fresh for the cup game against the Mackems of course. Unfortunately it didn't quite work out, the difference being a last minute double save from an inspired keeper. I, for one, was not too disappointed with a replay bearing in mind that I really thought that we were going to fluff this bad style. We are still in the cup, still having flickering hopes of glory and, especially, the change to work it up our lovable cousins at Wembley. Again, in a totally platonic sort of way.

The trek up to Sunderland will be exactly that, with diary management skills needed by a number of us. It will be difficult, of course, with Sunderland seeing the return of two influential players from suspension. It will be a case of motivation. Has David Moyes got what it takes to whip the team into a sense of frenzy, a do or die assault at the Stadium of Light? I would hope so.

Meanwhile, and to complicate things, the Dark Side are busy gobbling up the cheap rooms and rail tickets. The game has been confirmed as being played on Saturday 14 April to avoid a clash with the Hillsborough anniversary (and rightly so).

But before all of that there is the samll matter of games against Arsenal and Swansea. Can the Blues pick themselves (and us) up and get back into their stride? Arsenal are on the up after a shaky few weeks so it should be an interesting game. Swansea, meanwhile, have continued their excellent home form and have moved to 8th in the league. It kind of makes us underdogs in both games, probably the best place for us to be.

It promises to be a compelling 8 days were reputations will be won or lost.

meanwhile the first of three Shropshire Blues cubs joined us on Saturday. Welcome to Olivia Lucy Tanner and congrats from all Shropshire Blues to Russell and Kerry on the birth of their baby daughter.