"The money train is on its way everybody. Notts County are on their way to town with an expected 1,000+ followers, double what they've ever bought to us in meetings since 2005. A good start and a wave of optimism including the Premiership word will do that. County sit top of the league with three emphatic wins to their name, plus something of a blip at Chesterfield. In their four games they have thirteen goals to their name. Not too shabby.
That said, we've started well too and mustering a win against this monetary machiine will take us above them. Silly eh? Even if it is only five games into the season. But let's not get carried away, there are still ninety minutes to play yet.
I wonder though if County fans are getting a bit tired of this silly media circus that their club is embroiled in at the moment. Yes they're getting a lot of airtime, but they can't be mentioned without the prefix of Sven Goran Eriksson's. SGENCFC it is then. It all seems a little patronising to me. Even when we were having a laugh at Sven visiting Underhill, or Accrington, or Macclesfield, when it's said in the media it just seems condescending, as if it's some sort of bad thing and an embarrassment for the man. We all have feelings too y'know.
Maybe this injection of cash was just what County needed, even if it does look like someone's gone onto Football Manager, done a little bit of editing (cheating) and started the game. They're being linked with ridiculous names, based on nothing but the name Sven. Beckham, Figo, Vieira? Really? That said, the signing of Sol Campbell is a huge coup. He's not playing on Saturday, but it could still put some numbers on the gate with some Arsenal fans maybe curious for a look at the old chap.
It's inevitable now that barring some dramatic withdrawal of funds that County will shoot through the leagues and become a club that we'll probably never play again. See Wigan and Hull for some examples. However, the Magpies are a bigger club than the pair of them and a club of that stature really seems out of place in League Two, despite performing horribly over the past few years. They couldn't even get themselves into the top half.
I suspect that if we don't fulfil the optimism around Underhill and make the playoffs, this season will be the last we'll be seeing of Meadow Lane. Good timing, this is the last year of Max Bygraves' proximity to the ground at University. A shame in a way, Nottingham's a cracking night out. I'm sure we'll find a good reason for a wreck up either way, you know us by now.
Well good luck to them, they're a big club at this level and I can't see many beating them this year with the names in that team. And won't some of those names provide some superb terrace ammunition. I mean, they're all there aren't they.
Putting Sven and Sol to one side for a minute, I mean, assuming they'll be in the directors box they're just a few rows away from a ninety minute earful , you've got Neal Bishop returning to Underhill for the first time since his summer move. Who knows how the crowd will react to him. Bloody good player but the circumstances of his leaving were cloudy at best. Some will not take kindly to him I'm sure.
Then you've got Luke Rodgers, Lee Hughes, Russell Hoult. Goodness, the witty throats will most certainly be sore by 4:45. They'll have earnt their post match sorrow drowning/celebratory pints very well. Perhaps.
I'm quite looking forward to it. I loved Saturday's game for obvious reasons. We played very well at the back and still look dangerous going forward. Let's try and win a game of football. That'd be nice."
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