Monday Musings by Rob Wildey.
Monday Musings; Marbella, Spelling Mistakes & Joey Barton
Welcome to my second Monday Musings column. In the last week, we`ve seen comings and goings in the playing department and the squad has jetted off for a jolly boys outing to Marbella. With the temperatures at Blues` training camp set to pass 30 degrees, Gary Rowett may have to do the unthinkable and not wear his beloved jumper. This is a cruel world. And it`s a cruel world for youngster Nick Townsend who, just a couple of weeks ago, fancied his chances of challenging for the number one jersey only to find himself bullied by bigger boys. Truth be told, the ‘keeper will benefit hugely from a loan spell to establish himself. It happens to the best of them, Nick, just ask Joe Hart.
Rowett won`t be keen on his lads doing their best Jack Grealish impression and a little birdy tells me that Lee Clark, if he was still the manager, had his sights set on a pre-season drinking, I mean training, camp in Magaluf. It was only when he was rejected for the 18-30`s registration that he opted for the short haul to Ireland.
It seems as if Clayton Donaldson is staying at St. Andrew`s. Reading`s offer of £4.50 up front, and a Edinburgh Woollen Mill voucher for Mr. Rowett, wasn`t enough to tempt Blues into selling. And let`s be honest, would the Madejski Stadium (the home of the plastic fan) be the right destination for The Don? With Leeds sniffing around too, the situation isn`t quite sorted once and for all, but Bradford-born Donaldson doesn`t fancy the idea of playing for 27 different manager`s before Christmas at Elland Road.
This week also saw the exit (temporarily for now) of Mark Duffy. The blonde bombshell has joined Burton Albion to play under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Duffy has been a vital cog in the Blues machine. No one else at the club can fill 25 water bottles as quickly as Mark Duffy. So, Mark, good luck at Burton and I`m sure we`ll see you soon, or maybe not?
Blues confirmed the signing of a Champions League and Premiership winner last week. When I read the headline ‘Birmingham sign former Champions League winner` I thought my prediction of the Sergio Ramos / Neal Eardley swap (see last week`s Monday Musing`s) had come true. But unfortunately, it was the signing of free agent Tomasz Kuszczak. Of course, I`m messing. The Pole is a very good signing but I do worry for our spell-lazy fans. Many Bluenoses struggled to spell Clark without an ‘e` or Rowett without two ‘t`s`, how the hell will they manage Kuszczak and Legzdins?
As we approach the start of pre-season, my Kidderminster tickets (which are like raffle tickets) have arrived and the optimism is here in force. The football has been missed, but not as much as the moaning and the controversy and of course, the beer. As I count down the days to my holiday to Bulgaria and the return of Robert Tesche, I look forward to the season ahead.
And one last note, don`t believe any rumours you read on Twitter from fans pretending to be ‘in the know`. You know the sort I mean. The one`s who class a ‘very good source` as a bloke in the pub who talks about Blues despite not attending a game in 17 years (still thinks Paul Furlong is our star striker). The sort that say ‘my daughter bought a Chinese takeaway and saw Carson Yeung`s nephew in there and he said we were signing Joey Barton`. If that happens, I`ll eat my season ticket.
I bid you farewell for now. Keep Right On!
Twitter @TheWildeyShow