As a rule, and the experience
of many seasons bears it out, City's performance on the pitch
is inversely proportionate to the level of expectation off it.
It came as no suprise that Blackpool undeservedly equalised with
thir first chance of the match with approximately 8 seconds remaining.
Everything was in place, a large crowd, new owners and a new manager
waiting in the wings. We were doomed to dissapointment. This City
team are no better at killing teams off and actually winning games
than last season's.
At least Hamman and Gould now know the size of the task ahead
of them and they should concentrate on that instead of irrelelvant
peripherals such as the name of the club and the colours of the
kit. Anyway, I thought Gould had talked Hamman out of all that
nonsense?
Many thousands of 'lost' supporters turned up at Ninian to see
what was new. Summer ground improvements were typically piecemeal
amounting to nothing more substantial than a couple of portaloos
(offering some privacy), some new segregation on the Grange End
and, oh yes, the bloke who watches the game from his garden behind
the Bob Bank has a new ladder. It was surprising this didn't get
a mention in the programme.
Sam Hamman opened the festivities by taking a generous ovation
on the pitch, waving a Welsh flag. But the sheep, like the promised
Premiership players, was a no-show. Rather than spoil the moment,
Bobby Gould wisely opted to keep his seat in the stand.
The general good vibes continued as Nugent opened the scoring
despite a generally leaden-footed display by City.
They say a manager moulds the team in his own image and this is
true of Billy Ayre. City were unambitious, rigidly inflexible,
limited in ability and living on borrowed time. As a result they
never quite seemed to have the game won.
It was more than apparent that City's attack desperately needed
freshening up mid-way throught the second half, especially after
Brayson and Nugent had both seen efforts cleared off the line.
Ayre's response was to send Earnshaw on a solitary traipse up
the touchline. He then sat down again. Ayre appeared to be watching
the game avidly but then again he might just as well have been
staring into space.
In short, a dissapointing performance and result in front of supporters
desperate for City to do well.