Okay, so I lied. I haven't managed to plate up the 'veritable feast' I promised last time out.
That was because I failed some university exams and therefore my summer was taken up with work and re-sits.
But now I'm a free man, I'm back to blogging, so here you go.
I'll have to resort to football again; for now at least.
This is because it's come to my attention that the Wales v Russia World Cup Qualifier, to be played in the 78,000 capacity Millennium Stadium, has so far only managed to sell 10,000 tickets.
Now I'm hoping that this is as well as the regular 15,000 or so signed up 'members' who attend all the qualifiers - I would make the point that I'm one of them, but I can't go tonight because it's my mother's birthday, and I've already seen us play Russia once (what a great night that wasn't!)
On that fateful night, now nearly 5 years ago, we were playing a play-off match to qualify for Euro 2004 in Portugal. We had come away from Moscow with a 0-0 draw (which I remember watching on the big screen in the MillStad with 5000 fans) and had beaten Italy 2-1, and thrashed Azerbaijan 4-0 in front of a sellout 78,000 crowd, in the group stage.
So if we could sell out then, why not now?
Alright, so we haven't beaten the likes of Italy this time round; an unlucky defeat in Russia thanks to a saved penalty, and inevitable defeats to Germany - 1-0 in Germany and 0-2 in Cardiff are all we have to show so far in this group. But I don't think that's the real reason we're lying in fourth, behind an ageing Finland team (who, by the way, had a 3-3 draw against the Germans in August last year).
I, like many others, firmly believe the blame can be laid at the door of Mr John Toshack.
His insistence on playing negative tactics have been the downfall of this highly talented, very, very young team. Toshack himself insisted we should judge him on this campaign - very well John. We're fourth in the group, and have lost to Finland at home. Indeed, the only teams we've beaten at home since you took over are San Marino, Liechtenstien, Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
Good performances at Russia and Germany, as well as good results in the friendly in Oslo, count for nothing when we can't beat the likes of Finland at home, or, indeed, put more than one past Azerbaijan. But then that's what you get when you play one striker, who's very short, and three midfielders, who have an average age of 20 and 29 caps between them, against these types of teams.
I'm not saying that the decision to bring through youth was the wrong one. God knows how much better I feel being able to say that Jack Collison is our holding midfielder, as opposed to Robbie Savage. Aaron Ramsey is the most talented player Wales has seen since the great John Charles - yes, he is better than Giggs.
But Toshack cannot be held up as the messiah responsible for bringing through this youth - it was the clubs (thank you BBC, for commending Cardiff City, who are set to contribute 6 of tonight's 11 men) who brought them through, and, if anyone, Brian Flynn who brought them into the international fold.
There's another point. Brian Flynn is playing 442 in his games, yet still playing the fast, passing football that the Toshack supporters insist he's trying to achieve. But with a 5-4-1 formation, Toshack will never achieve this. We are not his Real Madrid side of the 80's or whenever it was that he won La Liga with them.
His tactics are stuck in the past, and so is his mindset - the reason he's had to play youth is because all the older players can't stand him - Koumas, Savage, Thatcher, Collins, Oster, Speed have all retired or been ostracised from the squad by John, while even Simon Davies has said they don't see eye to eye on many things. You're not the only one, Simon. I can only hope he doesn't upset our youngsters.
Interestingly, it seems I can lower my blood pressure. We'll find out for certain tonight, but according to the Welsh media (yes, that bastion of honest, articulate, accurate reporting) Toshack is all set to play 442 tonight!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-in-wales/2009/09/09/john-toshack-ready-to-unleash-wales-against-russia-91466-24639755/
"If Toshack does go with the plan he is said to have adopted in training, it means he will play big Wolves striker Sam Vokes on his own up front, the boss having come to accept that Bellamy and Earnshaw cannot play that role."
That was because I failed some university exams and therefore my summer was taken up with work and re-sits.
But now I'm a free man, I'm back to blogging, so here you go.
I'll have to resort to football again; for now at least.
This is because it's come to my attention that the Wales v Russia World Cup Qualifier, to be played in the 78,000 capacity Millennium Stadium, has so far only managed to sell 10,000 tickets.
Now I'm hoping that this is as well as the regular 15,000 or so signed up 'members' who attend all the qualifiers - I would make the point that I'm one of them, but I can't go tonight because it's my mother's birthday, and I've already seen us play Russia once (what a great night that wasn't!)
On that fateful night, now nearly 5 years ago, we were playing a play-off match to qualify for Euro 2004 in Portugal. We had come away from Moscow with a 0-0 draw (which I remember watching on the big screen in the MillStad with 5000 fans) and had beaten Italy 2-1, and thrashed Azerbaijan 4-0 in front of a sellout 78,000 crowd, in the group stage.
So if we could sell out then, why not now?
Alright, so we haven't beaten the likes of Italy this time round; an unlucky defeat in Russia thanks to a saved penalty, and inevitable defeats to Germany - 1-0 in Germany and 0-2 in Cardiff are all we have to show so far in this group. But I don't think that's the real reason we're lying in fourth, behind an ageing Finland team (who, by the way, had a 3-3 draw against the Germans in August last year).
I, like many others, firmly believe the blame can be laid at the door of Mr John Toshack.
His insistence on playing negative tactics have been the downfall of this highly talented, very, very young team. Toshack himself insisted we should judge him on this campaign - very well John. We're fourth in the group, and have lost to Finland at home. Indeed, the only teams we've beaten at home since you took over are San Marino, Liechtenstien, Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
Good performances at Russia and Germany, as well as good results in the friendly in Oslo, count for nothing when we can't beat the likes of Finland at home, or, indeed, put more than one past Azerbaijan. But then that's what you get when you play one striker, who's very short, and three midfielders, who have an average age of 20 and 29 caps between them, against these types of teams.
I'm not saying that the decision to bring through youth was the wrong one. God knows how much better I feel being able to say that Jack Collison is our holding midfielder, as opposed to Robbie Savage. Aaron Ramsey is the most talented player Wales has seen since the great John Charles - yes, he is better than Giggs.
But Toshack cannot be held up as the messiah responsible for bringing through this youth - it was the clubs (thank you BBC, for commending Cardiff City, who are set to contribute 6 of tonight's 11 men) who brought them through, and, if anyone, Brian Flynn who brought them into the international fold.
There's another point. Brian Flynn is playing 442 in his games, yet still playing the fast, passing football that the Toshack supporters insist he's trying to achieve. But with a 5-4-1 formation, Toshack will never achieve this. We are not his Real Madrid side of the 80's or whenever it was that he won La Liga with them.
His tactics are stuck in the past, and so is his mindset - the reason he's had to play youth is because all the older players can't stand him - Koumas, Savage, Thatcher, Collins, Oster, Speed have all retired or been ostracised from the squad by John, while even Simon Davies has said they don't see eye to eye on many things. You're not the only one, Simon. I can only hope he doesn't upset our youngsters.
Interestingly, it seems I can lower my blood pressure. We'll find out for certain tonight, but according to the Welsh media (yes, that bastion of honest, articulate, accurate reporting) Toshack is all set to play 442 tonight!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-in-wales/2009/09/09/john-toshack-ready-to-unleash-wales-against-russia-91466-24639755/
"If Toshack does go with the plan he is said to have adopted in training, it means he will play big Wolves striker Sam Vokes on his own up front, the boss having come to accept that Bellamy and Earnshaw cannot play that role."
Really?!
Wonders never cease. So it's taken Mr Toshack 5 years to realise that playing a short striker up front on their own against big, bruising, Eastern European defenders doesn't actually work. There goes my blood pressure again. Why on earth are we paying this man money to do something that most of the Welsh public who have a fraction of footballing knowledge could have told you after the Russian play-off defeat.Swansea recently signed Stephen Dobbie as a replacement for Jason Scotland. They then brought in Craig Beattie, as Paulo Sousa immediately realised the short Dobbie is relatively ineffective up front on his own, despite the creative talents of his midfield. Yes, it's Championship level tactics, but look at our squad. Mostly very good Championship level players.
So Toshack's decision to (hopefully) play with 442 will be welcomed with gratitude by my heart, which has had to endure quite a lot of me venting steam to everyone who'll listen. But it's come a year too late. When Bale was fit in Moscow, he tore the left wing apart, was the one who provided the penalty, and created the goal. I think we would've drawn that night - but I remember us bringing on Wrexham's Steve Evans to shore up the defence against the fourth best team in Europe. And sure enough Pavel Pogrebniak scored an 86th minute winner.
Mathematically, we have an incredibly slim chance of finishing second. I'd be delighted with 7 points from our last three games. If we play 442, I'd expect at least 4 points from the last two games in Finland and Vaduz.
In the meantime, commendations go to Jack Collison for showing tremendous mental strength in not only playing the West Ham - Milwall match three days after his father died, but for ushering fans off the pitch during the events we saw there (which were hideously over-exagerrated). Now the West Ham midfielder is set to sit on the bench tonight in the Millennium Stadium. His dad's funeral was on Monday. I have nothing but respect for Jack.
I'd also like to express my belated disappointment that the greatest Formula One driver who ever lived - yes, him - was unable to make a return for Ferrari following Massa's nasty little episode in Hungary. I was looking forward to seeing him wiping the floor with Messrs Hamilton and Button - putting the former back in his place a little corner cutting, lying cheat - though Button's done as much as possible to put himself back in his rightful "mid table mediocrity" position.
In other news, the Cardiff v Newcastle game is all set to be sold out amongst the peasants. The top tier of the Grandstand still hasn't sold out, and it won't until we get to the Premiership, when it's plastic time. Incidentally my mam works with a Welshman who's got a ticket for the Necastle end, and will be wearing his Newcastle shirt. Yeah, explain that one to me.
I've got my ticket for the Canton stand and I'll be there cheering on the mighty Bluebirds as they aim to regain their rightful spot at the top. I think we can do it too - although Hughton's threatening to pack the midfield, which is generally our downfall (see Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth back when they were good, FA Cup final 2008) I can see Chopra getting a goal, though the smart money's on him getting sent off. I wonder what odds I can get on that?
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