The Rest Of Us Are Just Bored

I’m on the park this morning with two footballs. MD has graduated to having a football of his own. We do the old pre-MD route, that Doggo hasn’t been round for 18 months. He remembers it implicitly.

In the afternoon I head off to the match whilst L and Daughter go skating. Although looking at the photos later, there’s not much evidence of much skating going on. There’s a lot of hanging over the side of the rink posing for the camera but not a lot of skating.

It’s fair to say that the majority of Derby supporters are restless but some people are always restless. They are generally the same people that assume that if we sack the manager now, we’ll automatically start winning, will storm up the league, finishing in the play-offs at least and hence get promoted. The rest of us are just bored.

My friend asks whether ‘bored’ is actually any different to ‘restless’. I think ‘restless’ implies you think things could possibly improve. Whereas ‘bored’ means you know this is as good as it’s going to get.

Half time and its 0-0. In fact neither side has done anything whatsoever, so still bored. Then suddenly at the start of the second half a flurry of excitement and three goals. Derby at first conceding but then coming from behind to win. Once in front it becomes apparent why there’s such a pandemic of restlessness in Derby. Mr Clough removes a striker to bring on a defender and hence hang on to the points. Oh the negativity. Even when Reading lose a man due to a sending off, he still doesn’t decide to go for the game ending third goal and instead removes a midfielder to put on yet another defender. I think we really have the most negative manager we’ve had for many a year.

Consequently we spend the last ten minutes penned in our own penalty box by the ten man opposition. It’s embarrassing but somehow we hang on to win.

Tonight as there’s a teenage ‘gathering’ going on at home, the dogs get an extra night out. They don’t seem to be complaining. The Brush ale at the Alcazar Brewery of the Fox & Crown is well excellent.