Well, deck the halls and all that other festive claptrap. Whilst you guys are all o-ding on turkey and drowning in alcoholic suds, we, of the footy profession are training, working and playing. You all know my age and I've been a pro in the game since I was 17 so it's safe to say I've not had a Christmas off since Dirty Den ran the Queen Vic and the festive number one was whining Whitney Houston and Saving All My Love. Ian Callaghan once piped up to Bill Shankly when Liverpool were told to report for training the day before their Boxing Day match "..but Boss, it's Christmas Day!" Shanks answered "..Son, yer a fitba' player, have yer fuckin' Christmas in June."
Mac bases himself on Shankly...a lot!!
He thinks Christmas is like Take That...a load of manufactured pish for women and kids and I can't help but agree however there's never been a year when Carey doesn't ask me if we can go out for lunch with her parents on the 26th. Don't she get it? When I was at Everton I once played in a reserve game against Liverpool on Christmas Eve before benching for Neville Southall in a League match two days later down in Southampton.
Anyway, that's a history lesson. The up to date stuff is that since I last blogged at the start of the month, we have been on the kind of run that has Jeff Stelling wetting himself over the stats on Gillette Soc Spec. 4 games, 12 points, goals for 11, goals against ( the one that interests me!) 3 and one of those was a penalty. Seriously, even Andy Carroll would score for us if he was up front. 35 mill and he can't even get a game!
It's the form of champions and has taken us up the table to joint second. Crucially, we're away to the League leaders on Thursday night for the classic 6-pointer. It's a long time since I've felt as enthused about a fixture but I've got that mixture of nervousness and excitement that Boy George must have felt when he took his first shower in prison.
If we win, the gap's closed to one point but if we lose....
....well, let's just say I know what my New Year's resolution will be!
Merry Christmas!
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