December
Newsfile

Newsfile Archive

***Late update 14/01/00***

The City line up for tomorrow is as follows.

Hallworth or Feuer, Low, Eckhardt, Schwinke, Ford, Legg, Boland, Bonner, Carpenter, Nugent and Bowen.

**********

Most people have already broken new years resolutions. The odd cigarette and quick pint maybe. Now its time for the Bluebirds break their pledge to go the whole year with scoring.

The stats are frightening, two goals scored in the last seven matches and one of those was an own goal. NO goals in the last 4 games. If we are to survive in this division we must stay ahead of our closest rivals, we know we are not going to take a lot of points off the top teams in the division so we must keep winning against our lower table rivals. Oxford fall right into this category. They are level with City on points and a win tomorrow for the Bluebirds will push us a bit further away from the dreaded drop zone.

On a positive note aside from the hammering dished out to us by Preston we have kept four clean sheets out of the last 5 games. Tomorrows game is a must win. We have achieved some reasonable outcomes from the last few games. A narrow defeat at Bolton, a win over Reading, an amazing 0 - 0 at Cambridge, Preston was an embarrassement, a point away at Bristol City and the poor show at Merthyr (but we got the point we needed to win the group). Preston and Merthyr aside I think we would have settled for the outcomes before each game. If we do not win tomorrow though then it will look disastrous.

On the playing front it looks as though Mike Ford will play against his former club. Ford came through 90 minutes at Swansea in a reserve game last week but had problems in training with a back complaint. He has been cleared by the docter to play tomorrow. Early thoughts then of a change of formation will probably come to nothing. Expect to see Eckhardt, Schwinke and Ford in central defence. Legg as left wing back, Low or fit again Faerber as right wing back. Carpenter should be first name of the teamsheet in central midfield with a choice of Bonner, Boland, Brazier, Fowler or Hill to accompany him. The strikers have to challenge as well. Richie Humphreys is fit again and will contest the attack with Nugent and Bowen. Jon Hallworth will continue in goal but his place is now under threat after a fine performance from Ian Feuer in the reserves in midweek. These two look set to be main choice keepers for the club. This will result in Seamus Kelly going out on loan to Merthyr Tydfil.

Good luck on Saturday and see you there.