Happy As Larry

Retiring delight

2010-09-13T18:11:00.002+01:00

No sooner do I express fears about Exeter City's season, then they go and record three wins on the spin - one in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and two in the league - and two are away from home no less. Up to that point, I'd been one of the few who'd witnessed Exeter's previous win on the road, away at Nuneaton in the FA Cup.

So we're now firing on as many cylinders as we've got. Defeating Hartlepool 3-2 was an important result, both in the league and mentally, with victory over Charlton was wonderfully unexpected And Ryan Harley, that little ginger wizard, can't stop scoring. His opener against Hartlepool was a delight.

But that's Exeter. Just as you think they're starting to fail, they turn it around. And vice versa. It's what makes the successes at this club so much the sweeter.

And with that, I think it's time to put this blog into semi-hibernation.

I'm hoping this won't upset all five readers too much, but there's a number of reasons. Largely, I have less and less time, but also because I doubt I'll bring anything new to the table.

Due to various commitments I'm probably only going to make one Exeter game between now and November. And, frankly, if I'm just going to be posting "We won! Yay!" and "We lost. Boo," plus cribbing news from other sources, then there's not much point.

I've always said I'll only blog if I can bring something different to the table - be that actually watching matches, or offering a small bit of analysis and opinion that you can't get elsewhere. But I really don't like copy-and-paste blogs and I really don't want this to become one.

I'll keep this place open, in case things get interesting at the club, or there's something worth writing about. But in the meantime, there's plenty of places to get your City news and fix from. Honestly, if you're reading this, you probably know where they are.

I'm back into optimistic mode again and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season. UP THE CITY.

Bye.

Leyton Orient 3 Exeter City 0: Misery personified

2010-08-30T11:27:00.004+01:00

There are no words. Well, there are, but mostly they consist of adjectives such as poor, abject, rubbish, shocking and many more that can't possibly be reprinted here.

It's taken me a good day and a half to calm down enough to write a more measured analysis of the match. At 5pm on Saturday the only sensible option was to get drunk. On Sunday, the anger and hangover was too great. Now, after sleeping on it twice, we're ready for measured analysis.

We. Were. Fucking. Terrible.

What, you want more? You want to know that Exeter were clueless for the first 45 minutes, looked for all the world if they'd only just met and then conspired to give a lesson in how not to defend for Orient's second two goals? You really want to wallow in that misery? If you insist.

Exeter haven't won on the road for over nine months now and from the opening minute we never remotely looked likely to breaking this unwanted run.

With no Matt Taylor or Richard Duffy, we played a 4-4-2 with full back Billy Jones at centre-half and four central midfielders across the middle. We were, quite simply, ripped a new one.

Orient came at Exeter from the off and Paul Jones nearly fumbled a shot into his net soon after. Wave after wave of O's attacks burst forward and Exeter could offer, well... nothing. There was the occasional foray into the Orient half but we failed to get a shot on target.

Meanwhile, Rob Edwards made a hooked goal line clearance and Jones just managed to push a shot onto the post. When even Ryan Harley had to resort to hoofing the ball out of defence, you know that Exeter's neat passing game just wasn't getting going.

What was most depressing was the middle of the park. James Dunne, David Noble, Liam Sercombe and Harley are all fine midfielders but all were trying to occupy the same ground in the centre of the pitch. Consequently, we had no width and no link between midfield and attack and Orient found it easy to pick holes through the centre of the park.

Nonetheless, Exeter very nearly made it to half time level, which would have been a travesty to football but encouraging for us travelling Grecians. After all, there was no way we could have been as bad in the second half.

Orient, though, finally made the breakthrough when a simple cross from the left saw Alex Revell given a free header and leaving Paul Jones with no chance to see Exeter head into the break one down.

Half time and Tisdale took action, pushing Sercombe out to the right wing and bringing on Richard Logan for Jamie Cureton, who I'd completely forgotten was on the pitch. The improvement wasn't immediate but it was there.

With Logan, we had a striker with a bit of height and physical presence so the balls weren't immediately getting pinged back to our half and for about 15 minutes, Exeter put a half decent spell together without hugely troubling Orient.

Ryan Harley had the best opportunity after being slipped through but Terrell Forbes produced a good block to deny the ginger wizard. Our other chance of note was Sercombe's effort after a mazy run but his decent effort hit Logan on the arse on its way towards goal. This just about summed up our afternoon.

The second and third goals, which were no less than Orient deserved, were horror shows of our own making, with the second in particular likely to have me waking up in a cold sweat for a good six months.

The home side launched a speculative punt upfield, but rather than clear the ball, Dunne and Edwards decided to walk into each other, leaving Scott McGleish with an easy run on goal. A new low had been reached.

Dean Cox's third for Orient was an impressive strike, but Troy Archibald-Henville, making his first sub appearance since injuring his knee in January, afforded the diminutive frontman too much time and space and you could see the goal flying in the moment Cox skipped away from his marker.

It really is a struggle to pick out any highlights other than the final whistle. It was nice to see Troy kick a football again after so many months out. And, er, that was it. This really was like watching EastEnders most miserable moments while listening to Tindersticks in the background.

In mitigation, Stanno's funeral was midweek, so this may have still been affecting the team. But for all that still leaves a very heavy burden on us all, the side has to pick itself up and start winning matches.

It is a very long time since I've seen an Exeter performance that bad. Hopefully it was just a blip, a one-off, and will serve as a wake-up call. Because, although we're only three games into the season, if we play like that every week, we will get relegated.

HAL Man Of The Match: Tempted to say no-one, as we were that poor. If pushed, either Richard Logan, who made a bit of a difference after his introduction, or Scott Goldbourne, who was one of the few Exeter players to show any attacking intent, even if the movement around him so so poor he often had to hit it 30 yards back up the pitch to find a player.

Goodbye Stanno

2010-08-25T13:21:00.002+01:00

Adam Stansfield will be laid to rest this afternoon. I imagine there'll be a big turn out at Exeter Cathedral as City fans pay their last respects to our number nine.

And if you want to read a moving tribute to Stanno that will bring another lump to your throat, Oliver Holt's piece in the Mirror is one of the best things I've read.

RIP Adam.

Jamie Cureton earns a permanent stay at the park

2010-08-25T13:11:00.002+01:00

Less of a surprise this one. Much-travelled striker Jamie Cureton has signed a permanent contract with Exeter City after a couple of sub appearances on a pay-as-you-play basis.

It's no secret that Paul Tisdale wanted to sign Cureton but needed to free up some money in his budget, and Cureton himself has made very positive noises about wanting to stay at Exeter.

The jury's still out on whether this is a good signing or not. Last season neither Norwich nor Shrewsbury fans were overly impressed with the striker, but he has scored goals wherever he's been and he was very impressive leading the line on his own against Bristol Rovers at the weekend. His movement away from defenders caused them plenty of problems and he was willing to put in a lot of running against them.

I can't see him displacing O'Flynn or Nardiello at the moment, although could see him working well in a partnership with Richard Logan. And you'd be disappointed if he didn't net a few this season given his record.

No word on the length of the deal, but I'd be surprised if it was for longer than 12 months, given his age and record.

The squad's looking pretty complete for this season now, although another centre-half would be nice, unless we're planning on blooding Furzer and Bennett.

Exeter City 2 Bristol Rovers 2: A game for Stanno

2010-08-22T20:14:00.005+01:00

In many respects, the result on the pitch today was irrelevant. This was a day for paying tribute to our sadly departed number 9, a cathartic afternoon of grieving. A win in memory of Adam Stansfield was the result everybody was hoping for. Sadly football has never been one to respect the script.

Emotions were always going to run high and the way the players got through the tributes and played the way they did for 90 minutes was impressive, especially Adam's best friend and Man Of The Match Steve Tully. He was immense in every sense of the word.

Certainly the players coped better than I did. Walking past the Flybe stand entrance towards the Red Square and seeing the hundreds of tributes left for Stanno by the railings brought a lump to my throat. Reading the numerous tributes to Adam in the matchday programme had me choking back tears. When the minutes applause started for him, I welled up and could hold it in no longer.

I've never been much of a crier. I've never been one much for grieving in public, but I clearly wasn't the only one. All around me, grown men who paid to watch Adam put in a tireless shift every week were wiping tears from their eyes.

Adam Stansfield embodied the heart of Exeter City and all that every could be described as good about football. That he was taken from us a month shy of his 32nd birthday with so much to give to both the club and his young family is heartbreaking. I hope God realises when a gem he's signed from us.

But while it would be easy to fill this post with more memories and tributes to Stanno, they have been and will continue to be done elsewhere. The game may have always been for Adam, but it was also about taking three points from Bristol Rovers.

And for much of the first half, this looked like a serious possibility. Exeter started by playing some crisp, impressive passing football and it was no surprise when the Grecians went one up. Steve Tully was sent scampering away down the right touchline, found some space and produced a pinpoint cross for Daniel Nardiello to head home emphatically for his first goal for the club.

It was no less than Nardiello or City deserved and there was no doubt who the goal was for. The players immediately ran to the Exeter bench and collected Adam Stansfield's number 9 shirt before displaying it to all corners of the ground. That one was for Stanno.

For much of the first half, it looked as if Exeter would add a second quite comfortably. Another perfect cross by Tully was headed wide by Scott Goldborne, never the best header of the ball, while the Grecians were involved in what can only be described as tika-taka in the centre of the park.

Liam Sercombe in particular caught the eye with his quick feet a movement. Last season the youngster seemed hesitant and, at times, overawed, but this season he looks like he believes he belongs in the team. With Ryan Harley missing through illness, much of City's best work came through Sercombe.

Rovers, meanwhile, were limited to the odd foray up the field, most of which were tidied up by Richard Duffy or 'Big' Rob Edwards, deputising for the injured Matt Taylor. At 38 Edwards is still a class act and positively relished keeping the Gasheads' front line quiet, at one point unceremoniously dumping a forward on his backside for having the terminity of trying to take the ball past him.

But the nagging fear grew that while City were good in possession, they were still vulnerable with just a one goal lead and so that fear came to pass.

First the impressive Nardiello limped off to be replaced by Jamie Cureton. Given the striker's injury woes this was a major concern and Cureton took a while to get into the game.

Then, on the stroke of half time David Noble, largely solid up to this point, gave the ball away in the centre of the park. Rovers broke and worked the ball into the penalty area. Although the City defence appeared to have things covered, Jo Kuffour was allowed to turn and smashed a shot passed Paul Jones to level the scores.

Exeter were still rattled after the break as Rovers built in confidence and it didn't take long for City to self destruct completely. First a long ball over the top saw Duffy caught one on one with the Bristol striker. Whether he accidentally or deliberately clipped the attacker's ankle, I'm not sure, but as soon as Hoskins went down there was only one outcome and Duffy was already halfway back to the changing rooms before the ref had brandished the red card.

Eight minutes later, Rovers had the lead after the City defence failed to clear the ball properly and after a bit of penalty area pingball Hoskins poked home to give the Gas the lead.

Without Duffy, Exeter reverted to a flat back four, with Billy Jones playing centre-half, while up front John O'Flynn dropped deeper to give the midfield extra support.

But without the extra man, City struggled to impose themselves on the game and twice Paul Jones pulled off some exceptional saves, including one point blank shot from close range that looked destined for the goal.

But Exeter never gave up trying and Tully in particular seemed determined to haul Exeter back into the game single-handed with and all-action display down the right flank. Eventually City settled and started working the Rovers backline again. An equaliser looked highly unlikely but not totally impossible.

You can debate the challenge in the penalty area on James Dunne all you like, and my view is Dunne saw the challenge coming and played for it, but the spot kick offered Exeter a way back into the game and O'Flynn calmly slotted home to open his account for the Grecians and level the scores at two all.

Noble, who had been off the pace for much of the second half, was replaced with Bertie Cozic to give Exeter extra muscle in the centre of the park, while up front Cureton provided a masterclass in how to hold up the ball and work the channels, but despite a positive end from both sides, it remained level, probably a fair result over the course of the 90 minutes.

Under the circumstances, this wasn't a bad point. We were missing Taylor and Harley, two of our best players, while Nardiello only lasted half an hour and we had to play nearly all the second half with ten men. If Goldborne's sitter had gone in, it could have been a different story, but the team showed character to come back. It does suggest that last season's problem of too many drawn home games still hasn't quite been fixed.

But, hey, I'm not the one playing in front of nearly seven and a half thousand people having just lost a well-loved and popular colleague to cancer. Under the circumstances and emotion, we did well.

And, in many respects (and hopefully this won't be taken the wrong way), we needed to get that game out of the system and we needed not to lose. It would be easy for heads to drop and Stanno's death affect the team badly. As it is, the performance and the fightback was one of a mentally strong team and would have done Adam proud.

And secondly, sadly, life goes on for the club and for Tisdale and his team. We've now grieved for Stanno and have to turn our attention to picking up wins, starting with a trip to Leyton Orient on Saturday.

But while we, as a club, have to move on, the little things - the memories, the numerous articles, and the memorial tributes outside the ground show that Adam is gone but will never, ever be forgotten.

RIP Adam Stansfield

HaL's Man Of The Match: Steve Tully. A magnificent, mature display down the right hand side. Rallied the team after Duffy's sending off and his cross for the goal was perfect. The former Weymouth full-back just keeps getting better, even though he's now a veteran.

Adam Stansfield

2010-08-15T23:15:00.000+01:00

Always and forever City's number 9.

Rest in peace Adam.

Bits and pieces

2010-08-14T20:13:00.002+01:00

Amidst all the sadness, life goes on, as the same can be said for Exeter City, even if we're still in mourning.

First off, Exeter have been drawn against Yeovil in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, to be played at the end of the month. This should be a great atmosphere for a midweek cup tie and a great opportunity to celebrate Adam Stansfield's life between two of his former clubs.

Secondly, young forward James Norwood has gone on loan to Forest Green Rovers. It's exactly the type of move he needs and it'll be interesting to see how he gets on there.

Although our number 31 is still young, this is a bit of a key season for him. Tisdale is quite fond of blooding young players on loan and this will be young James second loan, after spending much of last season at Sutton.

Forest Green is exactly the type of club Norwood needs to be playing for right now. The standard will be decent and they're expected to struggle, so a spell near Stroud will be character building.

I saw James play last season for Sutton and wasn't overly impressed, and I've heard mixed reports pre-season. At some point he needs to convert youthful promise into a definite product. He's probably got this season and maybe next before Tis decides to move him on.

Hopefully, for his sake, he can impress on loan. He's got a lot of players to displace in the pecking order but netting a few at Rovers is a good way to remind us he's still here.

Stanno

2010-08-12T22:57:00.003+01:00

The last two days have been somewhat surreal. A lot of time has been spent reading tributes to Adam and welling up reading them.

Inbetween this, I penned my own tribute for BBC Sport online on Adam. It's had some lovely feedback. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read it.

Understandably, Exeter's trip to Dagenham & Redbridge this weekend has been called off. It's a tough decision to make. Many, myself included, would have loved the chance to show the team how much we were behind them and pay tribute to Stanno. But the club and places need time grieve. It's definitely the right call.

I've said a lot elsewhere about Adam Stansfield, so I don't want to say too much, but seeing all the tributes has moved every Exeter fan. Times like this make you appreciate there are more important things in life than football.

Frankly, it seems irrelevant that we lost 3-1 (aet) to Ipswich of Tuesday.

RIP Adam

Exeter 2 Colchester 2: Same old, same old

2010-08-08T15:51:00.005+01:00

A demonstration of the distance between Exeter City's attack and midfield

It takes just four minutes for early season optimism to turn into the usual deflation. That's the time from Ryan Harley firing Exeter into the lead to Colchester accelerating a goal ahead. A strange, frantic early start at St. James' Park, but, boy, it's good to be back.

So, slight disappointment tempered by joy as Richard Logan snatched a late equaliser. Which is about fair, just, judging by the ebb and flow of the game. Were we good or bad? Both, probably. Flashes of brilliance combined with some poor play, but many signs of encouragement.

Paul Tisdale gave City league debuts to three players - Nardiello, O'Flynn, and David Noble, while the returning Billy Jones also started - and at times it showed.

Daniel Nardiello showed a very good touch up front, while Jon O'Flynn has good movement, although needs to be coached in the offisde law. There was a lack of understanding between the two strikers, but that's sort of to be expected.

Nardiello's good work led to the early penalty, with City on top in the early stage. He skipped through the box, drew the foul and went over. Clever work and a soft penalty for Colchester to concede. Up stepped Harley to duly stick it in the net and Exeter were one nil up and cruising, and then some.

At this stage, the U's couldn't get a touch on the ball and, without sounding hyperbolic, City looked good enough to dish out a pasting. And then it all fell apart.

With their first proper attack of the game, Colchester worked the ball to the wing, Goldbourne and Billy Jones stood off, Brian Wilson whipped in a delicious cross and Anthony Wordsworth jumped up to plant a free header beyond Paul Jones in the City goal. A textbook move that Jonah could do nothing to keep out and Colchester were level.

And then Colchester well and truly spoilt the opening day party. Matt Taylor tangled with Kayode Odejayi is a nothing incident, but a free kick was awarded and Wordsworth unleashed a low piledriver to make it 2-1 with just two shots of Colchester.

In goal, Jones could have done nothing about the 30-yarder shot, but there were questions over the wall, which disintegrated. Did Jones set it up wrong, or was it just poor defending? Who knows.

City then pushed forward for an equaliser, but were frequently caught out at the back with Duffy and Taylor frequently having to make last-ditch interceptions while Jones pulled off a stunning save to keep Exeter in the game.

Exeter finished the first half on top, but Colchester tightened up a lot in the second half and the game somewhat petered out with chances few and far between, and Colchester seemed to be heading for a functional victory, before Logan popped up to notch an equaliser.

Yeah, Logan was probably offside, but who cares? Colchester's second goal came from a free kick that shouldn't have been given. Horses for courses. Logan nearly won it at the death, but couldn't quite get his header on target, although victory to the Grecians would have been harsh on Colchester.

It's still early days, but there was plenty of promise. When Noble and Harley got going, their passing was a joy and some of Exeter's best moves came from neat passing arrangements through this pair, while Colchester's formation, which was a loose 4-3-3, meant that Tully and Goldbourne were getting acres of space down the flanks.

But John Ward clearly wised up to this, and Colchester's forwards started pressing our wing-backs more, while Noble and Harley weren't given any time on the ball. This meant that Paul Jones, who would always roll or throw, given the chance, couldn't distribute the ball and was forced to kick upfield, where Nardiello and O'Flynn were giving away a serious height advantage to the Colchester centre-backs.

There was also a sense that Harley and Noble, both great creative players with good feet, were occupying far too similar a role, leaving Liam Sercombe to get stretched over the middle. This had the effect of leaving a gap between midfield and attack, and Exeter were losing the second ball as a result.

Again, this may be something that can be ironed out a few games into the season, and not every team will press as well as Colchester, but there may be times when either Noble or Harley need to be sacrificed for Dunne or Cozic to give us more strength and fight in the centre of the park.

Certainly it was no coincidence that Exeter picked up 13 minutes from time when Logan and Jake Thompson came on and Exeter switched to a more orthodox back four, while Thompson, Harley and Noble got closer to the strikers. Logan also gave us more of an aerial threat.

A quick word for Billy Jones, who made me nervous every time the ball went near him yesterday. It's doubtful he'll want to watch the highlights on DVD. He looked more solid in a flat back four but was often caught out and looked nervous in a back three, although his crossing ability hasn't diminished.

We'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that it might be a mixture of playing in an unfamiliar system and early season nerves, but at the moment he remains somewhat of a weak link at the back. He can improve, hopefully, but it still doesn't change my mind that we need another centre-half.

Overall, though, there was a lot to be impressed and optimistic about, as well as a few areas of worry, and there are much worse teams than a direct Colchester team, who played well on the counter. Once the squad start to gel, it could be interesting. Although we'll have to get that first win under our belt soon, as we're traditionally slow starters.

Next up is Ipswich in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, where we'll do well to get anything out of it. Hopefully we'll use it as an exercise in getting the squad to know each other better ahead of Dagenham away next weekend. Apparently they even have seats there these days.

HaL Man Of The Match: Richard Duffy. If Jones gave me kittens in defence, Duffy had me purring. Calm and controlled and never out of position, we needed his late tackles to keep us in the game. Possibly one of our most important players this season.

The eve of the season

2010-08-06T08:18:00.003+01:00

City's second League One campaign is nearly here and it's becoming increasingly hard not to squeal in excitement like a small child on Christmas Day. Obviously we don't do this because WE ARE MEN. But you get the idea.

And it's a strange eve of the season because for once City fans are both optimistic and hoping for a quiet season. It's been about eight years since we weren't involved in a promotion or relegation battle so going into the final month with not much to play for would be a welcome novelty.

Yes, it would be nice to be challenging for the playoffs, as some of our more optimistic fans think we might do. I'm not one of them, and I won't be calling for Paul Tisdale's head if we don't.

Nor will I be shouting for him to be sacked if we're pulled into a relegation battle. We're still a relatively small club in this division and, for all the great signings, there's still a possibility that it'll be another fight for survival.

But I don't think that will happen, unless skipper Matt Taylor gets sold or injures himself badly. We've got a decent defence but it's very much dependent on Taylor and Richard Duffy staying fit. Scot Bennett and Jack Furzer are good young prospects but may find themselves playing a bit more regularly than planned. Centre-half is the only place I'd like us to add one more player.

Other than that, our attack and midfield look miles better than last season. We have wingers in Jake Thomson, young Chris Shephard, and, at a push, Scott Goldbourne. David Noble seems a class above in midfield, while Nardiello and O'Flynn look to have plenty of goals in them. The jury's still out on 87-year-old Jamie Cureton, but I'm willing to give him a chance, and Tisdale clearly thinks he's important enough to sign.

Just reading that list of players back is cause for optimism. A comfortable 12th - 15th is probably around where I'd expect and hope us to finish.

So, Colchester tomorrow at the Park. Excited? You bet I am. YOU REDS.

John O'Flynn signs, so he does

2010-07-23T23:52:00.004+01:00

Go on, see if you can take a stab at the nationality of Exeter City's new signing.

Yep, Irish striker John O'Flynn is the latest addition to our pre-season recruitment drive, and somewhat of a surprise. It's the first time I've heard his name in any connection with the club.

Not that I'm complaining. The general reaction today is one of "bloody hell, we've signed what appears to be a decent striker." 15 goals for a struggling Barnet side last season is impressive and just about everyone I've spoken to on Twitter today thinks he'll do well for us. He could even be that mythical 20-goal striker we've been hunting for. Possibly. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

With O'Flynn, Nardiello, Logan, Watson and young Jimmy Norwood (not forgetting Stanno - but we have no idea when he'll be back as he continues with his recovery. Best of luck Adam) that's a rather varied and tasty looking front line we've got.

Hopefully that means we've cooled our interest in Jamie Cureton, who we've had on trial. There's only room for one veteran striker on our books and Marcus Stewart fills that role nicely. Plus, we have enough strikers now.

As I've said before, I really like the way the squad's taking shape. It's balanced, has depth and is varied. We could probably do with one more defender, but aside from that, it looks impressive. O'Flynn is very much an added bonus.

We've also had some pre-season friendlies but I've not seen them so I'll deal with them at another time. Suffice to say, we won our first two against Clevedon and Bath, which mean we were going to win the league, then lost to Weston-Super-Mare and Crystal Palace, which means we're going to get relegated.

Such is life.

Exeter City launch new away kit. World genuinely stops for a minute to gape

2010-07-23T23:27:00.003+01:00

Look at Exeter City's new away kit. Isn't it beautiful?

I'm not normally one to get overly excited about football kits. A shirt is a shirt, and Exeter's has always been red and white stripes done in a slightly different way (including this abomination from our relegation season). The away kit is always interesting, and while I've liked both the plain black and plain white shirts, it's not been enough to buy them.

This, though, is the first Exeter kit in a long time where my first reaction is "That's nice. Really nice." The stripe is very retro and gives the shirt an elegant simplicity.

I was half tempted to get an away shirt regardless this season. Now there's no question of me not getting one.

(photo credit: Exeter City Official Site)

Tisdale stays to lead Exeter into the promised land of the top half of League One

2010-07-08T13:46:00.002+01:00

Hands off Swansea, you can't have our glorious leader. In what's now becoming an annual soap opera, Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale has turned down the chance to manage Swansea City in the Championship.

And breeeeathe.

Not that it felt like there was as much danger of him going this summer, as opposed to last summer, when he was close to heading to the Liberty Stadium.

This year, there's not even a hint of a dalliance, just a "thanks, but no thanks," to Swans chair Huw Jenkins, before turning his attention to plotting this year's escape to victory.

This summer Tisdale's been slowly putting a decent team together, has a modestly increased playing budget, and got a much-needed new pitch installed at St James Park. It would have taken some offer to see him leave at the moment.

But leave he no doubt will at some point - and few would begrudge him when he does.

He's currently one of the greatest and most successful managers in the club's history and has built a solid team that plays attractive football, and builds on his success year-on-year. It's inevitable a club will come in for him and as and when that time comes, we wish him well.

In the meantime, Tis has continued to build for this season by signing Daniel Nardiello on a free transfer. Yes, that Daniel Nardiello who was one the future at Manchester United.

If he can stay fit, he could be that striker we've been looking for. Whisper it, but I'm liking the way this squad is taking shape.

Jake Thomson signs for Exeter

2010-07-02T15:49:00.003+01:00

Finally. Some actual news to talk about rather than musing on who won't be coming to Exeter. City have signed Jake Thomson. He's a winger. You might remember one of those. We had a couple back in the Conference, under the names of Wayne Carlisle and Lee Elam. Although he can also play in defence or in the middle. Just the type of player that fits into Tisdale's system.

Thomson's also an international player, for Trinidad & Tobago no less, and was released by Southampton at the end of last season. The 21-year-old has made 14 senior appearances for the Saints and has had loan spells with Bournemouth and more recently, Torquay.

In short, he's exactly the sort of player that Tisdale likes. Young, with a lot of potential and a bit of versatility on the pitch. Plus he'll add some much needed pace to the squad. Torquay and Trinidad fans seem to rate him as a player who could be a talent if treated right.

Whether he'll be an automatic starter remains to be seen, but he fills a gap in the squad that we've not really had since Carlisle moved to Torquay United a couple of years ago.

So, yes, that's a couple of positions where we needed cover added to. All we need is a couple of strikers and we're in business. It's all a bit too relaxing.

---

In other news, Neil Saunders has retired at the age of 27 after being released by us, which is a shame as the boy had talent but also horrendous luck with injuries.

I was at that Port Vale pre-season game where Nelly got injured and it was such a nothing tackle. Saunders just bumped into the defender, sat down on the grass and took around 18 months to get anywhere near fitness.

Tisdale was a big fan of Saunders and would have definitely started him that season, why Gianluca Vialli was known to be a fan when Nelly was a Watford trainee. Perhaps if we'd still been in the Conference, he had been a key player for us.

Sadly, that's a potential talent (I say potential as we never really saw the best of him even when fit) gone the way of knee injuries. Best of luck for the future Neil.

A returning BJ

2010-06-16T13:01:00.003+01:00

Exeter City's second signing of the summer is a bit of an anti-climax. Not that Billy Jones isn't a good player, nor that he isn't liked by Grecians fans. It's just a bit... well, underwhelming. Part of the joy of the summer transfer season is digging around for info on players you know very little about. Tisdale's taken all the fun out of that. We know what Billy Jones is all about.

Ok, I'm sorry Billy. We're being a bit harsh here. I'm happy you're back in Exeter.

Jones was a key part of our Conference side until leaving for Crewe in 2007 for £65,000. So City have done well there, profit-wise.

He's got a sweet left foot on him and takes a mean penalty and free-kick. He's also fairly solid defensively and going forward, although isn't going to be bombing down the flanks like Scott Goldborne.

In short, a solid player who was popular during his first stint, although was relegated with Crewe and released after not getting much of a chance in League Two last season, so you could say there are question marks at this level.

With Goldborne reported to be on the verge of signing a new deal and Joe Heath also added to the squad, my guess is that Jones will add much-needed balance to a City back three alongside Duffy and Matt Taylor, or, if we're playing a back four, Goldborne will be pushed up to the wing. There's certainly no shortage of options in that area.

And for all the lack of glamour, Billy's still a decent signing. And I, for one, am very glad to have him at the Park. Geddin Billy.

Also, Bertie Cozic has delayed becoming a full-time crepe maker and has signed a new contract. Now that is good news. The French should have picked him for the World Cup. They have no bite in midfield. ALLEZ BERTIE!

Ipswich in the Carling Cup

2010-06-16T12:54:00.004+01:00

Finally, the season gets ever-closer and briefly, for Football League fans, the Carling Cup becomes more important than the World Cup with the draw for the first round. And Exeter get Ipswich Town.

Hmmm.

On one hand it's the third season in a row we've drawn Championship opposition at the first stage. On the other, it'll be at St James Park and we get to welcome Roy Keane and his laser-stare. Which will be fun.

In other words, it could be better but should also be fun - a decent chance to test ourselves against a good side, and a chance for Richard Logan and Marcus Stewart to say hello to their old club.

It's hard to say much more about this, but it makes the season seem just a little bit closer. And the fixtures are out tomorrow. Get in.

Marcus Stewart to keep playing until he's 102

2010-06-07T23:24:00.003+01:00

Finally, news! Something happening in the very quiet world of Exeter City, other than us signing a Polish keeper who was on loan at Burton next season. Yes, Marcus Stewart has said he won't be hanging up his boots just yet and will play on for another season.

Look, throw me a fricking bone here. I said it'd been quiet recently. Literally, NOTHING of interest has happened for a good couple of weeks.

So, anyway, Marcus Stewart. The veteran has said this will be his last season as a player, as Paul Tisdale has convinced him to stay playing for one more season. The former Ipswich striker will continue in a coaching role.

Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from around 75% of Exeter City fans.

Despite his legendary status in Suffolk and his goalscoring record in the Premier League, Stewart isn't the most popular player in the red and white. This is largely due to:

1. Him being old

2. Him being unable to run as fast as other players

3. Him starting a lot.

4. His brain being a lot quicker than most other players in the side so most of his clever little balls never get picked up on.

5. A generally perception that he's past it.

Which is all a shame. A lot of people expect the 37-year-old to be as good as he was ten years ago, which isn't going to happen.

Granted, he certainly wasn't City's best player last season, and he had his share of disappointing games, but he was nowhere near as bad as most fans would have you believe. His footballing brain is still light years ahead of most other players and he's a valuable option to have in the squad or bring off the bench.

In a rare disagreement with Tisdale's tactics, I also think he'd be better as a deep sitting central midfielder than pushed out to the flanks where he doesn't have the legs for the work rate required.

By largely I'm not too disappointed he's here for another season. If he's used like Rob Edwards has been, for the occasional game, plus an experienced head off the bench in tight games, then he'll be an asset to the squad. Sadly, I suspect a fair few of our supporters won't see it that way.

A quick thought on strikers

2010-05-16T23:42:00.003+01:00

One slightly surprising and not entirely healthy statistic from this season concerns our strikers and goals. Or lack of them. Of the ten strikers (eleven if you include Ben Watson) we've used this season gone, between them they managed to muster 23 goals. Or, if you like, an average of 2.3 goals per striker this season.

Adam Stansfield, who missed the run-in in terrible circumstances (get well soon Stanno) was our highest scoring striker with seven goals, plus one in the cup. Barry Corr, who missed 12 games through suspension, was one behind with six. Ryan Harley, a midfielder, was our top scorer with ten goals. Central defender Matt Taylor netted five (plus two in the cup).

In some respects, having a 20-goal striker for a season isn't necessarily a must for a good season. In the Conference, Exeter reached the playoffs when Billy Jones, a left-back, was top scorer with ten goals. If the whole team chips in, then this shouldn't be a problem.

Yet it's probably the only area of the pitch currently where Exeter City desperately need to strengthen this summer. At the back, an extra player wouldn't go amiss, yet a back four of Tully, Taylor, Duffy and Goldborne is solid for this level.

In the middle, Harley pulls the strings, while Dunne and Sercombe battle and there's still David Noble and youth prospect Elliot Frear to come into contention. Another wide player might be nice, but again there's a decent core here.

Which just leaves the strikers, most of whom, with the exception of Stanno, have been found wanting.

Stuart Fleetwood has been the biggest disappointment. Last season, he arrived on a short end-of-season loan and netted three goals in nine starts. This season he managed four in 27 appearances, 11 of which were from the bench.

Fleetwood's reputation was still high at the start of this season, following that extraordinary season in the Conference with Forest Green Rovers, where he scored 28 and earned himself a move to Charlton.

But the Addicks clearly didn't fancy him that much and successive loans failed to yield much. This season, then, was one where he had to prove he could cut it at League One level or, probably, fall back to non-league. He has failed, although his four goals have all been important.

So much was promised, but an inability to fit in with the system Exeter played plus spurning several decent opportunities led him to be demoted to the bench behind fellow loanee Ryan Taylor. He should have been our main striker.

Taylor, R, actually acquitted himself pretty well during his short-spell in the Westcountry - witness his glorious hold-up work and cut back for James Dunne's goal at Swindon - but failed to find the net. I wouldn't be averse to see him return and try to develop as there's raw talent there, but can we really afford another non-scoring striker.

Of the rest, Corr never got a good run of games going due to an inability to stay on the pitch, and only seemed to fancy scoring against MK: Dons (never a bad thing, mind).

Richard Logan, meanwhile, has largely been used as an impact sub, James Norwood is too young and inexperienced, Marcus Stewart is too old and can only be used sparingly, Ben Watson is forever injured, Craig McAllister has spent much of the season out on loan before being released and Marcus Haber was largely anonymous during his short loan spell with his.

Which just leaves Adam Stansfield as our only genuine starting striker currently. Last season, he was magnificent, leading the line and harrying defenders into mistakes, along with some well-taken goals, but then his season was cruelly cut short by bowel cancer.

Stanno has now had the operation but there's no telling when, if at all, we'll see him in an Exeter shirt again or if he'll be the same player. We can only hope he comes back even stronger than before. Adam is at the heartbeat of everything Exeter do well.

So, with McAllister and Corr released and Haber, Fleetwood and Ryan Taylor back at their parent clubs, and question marks over whether Marcus Stewart will play another season (and surely he can't start as many games as he has this season), currently our fit and available strikers reads as the following:

Logan
Norwood
Watson (assuming he's fit again and hasn't tripped over his own shoelaces)

Watson and Norwood are both unknown quantities still and have the potential to come good (and there's certainly potential in there).

Logan, meanwhile, is one of the most technically gifted players at the club and deserves the chance to stake a claim for a starting spot or, at the very least, revel in the role of impact sub.

But we definitely need another striker or two. At least one big, strong player who can win headers and hold the ball up with be ideal. Other than that, a player who can at least reach double figures for the season, even if that double figure is ten. Anything more is a bonus.

Who these strikers will be is another matter. I'd quite fancy a look at Darlington's Purcell, who is available. Pipe dreams would be Paul Benson from the Daggers and Simeon Jackson from Gillingham, but we definitely can't afford these, alas.

It's not too much to ask for, just a small request. Although if France can win a World Cup with misfiring strikers, perhaps there's hope yet.

Bye-bye Barry and other fond farewells

2010-05-14T12:27:00.005+01:00

The season's done and the party's over and while some are invited to the after party (and then the hotel lobby), others have been given a doggy bag and told 'thanks but no thanks' as Paul Tisdale sets about rebuilding his squad after staying up. Which, chiefly, at this stage, comes down to who to keep and who to chuck.

And now we know. Tisdale's retained list is here.

The big news is that Barry Corr is to be released after just one season with the Grecians. HaL's regular ten readers will know what we're not Bazza's biggest fan after his efforts to pick up nearly as many red cards as goals. Even so, this has come of somewhat as a surprise.

Corr, on his day, probably was our most talented striker. But equally he could be poor and anonymous and needed a run of games to get into the groove. And once he got a run of games, he'd invariably kick somebody and get sent off.

Yes, he could score goals but we'll never know how many as he's missed 12 games through suspension this season and lost his place to loanee Ryan Taylor. That is simply not good enough. And while he put himself about a bit in the final games, watching him fluff his lines on more than one occasion in front of goal in the final game against Huddersfield was the final straw.

Bye Barry. Somewhere in you there's a good player, we just never saw it. And please don't hit me.

More welcome is the news that Richard Logan's been offered a new contract. Logie may have played less than Three Reds but he's a great impact player and clearly loves the club.

Perhaps his motivation isn't as high as it is, but in terms of sheer ability he's the most talented finisher and is loved by the crowd. HaL loves Logie and we're glad he's here for another year. He's good enough and deserves it.

Other than that there's no huge surprises on the list. Alex Russell is the other big name to go, but he's about 87 and coming to the end of his career.

There's no doubt Russell was a hugely talented player but age and injuries have taken their toll on him this season and while he was better than a lot of fans gave him credit for and did a good job at temporarily plugging the Matt Gill hole in midfield, over the season he was one of City's poorer performers this season.

So, bye Alex and thanks for that wonderful free kick at Elland Road. You'll still be an asset to the right team, probably in the Conference. Good luck.

Neil Saunders, Manny Panther and Joe Burnell are all on their way as well, which isn't surprising seeing as we're overstocked in the centre of the park.

Nelly never really fulfilled his potential and was unlucky he picked up a serious knee injury just before his debut, otherwise I've no doubt he would have not only started but become a key member of our midfield.

As it was, he slipped down the pecking order and was in and out of the side. Occasionally scoring wonder goals wasn't enough to save him and, again, he'll be a useful player if a Conference side wants to take a punt on him.

A shame to see Manny go as well, not least because we can't sing "We've got ten men and a Panther" any more. Big and strong, but with a powerful first touch, he was shipped out to Morcambe on loan this season, where Sol Campbell broke his foot.

In honesty, Panther clearly didn't see eye to eye with Tis and the writing was on the wall from that moment on. Again, we occasionally missed his muscle in the centre of the park but he never properly established himself. Bit of a shame, but you can't look back.

As for Burnell, he must have made about half a dozen appearances without ever registering an impression. Essentially a less good version of Bertie Cozic. Some fans probably won't even notice he's gone.

Finally, Craig McAllister is the last of the released players today. Again, no huge surprises there. Tis didn't seem to rate him this season and while he was a great impact player for us last season and looked the business, he's not impressed with loan spells at Barnet or Rotherham.

Like others, there's definitely a talent in there and he's a very decent front man even if he hasn't got 90 minutes in the tank. The Conference probably beckons and he could definitely do a job for the right side.

Ryan Taylor and Stuart Fleetwood have also been sent back to their clubs. I'll post thoughts on those later, but Taylor I wouldn't be averse to seeing back at the park, but Charlton can happily have Fleetwood back.

Steve Tully's got a new deal, which is excellent. The right-back's ben one of our top performers this season and has proved a lot of critics, who thought he wasn't up to League One football, wrong.

Scott Goldborne and Bertie Cozic have been offered new contracts, but not signed. Bertie is Bertie and we love him for being Bertie. Yes, he's limited, but he's also a great battler to have on the pitch and will come cheap. And he owns a crepe house.

Goldborne has been quality this season and we should move the pitch (oh, wait, we are) to keep him. Whether the player himself wants to stay is another matter.

Finally, Marcus Stewart and Rob Edwards will have their futures decided at a later date. They're both on coaching contracts but the playing position is unclear and they have a combined age of 253.

Joe Heath's also signed a deal with us. I haven't seen him play but he's rated quite highly.

Most interestingly, though, George Friend has been released by Wolves. If there's one man I'd like to see back at the park, it's that man. Sign him up, Tis!

Exeter City: League One and proud

2010-05-09T22:35:00.003+01:00

Exeter City wouldn't be Exeter City if they didn't leave things until late in the day. Firing in the winning goal that kept us in League One for another season with less than ten minutes to go didn't do much for the nerves, but when it arrived it was a thing of beauty.

Ironically, given that we play an attractive passing style, the winner, as you can see, was route one at it's finest. A booming kick from Jones (who says he shanks them all out of play now?), a nod down from Friend and Ryan Harley, that little ginger bearded God, on hand to volley City into a 2-1 lead and raise the roof off the stadium.

You might have noticed that this place was quiet in the run up to the game. Partly this was due to me being on holiday, but also partly because I didn't want to jinx anything. Every prediction I've made this season has usually turned out to be utterly wrong and writing "I think we'll stay up" only for the opposite to happen would have been galling.

Plus, nothing really needed to be said. Our destiny was in our own hands. Nothing less than a win would suffice, especially as Tranmere faced bottom side Stockport County who, on current form, couldn't even find a brothel, let alone score in one.

Yet City have had a habit of achieving results against better sides, with Leeds and Colchester both losing at St James' Park. And Paul Tisdale has a very good record in the big games. Survival was on. For all of about three minutes.

There was no danger when Richard Duffy played the ball across the back towards captain Matt Taylor, but the pass was overhit, Taylor misjudged it and Gary Roberts jinked past the hapless defender before sending a low drive past Paul Jones. At that point, League Two seemed depressingly real.

But the Grecians gradually started to find a way back into the game and kept the pressure up with a series of corners, and when you have corners, you have thumping Matt Taylor headers, and when Harley's ball hung invitingly in the air, the captain needed no further invitation to tower above the defence and crash home the equaliser.

Game on.

In the second half, City looked more likely to win the game but then City have also racked up 23 draws. A 24th wouldn't be out of the question and while 1-1 would be a respectable scoreline against a Huddersfield side still in with a very distant chance of automatic promotion on the last day, it also wouldn't be enough. Tranmere were beating Stockport and City were down.

Still Exeter pushed, roared on by a capacity crowd that had put any hint of moaning behind it, creating a wall of sound that will rarely be bettered at St James' this season.

Tisdale did his best Mourinho impression on the hour, sending on Barry "Three Reds" Corr for the ineffective Marcus Stewart, Richard Logan for the hard-working Ryan Taylor up front, while Bertie "Onions" Cozic was withdrawn for Sir Rob Edwards. Bold yet clever.

While this initially looked like a defensive move - replacing three attacking players with two strikers and a defensive midfielder - Sir Rob's introduction meant that George Friend, Harley and Liam Sercombe could push forward more while Corr and Logan gave City extra thrust up front, and generally put themselves about a it. Sir Rob, meanwhile, got on with what Sir Rob does best, which was to head every ball that came his way and start the attacks.

Still City pushed, still no equaliser. George Friend sent through a wonderful ball in front of ball that was begging for a touch but neither Bazza nor Logie could get the telling touch. Corr, while playing well, fluffed his lines several times in front of goal. It was looking like one of those games.

Then, with eight minutes to go, up popped the little ginger bearded midfield wizard Harley to volley home, immediately writing himself into City folklore and leading 9,000 people in the stadium, both male and female, to proclaim their undying love for him.

And that was that. With Tranmere and City winning, and Gillingham capitulating to already-relegated Wycombe, it was the Kent side who dropped back into League Two. They'll be playing Burton, Bury, Torquay and Stevenage. We'll be playing Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and (hopefully) doing the double over Plymouth Argyle. That sounds good just writing it.

It's been a long campaign. It's been exciting. Every time we had a chance to pull away to safety, we fell back. But the team never stopped believing. The fans kept the faith. And this is out reward.

In some respects, keeping Exeter in League One might just be Paul Tisdale's greatest achievement to date. It certainly enhances his credentials as our greatest ever manager (and that's not hyperbole). He's also learner, as well as a genius. Hopefully next season relegation won't be a concern come the last day.

It's a good time to be a Grecian. WE ARE STAYING UP SAY WE ARE STAYING UP.

Ahem.

Exeter City: League One 2010/11. Nice, innit

Tranmere: Back into the mire

2010-04-18T23:51:00.003+01:00

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. With a good measure of tits, arse, shitting wank and fuck thrown in.

Did I mention FUCK?

3pm on Saturday it was all looking peachy. A point against Tranmere would keep our safety fight well on track, a win would all but see us safe and, frankly, who was worried? This was Tranmere, a team who looked utter shite under John Barnes and a team that's now not quite a shite but still not very good. A forgone conclusion. We are staying up, right?

Yeah, well, this is Exeter City we're talking about here.

So, a sending off for James Dunne, a defensive mix-up and a 3-1 loss later and we're staring right down the barrel of relegation again, and now it's now even in our own hands.

Did I mention fuck?

Y'know, we were expecting a bad result somewhere. After all, eight game unbeaten runs don't come along every day. But it wasn't just the fact we lost to Tranmere that made Saturday bad. No, Leeds only had to go and lose to Gillingham. Fucking Gillingham. This is Leeds. You really are doing your best not to get promoted aren't you.

Orient beating Stockport was a given, but Oldham decided to beat Carlisle, Colchester decided they couldn't be arsed with the playoffs this year after losing to Hartlepool and even Wycombe have decided to have a go at staying up. Normally I'd be happy with a Franchise FC loss. Not today.

So, Tranmere visit Brentford on Tuesday and I'm hoping that my second favourite club in League One will remain just that come the end of the evening. Even a dull 0-0 will be fine. As long as we're above them going into Saturday's games, there's always hope.

It's the hope that kills you.

Oh FUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Swindon: Tinker, Ryan Taylor, solider, cry

2010-04-14T13:37:00.004+01:00

Had the Swindon game finished 3 minutes before the actual final whistle, the title of this post would have been "Wooo, yeah OMFG w00t STAYING UP!!!!" and so on. As it is, it's a more reflective but proud consideration of our performance.

The game came off the back of Saturday's disappointing goalless draw at home to Orient, where the tactics were not to lose. Understandable, but also a shame given that a victory against the O's would have seen us six points clear of them.

But there was no caution against Swindon. The team played neat, tight football and were definitely up for it. Ok, so we only managed a couple of shots on target but when they came, they were clinical.

James Dunne's mini-slalom through the penalty area to drive low into the bottom corner from Ryan Taylor's pullback was a thing of beauty that deserves to be framed and put on a mantelpiece. And Taylor junior himself had a couple of great opportunities.

Yes, had we won it would have been a smash-and-grab raid of epic proportions. But that doesn't suggest that City weren't going for it. Swindon Town were just a very good team.

Leading at the break and holding out own, Swindon spent most of the second half attacking with intent and then some. Had Danny Wilson taken his team to the kitchen to detach the sink it wouldn't have been a surprise, as they threw everything but at us.

And weren't we magnificent. Matt Taylor was every inch the captain and his anticipation to clear a certain goal off the line was pure quality. Time and again he lead to defence, heading every ball that came his way, ably assisted by two equally heroic performances by Richard Duffy, looking like the international player he used to be, and George Friend.

And then the backline was beaten, Paul Jones was on inspired form in goal. The word quality may have been used a lot here, but hen produced two saves of the highest class in the game. Jonah can take as much of the credit for keeping Town out as anybody.

It was cruel that Captain Taylor was the man who had to turn the ball into his own net, a half-shot from Pericard that caught the defender at an awkward position and left him with nowhere to go. Cruel on us, but possibly no less than Swindon deserved. On another day, the shot would have bounced differently off Matty T and we'd be discussing a heroic and unlikely win.

Dunne again showed why he's going to be a quality player and hopefully his ankle is ok after a x-rated challenge from Billy Ward. I'm not holding anything against the ref for not sending Ward off though. It's only when you see the tackle from the front angle that you see just how nasty it was.

Ryan Taylor could have also had a penalty, but it was six of one and half a dozen of the other and a possible handball by the young striker anyway. The Rotherham loanee did well on his full debut for us, although he's still very raw. You can see what Tis likes about him though.

Hopefully the players won't be too down after that. Hopefully Tis will have told the bauys what a fantastic effort they put in and that we CAN escape the drop. Hopefully.

We're within touching distance of safety, and with Gillingham's hideous run-in and Tranmere's awful goal difference, not to mention a potential points deduction for Hartlepool for fielding an ineligible player, it's looking good.

We could easily draw every game between now and the end of the season and that should see us safe. But there's no room for complacency, and if we beat Tranmere away this weekend, we are there. Not that it'll be easy. Exeter City never take the easy route out.

Come on you Reds! WE ARE STAYING UP. Ok?

PS If you're wondering why Stanno's illness isn't covered here, it's because it's on the main TFT site.

Squeaky bum time

2010-04-07T13:24:00.003+01:00

Mission: Easter
Aim: Four points from six
Status: Achieved

Something, somewhere has clicked. City are now seven games unbeaten and playing reasonably well, if not wholly well. Four points were the minimum we needed from an Easter weekend, and we did that with little fuss, dispatching an out-of-form Colchester and grinding out a draw with a Brentford side mentally planning their summer holidays.

The Dunne-Harley-Sercombe fulcrum in the centre of the park is starting to pay dividends and freeing Harley up to do what he does best - probing passes and neat runs. George Friend has lent some much-needed stability at the back and Duffy is looking like the Premier League player he used to be.

So what could go wrong? Everything. This is City we're talking about here.

Remember a couple of months ago? All we had to do was beat Stockport to see us rise away from the bottom. This is Stockport, bottom club we're talking about.

We lost. 1-0. At home.

Which is why this weekend's game against Leyton Orient is massive. They're all massive, of course, but this one is like Canary Wharf next to the Oxo Tower.

Win, and we're six points ahead of a relegation rival. Draw, and we remain three points ahead, lose and we're back in the mire again. It's beyond a six pointer. It's a nine-pointer. Win this and we edge ever closer to the 50 point mark, which should see us safe.

Typically, Orient have sacked their manager before they meet us. It's something lots of teams have felt the need to do this season. And while I rate and like Russell Slade, and sincerely hope he gets off to the worst possible start.

If we beat Orient, that'll be eight games unbeaten and while our run-in isn't easy, there's enough to suppose we can pick up a point here and there that we need. Which is something I wouldn't have thought a few weeks ago.

Of course, we'll have to do it with no strikers, given all fifty-four of them have gone down with knack of sorts. Had Logie not tweaked his hamstring at Brentford, we may have even won that game. As it is, we lost shape and focus.

So, our options for Saturday are definitely Fleetwood, who has suddenly realised there's a contract on offer, Ryan Taylor, who looks raw and unfamiliar with our system, and James Norwood, who isn't the messiah. And Marcus Stewart.

Barry Corr is battling to be fit and - words well and truly eaten - is our great hope for the orient game. Unlike the other strikers he seems to have a fair idea of how to score our goal.

Barry Corr - potential City hero. Who of thought that two months ago?

Oh hai Barry (plus other striker issues)

2010-03-24T23:59:00.004Z

Corr: We don't like him when he's angry

Barry Corr is doing his best to make me not hate him. First he sticks £400 into the Pitch In campaign (probably a publicity stunt, but a welcome one nonetheless) and then he goes and gets a hat-trick for the reserves. And we haven't even mentioned his delightful little chip to send Richard Logan clear for the equaliser at Wycombe.

All this after we loudly and brashly declared that Three Reds Corr should never play for the club again. Well, we're still not his greatest fans. But perhaps the reaction to his third red has woken Bazza up. Perhaps, finally, we may see the player we hoped we'd signed. And, please, dear God of football, please, don't let him get another red card. At that stage, we'd happily drive him to wherever his next club may be, even if that's Australia.

Still, at least Three Reds scores goals, and has the potential to fire us to safety. Unlike Stuart Fleetwood, who is complaining he's been left out of the side and he's not sure why.

Here's a clue Stuart: You're meant to be the star striker, yet you've scored three goals all season and missed countless others. There's still probably a player in there, but you probably need to set up your entire system around him. Given that a) he's only on loan and b) Stanno's probably better, that isn't going to happen.

And, in all honesty, Logie, Stanno an, after his hat-trick, *coughyeahwellhumblepie* Corr are all probably ahead of him, not to mention pressure from Jimmy Norwood and Ben Watson, Fleetwood can't guarantee a spot on the bench, given his form this season.

We hoped he'd prove his critics wrong and score lots of goals. Sadly that's not happened, but it's advice Barry Corr seems to be taking. Now we're off to the bookie to bet on Bazza firing City to safety. Yeah, excess optimism and fickle fandom all the way!

Wycombe: It's Logan time

2010-03-22T20:47:00.004Z

Funny how these things can turn around. A couple of weeks ago, we hadn't won since January, now we're on a three game unbeaten streak. Although two of those are draws. But we're still unbeaten and staying within a point of safety. This was never going to be an easy mid-table season was it?

So, yes, Wycombe, a side rooted around the bottom of the table after making the mistake of employing Peter Taylor as manager. They've now got Gary Waddock, who I do rate, in charge, and, frankly, when the Chairboys moved into a two goal lead, that was it, game over, back to fretting about where our next point would come from.

And then... and then Liam Sercombe took control and unleashed a thunderbolt to pull one back. And when Barry "Three Reds" Corr sent Richard Logan scampering past the defence there was only ever one outcome. Logie doesn't miss chances like that. Well, actually, he probably does and has but that wouldn't fit with this blog's biased tone of Logan-worship.

This result is an unusual one for City. We're normally more likely to concede late equalisers than score them at the moment, and combined with a late winner against Bristol and a battling display against Southend, we're suddenly looking like a team that believes again - a state of mind that couldn't come any sooner.

It's also fantastic to see Liam Sercombe coming off age in the centre of the park, and he's undoubtedly comfortable playing with Dunne and Harley. We were critical of Sercs earlier this season, sadly noting that he wasn't fulfilling his potential.

Well that's definitely changed, and we'd like to say we always had belief Liam would come good, we just thought he made need a loan move to regain his confidence.

As it is, he's getting stronger in the centre of the park, shooting from distance and doing a lot of the dirty work that isn't always appreciated. In short, come next season we could have a cracking little player on our hands.

That said, we've probably gone and cursed him. After praising James Dunne last week, he went and gave away Wycombe's first goal on Saturday.

But, also, it's great to see Logie on the scoresheet, and nice to see Tis praising him as well. Hopefully that'll mean he'll get a new deal. I may be blinded by fandom, but I maintain that, when in the mood, Logie is one of the most naturally talented players at the club. Play him and he will score.

And, despite our known dislike for "Three Reds" Corr, it's good to see he can play football and not get sent off. The through ball for Logie was sublime. Hopefully Bazza will be motivated enough to fire us to safety. And if he does that, we'll happily be the first ones calling for a new deal for him. Because we're football fans and football fans are fickle.