THE EDITOR
27th FEBRUARY 2006

IT'S MARCH AND IT'S ALL GOING ON AGAIN?

I remember this time last year the strange feeling of entering March and still having a couple of things to play for. We had just lost the Carling Cup to Jammy Jose, but were chasing Everton for 4th and we're going well in the European Cup. It was strange that our season hadn't ended drably for a change.

But here we are again, this time chasing Man United down for 2nd spot, we are 4 points short of last season's total with 11 games to go. Some improvement.

We have just knocked United out the FA Cup for the first time in 85 years and although we are 1-0 down in the first leg of the Champions League there is still everything to play for (remember Olympiakos last year).

It is maybe even more exciting last year. In fact if all goes to plan we could be the last team to win a trophy at our second home, the Millenium Stadium. Imagine.

Anyway, lets just put the Champions League and FA Cup out of our mind for a minute and lets concentrate on the league. We're grinding out those clean sheets and 1-0 wins again. Robbie Fowler has yet to fully fire, and the three musketeers Cisse, Crouch and Morientes all seem to have left their swords at home. Their strike rate has been pretty miserly, rest assured Rafa will be looking to sort it. You wouldn't think all three of them were at the periphery of their international teams trying to get in to the World Cup Squads would you?

We have 11 games left and are on 54 points. We finished on 58 last year. It's clear Chelsea have sewn up the title. Failing their new pitch failing to be relayed and some massive points deduction that is.

Our away games are: Arsenal, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Portsmouth and West Brom.

Our home games are: Charlton, Everton, Fulham, Villa and Bolton.

On paper that is an easy run in. United have a similar easy run in with only Tottenham and Chelsea away as realistic point losses.

I still think 75 points is a good target to go for. To be fair, none of the above teams should take all 3 points from us though. Some of the players don't have much time to get in their World Cup squads, so 11 Premiership games may provide a few more goals than we have been used to.

Finishing second would be great, we have had a long season after last season's UEFA farce. Obviously if we don't finish second we will just have to do what we did last year. Win the 'big-eared one'!

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27TH FEBRUARY 2006