The Exiled Robin

That may seem a strange title for an article that will go on to evaluate the sacking of a manager of a club bottom of their league and booted out of both cups at the first hurdle this season, but let me explain. I was midway through writing an article entitled ‘Back, Sack or Crack?’ this evening when my phone started buzzing.   It appears the Board, and one suspects owner Steve Lansdown in particular, have managed two of the three tonight. After a strikingly up-and-down 15 months, Derek McInnes reached the end of his personal road following yet another desperate display and meek surrender of three points at Ashton Gate.   And this is at the crux of the timing question – the Board cracked under pressure of another defeat.   But let’s be clear, this wasn’t just another defeat. Will Jones, in his excellent blog ‘To the left of Ross’ http://totheleftofross.blogspot.co.uk/ spoke last week of his mild surprise of the sudden increase in calls for McInnes head after the ...

Every once in a while a footballer comes along who is talked about as "the next big thing".  Even more rarely discussion turns to a potential star of a generation.  Derby County's 17-year-old Will Hughes  probably fits neatly into the middle of these often hyperbolic statements, currently careering right down the centre of this most glittering of sparkly roads in British sport. When you're 17, have just a handful of appearances under your belt but own a reputed list of suitors including both Manchester clubs , Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, you must have something about you. When you throw in the fact that the iconically masterful Barcelona - possibly the finest club side of the last 30 years - own a dossier on Hughes' performances , you know that this boy can play a bit.  At the very least he can obviously control a football and pass to his own teammates, something mystifyingly beyond the alleged best of England's recent crop of midfielders. U...

The final season preview comes from a writer I've much-admired since I saw a series of well-written, well-thought out and ever-so-slightly quirky posts on his own website last year . Since then we've collaborated (albeit over a long period of time which meant a slightly flaky end product) on a review of how City play the so-called beautiful game in an early incarnation of The 72 Football's Tactics Bible . Thus I'm delighted to abe able to introduce Will Jones to the pages of The Exiled Robin - if you don't enjoy this then I'll eat my hat! "There’s a phrase you hear around the pubs and bars of BS3 most Saturday evenings, spreading across the city as the night draws on, uttered in homes at 5pm as the scores come in, and at workplaces the following Monday as bragging rights are conceded for a week.   It’s viral.   The more it’s said the more it spreads.   You’ve probably used it yourself, maybe often.   You’ll certainly have heard it. “Typical City”....