JRC

Remeber Barmby's late goal against Leeds in the FA Cup? Robbie's dribble and cross from the left wing was better than anything anyone has done for us since...

Nicky Tanner. Once got taken off after half an hour having failed to connect with the ball on every occassion it came near him, and had turned into a quivering mass of nerves. Got a sympathetic clap, but never played again.

I've been to the Sapporro Japanese Restaurant in Duke Street twice in the past 6 months, and both times saw Reds players (apparently getting carry-outs) - first Zenden with a rather attractive partner, next time Alonso and Reina, plus a 3rd fella who may have been his Villareal mate who was over at the time. Clearly a good spotting location. (I also spotted David Weir in Borders, actually looking as if he was going to choose a book without pictures!)

I swapped my Main Stand Season Ticket for a Kop Ticket on Saturday to help a mate. Nostalgic at first as I ended up in roughly the same spec I stood at when the Kop was my Home (and bored my lad stupid with tales of those days and the characters, like Loud Bert). I was absolutely amazed, being used to a spec surrounded by regulars and a few corporates, to see how many tourist parties there were around. No objection to our continental supporters at all, glad to have you around, but I would have guessed around 30% of the crowd. There was a huge contingent of Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters, and from the hand signals going on between different rows and blocks, they were all over the place

I think the point is being missed about what made Kenny the King. Barnes - a living legend for sure, and one of my all-time top ten - was bigger, stronger, a better header, hardrfaster and could go past people at will. He was probably technically as good a passer of the ball as KD. In terms of those traditional footballer's attributes, Digger was more than a match for Kenny. As was, for example, someone like Hoddle, who had fabulous technique. Of course, Kenny was skilful in many ways, but it was not the skill per se that defined his genius, it was his vision, intelligence and football brain. Simply put, he saw patterns, runs, options, spaces and shots on a Football pitch that no-one else did, or could, and had the requisite skill to deliver what was required - often only as much skill as another player might have, but by doing something which they wouldn't even contemplate. The very best Chess Grand Masters have been so analysed - apparently they 'see' a different game on the board from the 'run-of-the-mill' Grand Masters. Such was the god-like genius of the man who will always be the King, that those who saw him in his prime are eternally privileged.