Interesting times

To quote the ancient Chinese curse, "may you live in interesting times" - it's certainly been a case of living in interesting times at Villa Park since the sudden, though perhaps not entirely surprise departure of Martin O'Neill just days before the new season kicked off. Initially O'Neil's sharp exit up the Witton Road, clutching his rattle and dummy some claimed, didn't seem to make any difference at all, indeed Villa's comfortable humiliation of the Ammers was even interpreted as a sign that things were about to improve.

Giving the newly promoted Geordies a swift kick-in would therefore be a formality and everything was going to plan until the big Nordic nightclubber stepped up to take a penalty and uncharacteristically lost his bottle and skied it, at which point the gates of hell appeared to open. Before going any further, I would like to thank the blue noses in my office in South Yardley for changing the background image on my computer to a close-up of Andy Caroll firing past Brad Friedel. By the time I got round to changing it, the gesture had been  repeated on Thursday morning with a photo of the entire Rapid Vienna team applauding their barmy army after our next major humiliation of the week, taking up my entire screen as Windows booted up.

The hills are alive with the sound of the Rapid Vienna firm...

"Greeen armeee!"

I won't repeat my verbal response as it might be a bit rude and in fairness I think many of my blue nose colleagues do in actual fact have named fathers registered on their birth certificates. But the sniggers, even from other rooms in the building, were audible. My consolation is only that I know it won't be long until the shoe's on the other foot. I have the strongest feeling that ourselves and the Baggies won't be the only ones to experience life on the end of a six nil drubbing by the end of this season. Although in fairness to the Baggies at least theirs was at the hands of the migh'ee Chowl-say.

Pink Scousers on Parade

No.... nice

So this afternoon's three points from the boys in pink (is this someone's idea of irony to convince hundreds of hard nosed scousers to don pink shirts to away games? Some of them weren't even wearing official merchandise - they had actually come in non-football related pink shirts). Far be it for me to make politically incorrect remarks about men who wear pink, indeed I often wear a pink shirt to work and am loud and proud about being in touch with me old Jungian anima (look it up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus), but the terms "Scouse football supporter" and "in touch with one's feminine side" just somehow don't seem to be entirely compatible. It's a bit like the Ku Klux Klan leader becoming secretary of the Official Alabama branch of the James Brown Appreciation Society. You dig where I'm coming from here brothers and sisters?

Anyway, happily for Villa fans and sadly for the London based national media, the turmoil at Villa Park is over for now, though I do admit ...we continue to live in interesting times.

But that's enough about the Villa, anyone would think I'm biased!

I don't know whether we should be pleased or disappointed that none of the big five Braggers' League teams have gained or dropped extra BL points yet this season. With the gaps between derby games, it would be nice to have a bit of controversy to hold the interest but everyone seems to be getting on with normal business as we hurtle along the roller coaster that is the early season period.

In spite of the predictions that it's going to be the Albion and Wolves who struggle most amongst our teams this season, this evening's Premiership table finds Stoke in the lowest position of any of the West Midlands clubs, being in a lowly 19th position without a point from their first three games, with West Ham immediately below them and pretty in pink Everton above.

Early bath for Bolton's Jussi Jaaskelainen against the Noses today

"I'm going to slap you round the face with my white glove"

West Brom meanwhile are in 16th place, having gained three points from the game against Sunderland, Wolves are in 7th position with 5 points from 3 games, the Blues are in 6th with the same tally of points and Villa, astonishingly considering their major humiliation last weekend, are in 4th place behind Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United. Just goes to show, you can lose six nil against a team up from the Championship one week and still qualify for the Champions League the next! But as we all know, it's early days and anything can happen.

As we head for September, things may start to heat up a bit on the Braggers' League website with three local derbies coming up as follows:

13th September
Stoke v Villa, 8pm

18th September
West Brom v Birmingham, 15:00

26th September
Wolverhampton v Aston Villa, 14:05

So, let's get those predictions coming in during the next few weeks as we build up to the big local scraps. Will Stoke and Wolves allow the turmoil-ridden boys from Witton to come steaming up the M6 for a quick smash and grab of the points? Or will the Albion be the ones to stitch up the bookies this season?

Why don't you become a guest writer on Braggers' League and send me an article about your West Midlands team? I'm an unashamed bragger about the Villa so you can be one too about your local club.

Come on you West Midlands!!