None of us, I hope, are blaming him for his injuries. It's unfortunate, but that happens. What I think is getting on everyone's tits — and, I strongly suspect, Pep's first and foremost — is that he doesn't seem to be hurting about it. He goes on to the Wembley pitch, larking around with his mate Bernardo, and you just think to yourself “Wait a minute, lad, don't you want to be out there, doing the actual business?” It's been nearly two seasons, now. Kev has had bad luck with injuries this season, but you get the distinct impression that it's eating away at him. As it should do. I always think of top level footballers as like thoroughbred racehorses, basically (no reflection on their intelligence, obviously, that's not the question). They are born to race. They want to be first out of those traps. That's how it should be. Is it that way with Ben?
This has all been somewhat off topic.
Watford: it's simple, really. If we cannot beat them at this stage of the season, at home, then we probably don't have what it takes to be champions. But we do have what it takes to be champions, we know that.
2-0, I believe. But any kind of three points is fine by me.
One other thing. Strictly as a fan, I absolutely love the two-match-a-week thing. I can't see enough of this team, and I've been getting something akin to cold turkey this week. Really.
But it's good for the lads to have had a full week's rest. But that's my superego talking. Me being reasonable, adult and all that guff. My id says something else.