Comfortable.

Blues' captain and cult hero Paul Robinson scored his first goal for the club and his first in 5 years in a comfortable 3-0 victory. Robinson is not known for his goalscoring - and with good reason - but he finally opened his Blues account with a neat header at the back post.

Rovers started brightly, having a fantastic chance within the first few minutes. Debutant Reece Brown made a rare error, sliding the ball to an under pressure Hayden Mullins, who opted to play his way out. Bristol Rovers' Eliot Williams nicked the ball away from him, but saw his tame effort blocked by the legs of Colin Doyle, making his first start since the much more eventful Stoke tie.

After that, Blues were on top. Rovers struggled to keep the ball and it was clear who the better side was. Zigic somehow headed wide a Paul Caddis cross after some nice football. He got above his marker and met the ball, but rather than nestling in the back of the net, the ball ended up nearer the corner flag.

More nice passing football from Blues led to Paul Caddis forcing his way into the area and firing off a left-footed shot which was blocked back to him. He blasted another shot towards goal but again blocked by an outstretched leg before the ball fell to Lee Novak, 8 yards out. He must have thought that he'd opened the scoring, but some heroic last-ditch defending ensured the score stayed at 0-0 for a short while.

It wasn't until the 35th minute that Blues took the lead. Shane Ferguson's right wing corner evaded the Rovers keeper but not Paul Robinson, who's downward header could not be kept out by a desperate defence on the line. Robinson wheeled away in delight, blowing kisses to the away fans.

Blues were dominant but certainly not rampant. The score stayed at 1-0 for much of the second half; despite having the lion's share of the possession and consistently getting into good positions, they couldn't capitalise. Robinson nearly got his second of the game, with a beautifully struck right-foot volley. Burke broke away after a Rovers corner and picked out the most unlikely of players to pop up at the back post, but Robinson couldn't have struck his effort any more sweetly - it was only a superb reflex save from Rovers' keeper Mildenhall that stopped him from doubling his tally.

As the game neared it's conclusion, Blues finally grabbed the goal cushion that displayed the difference  between the two sides. Nikola Zigic dropped deep into midfield before  releasing Chris Burke with an exquisite through ball. Burke kept his composure and slotted the ball past the onrushing keeper and into the bottom corner for 2-0. Almost immediately afterwards, Burke and Caddis combined down the right. Burke cut in and attempted his trademark left foot curler, though he didn't strike it cleanly. The ball bobbled towards goal but somehow squirmed under the dive of Myldenhall.

All in all, a decent and professional performance for Blues which sees them into the next round against Premier League Swansea, who's form not unlike Blues' 2 seasons ago has been affected by the Europa League. A genuine opportunity for Blues to make it through to the later stages of the cup.

Why Chelsea shouldn't sign a big name striker.

Chelsea's recent history is littered with big name strikers who failed to make the grade - Shevchenko, Torres, Kezman and even the ageing Eto'o. Surely there must be something deeper than pure coincidence to explain the consistent failings of top players. This isn't, at least in my opinion, just a case of bad signings and mismanagement, but rather a tactical error that lies deep within the club's philosophy.

I believe that Chelsea play a variation of a 'False 9' system, however they play with a striker as well. This leads to the striker playing almost on his own, which means that he doesn't fit into the overall system, playing more as a spare part than an essential player. Attacking midfielders Oscar and Juan Mata have 22 goals between them in the last 2 seasons, so this proves that these players can score goals given the chances, and with an extra midfielder rather than a forward player, this could create even more chances for the talented midfielders.

Chelsea are not short of attacking midfielders who can score goals and create chances, with in-form winger Eden Hazard scoring 17 in 54 league games, nearly a 1 in 3 record for the 23 year old, who looks like increasing that record significantly. Willian is a creative force yet no top striker can convert the chances that these top class wingers create - is it time to change the system?

With this system, Chelsea could control games more than they currently do. Giving Mikel a purely defensive role could help their current defensive issues, whilst still giving them a solid midfield two. It also means that Luiz may be able to push into midfield when in possession, which will help them control the game. Hazard is a perfect inside forward, playing between the wing and midfield, so he gives a goalscoring threat through the middle as well as a wide outlet. Willian is a terrific dribbler with genuine pace so can stretch teams, however he may not be as suited to an inside forward role. He could act more as a playmaker, with Mata playing as the 'False Nine'. Mata has the attributes to play well there - he can finish, dribble and fashion chances for players around him. He wouldn't need to defend as he would in the current system - one of the main reasons for Mourinho's preference for Oscar. Oscar can therefore play a free role behind Mata as he does in an attacking midfield usually, but he has improved his defensive side massively, so he can win the ball and attack from midfield. Ramires plays as an all round midfielder, winning the ball and adding a presence going forward as he does, but with Mikel to sit behind him and Oscar if he needs.

There appears to be a stigma in English football that playing without an out and out striker is defensive and an unneeded export of Spanish football. However, the best football teams of the last 8 years have played a system that is similar, so if that is defensive so be it. In a time that Tim Sherwood has reverted to a 'good old fashioned 4-4-2' it may be time for English football to move forward tactically. First of all, we need to learn from the other parts of the world, putting technical ability over physicality and accepting the ideas of Tiki-Taka and Catenaccio as parts of football, and not just outrageous foreign stuff. 

This system is not defensive - in fact, if the full backs get forward, it can give them 6-7 players going forward in a fluid system. It might also give Abramovich the flowing football he wants; the success may or may not come with it. There are some positions which would need strengthening of course: Ashley Cole is ageing and will need replacing sooner rather than later, and another central midfielder would not go amiss. 

I believe that a false nine system would suit Chelsea and I think that they should not go for the Falcao's and Ibrahimovic's of the world, instead going for the Arturo Vidal's and Jordi Alba's. Thanks for reading.

Blues v Forest - Match Ratings and Reflections

In front of a packed stadium, a sight scarcely seen nowadays at St Andrews, Blues huffed and puffed to a 0-0 draw against high-flying Nottingham Forest. Despite what the scoreline may suggest, it was a decent game with chances at either end, though Blues had the best of these. The referee proved to be the main talking point - odd decisions throughout the game culminating in a red card for Forest number 9 Darius Henderson; though for my money, that was the easiest decision he will make. Henderson clattered Paul Robinson dangerously and, at least in my opinion, rightly saw red.

Neither team will be too disappointed at the final scoreline, given Blues' impressive unbeaten run and Forest's league position. A clean sheet for the previously shaky Blues defence will be greatly appreciated by the 'keeper and indeed, the manager.

Here are my match ratings:

Randolph: Generally he was assured and confident when dealing with the threat that Forest posed, which admittedly was quite small. They had one header cleared off the line but were fairly limited really, despite having probably the lion's share of possession. He did have one headrush moment, charging out to meet an attacker but cleanly taking him out. A rare moment of poor decision making from the otherwise composed goalkeeper. 6 out of 10.

Caddis: Going forward, Paul Caddis must be amongst the best full backs in the division. His drive and link-up with Burke is admirable and he is a key player in an attacking sense for us. He can be found out defensively sometimes but I thought today he played very well. He faded towards the end of the game, as did Burke, but this doesn't mean he played badly. He was marking a very good winger in Djamel Abdoun and whilst there were times when he struggled, this is understandable given the pedigree of the player. 7 out of 10.

Bartley: An assured performance from the young centre-half; probably his best in blue and white. Played similarly to Curtis Davies did for us 2 years ago - strong, decisive and athletic. He showed today why he was so highly rated by Arsenal and Swansea and hopefully he can build on this impressive performance to become a Premier League level centre-half, which judging by this performance, he can. 8 out of 10 *MOTM*

Burn: A slightly less assured, but still solid, performance from the towering defender. He had some issues with the high balls but generally cleaned up well and read the game cleverly. He looked more composed on the ball than in previous weeks, though that is not much of a feat. All in all, a solid enough performance from a defender who has made a few mistakes this year but shown the mental toughness to get over them. 7 out of 10.

Robinson: Robinson is not a left back any more. He doesn't have the pace or the attacking impetus to play there. Having said that, he is an assured defender and is rarely caught out, unless it is by a particularly quick and nimble winger: Jamie Mackie is neither and struggled to get past the Blues captain. A solid, typical Robinson performance, though we must be careful against better wingers. 7 out of 10.

Adeyemi: I have sung Adeyemi's praises all season and he has been fantastic, though today he was fairly average. His energy and distribution where not at the levels that they were a month ago. He missed a few tackles and was caught out of position once or twice. It could be to do with fatigue - he has been nearly ever-present when fit and maybe needs a rest. Not a bad performance per se, but we've come to expect better from him. 6 out of 10.

Lee: A surprise package it seems this season. Olly Lee has looked like a much better player than his pedigree would suggest. It's difficult to see why this guy was released by Barnet: he is very calm on the ball, distributes well and can tackle as well if needed. He's like an extremely low budget Michael Carrick, in terms of playstyle. He was very impressive today, keeping us ticking along and in the first half helping us play passing football, a rare sight at Blues. 8 out of 10.

Burke: In the first half, Burke was definitely a contender for man of the match, but he faded a lot in the second half. This coincided with the left-back going off after being terrorised by Burke and Caddis. He should have had an assist, with a delicious cross that somehow, Zigic didn't get on the end of. Similarly, Burke whipped in a cross for the big Serb in the second half, who appeared to be hauled down, but the ref waved play on. He also forced a terrific save from the Forest 'keeper with a left-footed drive from 25 yards. He was a joy to watch in the first half; in the second, slightly lacklustre. 7 out of 10.

Lingard: Our most influential attacking threat, though he can go missing. Today, I thought he found space between the midfield and opposition defence very well and played some nice balls, but generally the end product was not there today. This will happen from time to time and he is still young, but it was not his best performance. 6 out of 10.

Shinnie: Ineffective is an understatement. He was slow, predictable and added nothing. He is being played out of position, so deserves some sympathy, but he was not good enough today. Unfortunately, there have been too many occasions where he has not been great this season. 4 out of 10.

Zigic: My god, what does he have to do to get a free-kick? Consistently fouled by the centre-halfs, the lovable lump struggled to make an impact, but should have buried a chance put on a silver platter for him by Burke. He might have had a penalty too, being pulled back and blocked off as he tried to reach another Burke cross, but again, the referee's incompetence hindered him. Not his best performance, but not helped by the referee. 6 out of 10.

Gray: Whenever he has played previously, Gray has looked confident and like a real prospect, but today looked scared and sloppy in possession. Hopefully, this is just an effect of his age and he can grow into a terrific player for Blues, but he was poor in his brief role today. 5 out of 10.

McLean: I'm not entirely sure what he adds to the team. Yes he's quick, but on the one occasion he got through he checked back and played a useless pass to Gray, who could do little with it. At this moment in time, he doesn't look all that. 5 out of 10.

Birmingham 1-1 Blackpool - Match Report

A first-half strike from Ricardo Fuller cancelled out Jesse Lingard's early opener in a closely matched game at St Andrews. Both teams felt they could have won the game, with both teams having shots cleared off the line with both sides having gilt-edged chances to win the game.

Blues started brightly, putting Blackpool under some severe pressure early on. Lingard nearly capitalised on a Gilks mistake as Zigic slid in, but saw his shot deflected just past the post. Blackpool couldn't hit their stride early on and Blues were the better team, so it was to no surprise that Blues took the lead. Some clever interplay between Burke, Caddis and Lingard down the right hand side led to a crossing opportunity, which the Blackpool defence struggled to deal with. England U-21 International Lingard popped up with just the keeper to beat, and he coolly side-footed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

Blues were on top - going forward they were finding space, defensively they were solid. Mitch Hancox was flying into tackles and racing forward. He showed surprising skill to evade a tackle down the left wing, but Zigic was unable to connect with the cross. He and Novak were combining well to keep the highly rated Tom Ince quiet, but it was not for long.

A simple ball down the Blues left found Ince, who had gotten away from Hancox for the first time in the game. With his first touch he pulled an enticing ball back to the waiting Ricardo Fuller, who calmly found the corner. It was a simple goal but showed the quality within the Blackpool side. Suddenly they were on top and Ince was the catalyst. A fast counter-attack from a corner ended with Ince hooking a perfect pass into the path of Fuller, who looked destined to double his tally for the game, but his placed shot was turned behind by Irish 'keeper Darren Randolph. Tom Ince again got involved with a Blackpool attack; Hancox was caught up the pitch as Ince cut inside, before playing a reverse slide-rule pass into the path of Stephen Dobbie, who dragged his effort past the far post with only Randolph to beat.

After the break, Blues got back into the game. Poland International Dariusz Dudka came on early in the second half for Callum Reilly and immediately fired a fizzing half-volley at goal from 25 yards but Gilks was there to stop it. The game seemed destined to fizzle out, with a scrappy 20 minutes, but there was still time for either team to win it. Tom Ince got a chance to win the game, but after rounding the keeper he saw his effort stopped on the line bravely by Dan Burn, in for the suspended Kyle Bartley.

Lee Clark called for two more subs, as Aaron McLean made his debut, replacing Nikola Zigic, and Demarai Gray replaced the relatively ineffective Burke. Then it was Blues' turn to try and win the game. Matt Gilks was nearly embarrassed as Lee Novak's header looped over him, agonisingly coming down onto the bar and just evading the expectant Blues players. McLean tried to force it in with an acrobatic finish, but just ended up giving away a free-kick. Novak again nearly forced in again, after a free-kick landed at his feet, but Tyler Blackett cleared off the line, before he then cleared away Novak's second effort.

Demarai Gray nearly won the game for Blues at the end, but he lacked composure as he latched on to Novak's clever flick-on. The game ended at 1-1, which on balance was probably fair. Neither side will be disappointed giving the way the game went and every point is important for Blues.

Reflections On a Crazy Night at St Andrews

At the end of one of the most bizarre nights of football at St. Andrews, a mentally and physically tired Birmingham side finally succumbed to a 4-2 penalty loss to Premier League team Stoke. This is all that has been and will be reported, but behind the scoreline there is far more of a story. A ten-man Blues side, riddled with injuries and playing quite a few second string players, coming back twice against a usually resilient Stoke side is a great story, but unfortunately Blues' young side could not match the composure of the Stoke players when it came to the penalties. Blues fans left proud of their side and even though Stoke had won, there was a real sense of pride and optimism amongst the Blues fans.

Here are my player ratings - with reasons.

Doyle - 4

Caddis - 7

Burn - 8

Robbo - 7

Hancox - 8

Adeyemi - 8

Reilly - 7

Elliott - 4

Novak - 9 *MOTM*

Ferguson - 6

Zigic - 5

Lovenkrands - 8

Gray - 7

Lee - 7

Doyle - Colin showed why he is the second choice keeper. I thought he could quite easily have saved Assaidi's goal. Though it was a terrific strike, Doyle got a solid hand to it and the shot was nowhere near the corner, so he quite easily could have tipped it over. The second was even worse, as he was caught flat-footed from a weak header by Peter Crouch. His distribution was poor, with numerous kicks sliced away from their target. As it got into extra time, Doyle wasn't finished. Kenwyne Jones was slipped through, but Doyle rushed out and dived at his feet. Jones' mind was made up for him, as he rounded Doyle and slotted into an empty net. Usually Doyle's saving grace is his penalty saving, but this was not evident as he dived way too early for the penalties, essentially making it twice as easy for the penalty takers. An incredibly poor performance from a normally reliable keeper.

Caddis - The shock summer signing from Swindon had a solid game at right back. Pinned back by the lively Assaidi for a lot of the game, Caddis did well to try and nullify the threat. It was clear however that Assaidi was getting the better of him, but that was to be expected. Caddis however didn't give up, and, in the second half especially when Novak played in front of him, he was exceptional. He gave us some forward momentum and drive dribbling forward from right back. He also kept the tricky winger quiet in the second half, with the help of Lee Novak.

Burn - Tuesday night's game was probably the only game that Burn will play in his career that he is the third tallest player on the pitch. Burn struggled with the threat of the Stoke attackers, even Crouch. Crouch peeled off him too easily for his goal and his acrobatic volley that crashed off the underside of the bar, but Burn eventually learnt to cope with the threat. It was in the other half of the pitch that Burn shone, surprisingly enough. He was an absolute warrior in the opposition area, causing havoc with his strength and height. It was refreshing to see a loanee showing so much fight for the cause and a good return to form for the lanky centre half.

Robbo - A typical Robinson performance. He commanded the defence and helped the young players to settle in to the game. He had obvious trouble with Crouch's height, but there weren't occasions where he got totally dominated by the giant centre-forward. Even though we conceded four goals, it's difficult to criticise the defence as they did all they could against Premier League and in most cases international footballers. Robbo epitomised the Blues fight. He even got an assist, hooking Lee's free-kick into the path of Lovenkrands.

Hancox - It's clear to see that Hancox would do anything for Blues. The guy is Blues through and through and gave everything for the cause last night. He's by no means a bad player either, capable of some terrific crosses and solid defensively. He dealt well with ex-Blue Jermaine Pennant and offered an option going forward. He didn't get forward maybe as much as he would have liked but that's more to do with the opposition and the situation. He did unfortunately fire his powerful penalty off and over the bar and I hope this doesn't dent his confidence. With Lingard injured I'd like to see him start at left-back and Murphy pushed forwards to left wing.

Adeyemi - A strong performance from Adeyemi who is growing into a fantastic midfielder at this level and an important player for Blues. Constant pressurising of the Stoke midfield coupled with drive and energy going forward characterised Adeyemi's performance, which was topped off with a lovely goal. He started the move in his own corner, holding off two players before laying it off. 4 passes later, Adeyemi was through on goal, slotting the ball past Sorensen with all the panache of an international striker. Another solid performance from the young midfielder on his return from illness.

Reilly - Reilly has showed a remarkable improvement since his surprise inclusion in a Championship game last season. He has become an important figure in the heart of the Blues' midfield, partially as our squad has got weaker but also because Reilly has improved significantly. Mobile, strong in the challenge with a great range of passing, he has real potential and showed some flashes last night. He started slowly but grew into the game, and despite only having 10 men, he worked tirelessly with Adeyemi to keep a foothold in the game.

Elliott - Wade Elliott let his team down last night. Not just in his sub-par performance in the first half, but his stupidity in getting sent off. He isn't a winger but was played there through necessity, but he was fairly poor. Getting sent off was an act of idiocy, leaving us with ten men when we were in a decent position in the game, which could quite easily have lost us the game. Disappointing from a player with a lot of experience.

Novak - I have been a critic of Novak's but he was brilliant on Tuesday. He showed clever movement, tireless working and nice touches, despite playing in a fairly unfamiliar role of the striker and then out wide. He was everywhere, helping out at right-back at times but creating chances also, most notably for Adeyemi's goal. Maybe this is Novak's role in the team - not as a focal point but as part of the build-up. I am really hoping that he can do well at Blues and it looks like that goal against Derby has given him a boost in confidence.

Ferguson - Quiet is the word which best describes Ferguson's performance. He struggled to impose himself on the game going forward but did do a good job helping Hancox. He didn't have a poor game, far from it, and he was clearly hindered by us having 10 men, as he was forced to play deeper, but overall he did a decent job for Blues last night. 

Zigic - Zigic had one of 'those' games. He didn't win a lot in the air and struggled to get into the game. He was starved of service but his movement and pressuring were non-existent. Whilst I thought that Zigic would have been more useful when chasing the game, it proved that Lovenkrands was more useful and Burn did more upfront than Zigic did, which he should be ashamed of. 

Lovenkrands - I was upset at the start of the game to see him on the bench, especially instead of Green, but I was clearly wrong. Two goals, albeit two tap-ins, made it a good night for him and took the game into extra time. He ran the channels very well when he came on but didn't really create as much as he would have liked, but he did his job turning in the two chances he got. 

Gray - An impressive performance from the winger, showing why he is highly rated by the staff at the club. Direct, quick and tricky, he gave Marc Wilson a torrid time and created the third goal by cutting in and firing a dipping shot towards Sorensen's near post that he struggled to deal with. With some more game time he could become a real asset on the wing for Blues, bringing with him a sense of optimism and excitement that came with Nathan Redmond as well.

Lee - Olly Lee has gone from Barnet to scoring against Premier League opposition in a year. He showed some glimpses of a real footballer and took his goal very well. He was unfairly lambasted after the Leeds game, having been thrown in at the deep end, but he did show why Clark spotted him and picked him up. A good performance that hopefully he can build on.

Leeds Capitalise on Catastrophic Blues

Another horrific performance from Blues saw them slump to another loss, this time to a Leeds side who were not in great form themselves. Leeds got all the plaudits for their 4-0 victory, but truly it was Blues' defensive incompetence that was the cause of their victory. Whilst it could be argued that Blues could and maybe should have grabbed 2 or 3 goals, it's also true that the scoreline could have been much, much worse.

Early on, Ross McCormack almost benefited from Blues' frailty as he latched on to pass that Dan Burn failed to cut out, but only found the legs of Randolph with his effort. Shortly after however, he did open the scoring with a simple finish after Blues failed to deal with a simple long ball. Burn failed to clear a ball and Randolph ran out, but couldn't clear the ball with any conviction. The real problem came when he rushed out to try and clear it properly, but was caught out of position as Rodolph Austin laid the ball off for McCormack who stroked home despite Burn's best efforts.

Blues were on the back foot and just couldn't get hold of the ball. A powderpuff midfield of Wade Elliott and Olly Lee, making his debut, could do little to stop the powerful Austin breaking free time and time again. He found McCormack free of the last defender with a lovely pass, but he again could not beat Randolph with his left foot drive. Leeds continued to pile on the pressure and it didn't take too long for it pay off. Austin again raced forward unmarked and evaded the attentions of the defenders to head home McCormack's left-wing cross. Things went from bad to worse just before the break as Matt Smith slotted into the bottom corner after Randolph parried the initial shot from his strike partner.

Blues went in after a desperate first half with their heads down and changes had to be made. Nikola Zigic came on for the ever ineffective Novak, with the shaky Burn coming off for Andrew Shinnie, signalling a change to 4 at the back. Zigic did his best to lead the comeback, with a ferocious strike which was tipped over. He found Burke with a clever ball, whose back post cross was cleared off the line before Zigic could force it in. Burke could quite easily have scored himself, firing wide with his usually reliable left foot after cutting inside.

Though Blues improved in the second half, Leeds still piled on the pressure. Smith was a huge thorn in the Blues side, forcing an incredible save from Randolph. Randolph had a very good game other than the one mistake, but he could do nothing to stop Smith firing an unstoppable header into the top corner 2 minutes later. Smith's goal killed the game entirely and compounded Blues to a disappointing 4-0 loss.

Questions have been and will be raised over certain selections, but most of them were through necessity. A midfield of Lee and Elliott was always going to struggle to contain the Leeds midfield, but with Adeyemi unavailable and Reilly not fully fit, it was difficult to field a solid midfield. Obviously, the three at the back system did not work, so maybe a 4-2-3-1 would have been better, but in all honesty it was the poor performances of the defenders that was the real problem. Novak over Zigic was a ridiculous choice however. Zigic has as many goals in 2 games at Elland Road as Novak does in the Championship, yet Novak got the nod. Whilst I realise that this may not have stopped us losing, it must be said that the added pressure that Zigic puts on the defence may have caused the Leeds players to be more cautious. It also gave us a spearhead to build attacks from, as his aerial threat could create space and give us an outlet. Clark must not be admonished from blame due to baffling team selections and a reluctance to drop Novak, but at the same time he is working under impossible circumstances, at least for the foreseeable future.

All Change at Blues or Just More Of The Same?

As Gianni Paladini appears to be trying to takeover at Blues, a few questions must be asked. First of all, if what he said is true, then why is he now trying to buy Blues, for more money, despite everything that has happened? This obviously isn't the first time that he has tried to buy Blues - but why?

It has been suggested that Paladini uses football clubs to line pockets of those he cannot afford to pay himself. Given the financial position that the club is in, paying for things we really can't afford is incredibly dangerous. There were numerous 'unexplained' signings at Paladini's previous club QPR, such as the free transfer of Marc Nygaard from Brescia. There were suggestions within the media that this signing was made so Paladini could pay Nygaard's agent, but ultimately they were never proven. If he were to takeover, which at this point in time looks likely, then we would have no choice but to trust that he has our best interests at heart.

The problem we have is that we have no choice. To stay afloat we really have to sell, but to sell might not necessarily keep us afloat. We have to hope that Paladini has money and is willing to spend it - but why would he? What can he gain from spending money at a struggling Championship club? His motives must be questioned, as there is almost no way he can make money from us. Unless he's a Blues fan, which seems unlikely, then I struggle to see what he could gain from buying Blues. However, we have to support him and hope he is the man that can turn this club around, so bashing him before he does anything may prove unproductive and unfounded. I really hope that my concerns are unsubstantiated and that Paladini is the right man, but it's hard to shake these feelings.

The real question is, are we better off with the devil we know, or is anything better than this? In all honesty, I think any change at the top would be a positive change, be it Paladini or anyone else. Whilst I am not overjoyed at the person who is supposedly buying the club, I am overjoyed that the current personnel may be leaving.