Dynamo Kiev. Home, October 29th.
By Mark Deeks
October 31 2002
Makr Deeks was ofcourse at the Dynamo Kiev game on October the 29th and ofcourse, he has written us a column about it. Read about what he caught Laurent Robert doing during the match and make your mind up about how professional it is.

Dynamo Kiev. Home
October 29th.

GGGGGGGEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT IIIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!!!!!!

Let's face it, it wasn't pretty. We weren't all that great. We scored via a goalkeeping fumble (again) and a "you've seen them not given" penalty! But who cares?!?

Nights like this are what makes 240 mile round trips after a day's grind all worthwhile! Over 10,000 empty seats should make the club think, mind, but that's probably wishful thinking. With the home games coming thick and fast at the moment, I can only wonder what the attendance will be like for the home Worthington cup tie with Everton next week. I know I, for one, will be unable to make it due to the recent Champions
League ticket financial outlay.

It just occurs to me that I don't think I've had a
moan at a ref this season yet. Well guess what?
Tonight I get to moan at two for the price of one!! The 1st half ref pulled his hamstring apparently, and so was substituted at half time. I didn't even notice. Cos the ref in the 2nd half was just as bad. He even managed to award Kiev another throw when they took one throw and it went straight out of play! Whilst confusion was reigning, and amongst some considerable protest, Kiev went and scored and it didn't look good.

But the Toon, as we know, are made of stern stuff
these days. We dug deep again (can we please just get rid of the giving the opposition the lead in the first place and it'll be a lot easier on the heart), and the blue chip brigade did the business.

Is there anyone cooler when faced with a crucial
penalty than Super Al? Even when he had to put up with the referee insisting that the ball wasn't on the spot only to replace it on exactly the same blade of grass, he was still the coolest bloke in the house! Well done big man!!

I'm going to stop having a big general go at Laurent "RRROOBBBEERRRRRTTTT MMMMAAANNNN" Robert in these columns. I've decided that people will soon start accusing me of leading a witch hunt, and that my general derogatory comments levelled at him are merely the bitter and twisted thoughts of a bloke who knows he was crap at football at school, and even worse, knows he still is.

So I've decided I'm going to start to be more specific and let you guys make up your own minds. I swear these are true.

1: At some point late on in the 1st half, when Kiev were bombing down our left side, and Aaron Hughes was outnumbered 2-1, Laurent Robert was stood in the centre circle having a conversation with their centre half. I am not making this up.

2: When Kiev scored, Laurent Robert quite clearly
lightly trotted in the direction of their winger who was about to make the killer pass, actually succeeding in showing the bloke inside making his pass easier. Robert offered no tackle.

3: Half way through the 2nd half, there was a 50-50 ball to be won dropping from a headed Kiev clearance. Robert offered a vague challenge with a Kiev midfielder. They both missed it, and when the ball bounced in the air again, Robert backed away and let Kiev take posession.

Just in case you don't believe me, I am sick of
moaning about the guy. But it needs saying. Make up your own minds.

I'd like to end on a positive note. Jenas is turning into a real star. I still think it's too early to be playing him week in, week out. But given some quality coaching and a receptive ear, the kid is going to be a world beater in 5 years time. Let's hope he's still at the toon for us to see it in the only colours that matter.

Oh yeh. On getting home to Wakefield just after
midnight, I turned on the TV. What did I see? Super Al stood waiting to take his penalty. That was a great feeling.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.