THIS TOOK ME BACK TO GLORY OF 1987
I WATCHED the game and was so proud of the performance from a young team. It was superb and I have nothing but praise for them. They should have come in at half-time 3-0 up. Every man was stronger and quicker than his opponent. They were so keen, so up for it, and they played some good football. Towards the end they defended brilliantly in one spell, putting their bodies in the way for five blocks in a row. I would put this game well in among those of 1987, when we won the FA Cup. We had some wonderful games in 1987 and this bears comparison. Funnily enough, the hardest tie we had was away to Stoke. Micky Gynn got the goal and we won 1-0. I thought we would do well to get a replay. On Saturday it would have been a shame for them to get just a draw, though. There was only one result they deserved and that was a win. It brought the passion back to me. I remember the days at Highfield Road when there was a backing that made you feel unbeatable. The Ricoh Arena wasn’t full but I thought the crowd were brilliant. It is a case of bringing that into every home match and we will be certain of promotion. Mark Robins has done a great job as manager. There were some outstanding performances. Jordan Willis was superb at the back and Tom Bayliss a real presence in midfield. Both those boys are academy graduates, so it shows we can still produce players. We have to keep them though. We are inclined to sell everybody. Callum Wilson and James Maddison brought in a few million each but we have to keep this team together. When you hit a high note like this, you will get all the scouts and offers coming. But we have a side who could get promotion. We can generate a great feeling in the city and more people will want to watch.