Miserablists In Envy Of Reid

Saturday 30th January, 1999

Peter Reid, football’s most famous miserablist has at last got something to grimace about. After losing at Watford 2-1 today there is the chance that Bradford City could cut their lead at the top of the first division to just four points. Hardly the stuff of melancholy.

Take for example the trails of the Sunderland manager’s opposite number. Watford’s manager, the much maligned Graham Taylor was rushed to Hospital earlier in the year, unable to breathe. While in the Ambulance he must have thought how all the toil and turmoil of his England years, the controversy over his Yellow Pages advertisement and his regrettable spell at Wolves must have been put firmly in perspective. His resurrection of Watford (Right), who continue to pursue the play-offs., must bring a wry smile to his face.

Likewise Bolton boss Colin Todd, who suffers the ire of the Lancastrian supporters, must wonder what more he can do to appease the locals. The 2-0 victory over Norwich will help but Todd knows that nothing less than promotion, and retention of that status, will do. With those kind of expectations it’s hard to smile.

Norwich, and fellow promotion rivals West Brom and Huddersfield all dropped points and are beginning to look more and more like also-rans. While Ipswich boss George Burley knows that despite his teams 1-0 win today against Port Vale, the play-off look likely for the Suffolk side and, after two previous failures at that stage, a third one may not be tolerated.

Cheer up Peter Reid.

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