Leave the bird food at home.....

18.00 hours, Nueva Condomina, Real Murcia - Las Palmas.

Part 3 of what, just 2 weeks ago, seemed an impossible dream. The 2 previous victories mean absolutely nothing today, and a defeat will almost certainly mean relegation. A win will almost certainly guarantee survival.

El Faro reports the Real Murcia are reborn, after putting together 2 wins after 8 games without a victory. Jose Gonzalez, our manager, said that the game was "a real final, no way back and no margin for error". "We will have to carry the weight of the game, just like against Celta and Elche, games in which we generated many goalscoring situations, and we will have to take our chances". Las Palmas coach Paco Jemez said his team were treating the game as if "there was no other game" and remarked that they would "not let this oportunity pass by".

La Opinion leads with "Murcia plays it's last card" and a typically rancid article from Ernesto Fernandez. What on earth the fact that we have the 5th highest budget in the division has to do with todays massive game, and from a local paper, is beyond me. When all is said and done will be the time to point fingers and demand responsability, not now. The usually harmful Eva Franco's title in La Verdad is much more apt on a day like this...."The Road to Salvation".

I expect us to line up the same as against Celta and Elche; Alberto between the posts, De Coz, Sergio Fernandez, Iñaki Bea and Sergio Escudero in defence. Midfield of Albiol, Bruno, Mejia and Capdevila, with Aquino and Chando up front.

Not a game for the faint hearted. The new Condomina expects a big attendance, as the club have let season pass holders purchase as many tickets as required at the price of 5 euros. Yesterday there were long queues, and it is reported that as many as 5,000 have already been sold. If all the passholders actually turn up (and they have regularly not done so, at least on the South stand where I sit), we could be talking of 20,000 plus.

I just hope that the occasional fans realize the importance of the game and really get behind the team. All too often they arrive with their demands of Real Madrid proportions (transferring expectations from their real team to Real Murcia). The Pipa munching hoards should leave the bird food at home......today is the day the 11 Peppermen need 101% full and inconditional backing from everyone, it is the day that the cretin who sits near me and always whistles in criticism for Real Murcia and never the rival, needs to wake up and be on the refs and the oppositions case, and back the team he supposedly supports.



I now refuse to talk until 6 p.m., voice saving mode.

I believe. YES WE CAN. COME ON YOU REDS!!!!

Photos : The South stand as it should be, and Pipas. I hope they make you choke.