No longer just 'left-back in the changing room', a City trinity who have graced our left side with skill and distinction

It could only happen to me. My first commissioned MFW article was always to be about ‘left-backs I have known and loved’. I actually wrote nearly all of this before the QPR fiasco. Then along came the Martin Olsson ‘incident’. My bad sense of timing or what?

I’m not going into the ramifications of that match – others have done so already – but suffice to say I am as disappointed as any of us and I feel the sands of time are flowing against Alex Neil.

Herewith the original script:

When I played for my school I had very little skill but was quick, knew where the goal was and was often incredibly lucky, so I had a regular berth as the second striker, feeding off knockdowns and particularly through balls. I broke an ankle when I was about 17, lost my confidence completely and discovered things that keep a young man alive that didn’t involve a pair of goal-nets and some white lines, and didn’t play again – at all – until I was 23.

The pub I used (to live in, it felt like sometimes) formed a Sunday team so I trained with my mates. The only way I could get a game was as a right-footed left-back. My pace had largely gone but it didn’t matter too much on Hackney Marshes. You didn’t want to try to slide your winger out too often because the lime marking was often frozen solid with jagged edges and you could lose serious blood.

As a result of this I tend to over-watch the City left-back, just because that’s where I ended up playing myself for nearly ten years.

Mark Bowen has to be one of the very finest players ever to wear the yellow shirt. “You’ll never beat Mark Bowen” sang the Barclay, and were invariably correct. He could play anywhere, too – midfield, striker, even in goal once at Coventry. It was such a joy to watch him latching on to one of Chippy Crook’s delicious long balls between the centre half and full back and putting the ball where it belongs. In the back of the net. He also converted a few penalties. So sad he ended on 399 appearances, but when your face no longer fits…

No surprise with my choice of the second member of the Holy Trinity. Step forward Mr Adam Drury. Dependable, calm and very difficult to turn as many opponents would testify. That goal against Middlesbrough; well, if you’re going to get a rare one why not make it a potentially important one? Also an exceptionally good guy off the field in my experience and I’m glad he’s still at the club.

A passing reference too to Ryan Bertrand; great young player in a poor side. And to Simon Lappin later, who often had to fill in there.

On, slowly, to completing the line-up of my Trinity. In came Paul Lambert, who engineered the arrival of Marc Tierney. Great to watch bombing forward, whole-hearted – another whose face eventually didn’t fit, but good value while he was here.

Then there was Javier Garrido – he even had his own song for a while: “He likes to eat paella and now he is a Yella“. Not great lyrically, but it showed what the Barclay and The Pit thought of him and he could seriously cross a ball too if he had the time and space.

The most recent upgrade – and he is just that – is Martin Olsson. I don’t care about the agent-driven WBA incident, or whatever it actually was, he’s the best since Mark Bowen. He gets up and down quickly, often left with too much to do by our dodgy central defence and lack of midfield cover, and tends to be blamed by some folks for things I do not think he is remotely responsible for.

Now to the sting in this tale.

It’s no fantasy: we could have no left back at all by January!

If we assume that Olsson’s agent will be up to engineering something for himself and his client during the next window, then factor in the Robbie Brady situation (come on, does he look like he wants to be here?) that’s the first choice and the only realistic cover gone.

And where’s Harry Toffolo? At Scunthorpe. All season. No recall.

That would mean Steven Whittaker as the only feasible cover, unless Captain Fantastic fills in as he did briefly for one game this season – I can’t remember which one, this campaign is turning into a horrid blur.

Martin Olsson, you have been excellent for us and I would hate to lose you. A misguided moment maybe, but you only tried to keep the ball out of the net by any means possible as any defender who has ever seen his keeper fail to come for a long throw would do.

So… Bowen, Drury and Olsson. Simply the Best.