A nice little Earnie
EARNIE'S gonna get you, Earnie's gonna get you! So chant the Cardiff City fans. And Rob Earnshaw duly did yet again on Saturday, scoring in the 3-0 win over Crewe to take his tally to 91 goals in 121 Bluebirds starts.
Yes, look at those figures twice. Because if opposition defenders don't want to believe Cardiff fans about Earnie getting them, they certainly can't argue with the black and white statistics.
They say you can make what you want of stats, but the ones surrounding Earnshaw's incredible goal record speak for themselves.
Most strikers would regard scoring once every two games as a roaring success. Give me a new contract please.
Earnshaw is not too far off managing it every time he pulls on a Bluebirds shirt.
The record, according to Earnie's City boss Lennie Lawrence, is exceptional.
"No, I would go further than that - it's downright freakish. I haven't come across anything like it in my 20-plus years in football management," says Lawrence.
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A shame Earnshaw can't play in Europe
WHILE Robert Earnshaw may well have passed virtually every test thrown his way with his eyes shut, Tosh is convinced there's one examination that he's missed through no fault of his own.
Back in the days when John Toshack was the idol of the Bob Bank, there was the small matter of regular forays into the European Cup Winners' Cup to supplement a young striker's education.
Before Tosh received his Anfield call-up papers from the legendary Bill Shankly, he'd already pitted his wits against a host of European sides, including the likes of Moscow Torpedo. But Earnie's travels in a Bluebirds shirt to date have amounted to a couple of European pre-season tours. Toshack believes it's a crying shame the little striker is still oblivious to the demands and excitement of European club football.
But he's not the only one missing out.
"Mark Hughes would love to see Robert Earnshaw playing in Europe for his club," said Toshack.
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Earnie maybe sold off, as I was.
AS John Toshack sat mesmerised by Robert Earnshaw's first half demolition job on West Ham in midweek, the former Wales boss thought the unthinkable.
Reclining in a favourite armchair in the living room of his Spanish villa, Tosh pondered a possibility that would break the hearts of thousands of Bluebirds fans: Should Cardiff City cash in on Earnie?
Madness, surely. Little Earn is City's mighty atom, he's hotter than a Vindaloo in a sauna and in a little over 120 games for the Bluebirds, he's gunned in an phenomenal, yes, REALLY phenomenal 92 goals.
He's not looked bad at international level, either, and this week pundits united in describing him as the next big thing after his two-goal salvo against the Hammers.
If any one player epitomises Cardiff City's upward mobility since the dawn of the Sam Hammam era, it's Earnie.
He's breezed over every hurdle stuck in front of him after Billy Ayre gave him his big break, and getting shot of the little diamond must sound an absurd idea to the Ninian Park faithful.
Who's going to score the goals, for goodness sake?
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