Another weekend is upon us and the sudden realisation that this season is almost over saddens me. A little. Obviously there's the World Cup to help us all through the summer months. No doubt there will be plenty of emotion, heartache and headaches as we work our way through yet more quarter-final penalty torment before the pain is compounded further with the drivel that will no doubt surround us then drown us, concerning potential transfers to Spurs, in and out. And may God have mercy on message boards everywhere if Harry goes to jail/gets sacked.
But the fat lady has yet to arrive on location, let alone be introduced on stage.
There's still the matter of 10 league games to battle through and a potential semi-final date at Wembley if we professionally dismantle the challenge of Fulham in the replay.
Very unlike Spurs to be in on two fronts this close to the end. Actually, that's unfair. We've reached two cup finals in recent years, won one of them and it was only five years ago that David Dein broke into the Marriott hotel and injected our players with the Norovirus. Only jesting there David (and solicitors), only jesting.
So here we go again, this time, the only runs I want to know about are the ones made by our galloping players, swaggering with intent and purpose, chasing every point like our lives depend on it. Blackburn at home. It's vital. It's three points that can not be defaulted. And I don't think we'll be let down.
The FA cup game is a couple of weeks away, so there is no immediate distraction. As for our injured players, whispers of Huddlestone and Bentley to return and Lennon is not quite ready but looking good as he regains his fitness. Regardless of our lack of depth in and around the CM area, we can still muddle through, with Moddle in the middle and Niko out on the right with Bale slotting into left-mid (and BAE back in the left-back position).
If Bentley and Hudd do return, we can resort back to the standard line-up - with the only selection headache for Harry being the one on the left. Bale or BAE? The former please. Bale is undroppable at the moment and as consistent and reliable as BAE has been - he doesn't quite offer the beast power of Bale.
Liverpool obviously are the favourites for 4th, what with Rafa guaranteeing it - we still need to stay ahead of Villa and City and Everton shouldn't be ignored. We play City in what will be an epic (for the two of us) and then there's the small matter of the re-arranged NLD which might have earth-shattering consequences for the both of us.
10 games left. Still in the cup. Still in for 4th. A shed-load to look forward to. Starting with a lunchtime kick-off with Rovers visiting the Lane. Win and we stay fourth. COYS.
City go to Sunderland, Everton have a tricky game at St Andrews and Liverpool play Pompey on Monday with Villa away to Wigan on Tuesday. We face Chimbonda and Big Sam's silky Blackburn unit who sexualise play to euphoric panty-wetting standards each time they step onto the field of play.
I'll say it again, COYS.
More later.