Hello chaps and lasses!

I’ve been so preoccupied with the development of our BoltFromTheBlue Podcast that it’s been an age since I did what got this whole thing started: Writing about City.

We are under a little bit o’ pressure going into this game guys. (I’ve been told I keep saying “guys” in imitation of Pep)

Spurs are still “Spursy” as evidenced by their Champions League performances lately, and there is the issue of “That Dress” “That Pitch!”

Theoretically there is nothing to fear in this fixture. We did them up a treat last season and we do seem to have the hoodoo over them, but Tottenham are one of those teams that blow hot and cold from one week to the next.

Which Spurs will turn up tonight? Kane is not to be taken lightly.

As a City fanatic who lives in South Korea, I do have to warn you about the predatory skills of Son Heung Min. This kid has all the dynamism and explosive shooting that I’d have loved to have seen in a City shirt pre-Mahrez.

Here in Seoul, there’s one thing to be sure of. There’ll be no need for your pal Mike to be searching out for a live stream tonight!

It’s very simple. On Korean TV, any team that features a Korean player in the squad will be on TV and this goes back to the days of Park Ji Sung when he played for Stretford (and even later when he dropped down and played for QPR!).

We regularly have live games on the box with teams like Augsburg (because of the Korean midfielder in their ranks named Koo Ja-Cheol) as well as various other second tier teams that include Korean squad players all over the globe.

Because of this understandable nationalism, I have been forced to use live-streams with increasing regularity to see games at unearthly hours of the night before dragging myself to work a few hours later when it’s still dark outside. (Contact me @boltfromtheblu if you need a good live feed!)

Although as an Assistant Professor in one of Korea‘s top 3 universities, they do have to bend to my will to some extent as to class starting times. Luckily lots of the lads and lasses in my classes are City fans too so they are very accommodating.

It’s hilarious in a way.

One of their grading assignments each semester is to give a presentation in English and so many of them elect to give me presentations on the beauty of David Silva, the goal statistics of Aguero or the balletic fancy footwork of Leroy Sane.

The girls – those who love fashion, get in on it too by giving elaborate treatises on the merits of the most fetching City shirts down the ages.

I’m at pains to explain to them that their grade comes from the quality of their linguistic output but it’s a little late now.

Word has got out that Prof. Long is a City fan and they all think the best way to ensure a good grade is to impress me with their knowledge of the precise minute Dennis Tueart scored that overhead kick in the 1976 league Cup Final or how many appearances Kazimierz Deyna played for City.

The more shameless individuals try to describe Samir Nasri‘s wonder-goal against Sunderland in the 2014 Capital One League Cup Final in terms of Geometry and Engineering.

I love them all for their chutzpah but they are now finally beginning to realise that I’m more interested in fluency, accuracy in pronunciation and syntactic complexity than being given a dreamy trip down memory lane.

God bless ’em for trying!

Anyway back to Tottenham.

I have slight reservations about this one. Of course we’re a much better team. Kane and Eriksen are dangerous at the best of times but I think this is our third real big test of the season. Can’t lose points to the hated Scouse Media Darlings….

I’m anxious that we pass it.

We neutralised “Champions-elect” Liverpool on their own ground and beat Chelsea and Arsenal comfortably at the start of the season. But the problem is you never know what you are going to get with Spurs.

I’ve had an aversion to them since my 10 year-old-self watched in horror as that club destroyed my childhood in the 1981 FA Cup Final with my so-called mates jeering and mocking outside our little council house with our Mam wondering what the heck was going on.

I am hard-wired to be wary against them.

Hoping for an early goal tonight to settle the nerves and for KDB to start spraying those sumptuous through balls onto the feet of our fleetest.

Come On You Beautiful Blue Boys!!!

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