Star Sixes Soccer.... JAY-JAY OKOCHA

I lost over 2 stone during the summer. Cycling approximately 1,700 km over a 4 month period.

 

Well done, that is ace!

 

I find Jay-Jay's time at City interesting. He wouldn't get into our best starting XI for that season based on performances. but no one could really deny that effect his signing had. If you're interested, here's a breakdown of his games with us (based on Soccerbase, my memory and match reports fro the time). For someone so highly regarded by City fans, I think it's interesting.

1. Stoke (h). 1-1. Sub on in the 54th minute. A terrific cameo that turns the game. Not directly involved in City's equaliser, but did more to put Stoke on the back foot that anyone.
2. Wolves (a). Starts. 1-0. One of the all-time great individual Hull City performances. Rightly given an ovation by all fans when taken off in the 84th minute.
3. Sheff Weds (a). Starts. 0-1. Disappointing. Like his team-mates, can't really get out of second gear, while still showing flashes of brilliance.
4. Chelsea (h). Starts. 0-4. Swamped in midfield. Chelsea deal with him with relative ease.
5. Ipswich (h). 3-1. Terrific. That bit of skill to embarrass Alex Bruce is frequently shown, but Ipswich couldn't get near him. Arguably his second-best performance for us.
6. Crystal Palace (a). 1-1. Starts but taken off injured after 13 minutes. Fails to do much in that time, understandably.
7. Sheffield United (h). 1-1. Comes on as sub in 72nd minute and shows flashes but ultimately does little.
8. QPR (a). 0-2. Starts on left-midfield and is dreadful. Taken off on 71st minute, and rightly so.
9. Burnley (a). 1-0. Comes on as sub on 89th minute. City score in injury time. Not really sure Jay-Jay can take the credit for that though.
10. Preston (h). 3-0. Comes on as a sub in the 73rd minute after the game is won. A few nice flicks but the game is over by that point.
11. Bristol City (h). 0-0. With Bristol down to 10 men, he comes on as a 62nd-minute sub but can't break them down in a pretty disappointing display.
12. Preston (a). 0-3. Comes on as a 62nd-minute sub with Preston 1-0 up. Is poor as Preston then score two more.
13. Southampton (a). 0-4. Starts with the midfield sort of built around him at the top of a midfield diamond. Is frankly awful, along with his team-mates, after a bright(ish) first 20. Taken off on 63 minutes.
14. Norwich (a). 1-1. First game after two months out. Starts and plays well. Taken off after 81 minutes to fulsome applause.
15. Colchester (h). 1-1. Looks ring-rusty after starting, as City labour to a disappointing draw. Only the second time he's completed a full 90 minutes in the league.
16. West Brom (a). 2-1. Starts and looks great, setting up Campbell's opener. is taken off for Marney after 71 minutes as West Brom start winning midfield battle.
17. Bristol City (a). 1-2. Comes on as 55th-minute sub, but can't get City back in the game. Plays pretty well though.
18. Burnley (h). 2-0. Sent off after 76 minutes by a hopeless Mike Riley, but is a kay point is a scintillating football display by City.
19. Colchester (a). 3-1. Comes on as an 89th minute sub to waste time.

To break it down:
Brilliant from the off in four games: Wolves, Ipswich, West Brom, Burnley.
Good from the off in one game: Norwich.
Brilliant from the bench in one game: Stoke.
Somewhere between OK and good off the bench in three games: Sheff Utd, Preston home, Bristol City away.
Has too little time to do anything in three games: Palace, Burnley, Colchester away.
Average from the off in three games: Chelsea, Sheff Weds, Colchester home.
Poor from the off in two games: QPR, Southampton.
Poor off the bench in two game: Bristol City home, Preston away.

That doesn't quite tally with the regard he is held in by City fans, and yet I would still argue that City fans are right to hold him in such high regard. His impact off the pitch was huge. The statement of intent made by his signing was huger still. That win against Wolves - one of the biggest and most fancied sides in the division - gave us incredible belief after a stuttering start to the season. Opposition defences were very wary of him, creating room for others. From what his erstwhile team-mates tell me, he was a very popular figure within the club. And, perhaps most of all, just seeing someone who could do the things he could do in a City shirt was a privilege.

 

Congrats! Keep up the good work.

 

Plan to keep at it with my long term goal being the trans pennine trail to raise money for charity. It has been a welcome distraction from football to be honest.

 

I've put on about 6 stone since I stopped playing sport regularly. Six ****ing stone. My jeans are getting snug.

 

Corrected SCB

 

Show pony.
End of.

 

Always see people mentioning his performance against wolves was his best for us but I didn't go to that game which is a shame, anyone know if there's a video anywhere with highlights from that game showing how good he was? thanks

 

I was watching the Sky indoor tournament the other day and Paddy McCourt who played for Celtic not so long ago looked like one of those of those Hull spice zombies, was funny watching Owen Coyle trying to play too in ill fitting gear