Before a North London derby, I wait till match day.
Then I feel my way into it.
Never think about it, refuse to analyse it, refuse to obsess.
Just wait and allow an instinctive feeling to bubble up and take shape.
In this tight and vital match, which players will decide the outcome?
Harry Kane is an English centre forward like Gerry Hitchens, John Radford, Mark Hateley and Alan Shearer.
Petr Cech is the ultimate competitive goalkeeper, always seeking small improvements to his game, a total pro who has been a mature man since he was 19 and playing for Rennes in France.
Unlike Peter Crouch at Spurs, Kane was given his chance in the first team and he grabbed it.
In style, Harry Kane isn’t super-similar to those others I mention because he’s also got a bit of Teddy Sheringham in him. He drops off, finds No.10 positions, links the attack, plays runners in, feeds the ball out wide.
Kane is an explosive, direct striker who reminds me, in his best moments, of Motherwell’s Willie Pettigrew, who aimed at the parts of the goal the keeper couldn’t reach.
Willie’s trademark shots never gave the goalkeeper a chance. They were designed to make him irrelevant. Willie’s cannonballs rocketed just inside the post or skidded and flew just past the base of the post.
I thought Petr Cech could make Bayern Munich a much closer game.
But when the others didn’t turn up, there was nothing the big man could do. And the quality of the shots that beat him were phenomenal, especially Alaba’s bender and the Muller goal that made it 5-1.
Predictions are a mug’s game and my job here is to make observations and supply honest opinions.
Later on this morning, or at lunchtime, I’ll write another piece, as I have a lot more to say and it WILL be a thrilling game.
Will do that after I’ve sent an important email about the documentary we’ve been shooting.
At 2pm Jan & I will watch Murray v Djokovic in Paris and I will say something here on the Arsenal & Spurs line-ups after they are announced at 3pm