Positive - thanks to results elsewhere, we're definitely in the Premiership next season. £20m in the bank, cher-ching.
Negative - another defeat on the road, another uninspiring performance in unfamiliar territory, another long day
I think it's fair to say that both games against Manchester City this season will be ones to block out. November's game saw the curtain not so much close on the Harry Redknapp regime as come crashing down; a defeat, errors, lack of goalscoring opportunities AND it rained. And it was cold as well. Meanwhile, today's game was just plain crap and it was pretty much what I feared - after last week's heroics the players clearly have one mind on their holidays.
And, fair enough. It's been a long and traumatic season and I wouldn't be surprised if their minds start to get off the plot a bit, the thought of being injured all summer isn't the most appealing and they decide to take it easy. It's not professional, it's not fun to watch, and it's always a bit irritating for the season to die in such a fashion. But we've done the hard work and now we're safe, so I suppose taking the foot off the pedal is just human nature.
One man who will want to forget today's match - apart from me - is Jamie Ashdown. If Chalkias had played Ashdown's game today we'd never hear the end of it! Unfortunately for the poor lad he made an absolute hash of a catch for the first goal and what's more his appalling record at saving free kicks (Chelsea away, Charlton at home) continued when Fowler stuck one past him. I don't know what the deal is really as he always seems to stand behind the wall, step the wrong way and can never make it back in time. But I'd rather he was learning at this stage of the season when there's nothing riding on the result instead of us having needed to grab some desperate points today and coming home empty handed anyway.
The strike force came in for a fair bit of criticism today, Yakubu in particular. I have to admit I feel the need to stick up for him slightly. He didn't have his best game (no-one in a blue shirt did), but the amount of stick he's getting is quite frightening, although I suppose he has set high standards for himself. I mean look at the situation; he's playing away from home practically up on his own with no support against a centre half pairing who haven't conceded a goal at home in something silly like three hours. The ball gets hoofed up aimlessly within fifty yards of him and if he doesn't desperately bust a gut chasing the lost cause, then it's all "bloody hell Yak" and "you're so lazy"! Or just sensible? We've seen during the last two and a half years his knack of being in the right place at the right time, I'd say he knows when to conserve his energy and when to put a burst on.
The other attention went to Rodic, who would be my favourite candidate for the next boo-boy. I think he's got the potential to be alright and given how he's only played twice since January for us, it's no wonder he looked a bit rusty. But oh no no. That will never do. He must be rubbish automatically. It can't be the fact he's finding his feet or still adjusting to the game - he's just not up to the job. Obviously. No sarcasm or anything.
Hmm.
So all in all a day to forget. And what's more there was another nightmare for me and my poor car - as some of you (or more likely none of you) may remember, on the way to Everton this season the clutch went and I ended up with a £200 bill. Imagine my joy just coming up to Keele on the M6 today when there was a tremendous rattling noise, and suddenly a sizeable bit of metal "went airborne" down the carriageway. Apologies to the guy in the white van behind who had to swerve out of the path or face the consequences.
Off to the garage on Tuesday it is, then.
Fantastic. But that's fine, because I LIKE wasting money on my car in the name of following football. As if the ludicrous amount spent on tickets, food and drink, not to mention the petrol actually getting to away games isn't enough (speaking of which, and since I'm already rambling off the point, I just thought I'd drop into conversation that I bumped into David James and Ugo Ehiogu at a petrol station in Knutsford after the game. How rock n roll am I)?
Seem to have gone off the point a bit there, but I think that just sums up today perfectly. Nothing really worth talking about, but at least we're safe and as Perrin says we can start planning for next year now. And that'll do.