There was no low block going on in my house

It’s devastating and certainly tests your pace. In some way I guess it’s the equivalent of a high press. There’s certainly no low block involved. 

It hit me like a train last Tuesday. At one point I found myself on the floor with stomach cramps so bad I actually thought I’d need medical help, but I resisted that. I’ve seen enough of the insides of hospitals this past year to last me the rest of my life. 

I’m talking about gastroenteritis. My goodness. You know when you’ve got it. 

It’ll leave you alone for a few hours and foolishly you think you’ve got it beaten. Not a bit of it. I ended up in bed for three days, which explains my absence last Tuesday on BeINSPORTS - and the beard I grew during that time 😂. 

So a couple of ‘thank you’s’ before we go any further. To Nicki Crosby for stepping in at such short notice to cover for me. Nicki is a real talent. She’s been doing more for us since we all agreed this would be my last season and she won’t have a problem finding work in the UK when she returns herself. Any broadcaster would be doing itself a favour by employing her. 

And can I thank those amongst you who responded to my tweet Sunday asking the question ‘to beard or not to beard?’ More than 200,000 of you took the trouble to reply. 

I quite liked the beard, but not everyone was of the same view.  Some of the advice I got was quite creative, but the gastroenteritis ruled out a few  suggestions - and predictably there were dozens of trolls. 

I don’t have a problem with that. It’s part of the modern world I guess, but I often wonder what sort of sad life these people lead. Who on earth takes time out of their day to abuse others on  social media? Publicity hunters I guess, which in itself is sad, but why use me to get people talking about you? If you’re good enough that should be enough. Perhaps that’s where the problem lies though? 

Anyway, the beard has gone (for now) and we’re back in good order.  

It took me a while to catch up with the weekend’s games today (Monday) I don’t think the 4th Rd was too bad was it? Well played Macclesfield. What a run they’re having. It’s really good to see some proper old fashioned Cup ties being served up, but our inept officials did their best to ruin so many of them. 

The games first - then I’ll get back to the officials. B’ham/Leeds looked like a genuine tie. It’s hard to judge some of the games  because of the number of changes teams make, but it looks as though Daniel Farke wants to give it a real go with Leeds. Good luck to him. 

I love the shoot-out drama. I always have. Do you remember the profits of doom predicting disaster for the competition if we dropped replays? I argued when it happened that we’d see an increase in drama if games had to finish at the first attempt - and we have. In no way has the competition suffered as a result. It’s better. 

You’ve got to feel for Burton Albion. They gave West Ham a real scare. Newcastle’s win at Villa was probably the other stand-out result. 

As for the officials - once again it was a weekend littered with high profile errors. I was really pleased to see former PL ref Mark Halsey  

showing the courage to call Howard Webb out. I’ve been waiting for someone else to join me doing that. Regular readers know my thoughts on Webb. It’s high time others started asking questions of him. Too many in the  inept group of so-called ‘elite’ officials he manages are not fit for purpose. And he’s to blame.

It’s taken a little longer than I thought it might, but the wheels seem to be coming off at Forest. It wasn’t a surprise to me that the erratic owner at the City Ground fired Sean Dyche last week - not because Dyche wasn’t doing his job, but because Evangelos Marinakis leans towards the eccentric - and I’m being kind using that phraseology. 

Marinakis is now onto his fourth coach of the season. We’re in new territory here. Even for Forest and Watford that’s unheard of. I wonder what chance there is of Marinakis making it five? 

I’ve nothing against Vitor Pereira - in fact he comes across as a really nice guy, but is this the same Pereira that struggled to amass five points at Wolves this season? Honestly, it’s another one from the ‘couldn’t make it up’ files. 

And I guess it was inevitable Spurs would part company with Thomas Frank, but in what other business would an organisation be able to get away with such rank stupidity? 

Spurs paid Brentford £6.7m only seven months ago to get him - then they pull the rug away. Now there’s the business of compensation for Frank. It’s scandalous. An absolute disgrace, but it goes on all the time in football. 

For example, United have shelled out £100m in compensation to post-Fergie coaches now - the most recent, of course, Ruben Amorim, who they paid Sporting Club of Portugal £9.5m to hire. 

That one was down to the genius of the Jim Reaper, who I’m delighted got his comeuppance after those staggering remarks on UK immigration. The fall out will last for a long time yet. And I hope it hurts him for as long as it does.