Sorry we’ve been a bit quiet the last couple of days, unfortunately work has meant that updates are limited. Anyway – Nat one of our regular contributors on the forum, has written this article on Ridge. Enjoy!

This season has thrown up a number of contenders for Blues’ Player of the Season, which is to be expected from a team such as us who have magnificently surpassed all expectations. Whether it’s Barry Ferguson’s composure in the centre of the park, the bullish determination of Roger Johnson, the understated but efficient Scott Dann, Joe ‘England’s Number One’ Hart or someone else, there are plausible cases for nearly half a dozen players to be considered this season’s greatest contributor.

One name who hasn’t been bandied about much this season however is Liam Ridgewell. I’m also laughing when I’m typing this, but for me Ridge has been one of this season’s most consistent performers. I laugh because in the past I thought the man was about as useful as a fireguard made of ice, and regularly said as much on J&S and to anyone else who would listen. To be writing this now seems surreal, but one should apply credit where credit’s due.

I’m not embarrassed to admit I wasn’t his biggest fan. Let’s face it, at times earlier on in his Blues career he made Basil Fawlty look competent. And in fairness, I don’t think I was the only Bluenose who wasn’t exactly enamoured with him. His often abhorrent errors in his first season where we went down combined with his especially awful Derby Day performances against his old club, probably made him one of our more unpopular signings that season, which when you look at some of the signings we made during that season was no mean feat!

Even last season, when he often used to play alongside big Radhi at the heart of the defence in the Fizzy Pop League, I was apprehensive to say the least. I was just never at ease with him being at the heart of our penultimate line of defence. I remember vividly him fouling up at Deepdale in the last minute so that they could sneak a winner, I remember him doing a complete clumsy at home to Charlton when they scored, I was terrified.

When he came into the team at the Emirates in the left-back slot, I assumed (or rather hoped) it was nothing more than makeshift. We lost, but he did OK, he played there again the next week at home to Sunderland; he scored, we won. We didn’t lose again until the end of the following January and he excelled when he was meant to be out of position. By luck or judgement, McLeish has given him a role he has produced his best form for Blues in, when as a Premiership entity I and others had pretty much written him off.

I think he’s really starting to win “noses” over now. To be fair he got into my good books when he sang a song with the acronym SOTV on the final day of the season after we won promotion at Reading (but don’t tell that lot up the Distressway).

Gradually he’s gaining more and more fans, however to avoid eye-twitching anger and a beating on Saturday vs Sunderland; in case she reads this I’ve got to point out that Block 13 lifer Rosie always loved him and was, is and always will be Liam Ridgewell’s biggest fan and, in case Ridge himself is reading this, would love to be his actual Wife!

Let’s hope Capello joins that group of fans and that he becomes England’s Number 3, I think Cheryl would prefer him to Cashley anyway!