Proper football, Young Boys from Switzerland and Gary Shaw

I'm excited about tonight and we need to be in this tournament for the money and exposure. And if we have a good run between now and January, it will also help us possibly attract the next level of player the manager wants.

But it's not what is sounds like. We're not champions. This tournament is all about generating money, not about the champions playing each other to find out who the best in Europe is. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited and I understand why we need it. 

It's just not how it used to be and with the sad news of Gary Shaw yesterday, if you're of a certain age, it makes you think about what football used to be. It's eleven versus eleven, but it's quite different.

And if you are of a certain age, Shaw was a special player and he was that special player during a very special time. I expect a great send off on Saturday.

But today is about Young Boys and this is a great opportunity for us.

They are currently bottom of the table in Switzerland having played six games and not won, but don't let that make you think this is going to be a walk in the park for us. If history tells us anything, they'll either win it or finish runner up.

But they do have a new manager this season and I suspect that is the reason why they are where they are. But everything changes for matches like tonight. They might have only picked up three points this season, but tonight will be tough.

And tough for us, not just because we are away and this is the Champions League, but because it's a plastic pitch. Granted, they are very good these days, but it is different and it does take some getting used to. That said, it's eleven versus eleven, so not really that different for the ninety minutes.

And don't forget kids, it's an earlier than normal kick-off. I'll be back in a few hours.