If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll remember the peculiar fondness for Rob Key’s diminishing average that I maintain (maintain being the operative word), as he moves towards retirement.
Again, I’ve got a great deal of respect for Rob and some of the cricket I’ve seen him play (even not so very long ago in Twenty20) is of the highest order; however, it is undeniable that his career is in something of a twilight. He has been a beloved captain for the White Horse and will forever be fondly regarded thereby.
Another man who tesselates loosely onto that template, although he left the club that continue to revere him (partly because they couldn’t afford the €1.8m wage packet he commanded at that point) is Rolando Bianchi. Rolly will always be a favourite of mine, but he is equally on the wane.
For a man who did his best work in Serie B (dark green) there is a marked trend now. Unquestionably, his involvement, and his goal tally both look to be demonstrably on the wane – at 32 now, it seems unlikely he will be able to relive his previous glories, though it has to be said, there are players who have dropped to Serie B and even Serie C and enjoyed fruitful Indian summers; indeed, one of Bianchi’s former Bologna teammates scored 15 goals for Lecce this season (Davide Moscardelli) so there’s options there.