The Lad hasn't played a game since mid December. Some little matter of Christmas got in the way for a while and then we had the coldest snap in years, accompanied by snow, snow, and more snow. He almost got a game last weekend, but the thaw didn't come quite soon enough for our hosts; a bottom of the table side who probably want their players to forget how horrible it was getting beaten week in week out just so they can get them back on the pitch.