If the odds of anything coming from Mars are a million to one according to War of the Worlds, the odds of Cardiff City making the F.A. Cup Final and ex-goalkeeper Neil Alexander getting to a Euro Final with Glasgow Rangers having made penalty saves in a semi-final shoot out to get them there must be incalculable! Yet that's exactly what has happened.
The man who couldn't save a penalty for The Bluebirds and nearly always went the wrong way - save for one stop at Walsall when the ball went in on the rebound and a League Cup win at Bournemouth when he fell on a ball hit at him - was badly treated by Dave Jones and went to Ipswich for free last summer. It's not without irony that for much of this season, City failed badly with replacements for him - Tunrbull and Oakes were a shadow of what Neil was.
At the Suffolk club, he suddenly developed an appetite for spot-kick stops but it was still a surprise to see him transferred to Glasgow Rangers in January but good business as Ipswich pocketed £500,000.
He was reserve keeper but injury to the main keeper has put Neil in between the posts as he's responded well. Ok, he's lost twice to Cetic in the league in 10 days but got them to the Scottish Cup Final and after tonight's penalty shoot out drama in Fiorentina, he's helped them to the UEFA Cup Final as well completely against the odds.
From a City fan who never wanted Alexander to leave Cardiff, well done Neil
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