Post by petef on Mar 10, 2021 12:54:04 GMT
The realisation of what has occurred with our sudden and unexpected demise in the last 10 weeks has finally started to sink in.
Feels almost like the first half of the season we were certain Champions in the making - now it almost feels like we've just been relegated..
Psychologically its damaging to all at the club, particularly the players who's confidence and belief has visibly waned over the last few weeks.
To have it all in our own hands only to surrender what we had achieved in the first half of the season is hugely frustrating for fans but we hall have to readjust our expectations now and hope we can hang on in there.
The realists among us will know the reasons why its happened this way and will adjust expectations accordingly.
Similar to what happened in my first season as a supporter in the mid 1960's when we were top and very much in with a shout of promotion to the old second division only to go on a horrendous run in the second half of the season, to finish outside the two promotion places. That episode still haunts me over fifty years on. I clearly remember as a ten year old being in streams of tears when the realisation kicked in that we were not going up. 50 years on and the episode looks like repeating itself.
I honestly don't think any of us thought we would surrender that massive points lead so meekly even with our injury problems and likewise didn't expect such a strong and consistent challenge from Sutton and Hartlepool.
Not sure if we can get on track again to be honest and the manager has a big job on his hands but "with all fit" we have the quality and a chance to be there at the end though for certain the injuries to so many key players that played a huge part in our early success has resulted in our slide. Additionally, and its easy to suggest in hindsight, we have persisted with the same tactics of the high tempo pressure game when our shape and player personnel are simply not up to having the same impact on game. Maybe we should have closed ranks a bit and adjusted and tweaked the tactics more to suite the players available - played a more patient game and tried to be more solid before we committed to throwing the kitchen sink at the opponent. We have looked so open at times and why we seem to give teams an early advantage particularly at home.
A few closer to returning apparently but as we've seen from Ben Wynter and Armani Little players do not always emerge from injury unscathed and in the form the left the scene with. It will take time for the likes of Nemane and Wright to rediscover that early season form and confidence, two players who were a key ingredient to that early season form.
Still time to get back on track so I'm staying as positive as I can but as always prepared for disappointment.
Feels almost like the first half of the season we were certain Champions in the making - now it almost feels like we've just been relegated..
Psychologically its damaging to all at the club, particularly the players who's confidence and belief has visibly waned over the last few weeks.
To have it all in our own hands only to surrender what we had achieved in the first half of the season is hugely frustrating for fans but we hall have to readjust our expectations now and hope we can hang on in there.
The realists among us will know the reasons why its happened this way and will adjust expectations accordingly.
Similar to what happened in my first season as a supporter in the mid 1960's when we were top and very much in with a shout of promotion to the old second division only to go on a horrendous run in the second half of the season, to finish outside the two promotion places. That episode still haunts me over fifty years on. I clearly remember as a ten year old being in streams of tears when the realisation kicked in that we were not going up. 50 years on and the episode looks like repeating itself.
I honestly don't think any of us thought we would surrender that massive points lead so meekly even with our injury problems and likewise didn't expect such a strong and consistent challenge from Sutton and Hartlepool.
Not sure if we can get on track again to be honest and the manager has a big job on his hands but "with all fit" we have the quality and a chance to be there at the end though for certain the injuries to so many key players that played a huge part in our early success has resulted in our slide. Additionally, and its easy to suggest in hindsight, we have persisted with the same tactics of the high tempo pressure game when our shape and player personnel are simply not up to having the same impact on game. Maybe we should have closed ranks a bit and adjusted and tweaked the tactics more to suite the players available - played a more patient game and tried to be more solid before we committed to throwing the kitchen sink at the opponent. We have looked so open at times and why we seem to give teams an early advantage particularly at home.
A few closer to returning apparently but as we've seen from Ben Wynter and Armani Little players do not always emerge from injury unscathed and in the form the left the scene with. It will take time for the likes of Nemane and Wright to rediscover that early season form and confidence, two players who were a key ingredient to that early season form.
Still time to get back on track so I'm staying as positive as I can but as always prepared for disappointment.
