Monday 12 March 2012

Don't Panic Captain Mainwareing!

OK, so I missed it. Mrs Peeps was none too complimentary and Pete was thinking of going shopping before half-time. Now is the moment the truly fickle have been relishing. Players they have been getting overly excited about all season have now become inept and they are even questioning the manager.


Get some perspective, for heavens sake. We may have dropped another three points and suffered our second successive home defeat but we remain ten points clear and this is a record-breaking season. We even recovered after the break to "win" the second-half.


I have been more critical than some about our home performances this season but only in terms of the quality of the football being well short of a top side and one that has won so many points home and away. We have still deserved to win the majority of the games we have played at the Valley, if not in the style I would have liked.


Look at the sides around us. They have all spluttered and none have been as ruthless as us, that's why we have such a big lead.


Time for a cup of tea and a considered look at the matches left:


Scunthorpe (a) - tough game but one we can get a result from.
Yeovil Town (h) - can't see us losing this.
Huddersfield Town (a) - would be the first defeat to a Top 4 challenger 
Leyton Orient (h) - season over and not a great side
Oldham Athletic (a) - could be a tough game but nothing to play for
Walsall (h) - should know what we need to do points wise
Carlisle(a) - tough game but expect us to rise to the challenge but should be there or very close by then
Wycombe (h) - leak goals and not great away from home
Preston (a) - disastrous season finishing for them
Hartlepool (h) - Party Time.


Having done that, we should also look at the games our challengers face. Sheffield United have to go to Notts County as well as Mk Dons and face Stevenage on the last day. Sheffield Wednesday have to go to Notts County and Huddersfield. Huddersfield face us and Wednesday at home.


Now is not the time to panic Jones.

3 comments:

  1. Spot on, but I would add that the quality and style of play is a vast improvement on Parky's team of last year.

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  2. Thanks for the perspective.. I'll be drinking during the run in!!

    Curl has county very focused and it was always going to be tough.... Looks like we just made it easier for them than they deserved. Colchester however, I guess our luck turned. The huge positive about this season has been our form against top six teams and that's what will give us the cushion now.

    Otherwise no sacred cows in the dressing room, shake it up to bring a fresh outlook. We have strength on the bench we should promote.

    Winning the league would be lovely but getting promoted is vital, third place are 11 points back, same games. That indicates we could go up with 12 more points, but I'd prefer 20 to be safe.

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  3. Had the ref given us that nailed on penalty second half , and sent off the offender, I think we would have achieved comeback of the decade for us. The fact that he tried to make up for it for 10 minutes by awarding soft free kicks doesn't alter the fact he bottled it.

    You have to wonder if Sir Chrissy should have brought on a fresh pair of legs mid way through the second half - trouble is our ususla impact sub had already started and left the field after 15 minutes! Suspect Ketts has it right about bringing in a loan player than can change a game if needs be (Clarke won't do that for sure).

    Do wonder about Hamer - beaten by two distance shots in a week? The third goal doesn't inspire confidence either.

    Delighted that booing was restricted this week!

    Pembury Addick

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Go on, you know you want to....