Two aways

After the relief of Saturday, we turn to face two testing away games this week. Southampton tomorrow night looks like mission impossible and Oldham on Saturday like mission improbable. I said the other week that I couldn't see us winning away again this season but after Saturday, there is a tad more hope. 


If we can produce a repeat midfield performance in each of the next two games, we should create enough to score in both which will put us in with a shout of a result. Michael Stewart must get more playing time under his belt and for once I would be inclined to argue for playing 4-5-1 to accommodate him. It should make us harder to break down and I think in BWP we have the striker who can score playing on his own or with breaking support.


The hopelessly optimistic post on Charlton life entitled "Play-offs?" had me roaring. You really have to wonder where these people come from. I will assume it was his first game for a couple of months.


This morning Chris Powell has the distinction of being the only black manager in league football as Paul Ince has been sacked at Meadow Lane after five successive defeats as County plunge headlong towards the trap-door. Ince's track record is looking decidedly dodgy and we await the first black manager to really shine. Let's hope that Chris Powell can do that. Many questions have been asked in recent weeks and there is still a huge question-mark over his ability to manage given his record so far, so I think the players have a pivotal role to play in either his demise or his redemption. We should be able to play with a lot less pressure in these last seven games and if we can finish the season with the sort of performances and results we were expecting to back in January, then perhaps we can put this disastrous run into some perspective. It should also encourage season ticket sales which I am guessing have been seriously hampered so far.


I am off on a mini-tour of India on Sunday (next Sunday, not yesterday as previously posted) but will be back for the Huddersfield Town match and it would be great to put a spoke in the wheels of one of the automatic candidates, if we can't do that tomorrow night against the Saints.