We didn’t achieve our aim of promotion this season, what went wrong? It’s a game of opinions, but here’s my thoughts……

We probably ended up getting what we deserved? We finished 5th, stumbling through to Wembley against a woeful Portsmouth team, then we were 2nd best on Sunday. Added to that, we didn’t really get ‘robbed’, if anything, we probably ‘stole’ more points than we had ‘pinched’ from us. Whilst late points gained at Wycombe, Rochdale and Wallsall were a bonus ~ it never felt that we should be higher in the league than we were.

DRAWS

19 draws is too many obviously. Aside from the obvious maths of winning a few of them seeing us win the league etc. For me, the mentality of drawing is not great ~ aside from the obvious thing of it being just 1 point? Sometimes it not the end of the world to lose a game.

After 44 games, we’d lost 3, this can paper over the cracks and make things look ok. Crucially we lost 3 games in the first 44 ~ each of these defeats was followed by a win, 4~1 vs Rochdale, (post Burton), 1~0 vs Bradford, (post Portsmouth), 2~0 vs Doncaster, (post Coventry) ~ food for thought?

INJURIES

McGeady, McGuire and Watmore are the 3 who offer us something different. All 3 had rotten luck with injuries.

TACTICS

Scoring 1 goal every week, will see a lot of games not won. Did we really push on enough whenever we went 1~0 up? Probably not.

STADIUM OF LIGHT

We have the best ground in the league by a mile, it looks even better with the new seats.

Sadly, the SOL has a recent history of not seeing many wins. We have perhaps subconsciously created the polar opposite of a fortress? I’m not in the, “We should be beating teams like these gang”, football is played on the grass and you are where you deserve to be. BUT… we should be from time to time, “smashing teams like these!” We lack a swagger, Shrewsbury, Wycombe etc should be terrified to come to the SOL? Remember the Keane home games ~ it wasn’t ‘would we win’, it was ‘how many are we going to win by’. Ok so, lots raise their game for their ‘cup final’ ~ seem to remember the recent domestic cup final finished 6~0?

STRIKERS

“Goals win games……”

Up to December Maja scored 15 (ish) league goals

Since December Wyke and Grigg have scored about 5, (ish), goals. As discussed, style and intensity of play an issue ~ but we don’t create a great deal.

REFEREES

Lots of moans about the refs. We are in a shit league, with a lot of shit teams and shit grounds. Can’t complain about getting shit refs?

FLYING START

After about 10 games ~ we all assumed we’d kick on and piss the league? Wins at Doncaster and Bradford in autumn, without playing well, it all seemed too easy? As aforementioned, maybe a few defeats might not have been the end of the world?

TRANSFERS

We sold Maja, (scored goals) and signed Grigg, (hasn’t scored goals).

Lessons to be learnt for me. Both transfers seemed to orchestrated by the owner rather than the gaffer? Transparency and, (perceived), honesty are very idealistic, but he got his leg lifted X 2. After not getting a good deal for Josh, (called the player and his agent out early), Donald declared Grigg as his prime target ~ in the same way as Borini ~ we chased a player like a love sick pony and put him on an undeserved pedestal. I don’t know the workings of the club… but for me, we paid top price, for an unfit footballer, who wasn’t fancied by the manager and who didn’t want to come here? As I said earlier ~ it’s a game of opinions.

DEFENCE

Not brilliant ~ but it’s the other end of the pitch that has cost us?

WEMBLEY

We don’t do great there do we? Guilty of it myself ~ but even after being gifted a goal, I never really believed we would win. For this I’m sorry and acknowledge en masse this has a detrimental effect on the atmosphere ~ that said after great expense and time spent, we don’t need a posh prick criticising the fanbase? I’m sure this will be covered in great detail in the coming days and weeks….

Driving down, we had 3 thoughts for the players…..

1~ don’t let the day pass you by

2~ don’t leave anything out there

3~don’t have any regrets

Game of opinions…. but aside from Charlie, Luke and Lee, this wasn’t achieved. 3/11 wins fuck all?

MANAGER

Game of opinions ~ for me, he’s not done brilliant; but he’s done ok. A change of manager would in my opinion be a bad thing.

IN JACK WE/I TRUST

We go again next season.

Didn’t quite achieve the aim ~ but there’s always next season.

“It’s not the expectation…..it’s the hope that hurts the most”

FTM