First and foremost it was great to be able to go to the game today, it was great to see pals I haven’t seen in 15 months, it’s not quite back to normality, but it’s significantly closer than we’ve had for a long time.

Whilst great to be back on the road, the whole day felt a bit weird, it was the first and last game of the season, normally by the time the playoffs arrive you have a real emotional investment in the season, I’m not saying I wasn’t bothered – it just felt different. We were shite on Wednesday and had left ourselves a tough task, by no means unsurmountable, but a tough ask.

No point going over the action too much, anyone reading this will have been there or watched on TV.

1st Half

• Goal 1-0
• Miss
• Goal 2-0
• Should have had a penalty

Lincoln looked terrified, so far so good

2nd Half

• They hit the bar
• Goal 1-2
• They miss a pen
• We hit post
• They miss a few sitters

Today summed up much of the season, we have quality going forward, but we are terrible at the back. 2 minutes before they scored with a free header from 4 yards, they’d hit the bar with a free header from 4 yards. The analysis and post mortems will rage on – ultimately in a tight, knockout situation you can’t really give stupid goals away, giving 3 away over 2 games makes life very difficult. I heard a comment that you can’t legislate for individual errors, sadly when you make the same errors every game – you do have to legislate for them?

Special mention for the ref who was terrible, their keeper wasted 20 seconds about 20 times, (that’s 7 minutes), he was doing this from the 3rd minute of the game – just fucking book him and then it’s done, not in the 88th minute, but early on, even if he’d warned him 3 times and then booked him, it would have been sorted by the 15 minutes mark and not only is the contest fairer, it is a much better spectacle.

Second special mention to Max Power, suspect he’ll be off to Tranmere, I’m not a huge fan of him, but with 30 seconds remaining he had the opportunity to put the ball into the box, but chose to shoot from 42 yards…. Captain Marvel, Leader, Talisman….. or….. egotistical Gerrard wannabe prick, I know which camp I’m in….

The 4 Year Glitch….

So there we have it, we are headed into our 4th season in League 1. We are the biggest club in the league, sadly we don’t seem to be able to be one of the best 3 teams in the league, I couldn’t really give a shit about other teams, but there does seem to be a groundswell of opinion from others that we feel were deserve success and are arrogant etc…. that’s not reflective of how I, (or my mates), feel, but as I say I don’t suppose it really matters? I’m bitterly disappointed we’ve not managed to get promoted in 3 attempts, realistically aside from the first 20 minutes of the PO Final in 2019, and after the wins at Accrington and Rochdale in April of that season – we’ve never really looked like going up?

Needless to say I’m sure we will go up next season, what’s the point of feeling any other way? I do think that the league will be tougher next season than it was this, Sheff Weds are a big club with a good manager, Ipswich and Pompey have both made positive managerial appointments, Rotherham will be strong. August will be here soon, and we go again…. see you there⚽️🔴⚪️⚫️⚽️

Changes…….

Plenty of time over the coming months to speculate and discuss, it’s no secret I don’t really fancy this manager, I’m also not a fan of constantly changing managers, if we do decide to change, I have faith that the club will afford him the courtesy and respect that those southern pricks didn’t have the decency or class to afford to Ross or Parkinson. When Parkinson was sacked, there was no plan, none whatsoever- the reason I’d advocate removing LJ, is there’s now a plan, we now have a pot to piss in. We are 100% headed where we should be under KLD, categorically with different players, and realistically we probably require a different manager? KLD will have a plan, I reckon it’ll be some Clever German who wears glasses from somewhere like Stuttgart or Hoffenheim.

Most of the players are out of contract, that’s absolutely fine, as a collective we haven’t been good enough, individually there’s only a few who have done ok. Grant has had a great season but it’s obviously coming to a natural end, McGeady has bags of quality at this level, so he can stay – but not on silly money, I’d offer O’Nien a deal and I’d give him the captaincy. Wyke’s return of 31 goals is phenomenal, especially as he was written of by many…. I think he’ll go, although it’s important it’s not to a potential rival such as Sheff Weds, Ipswich etc

Blackpool or Lincoln?

Tough call, form suggests Blackpool, but it could go either way. Whilst we aren’t involved, the news today of the farcical ticket arrangements has pissed me off, 3900 each at Wembley, (oh, and 2200 at £299 a pop) – people’s game my arse. Ordinarily I’d reckon the game would offer everyone who deserved a ticket and probably everyone who wanted a ticket to be catered for – these aren’t ordinary times, but surely that’s all the more reason to treat the fans properly? I know there’s lots of political and safety factors, but there must be a better way than having a game at Wembley between 2 Northern teams with season ticket holders missing out? There must be a better way? I know it’s Wembley, but realistically it’ll be shit 12% full, and a PO Final really is all about the outcome rather than the occasion?

I concede I’m not comparing like with like,but here’s 3 examples from the last 8 days that show the Wembley plans to be absolute madness

I feel for the fans of the teams involved in the Playoffs and also for the staff who will have sort out distribution of tickets, we obviously live in a time of restriction, but the way they have chosen, cannot be the best way?

10’000/23 = 435

Strange old season, not an average attendance I thought I’d ever see?

Clear the decks…. start again….. see you there