Amongst an array of disappointing performances this season, yesterday stands out for me as a low point.
Normally a defeat against a promotion chasing ‘big boy’ such as Sunderland would not be unexpected, but two aspects of yesterday really got to me.
Firstly, the Black Cats were not very good, IMO the worst Sunderland side we have faced in League 1. They were organised and competitive, yes, but without flair, skill or pace. Workmanlike would be my description and not a patch on Peterborough or Doncaster in my view, yet we let them stroll to victory barely breaking sweat.
Second, was the complete lack of belief in the team. After the first goal, which involved some awful lily-livered defending, you could almost see the confidence drain from the team – and no one seemed to possess the leadership skills to drag them back.
None of this is helped by Glyn’s ‘vanilla’ post match interviews, “one game away from three points” is a mantra that is wearing thin after one point from seven games. I appreciate that constant histrionics will not help the players, but at the moment the team is sinking towards inevitable relegation and we can’t afford to go with a whimper.
It may seem dramatic to say it, but I believe we have two weeks to save our season. The time to the end of the transfer window needs to be used wisely and the unexpected windfall from the sale of Adam Roscrow must be used to strengthen the squad. IMO we need a Paul Robinson, or a Jason Goodliffe figure (even a Jamie Stuart) to organise and ‘crack heads’ on the pitch when it’s needed. In addition, Kalambayi needs to be shipped out, as he is obviously a bad influence in the changing room.
Personally, I am now resigning myself to relegation. We had the great escape two years ago, followed by the lucky escape last season, this season unless there is a dramatic turnaround I see no escape…
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