Do or Die

Can anyone recall a Saturday when a Poppies Manager's job was so obviously on the line?  The odd battling home victories are being heavily outweighed by toothless, thumping away defeats.  Some of these away defeats have been sufficiently embarrassing that even after publicly backing his gaffer at the recent, uplifting fans forum, Ritchie MUST be worried.

Tuesday's humbling defeat to Farsley in what was a must-not-lose fixture has nailed any lingering doubts that this season was going to be anything but a relegation scrap.  Our problem is that we don't seem to have any "scrap" about us.  National North teams seem to fall into one of two camps.  Teams that pass you to death and teams who work hard and get in your face.  And then there's Kettering.  We lack the quality to do the former and the fight to do the latter, leaving us as a soft touch and an easy three points for any home team.

Last season's unexpected success was going to put any new Manager under pressure.  Perhaps we were all hoping a bit too much that lightening was going to strike twice and that for a second season a hastily assembled set of players would click and we would set about the League with gusto.  Last season was so good we had conveniently forgotten that the two previous, covid-curtailed seasons had finished with the Poppies firmly stuck in the lower reaches of the table.  Pretty much as we are now.

National North is a tough division.  As tough as Conference National was back in the day.  And we are not the "non-league giant" we used to be and that some of us still think we are.  We are wallowing down in 17th place in average attendances in the division.  We are a small fish in a big pond and need to adjust our sights accordingly.  We have no God-given right to win games or beat teams we consider to be beneath us.  Every win has to be fought for and earned.

A fifth from bottom finish to this season would be a success given where we are now and how we are performing.  Sad.  But true.  I've become doubtful whether Lee Glover is the Manager who can achieve this given the way we fold like a cheap suit whenever we concede a goal on the road.  The odd, battling win at Latimer Park won't be enough to quieten calls for Lee's dismissal, or calm the clamour for the return of the "snake from over the water".

Wins and more wins.  
Nothing else will do.