Another away-day thumping. Another underwhelming performance. Another game where we pack the defence from the first minute in the hope of blunting incessant attacks and then, somehow, pinch a goal. Another day when we pile pressure on ourselves for our next home game.
We have racked up a massive FOUR League goals when playing away from Latimer Park this season. FOUR. The last one being Andy Oluwabori's equaliser at Buxton on the 3rd of September. That's over two months ago. You don't need reminding what the teams that have hosted us have done in the meantime. Or maybe you do? Fifteen League goals against without the glimmer of an answer. Only our moderately acceptable home form stops us from being cut adrift at the bottom of the league.
What hurts about our shocking away form isn't getting beaten - I've been around the block often enough to know and accept that we can't handsomely win every match at a canter. But, equally, I know when I'm watching a team so obviously set-up to try and keep the size of defeat to a minimum. And still failing dismally to do that. I don't believe I've seen any Poppies team meekly ship goal after goal with barely a collective shrug before.
Even in the utterly grim, dog-sh*t days of a decade ago our team of kids, random passers-by and old legless lags occasionally dug out an away result to remind us why we bother to give up our Saturdays to follow the Poppies. The players we have now aren't a bad bunch. We've seen a bit of quality. A bit of fight. But we have seen nowhere near enough of either. Beating Kings Lynn at home with everyone giving their all counts for nothing when Farsley piss all over you a few weeks later.
It's no coincidence the Supporter Coach is not running to the next few matches. Matches where you once would have had to fight a grizzled old codger for a coach seat have been running half empty. What savings the Supporter Coach had accrued have been blown ferrying the small hardcore of fans to such unattractive, nowhere locations as Chester and Scarborough.
Let's not kid ourselves that we have plenty of time to turn the ship around. While we continue to allow our various hosts to improve their goal difference all the teams around us are notching the odd win and fighting hard to stay in this division. Telford and their new, shell-shocked Manager excepted of course.
How many games does Ritchie give Glover to make us tougher nuts to crack? How many away games has Ritchie endured? Would Glover still be here if he'd seen even half of them? How many games would it be fair to give his replacement to pull us out of our nose dive back to fixtures against St F*cking Ives again?
Answers are not many more, not enough, probably not and as many as possible.
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| Sorry Lee, but we are all as bored listening as you are probably bored repeating yourself |
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