Sunday, 17 December 2023

From Bad, to Good, to Very Good, to Killer. One stage to go.

The above is our team when we were beaten 5-1 at home by Swindon in April. Fast forward eight months and I think yesterdays starting line up would eat this one for breakfast, there's been massive progress. The team in the picture won once in the last nineteen league games, this seasons version is gutted to "only" draw 0-0 at Salford. 

Quite who all that progress is down to, depends upon who you ask. If you're asking a "Jackson out" devotee who is unshakeable, it's all down to Craig Cope and his shrewd eye for talent. If on the other hand you're asking a "Where are all the Jackson haters now?" merchant, someone who "knew all along" that even during that run of one win in nineteen that he would come good in the end, then it's all down to the manager. This observer thinks it's down to a combination of things. Better players certainly, but being managed better too. There is no question in my mind that this seasons version of our manager would do far better with last season's players, albeit given that our team back then wasn't that great.

The important thing though, whoever deserves all the plaudits, whoever was "right all along" in amongst the fan base, is that we are currently a very good football team. I've seen us up and down the land this season, and I am absolutely certain that not only are we very good but we are improving week by week too. It is my contention that at the moment, along with Stockport, Mansfield and Wrexham, we are one of the best four teams in the division. I'm not drunk, I genuinely believe that we will comfortably make the playoffs and have a live outside chance of automatic promotion.

Anyway disagree all you like (in my best Catherine Tate voice, "I ain't bovvered") let's look for a moment at how we can improve from here even more.

Goals. We HAVE TO find a way of scoring more heavily away from home. One goal in the last five away games ain't the stuff of Champion nor killer teams, so how do we change it?

Well one aspect of our game which is frankly rubbish, is goals from our centre halves. I love (in a manly way) Ryan and Joe, they are in my opinion THE biggest positive change to our line-up this campaign, but they have one goal this season between them. THAT let me tell you (and them as well if they're reading this nonsense), is shite for two players as good as them. Now I was right behind Jake Reeves when he was delivering second half corners yesterday, the problem isn't the corner itself. He gets good whip, dip and pace (sounds like a trio of kids entertainers in yellow jumpsuits) on 'em, so that ain't the issue. We look to attack it from just about the edge of the box it looks like (which is probably a yard or two further than I'd go for TBH but anyway), but for whatever reason we don't seem to get there. Whether that's because we don't get any blocks in or something I don't know, (I don't study video, I've got a pub to run) but it's an issue. I remember both James Ball and Harry Pell scoring with set-piece headers, so maybe there's a case when chasing a winner for chucking the big lads on. I know it's a bit league 2 two point oh, but it's not "how" you score it's how many. Anyways Skivvers was a demon at getting on the end of a dead ball back in the day, I hope he and the big lads are working on some "Piano falling down a flight of stairs"/"attacking the ball" routines.

Goals from midfield. Jake Reeves takes a cracking penno and scored a screamer against Ramsgate. Armani Little broke the net against Swindon (then a few floodlight lamps at Salford) but neither I don't think will ever score heavily at this level. I know Armani has a bit of history and is the more likely out of the two, but neither have so far looked like they are about to get ahead of the ball or even be there for a cut-back across the six yard box. Although he has barely played and has only one goal so far, to my eye James Ball looks by a distance our most likely central midfielder to score a goal. He's that type, I'd have given him at least twenty minutes yesterday and I hope that when Johnny DOES give him his chance, he takes it. We've looked to me to have played him in a kind of 6 role, I'd like to see us go with the big lad as a genuine box to box 8. Just to be clear, our two central midfielders are playing great and I'm not on about chucking one of them out of the starting eleven. I just think if we are going to become THAT team, we've got to utilize our potential cutting edge a bit better when needed. It was needed yesterday.

Our full-backs have gotta chip in too, yes even away from home. I'd like Jack Currie to appear unmarked at the back stick more often. He has done it to great effect occasionally, I'd challenge him to do it more often. He's a superb player and easily good enough to get back, it's time for him to become a weapon going forward. Huss Biler, I want to see those check back inside and dig from distance moves we saw away at Colchester last season. Another fine player, he's fully fit now and easily good enough to chip in with a goal or two to go with his terrier defending.

See we can't rely on Ali all of the time. I know it's hard to believe sometimes, but he IS human and sometimes he DOESN'T score. Yesterday being an obvious example. Omar is a fine foil for him (what a signing), but he's always going to a setter upper more than he is a finisher offer. We can't depend on those two every game 

You see "Killer" teams get the job done. Nineteen times out of twenty when they are as on top as we were yesterday, they win. They find a way. They get a goal from a centre half, a full back scrambles one in, a sub diverts one in off his arse, it matters not. It's never been about how, it's always been about how many.

See the evolution from "very good" team to "Killer" team is the hardest step of all. It's not about any one player stepping up, it's about the whole squad making that 3% improvement which swings games in your favour. Centre backs get a goal here and there, full backs push on ten yards further, the subs come on ten minutes earlier then make an impact. Killer teams find a way to kill, then they get it done.

It's about the fans too by the way. Young Josh Davison is paying a very high price for being not quite as good as Ali Al-Hamidi isn't he? It isn't HIS fault that after we signed him we then picked up a bloke who is miles too good for the division. It's isn't HIS fault that while he was playing very well for us in his first season, we got a bloke in who us even better. Ever seen him moan about being on the bench though? Ever seen him not give absolutely 110% when he's called upon? You never will, give the lad a break and stop the groans, he is a good player at the level and pretty soon we are gonna need him. Killer teams have killer fans, sometimes it's THEM who give the players an extra 3%.

If we can collectively do all of that, in April 2024, exactly a year since we got battered 5-1 by Swindon, we'll be getting roared on by banks of fans wondering where we'll finish up. They won't be wondering about relegation this year though, we'll be asking ourselves if we'll go up automatically or whether we'll have to "settle" for the playoffs.

Becoming a killer team. It ain't easy but if we believe, all of us, we can do it. See you on Friday at Crawley. COYD

No comments:

Post a Comment