What's better when you're feeling nauseous after too many Jaegerbombs? Is it to lie down, feeling like death and wishing you could die? Or do you prefer the quick, strategic puke to get it out of your system? I'm very much in the second group, let's get it over with has always been my thinking.
As we know from the Lassoesque proclamations of Danny Rojas, "Football is life", and so it is here. There was no lying on the couch groaning by us on boxing day, there was a queue for the carsey as everyone decided to be shite on the same day. All is good, it's out of system.
It's better that way. Much better if we can have a co-ordinated, collective brain fart rather than taking it in turns over an extended period. That leads to bad runs, another carsey metaphor. No, being shite all on the same day is healthy. I wouldn't worry too much about the "Comms" on this occasion either. Obviously Alex Bass, Huss Biler and Jack Currie didn't read the "Let's all be absolutely rubbish on the same day" memo, but not to worry. Next time let's Tick-Tock it out, Snap talk it or something, the kids love that.
So anyway, by now we've all spoken into the big white porcelain telephone and "got it over with", let's re-assess. Forget what you saw the other day, Jake Reeves is still a brilliant player. He'll boss the game tonight, and whether it's our ratter alongside him or the box to box eightishness of James Ball, we'll win the midfield. Scrub Sutton from your memory, Josh Neufville HAS played football before, and James Tilley DOES run around a lot. Omar Bugiel DOES win headers, and Ali (who is STILL the best player in the league by miles) WILL score. Ryan Johnson (who in fairness only half heartedly joined in with the "let's play shite" narrative) will have his buddy back alongside him. He and Joe Lewis will not only stop THEM from scoring, I've a hunch one of our centre halves will get on the scoresheet.
And our management team? Very handy that they got their bad day at the office out of the way against Sutton too. Once again though, in Johnnie Jackson, Skivvers, Rob Tuvey & Bayzo we ARE still talking about a group which has built this bunch of players into one of the top four best teams in the league. A management team that went to Stamford Bridge and scared the shit out of Mauricio Pocchetino & his billionaire players, went to Pompey and kicked THEIR arses, we're in good hands.
So I'm here to tell you that not only is there nothing to worry about, but performances like the abject display against Sutton can actually be healthy. Displays like that live long in the memory (or they do if the management are on it like ours are). They are referred back to from time to time, a low point which we never want to revisit. By now the lads will have watched the video, they'll be seething inside that on showpiece Plough Lane occasion with hundreds of first time supporters in, they played like THAT.
Well tonight is the night to put it right. A high energy, high tempo game (PLEASE no slowing it down) is what is needed, from minute one we need to be right at it. We've all puked into the toilets on the same day which is a good thing, now time to collectively get the Listerine out and give it a good swill.
I can't be there tonight, Milly has my ticket. I'm awaiting her match report/player ratings with interest (they're better than mine anyway as you know) but I'm less on edge about the result. We will absolutely batter these if we have the right mentality, and we have.
I'm not changing my prediction even 1% on the season BTW. We will finish AT LEAST in the top five. One shite performance doesn't alter the fact that we are a bloody good team with bloody good management.
COYD
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