Sometimes form tables don't tell the whole story, sometimes they do. Most often though, there is nuance to the numbers and hand on heart, that's where I see us at the moment.
Sure on the face of it being the 16th best team in the last 10 games is pretty ordinary, nobody can deny that. Similarly, over that period to be level with the likes of Colchester & Morecambe & comfortably behind Harrogate isn't in any way shape or form a reflection of our raw squad ability. That said, although we can dig into them, the numbers and the league table rarely need a polygraph.
So if there ARE mitigating factors, what are they? Well Johnnie used to regularly say "Ten minutes cost us" when we were beaten, it was usually the ten minutes during which we conceded two goals so it was hard to argue with him really. This seasons "Ten minutes cost us" is "There was nothing IN that game", and once again he is 100% telling the truth. Even more so when after the 1-0 defeat on Saturday, he expended the "There was nothing in it" to also include "Except for the goal". I appreciate it must be difficult to be interviewed straight after games so I take it all with a bit of a pinch of salt, but his basic point holds good. We REALLY HAVE been narrowly beaten in quite a few matches recently. "Fine margins" is the current buzz phrase for it, look in the football dictionary and under that entry the definition is a picture of our squad.
For sure we've had a bit of bad luck too during that period (not forgetting of course that it could have been worse without two injury time goals at home to Accrington), but I've watched football long enough to know "We just keep being unlucky" only cuts it as an excuse for so long. Similarly, while it's 100% true in my opinion that we are just as good as the top teams, it therefore surely follows that 16th best in the last 10 games isn't good enough. To be level over that period with Morecambe in particular is a staggering statistic.
So to quote the dodgy 80's beat combo Haircut 100, where do we go from here? Well step one I feel is that we have to work on attacking in a more varied way. Our somewhat direct approach is OK up to a point, but particularly when we are chasing a game it CAN often descend into desperation. It gets the crowd up when you continually launch it into the box from barely inside the oppositions half, but in truth it isn't really that difficult to defend against. Allowing the opposion defence to camp out on the edge of their own box and win headers takes a lot of the jeopardy out of protecting a lead, and in truth unless James Tilley smashes in a 30 yarder our scoring options are limited. Not only that, but by its very nature such an approach leads to lots of time with the ball not being in play. Be it as a result of goal kicks, free kicks, throw ins, fouls or whatever, the defence is handed crack cocaine on a plate when you're seeing a lead out, namely stoppages & opportunities to waste time.
So we MUST in my opinion develop a more balanced approach with the ball sometimes at least going through the thirds. I'd personally like to see young Josh Kelly given the opportunity to drop into the 10, but I obviously appreciate that I haven't seen that much of him. It is merely my impression that he could be a good focal point in there, but if it isn't him it has to be someone at least. Equally, our players have to be much braver on the football, particularly our centre backs in the three. They MUST step in with the ball more, cross the half way line & ask the opposition to come & defend. Too often we take the easy option (the launch) rather than building pressure by keeping possession.
Funnily enough, after Saturday we were talking about "switching off" when we conceded once to the league leaders. We actually defend very well, it's WITH the ball that I'd be concerned, not without it.
Broadly though there isn't much wrong, we are still a good team. A little bit less excuses though and a little bit more "get it done" would be good. Johnnie himself can start here, for blips not to turn into bliiiiiiiiiips there needs to be a feel good about the place. Good looking lad that he is, he needs to lose his bitch resting face a little bit and get the lads bouncing. Often it's THAT rather than tactics that makes the difference, Tranmere would be a great place to start with a smiley 4-0 win. COYD
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