End of season awards....

So it only seems right that we have a little Scores on the Dores awards ceremony for what was a totally brilliant 2024-25 season. Disagree all you want, but here's my take.....

Most improved player-It has to be Owen Goodman, obviously aided and abetted by our incomparable goalkeeping coach, Bayzo. He came in at the start of the season and looked about as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Very few people that I spoke to had any hope for him, but just gradually the calamities and hesitation went from once every three games to once every six, then finally into the "pretty much never" column. 

Sporting an Afro which gives him a "Huggy Bear from Starsky & Hutch's best mate" look, he seemed to almost visibly grow as the season went on. Nothing short of astonishing in the away leg of the playoff semi finals, I've now got no doubt that he will become a goalie out of the very top drawer.

Best young player-Has to be Isaac Ogundere. Now his Mum has cleared us the pronunciation (it sounds a bit like how Speedy Gonzales used to say "Eeba, Eeba, Underay") I feel like we all appreciate Isaac even more. Has a real gift for a defender, the choirboy looks and constantly surprised eyebrows giving him a look of innocence which bely his "dirty bugger" tendencies. He's able to kick people at will and the referees can't seem to shake off that "Ah but he's such a nice lad" impression.

Rock solid defender who has a smidge of pace, he bombs forward like a drunk trying to get to the kebab shop before the shutters go down. I've made no secret of the fact he's my favourite player, superb attitude who deserves every success he'll get.

Most exciting player-Another easy choice, it's Aaron Sasu. Quicker than a knife fight fight in a phone booth and trickier than a magicians hat, he can light up the game with one burst of magic. Glides across the turf like a racehorse and doesn't leave footprints, he'd have an Apache tracker scratching his feathered headdress in bemusement.

At the moment watching him is like watching a sketch show as opposed to a Ricky Gervais crafted comedy. It's all snippets and snipbits, some of it works well while other bits fall flat on their arse. The good bits though, Wow. I've always said with young players that the best thing is not to focus your energy on what they CAN'T do, it's best to treasure what they CAN do. When that treasure in the CAN column is stuff that nobody else is capable of, polish it.

Aaron Sasu can be absolutely anything. If you're not excited by him, you're watching a different game to me.

Player of the season-Gladiators, READY! It's surely only a matter of time until we lose him to the TV show (My suggestion for the name is "DRAGON") as not only will he earn more cash but his shorts will be even tighter and shorter than he wears them for Wimbledon.

Of course I'm talking about Joe Lewis. What a player, what a man, what a leader. There's more to him than short shorts (no really ladies, there IS) and he was magnificent for us last season. Had he not gotten injured, we'd have won the league.

Best Awayday-Doncaster. It always is (for me), and this time not only did we get to experience some cracking Northern pubs but we were treated to a superb game of football too. It was a real backs to the wall display down to ten men, then at the end we almost won it with a swashbuckling Joe Lewis burst.

Anyway, roll on League One!

Season review part 4: The brains trust.

Given I've started every other category with an "It ain't easy" forword, it seems only fair to point out what the lads who plot our course through a season are up against. Outgunned massively in the transfer market every season due to budgetary restrictions and having to deal with some of the most expensive local housing in the country isn't exactly what you'd have high on the wishlist as a manager. Add in a pitch which collapsed, lots of injuries at the same time and a living disproval last season of the "it all balances out" theory when it comes to refereeing decisions and you get to realize what they were up against.

Despite that, in many ways we had the perfect season. Getting promoted at Wembley is THE BEST way of doing it, and although you could frame an argument which says we really should have done it automatically, now we did it our way I wouldn't swap it for anything. Sure Port Vale had a knees up at Plough Lane when they got promoted, but comparing that to OUR party was like trying to draw parallels with a couple of pints to celebrate a 43rd birthday down the local to a 21st birthday beano in Ibiza. There's no comparison, we had the perfect season and I'm not having it any different.

Anyways, here's my take on how the coaching staff/Craig Cope went during the season.

Bayzo-I've got to the point now where I'm considering telling my boy to give his career up in the city to take up goalkeeping. He's 6ft 4, daft as a brush and never played in goal before, but I reckon Bayzo could get him in the England squad by the time the next World Cup comes around. 

Seriously this fella is a genius (not our Charlie, Bayzo). The improvement in Owen Goodman as the season progressed has been nothing short of staggering. We should build a statue of our goalkeeper coach outside of Plough Lane.

Skivvers-It's always hard to comment when you don't really know what's going on (although it's never stopped me before so I will) but I THINK Skivvers job is primarily to coach the defenders. If I'm right, you have to say that although I'm not doing scores, this fella is due a 10/10. Our defence all season has been absolutely rock solid, there have been periods where we haven't even looked like conceding a shot never mind a goal.

Skivvers interviews very well too in my opinion. In person and on camera he comes across as an awful nice bloke, but there's something in the sideways glance that tells me that he'd have it in him to go through someone like a dodgy curry if provoked. He's probably a bit unlucky too in that he has a very impressive barnet but happens to be sitting next to the fella with surely the best one in the EFL, so nobody mentions it.

I think he's a shrewd operator though Skivvers, I'm not in the least bit surprised that Johnnie Jackson from day one as a manager wanted this bloke alongside him.

Dave Rennington-Came in at the start of the season as the supposed boffin of all things 5-3-2. It was probably Johnnies most cut throat moment since he became our manager to bin off club stalwart Rob Tuvey in favour of this lad, but I guess it shows just how badly he wanted to get him on board. 

I must confess I miss Rob, I like him as a man and rate him as a coach, but you can't argue with the results. My one criticism of the Renningtonisation of our team is that the football can look at times a little robotic. We were never great at playing with lots of freedom and piling men forward, it appears to this naked eye that we have become even less adventurous this season gone.

If course I could be wrong and all of that could be bugger all to do with our new coach. If he plays poker against you though and shoves "all in", my guess would be that he has a hand (pocket aces would be my guess). Maybe he'd surprise me and turn over 6 2 off suit once everyone has folded, but I doubt it.

It'll be interesting to see him plotting a shape which allows us to stay solid in league one.

Johnnie Jackson-There's no question in my mind that the teams fortunes and league position have almost exactly mirrored Johnnies development as a manager. We bombed out in his first season and almost got relegated, if I'm honest I thought in that period he made a bit of a dog's arse of it. I'd personally have pulled the trigger at the end of that first season, but the board stuck with him and it's proved to be an inspired call.

He and we went much better in the second season, but I think it's in the second half of THIS season where he's really started to flourish. Now I know that our results were actually better in the FIRST half of the season, but we have good players and we found our level. It's towards the END of the season when I thought he really came into his own. The substitutions got earlier, they were bolder, not necessarily like for like and the selections got funkier too. Sure it didn't work ALL of the time, but I'm convinced his freshened up approach had a reciprocal impact upon the team. We won our last four matches, all of them MUST WINS and we didn't concede a goal. That'll do for me.

Yes I wish he'd go for it more, yes I wish he'd drop the "It's a tough place to come" interviews, but this lad has grown a lot as a manager. That's a good thing, we are going to need him on his A game if we are going to have a chance of staying up next season.

Craig Cope-Arguably our most important signing for many a year, "Copey" continues to do everything possible to help us defy the odds. Last seasons recruitment when taken as a whole basket was a piece work of the very highest order, and only the Josh Kelly signing (only in terms of fit not in terms of his quality) continues to baffle me.

My guess is that he'll unearth a couple of gems next season too, which is handy because as anyone with anything resembling a clue already realizes, we are bang up against it.

Anyways what a season, what a club. That's all from the Scores on the Dores for now, roll on August!

Season review part 3: It's tough up top.

Playing up top for us is no simple task, let's be honest. We expect our front men to run their bollocks off chasing mostly lost causes, get their arses back and defend when we haven't got it, and while they're at it score a few goals from very few clear cut chances created. If they can stick a paintbrush up their arse and redefine the penalty spot while they're at it then much the better, but suffice to say this is no easy gig.

Some can't really come to grips with it, others have thrived in the guerilla warfare/behind enemy lines nature of it all. Because let's be totally clear this is no battle of the Sommes, everyone piling over the top to get stuck in. No, the front players plough pretty much a lone furrow. Like John Voigt scaling his way out of that ravine to take out his toothless, pig squeel inducing tormenter, our front men are in their own really. On they go, game after game, faces daubed with camouflage paint and daggers between their teeth.

Given it's no two foot gimme, I've not done a "Scores on the Dores" for the season, but here's how I think our lads up top have gone.

Omar Bugiel-Out of all our front players, Omar is probably THE one that our system suits the most. Never happier than when battling for lost causes and contesting headers which he has no right to win, he's equally adept at dropping in and nicking the ball in the centre circle.

I often think that Omar is a much better footballer technically than we see week in and week out. Just occasionally he gives us a glimpse of his softer, more creative side. Like a graffiti scrawler who secretly likes to paint landscape watercolor, he can with a deft layoff or an outside of the boot finish make you wonder if there's a touch of the Roberto Firminho in there to go with the obvious Duncan Ferguson tendencies.

I think at his best he's one of our best players, but as the season progressed (probably because I rate him so highly) I thought he could have done more. His goal tally isn't high enough for a player of his talent, and although he works absolutely tirelessly for the team a good starting point next season might be for him to score more goals than he gets yellow cards.

I love him though. The way he whirls that bandage off his wrist when he's inevitably substituted around the 70 minute mark has something of the Robert De Nero as Jake LaMotta about it. You could play Omar being taken off in slowmo in black and white on the big screen, with Calallerio Rusticana belting out of the speakers. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the house.

Matty Stevens-Something of a season of two halves for the pint sized assassin from Frimley. He's a deadly finisher when given the opportunities, but if the chances dry up then on the evidence of the second half of the season, so does he.

That's not a criticism of a player I like a lot, just something I think to consider going forward. I suppose it's unfair to expect an arch poacher to take up a job as a tractor driver if there's no game on offer, but either we have to work out a way of creating more chances or Matty has to suss out a method of creating them for himself.

Without chances he becomes a tireless huffer and puffer who gives absolutely everything for the cause but never really looks likely to pierce the oppositions armoury. Like a pigeon who repeatedly smashes into a corrugated iron shed he looks unlikely to ever break through, but you definitely can't fault the lads effort or gusto with which he attacks it.

My hunch is that next season we'll create even less chances than we did this, if that is the case then Matty might have to be an off the bench hitman as opposed to being the first in through the front door.

Josh Kelly-I said at the start that our system doesn't suit everyone, I may as well have just said that it doesn't suit Josh Kelly. Most of our transfer dealings under Craig Cope have worked very well or at the very least you can see the thinking behind them, in the case of this lad I'm a bit baffled as to what we ever really expected to happen.

It's fairly clear when you watch Josh play what kind of system he'd flourish in. To me if he was playing for Notts County or you know who, one of those high possession teams that move it side to side through the thirds before slipping a striker in then he'd be in his element. He's quick over ten yards, perceptive and strong and I think a good finisher too. I personally think he's a VERY good player but is unfortunately totally unsuited to the way we play.

He's tried his very best to adapt, played out of position wide and often done pretty well, but I can't help thinking that unless we play a slightly different way (which I think is unlikely) we aren't going to see the absolute best of him.

That said, the absolute best of him is in my opinion very high. Perhaps if injuries give him a prolonged opportunity he might do enough to convince the coaches that he is worth not just accommodating but actually adapting to. I hope so, he is a good player and I think one who would make us stronger if he was allowed to shine.

Joe Piggott-Has obviously been a hero for Wimbledon and despite the fact he never really hit those heights this season, his place in club folklore is secure.

Still managed to pop up with a couple of vital goals despite obviously not being at his absolute peak,  should think over the Summer he will have a decision to make about where goes next, if indeed anywhere. He'll always be welcomed back at Plough Lane with open arms though, in many ways his football career and the way he rose through the grades mirrors and is entwined with that of the club.

Marcus Brown-Much vaunted upon arrival, you only had to see this lad play for ten minutes to see what all the fuss was about. Has a deftness of touch and an ability to take it on the half turn that was obviously way above and beyond league two level, we all expected great things.

From there though aside from one or two flashes of brilliance, Marcus plateaued a bit and it was hard to shake the feeling that as fans, we were only seeing about 50% of what he is capable of. Fortunately for him and us 50% of a player of his level is still plenty good enough for League Two, but if we can keep him (unlikely in my view but you never know) I am absolutely certain there is an "off the scale" talent for the level here.

Often though last season like a fella at the driving range who is trying to smash the cover off it with his Big Bertha, he'd screw shots wide when in the open. On dribbles he'd think too much, take one touch too many and too often they'd come to nothing. 

It felt like he was trying to impress during matches, play for his next contract rather than just trusting his talent and letting it flow. Wherever he ends up signing, once he's filled his signature in and is guaranteed two years employment, my guess is that team will have on their hands one hell of a player.

Aaron Sasu-Incredible when you see him to note that this kid is still only recently turned twenty years old. Six feet plus, shoulders on him like a hod carrier and quicker than a whippet chasing a squirrel. He's going to be physically an absolute monster within the next two years, and isn't going to get any slower either.

As far as last season goes, we saw everything from this lad apart from goals and assists. That everything included infuriatingly lethargic displays where you wanted to jump over the barriers and kick him up the arse, to moments of electrifying explosiveness which had you jumping off your seat. You never at this stage really know what you're going to get from him, I suppose that's one of the reasons why I think he's the most exciting player in the squad.

Talent wise I think this kid has absolutely everything. He can be physical and win headers (he's dramatically improved even in the last few weeks at that), he can see a pass and I think can finish. It's when the ball is on the ground though that the electricity begins to crackle. He is lightening fast and like a good racehorse, glides across the dirt without leaving footprints.

I think as soon as next season he could potentially be our "Main man", and if it clicks for him he'll scare the shite out of League One defenders. For it to click, he'll have to become much more nasty. I'm confident that it'll come, equally I'm sure that the coaches are working with him every day on where and when to run. Too often he goes where defenders would "like" him to be, as opposed to where it would make them very uncomfortable.

For me he's 100% a number 9. We must all remember however that he's just a kid, sit back and watch him grow. If it happens for him, I think he'll go for more money than Ali Al-Hamidi.

Tomorrow I'll do the coaching staff review.

Season review part two: Our lads, in the middle of our team.

Some jobs look easier than others, playing midfield in a football team is no exception. When Man City are rolling it from side to side any fan fan would be forgiven for thinking "Sheesh I could do that" (SPOILER ALTERT-You couldn't) but watching our lads in midfield, there are few looking on with envy.

First thing is to play in our system, forget about Kevin De Bruyne through balls or arriving in the box like a Frank Lampard or a Steven Gerrard (even these days!), that ain't what we're expecting of you. No, we're expecting you to keep your shape at pretty much all times, defend compact and narrow as a unit and not to lose the ball in the first two thirds. Our system demands effort and discipline in equal measure (that measure being a "quadruple" down your local pub), and not all midfielders are naturally suited to it. James Ball would be the best example of those who don't really "fit". For the team he played as a 4 and a 6 and did pretty well, but curbing his natural tendency to be an 8 was like watching a greyhound on one of those long leads. 

Of those who DID play, DID make it work, these are my season reviews.

Jake Reeves-Fitting that he goes first. An absolutely integral part of our promotion season, he played every match in which he wasn't fit or suspended. Derided by many fans (including me) for being too safe with his passing, the overwhelming consensus when he got a three game ban was that it would probably help us. Those who said as much (including me) were of course totally wrong. Fortunately for us though when the captain came back and we won four consecutive games 1-0, we could all claim that he had "benefitted from the rest". That's total bollocks obviously, but at least it gave those of us who crave being able to say "I was right all along" something to cling to.

For Jakes part he is a very good footballer, breaks the play up very efficiently and passes it into a safe area very perceptively. When he does get forward, he is more than comfortable and capable of providing some cut be it from a slipped pass or a shot from distance.

Stepping up to L1 will be a challenge for him at this stage in his career in my opinion, but if the coaching staff can get "legs" alongside him he'll no doubt be an ever present next season too.

Ali Smith-There are a couple of rumours around that he might have played his last game for us. Apart from the other lads who play alongside him, I must be the person who wishes the most that it ain't so. Ali is an excellent footballer and if we hadn't had him this season, we wouldn't have gone up in my opinion.

I've always thought this lad firmly fits into the "doesn't realize how good he is" category of footballers, we have a couple of those. My guess is he'll seamlessly step up to L1, I just hope it's with us.

If footballers were insects this lad would be a preying mantis, impossible to get away from without one of his spindly legs wrapping around you and knocking the ball away. In my view we still have only seen 70% or so of his total capabilities, he really was good enough last season to absolutely boss L2 if only he'd realized it. Sometimes he did, he went on little runs of games where he made the decisive contributions, but I honestly thank that his goal tally for instance was only half of what it might have been.

That might read a bit harsh, but it's only because I rate him so highly as a footballer. I'd be going down the back of the setee to give this fella as close as possible to what he actually wants.

Callum Maycock-A good first season in league football from the Solihull Moors recruit. My guess (I've never met him) is that he's a quiet, modest lad, another who doesn't realize how good he can be.

For the first month or two he appeared to me to have "League footballer imposter syndrome" but he grew into it and by the end looked disappointed if he wasn't selected.

As a footballer he's a "glue" player, his ability to move perceptively into space often allowing the group to function with more fluency in possession. He has a goal in him (I'd personally like to see more) and although I haven't seen the stats Id guess he racks up the kilometres when he's on the pitch.

I'd hope he'd make the step up to L1 without too much of a problem, providing he can convince himself that he belongs there.

Miles Hippolyte-An absolutely vital player when available. I think if he'd have stayed fit all season we might have had a shot at the title.

It was no surprise that he got the vital goal at Wembley, he appears to have that "big player" mentality, lads like that generally DO step up when it matters.

As a footballer he's an excellent athlete and probably happiest in a three in the middle with him as a roving 8. He's better in the air than you'd imagine, gets his foot in and can hit it off both sides from outside the box. The only impediment to him stepping up a level is the fitness. My guess is that if we CAN keep him fit then he's going to play lots of minutes next season.

That'd be great news, we are going to need players like him. A lot.

Tomorrow we'll look at the strikers.

AFC Wimbledon review part one: The case for the defence.

Firstly to state the obvious, it is our defence which got us promoted out of League Two. When I say "defence" I don't just mean our defenders either. Our whole set up was geared towards being VERY hard to break down, even harder to score against. It's this resilience which got us over the line, culminating in four successive 1-0 wins.

Having that record at the end of the season, having statistically the best defence in the league, doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of excellent coaching, committed players and avoiding doing the stuff which leads to conceding chances. What stuff? Well we played very little football inside the first two thirds for starters. Yes we passed it around at the back while we probed for the best angle to hit it long, but in terms of playing it through the thirds and taking the risk of being caught in possession, we didn't really do it. Similarly we didn't commit large amounts of men forward to risk getting hit on the counter, nor did we by and large press high and risk getting played through. No, our approach was to be compact and relatively risk averse, with the WHOLE TEAM contributing to the defensive effort.

Obviously in some respects this adhesion to the plan slightly lessened our threat going forward on occasions. Unquestionably it made us less easy on the eye for the purists amongst us, but so what? In terms of achieving our seasons objectives (getting promoted), nobody can argue that our methodology wasn't effective.

It's not just about "method" either obviously. Countless times we blocked, we smothered, we put or head in where it might get booted, we put our bodies on the line for the cause. There were many heroic displays from the lads at the back, here's my seasons review of the players involved. I've avoided a "Scores on the Dores" rating, it doesn't seem to fit for the season as a whole. Here goes:

Owen Goodman: I remember bumping into Bayzo at a DLAG do sometimes before Christmas. Having chewed his ear off for a bit (I do that) the conversation turned to all things OG. He told me that our young keeper very much reminded him of Rambo (blond tousled shot stopper rather than the retired marine who ran amok in mid America). I was astonished to be honest. Up to that point, our aspiring keeper was proving himself capable of great saves but running at a mistake roughly every three games, some of them costing goals. I was heartened though. Bayzo knows more about goalkeeping than just about anyone else on planet Earth, I gleefully reported it back to a host of fans Whatsapp groups.

Obviously it was met with hoots of derision (my posts normally are). Phrases such as "Never make a keeper while he's got a hole in his arse" were bandied about, the fans (like me to be honest) were going to take some convincing, more than my drunken conversations could offer anyways.

Fast forward six months though, I should think 100% of AFC Wimbledon fans would be very happy if OG was our goalie next season, even happier if he signed permanently. It's almost like he's grown six inches in six months, his development has been staggering. He is one of the biggest reasons we've got a great defence, his performance away at Notts County in the playoffs was magnificent. Top man (not his suits, him).

Josh Neufville-Aside from telling the fans to Fuck Off after a defeat (Was it Gillingham?) never put a foot wrong all season. Surely amongst the quickest players in L2, he's become not just a destructive wing back going forward but an excellent defender too. 

He's scored some brilliant goals, made some superb defensive interventions and achieved the hardest thing in football, causing the opposition to approach the game differently simply because his name was on the team sheet.

From here I've no doubt there'll be a number of clubs who've got his agent on speed dial. He is obviously capable of playing at least to League One level, perhaps even higher. My take is that if he can add a touch more composure and slightly better decision making to his obvious athleticism, the sky really is the limit.

Unfortunately I've a hunch that it won't be with us next season, but the fella owes us nothing.

James Tilley-Like Josh Neufville has had to replace the ER of winger with BACK. It took him a fraction longer, but to my mind he'll be changing the "occupation" bit of his passport application from now on. He's played against some good wingers recently has Tills, absolutely none of them have gotten the better of him. He remains by a distance our most likely scorer from outside the box and is better in the air than you'd imagine too.

He's an excellent footballer who can go "both ways" and hit it off both sides, he's improved massively as the season progressed. I'd have no problem at all with him stepping up to L1 with us, he's plenty good enough IMHO and our offer of a new contract will no doubt be far off his only option this Summer.

James Furlong-Started the season brightly and has a wand of a left foot. Lost his place, then had that obvious fault of looking a bit rusty each time he occasionally played. I've a strong hunch that he's a far better player than he's shown or been allowed to show in a Wimbledon shirt, he'll go well wherever he ends up.

Jonjo O Toole-One of those lads who you can guarantee is great in the dressing room. Has let nobody down when called upon, if he continues to play then some young striker in another league who is too full of himself is going to get the shock of his life when he runs into this lad next season. A superb pro.

James Ball-I include him here rather than in midfield as this is where he made more of a mark this season. Always assured at centre half, always had time (the sign of a good player) and looked like he was born to play there.

My frustration with this lad is that he was never really given the opportunity to play at number 8, I'm absolutely convinced that he REALLY IS born to play there.

Few players who have played so few minutes over two seasons have made such a big impression as Bally. A big fan favourite, I'll be following his career with big interest from here on in. My prediction is that if he DOES play consistently as an 8, he will flourish wherever he ends up.

Ryley Harbottle-Word has it that he is one of the nicest people you could wish to meet, he is a bloody useful footballer too. Brave and committed to the last, when fit he has been hugely influencial and contributed massively to the cause.

My one frustration with him was when our WhatsApp stats man Arash Razal tipped him up to score first at Notts County, I wasn't on (it was 125/1!!!). I kind of wanted to dislike Riley because he replaced Ogs (who I love) but I can't. He was excellent, I'll really enjoy seeing make the step up to L1 with us.

Isaac Ogundere-My favourite player at the whole club. I'm not saying he's our best player (yet), but I love his attitude and I'm always happy when he does well.

Still just a kid who along with Owen Goodman is our most improved player this season, given a fair bit of luck I remain convinced that this lad has a fair bit left in the locker yet. Defends well, gets up and down with decent delivery and although I think there is a bit to work on in attacking it in the opponents box, that will come.

Isaac strikes me as a kid who listens to what the coaches tell him, takes information on board, goes away and thinks about it and improves. If he continues to do that, I think he can eventually follow Jack Rudoni and others who've gone up the grades.

Ryan Johnson-Another one of my favourite players. Old Magnet head had a dodgy month mid season (where at times it looked like his chess champion twin brother who "doesn't do football" had turned up in his absence) but came roaring back to his best as the season progressed.

"Roaring" is the right word, this fella is an absolute lion of a defender who must be a nightmare to play against. He is the master of the "clumsy/didn't mean to do it" one where he stands on an attackers foot after making the tackle, hits them with his shoulder after making the header. Never happier than when it's a proper rough and tumble scrap, but then surprises you with a left foot that he can probably sign his name with. Just a bloody good player, I hope he re signs for next season.

Joe Lewis-There can't be many ladies who occasionally watch us play who don't say "Joe Lewis" when you ask them who their favourite player is. It's hard to argue with their choice, even if your own reason for it might be about something other than the "short shorts".

In truth, there are many females who come watch us regularly and definitely know their stuff when it comes to football. They'd tell you that there's more to it than shorts, Joe reads the game really well, is as strong as an ox, good in the air, has a sprinkling of pace and is a great leader of men too.

We stole him when we bought him off Stockport, there is no doubt in my mind that we're we to cash in we'd get significantly more than double what we paid for his services.

I hope that scenario doesn't happen anytime soon though. Joe was to my mind the best centre half in League Two by an absolute distance (Whoever picked that team of the year for the EFL is literally clueless), he can EASILY step up to L1.

Hopefully he resists the offers that no doubt will come his way these days. He may as well become the best centre half in League One with us next season. Then, it won't be Exeter who come knocking it'll be Everton.

Joe Lewis, the man, the myth, the shorts. 

Anyway tomorrow we'll look at the midfield. 

Cometh the hour....

By far my favourite moment from Saturdays game was when young Aaron Sasu smashed a shot way over the bar in the dying moments. I shouldn't think Chris in the MyPie van was overly enamoured with it landing on a tray of his meat pies, but I loved it. I loved it because I love the player and it showed that he had learned from his hesitancy the previous week. I know exactly what I'd want him to do if I was a gnarly defender playing against him. The previous week he did ALL of those things and more. I'd have had the cigars out, just like Gillingham. When he does THIS sort of stuff though, instinctive dribbles, snapshots, just let's it all flow, I'd be putting the cigar down sharpish & calling for the magic sponge for a mystery injury. Keep doing it son, keep taking people on, keep taking shots, keep making defenders defend.

In many ways the Sasu conundrum mirrors our own trials and tribulations. We are playing the whole game EXACTLY how I'd be preparing all week if I was setting up against us. We continually do precisely what I'd want the opposition to do. Every single corner in-swinging? Check. Every time we get a throw-in Riley Harbottle hurls it in? Check. Never leave someone with pace up top for the counter when we're defending a corner? Check. Never shoot from distance nor play through the thirds? Check. In fairness we at least had a go at the thirds thing at times against Port Vale. It was good to see but we must do it more.

So like Aaron Sasu, it's time for us to start considering what the opposition would LEAST like us to do, and do more of whatever it is. I'm bound to say that one of the hardest things to plan against, to play against is variety. How about a surprise corner to the edge of the box for Tilley to hit it? A fake long throw where Riley shapes to launch it but flips it back for someone to cross? How about our wide players cutting inside and hitting it, more rotation amongst the strikers to open up pass lanes? How about more of Joe Lewis's Captain Caveman one man charge against Donny?

Because so regimented is our play, so predictable is it in it's execution, we've sucked the life out of our football. We've become a football by numbers team, and when you do that you oughtn't to be too surprised that opposition managers work out how to nullify it, that's unfortunately where we are.

The good news is that the difference between a team that is flowing and one that is stuttering is only a percentage point or two. The flowers play first time passes, ghost into space knowing the ball will find them. For the stutterers it's one touch too many, static and predictable movement, obsession with shape. Football by fear gets what it deserves, but losing the fear isn't easy.

That fear though WILL go, it always does. We need it ideally to be this weekend. Obviously the hope is that a striker gets one in "off someone's arse" or that a midfielder just gambles on getting on the end of something and it works out, we need a spark from somewhere.

When we get it (the spark) watch the belief and confidence surge through the team. That's why I loved Sasu's shot, it had an element of "Fuck it, I'll just have a go" about it, we desperately need more of that. And when people DO have a go, even if it doesn't work, the teammates, fans & management team need to immediately pat them on the back for trying.

Because now is the time for brave souls, it's the time for a hero. Somebody, somewhere is going to get the chance to write their name into club folklore Ronan Curtis style. The time for wondering is over, it's doing time now. Let's go to Grimsby and get the job done. COYD

Are we down & out?

I think like most fans, the defeat and performance at Gillingham left me feeling about as low as I have all season. Possibly even more so in my particular case, Aaron Sasu turning in such an insipid performance after I'd banged on about him all season made it all the worse. It's tempting for a fleeting moment at times like that to give up. Give up on the players, the manager, our situation, football, all of it. All over the Internet fans were downing tools in the immediate aftermath, from the scaffolded away seats of Gillingham people made their displeasure clearly known.

I absolutely get it. I'm sure the players and management do too. Even young Josh Neufville (who to my mind let himself down a bit by telling the fans to "eff off") will no doubt reflect that he ought to have done better there. The fans are 100% justified in their frustration, albeit from my perspective booing players and hurling abuse has never been a productive use of anyones time. Here's the thing though, EVERYONE is frustrated. I 100% believe Johnnie Jackson & Skivvers will be, the players too. The fans don't OWN frustration. Just like they don't own anger, desire to do well. Those emotions are shared by everyone involved, probably more so.

Once the dust settles though, as it has (for me) now, once you get to inspect the actual damage, things never seem so bad. They aren't THAT bad here either. Why? Well firstly, I've a strong hunch that even if we lose our last two games we'll still sneak into the playoffs. Providing we don't lose both games 8-0 or something, our goal difference I reckon will mean we already have enough points. I know it's mathematically possible we miss out, but it won't in my opinion happen.

So there's that. But what of the football I hear you ask? Well I'm not going to beat about the bush here. Over the last few months the games in which we've played really well (Doncaster away) have been the blips. By and large we have been utter shite. I know Johnnie has to come out and say "it was a tough place to come", "we dominated the first half", "we got in some great situations" and all of that old bollocks, but in his heart of hearts (unless he is mental) he will know that we are unrecognizable from the team which wore our shirt until Christmas. We all know the stats because some of our fans provide excellent analysis online, I therefore don't need to set them out/steal them. Suffice to say the stats confirm the naked eye analysis, we are playing shite and are currently not a great football team. At all.

The GOOD news is (and this is frankly a fucking brilliant thing), it doesn't matter at all. Yes, it's true. How we have played since Christmas, the leads we've thrown away (do yourself a favour, don't check out the "Up to 75 minutes on the clock" league table), the defeats at Morecambe, Swindon, Gillingham, all of that shit, NONE OF IT MATTERS. None of it matters even 1%, infact not even one billionth of one per cent. All of it is about as relevant to our current situation as who wins celebrity traitors, namely it totally makes no difference. You cannot impact on what has gone, all you can look to influence is what is coming. That's where we are. We hopefully have five more games to play (I think the automatics are gone) and from here, our focus should be all about how we win the playoffs final at Wembley.

If it was me (and thank God it isn't) I'd look to Saturdays game as a rehearsal for our home leg in the playoffs. We need an extra midfield player in there in order to enable us to play more football. We are seemingly wedded to the five at the back, so we MUST drop the idea of three strikers and we must play a 5-3-2. The three strikers doesn't work for Matty Stevens, and as he's the most likely scorer we should play to suit him. We cannot continue to launch it via Owen Goodman or Joe Lewis every time we get the ball, if we are going to create more chances we must mix it up and play a little more/some football.

DISCLAIMER-This more expansive approach increases the likelihood we will lose the game. It probably increases our chances of winning it too, but I'm more concerned with having a go at being more expansive. We are going to need to do that in the home leg of the playoffs, then at Wembley. God knows how it'd work out on Wembleys vast expanse of pitch if we played our "bazooka it forward and see where it bounces" style, but if that IS our plan we'd better take some oxygen tanks and a de-fib unit for the players if it's a warm day.

Against Grimsby, I'd go into it and play exactly the same way we have in nearly every game since Christmas. Namely make the game as tediously, mind blowingingly boring as possible, and go all out for a 0-0. That's to practice for the away leg of the playoffs. We're pretty good at this bit, having grooved the method over a sustained period.

I KNOW our situation is frustrating, I KNOW that many think we could have won it never mind been automatically promoted, but none of it matters now. ALL that matters is the next four games, do those right and we'll be at Wembley. From there, cometh the hour and all that jazz. Get behind the team, cheer them on, this could STILL be a great season. COYD

Down to the wire!

What an absolutely brilliant division League Two has been this season. Not necessarily in terms of quality, but when it comes to drama it's absolute box office. In terms of pure "quality" I think any one of last seasons promotees, (Stockport/Wrexham/Mansfield) would have won it comfortably, but they aren't in it. So without them and without any big gun new entrants from other divisions, it's been an absolute back bar brawl between lots of evenly matched teams.

Hardly surprising then that at this stage, there is a distinct lack of "On the beach" teams who have bugger all to play for. Unfortunately for us, tomorrow's opponents Chesterfield are definitely still in the game. Unlike us they have a relatively easy run in with two very winnable final games. They'll be thinking that if they win tomorrow, they are right in the mix.

They may not catch US (and thank God for our defence & goal difference) but they'll definitely have an eye on gatecrashing the playoffs. So obviously will Colchester, while even as far down as 11th spot (Crewe) they'll be thinking "Win our last four and we're in", they probably would be too. 

I'd say that for us with our chunky GD, four points would see us in. But hang on, since when have we looked DOWN this season? I also think that if we win our last four we go up automatically. That'd probably not now be as Champions, but so what?

So anyway how do we do it? Well first things first, if we continue to play with the spirit, resolve and desire we showed at Doncaster we will piss into the playoffs. We were absolutely magnificent from minute one, and to my mind deserved to win the match in the end. That's away, with ten men, against what is without question one of the best teams in the league. The players and coaching staff were absolutely given a standing ovation at the end, they thoroughly deserved it.

That last bit, "The coaching staff" is important. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that over the last few weeks we've decided to roll the dice a little more. That's both in selection (with Josh Kelly, Usama Follo and Aaron Sasu being dusted off and wheeled out BEFORE the 89 minute mark) but also tactically too. On Saturday for example we obviously had to defend when down to ten men, but once Billy Sharpe got sent off we opened up and had a proper go at winning it. It DID take us ten minutes or so to realise that we didn't actually have to get everyone behind the ball any more, but once we did and once we made the subs, we were much the likelier winner of what became a basketball match. The players were on their knees at the end, they gave absolutely everything. That's the football that we (or I anyway) love to see.

So bravery, rolling the dice etc, what does it look like? Well it'll disappoint many that for me anyway, it doesn't mean wholesale changes to the starting eleven nor the style. It's tweaks we need not tinkering, and now we realise what we actually have on the bench it's very much a question of using it.

And what do we have? Well Josh Kelly is probably the best "footballing" forward we have. He has the pass, the feint and the finish to effect games and have an impact whether centrally or wide. I remain convinced he's a very good player who could have done much better for us save for the bounce of the football here and there. He will in future.

Young Folo is as raw as a kid being shoved through a brothel doorway on his 18th birthday night out. Absolutely no idea what he's doing but totally bristling with intent. He has endless potential, he's a striker I would have hated to play against at any level. He also has that beautiful gift of the fact that when he's around, stuff happens. You can't teach that. If he played cricket he'd come on to bowl when the partnership was 150 and take a wicket with his first ball (a slow full toss). Some people just have it, he does.

And Aaron Sasu. I used to meet lots of folks who said to me "I just don't see it Mick, what does he actually DO?". Others told me I was clueless, the kid was at best National League South standard and that he should be loaned out/given away. A fella told me at half time on Saturday that he's never had a goal involvement in 38 games (forgetting that in many he's played two minutes). Well suffice to say that in football fan parlance, where Sasu is concerned "It's all gone quiet over there". Frankly if you still "Can't see it" after his last couple of appearances, I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to say. What I WILL say is that I'd be very surprised if we aren't fielding decent offers for him in the Summer (I'm talking multiples of a hundred grand). Thank God Johnnie & Skivvers "see it", but unfortunately the rest of the football world does too.

So tomorrow. Massive match, let's get behind the lads and see where it takes us. A win almost guarantees a playoff slot, four more wins and I reckon we go up automatically. COYD

Down the stretch!

As we come well and truly inside the League Two final furlong, so tight is it that we can realistically finish anywhere between 1st & 8th. To be honest 8th is probably LESS likely than 1st, our superior goal difference meaning that Colchester in 8th are effectively seven points behind us with five games to go. That's too big a gap for me, so hate on me all you like but I'm telling you here & now, WE WILL AT LEAST MAKE THE PLAYOFFS unless we absolutely fall off a cliff.

If I'm right on that one (and I am), it just goes to show how vital the win against Harrogate really was. Equally, it demonstrates that the "it's all about the three points really" analysis from the manager was spot on. That win has given us some breathing space, we can bank on a playoff spot now and properly have a look at things above us.

Now in my book it's far too early to be concerning ourselves with who we'd like to play if we DO end up being in the playoffs. Similarly, we shouldn't bother with the old "teams that finish fourth don't go up" theory. Our concern from here ought to be winning the title, if we can't manage that getting into the top three. Obviously if we make even a credible attempt at those two objectives, we are GUARANTEED a playoff slot should we fall short.

Now in the aftermath of Saturdays win, many people in the pub were downbeat and told me it was "the worst they'd ever seen us play". In my eyes we were miles off that (I've seen us play really badly) and I thought there were encouraging signs. Those same people are now saying Doncaster is a MUST win, I can't agree with that either.

If we lose at Doncaster on Saturday and at least one of the top three (Bradford, Port Vale, Walsall) win, I'd say our hopes of winning the league are as good as over. Defeat would unless the top three all have a bad day, make getting into the top three difficult too.

Draw at Doncaster though, and unless the top three ALL win then we still have a great chance. To paraphrase Johnny, Doncaster IS a "tough place to come" and I don't care what anyone says, a point there ain't a bad result. Even if we lose, we will still make the playoffs. Absolutely no need to panic.

The good news though is that a win catapults us into the picture like "man fired from a cannon" circus act doing some photo bombing. With our goal difference, we wouldn't then be in "pole" position but we would be on the starting grid as the only car with wet weather tires on as the monsoon blows over. I'd back us to get into the top three if we win, win our last five and I'd say we probably finish up as Champions.

So for those of us going up to Donnie, what can we expect/hope for off Johnnie and the boys. Well first things first, I know young Follo did well for us on Saturday but I definitely wouldn't start him here. Similarly and even as the founder member of his fan club I wouldn't start Aaron Sasu. No, I'd be going with the team and players which have gotten us into the position we're in. Similarly the formation and style. Now's not the time to start inverting full backs or trying a false nine, we need to be sticking to the style that's gotten us into the playoff spots in the first place.

"Hang on, I thought you wanted changes" I hear you say, and I do. There's a time and a place though, this isn't either. No, we must go into the lions den with a team of men, a group of lads who when they look into the whites of each others eyes see nothing but 100% commitment, are willing Ng to go to war. It's going to be very difficult but we can go to Doncaster and win. It's our time, let's get it done.