Not for the first time this season, at the end of the game on Saturday we were left with a "What was all the fuss about?" feeling about a well beaten opponent. Like the all conquering Bradford and Doncaster before them, Notts County were comfortably dispatched by what is palpably a better team than any of them can claim to be.
Sitting where I do down the far end of the West Stand I get to see the subs warming up. Not the first time as I watched young Foyo going through his paces, Sasu blistering up the touchline like a racehorse on the first light gallops, I was left thinking that our opponents would love our "options". Foyo looks like an unbelievably powerful lad for his young age, while it will surprise nobody that I think Aaron Sasu would start for Notts County alongside Jatta (What a front two that would be). Callum Maycock is an excellent player who on Saturdays evidence would walk into their team, while Riley Harbottle would no doubt start for his home town club too.
We oughtn't therefore be overly surprised that we have the capability to beat these teams with plenty in hand. Bradford and Doncaster may have "only" been 1-0 wins, but they were as comfortable as you'll ever see at that score. The Notts County fans took to singing the ironic "We've had a shot!" on Saturday (past the hour mark for the first time) and I remain convinced that based on squad strength, we really ought to have ambitions of winning the league.
The fact that we probably don't anymore isn't because we've been beaten by good teams, it's because our record against really poor teams on the road is way below what it should be. To go to the Franchise, Accrington, Fleetwood and Morecambe and pick up three points out of twelve is bang average at best given how good a team we are. To not score a goal in any of them, in six hours of football is what will ultimately cost us a shot at the title.
The good news is, if we go up second or third (indeed if we go up at all), nobody will give a shite. When people regale me with stories of our last promotion, nobody says it would have been better if we'd finished sixth in the league rather than seventh. Nobody cares. We went up, that's all that matters and that'll be the case this time too.
Obviously our best chance of achieving our goal is if we go up automatically. That way we avoid a freak bad game putting us out, a mental refereeing display. The playoffs are a lottery, I'd prefer a premium bond to a Euromillions ticket any day.
And Saturday was the blueprint for how we get there. From minute one we were bristling with attacking intent. Ali Smith really ought to have scored from Sam Hutchinson's cross after three minutes, every time we got the ball we streamed forward, flooded the area and looked threatening. I've stopped worrying about the defence. With big Joe Lewis (the best centre half in L2 by a distance) back there, we ain't gonna concede many.
And football is a simpler game than we all make out. If you make lots of chances then concede hardly any, all things being equal you'll win lots of matches. That's what we have to from here on in, and I've a notion that as a team, as a management group we need to trust the lads at the back a bit more. Big Joe, Isaac, Hutch, Johno and our two excellent fullbacks ain't gonna concede many chances. OG is having a fine season too as he showed with his amazing save on Saturday, let's trust them more.
So Johnny please no more "hard place to come" interviews, no more "it's a great point on the road" comments after 0-0's, believe in yourself and the brilliant team you've built and go smash somebody up. Get off the bus, kick the front door in, take the points, punch the carpark attendant on the nose on the way out & fuck off back home. Defend higher, commit men forwards, make the subs five minutes earlier, speed the game up.
There isn't a team in this division that can live with us when we're right. We are too big, too strong, too powerful. When our first choicers are knackered we can replace them with young lads who are bristling with intent, even quicker across the grass.
We have the tools, we have the weapons, it's time for a bit of blitzcreig football. Smash this lot tomorrow then get up to Carlisle and give them a good hiding. That's NOT a hard place to come, not when you've got a team which has a player who is better than theirs in every single position on the pitch.
Go there and WIN, then WIN again. It's time to believe, let's not die wondering.
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