It probably should never have come to this, but our game against Notts County tomorrow has taken on truly seismic importance. Defeats in our last two games have made any talk of us winning the title appear fanciful, and if we don't snap out of our blip very soon then I'm afraid any talk of "the automatics" will go the same way.
Fortunately as is always the case in league two, we could quite easily win tomorrow and the whole thing will look different. From there we'll then beat Cheltenham at home on Tuesday and we'd go to Carlisle tomorrow week knowing a win would have us right back up there.
In order for that to happen, the stats would firmly suggest that we need to score the first goal. I can't remember the exact numbers (not can I be arsed to work it out for myself) but our record when we go behind is terrible. That's not just this season either. While our record under Johnnie Jackson has improved in many areas, in this respect it definitely hasn't.
So anyway, if the wheels are in the process of falling off and we're entering our now traditional end of season slump (lose tomorrow & both of those outcones look likely) then what has caused it? Where did we go wrong?
Well it'll surprise nobody to read that I personally think we are once again paying the price for not really "going for it" enough. If you play lots of football matches where you either score one, or zip, sooner or later you are going to come unstuck. Similarly, if once you go behind you play in a manner which often seems devoid of a coherent plan, you are going to often lose when you concede the first goal.
Taken in order, I don't FWIW think that we send the team out to be negative. I don't think we work on patterns of play which end up with us having nobody in the box. I'd be very surprised if we get the old magnetic board out and say "Look lads, when you get into THESE good areas, DON'T cross it, DON'T take your man on and definitely DON'T have a shot. No, please pass it backwards and start again". There are fans on message boards who swear blind that this is the Dave Reddington mantra, that Johnnie is Mourinhoesque in his adherence to not taking risks, but I don't buy it.
In truth though whether I buy it or not, there is no question that the scenario above is exactly what happens. I've lost count for example of the number of times we get a throw in on the corner of the oppositions box then it ends up back with our goalkeper. That surely can't be part of the plan, but it frequently happens nonetheless. I'm not yearning BTW for the Barney Rubble bloke who hurled it into the area from all angles last season. I AM though asking for our football to be a bit more progressive than what we often see. Similarly I'm not asking us to go all total football, but our "stock ball" of the diagonal launch is only ever going to be properly effective if we mix it up with some actual football sometimes. We have the players to do it, we just need to be much braver.
And speaking of bravery, any "Go & impact the game" messaging from the management team is getting totally lost in the ether. "Take him on", "Hit it", "Get in the box" has to be the thing. Maybe some Jurgen Klopp style clapping above your head from the bench when a shot flies over the bar might be thing. There has to be SOMETHING though. We are playing as if we are scared to fail, scared to lose, scared to take a chance.
Funnily enough, we ought to play with that fear MORE when we are behind. Now I know I've said this before many times, one more won't hurt. When you are behind in a game of football just about your primary concern is keeping the ball in play. I repeat, YOU MUST KEEP THE BALL IN PLAY. If that means not flying into a 50/50 so as to avoid giving a foul away, so be it. If it means not kicking it out for a throw in but taking a chance in possession, so be it. Each time the game stops it is like crack cocaine for the team in front.
So in conclusion, play with freedom is my urge. DON'T be afraid that your shot might clear the stand, don't worry that you might not get past the full back, don't worry if you attacking the box leaves your man free on the breakaway. Go get in there, impact the game.
And if you do concede to go behind, keep the ball in play at all costs.
Lastly start Aaron Sasu. At centre forward. It's time.
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