The End of the Eight Written by paulthebluealien on Wednesday, 22nd Oct 2014 14:31 So, Town's rather heroic run of unbeaten games has come crashing to an end. A total of four wins and four draws from eight games is in any division, highly respectable. A run that has consisted of wins where we have played great football, scored sensational goals and kicked the poor cat when another 90+ goal has scrambled itself past our ginger bearded caveman goalkeeper. Yet, is it not possible that last night's rather poor 3 - 1 defeat at Cardiff, a resurgent Cardiff I may add, be a blessing in disguise? The Norwich game certainly was just that, it woke us up and we were forced into changing things and trying new players. I am not suggesting a similar overhaul, rather, that it will provide us with the bit between our teeth to kick Huddersfield into the stands on Saturday. Now, it all depends whether you are a realist or a pessimist. A pessimistic person will argue, rightly in the Blackburn game only, that Town have dropped four points before Tuesday's dreary defeat. This is in part true. Although, it is forgotten that Forest battered us for large parts of the second half at the City Ground. A draw seemed fair enough in my eyes in that one. Despite the last-gasp goal. Moreover, a pessimist will read our results as four games without a win, rather than the end of an eight-game unbeaten run. I would point out four consecutive wins beforehand. I would also point to the stupidity of this division. Town are sitting on 20 points. The same as they were after 16 games last season. We missed out on the play-offs by four points, do the maths. We are very much in contention. Mick McCarthy has maintained that the play-offs are our aim. I am entitled to agree with him. I do think, however, that one player has been largely overlooked in our recent games. That is because he has been injured. Luke Hyam is instrumental in our midfield. He offers defensive strength to what is, an increasingly attacking team. We speak of balance and him, alongside old man Skuse, provide protection for the back four. The correlation of goals against in the eight games that Hyam was in the team is considerably lower than when Town were missing him. Town do, however, have a strange vulnerability from set pieces and crosses at the moment. For a team that is known for its barbarian-style defending, this is rather surprising. At the moment, we are struggling to kill games off. I do, however, observe our next four games as vital. We have three out of four at home. With Huddersfield, Wolves and our bogey team Watford all coming to Portman Road. It would not surprise me, if we picked up at least seven points in these games. The point dropped, of course, is for that blooming Watford game. Blackpool away, is of course, follows Huddersfield. Furthermore, I will challenge on here that Town's only defeat at home this season will be against those unloyal, angry, miserable, won nothing bunch in Norfolk. Any takers? So, to conclude, where does this eight-game run and blunt display leave us? Well, in all, it has left us challenging at the right end of the table. We are scrapping away with about 14 others for those play-off places. A few, notably Charlton will fade away. The defeat? The defeat will, in my opinion, give us a wake up call that no last-gasp equaliser can provide. We now know that we need to start winning football matches if we are going to succeed this year. I maintain, that we will do so. Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
|
Blogs by paulthebluealienBlogs 295 bloggers |