It's been a while, but I've been reflecting on things.
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:15 pm
I've kind of binned off football this season. A collection of being busy at work, my daughter and the continued stress that comes with it has added to my lack of interest. Maybe therefore I have no basis to be commenting on anything. Especially as I've seen only a few games this season. If that. Maybe it was just one or two, I just don't know.
What strikes me recently when the results come up on my phone is that we are nosediving. There was a point where we looked formidable. I had every confidence that when my phone buzzed it would be bringing me good news. Another 3 points in the column. Another scalp collected. Another result that made the critics take note. It was never going to last, that was obvious. It took arsenal pretty much 100 years to equal Prestons unbeaten season record. We were always going to lose some games.
I cast my mind back to Christmas and everything looked so rosy. We were second and looking strong. For a side with little spent on it and unable to name a full bench of players, we were doing the unlikely. We were exceeding all expectations. That has been our downfall.
We overachieved. Massively.
I sit here now thinking of how I wanted the season to pan out. Our 13/14 season in the second tier (something like that anyway) was looking like being another run of the mill affair. We've been through the big spending summers, we've been through the big name loanees, now we were at the far end of the scale. Freebies and little know loans. Why should we, a stalwart of this league, expect much else?
Well we did. Rather impressively for a while too. Reading the reports we were playing good football. Taking it to the other sides. A hard working and effort driven side was making others look p*ss poor. Now the effort is falling away. Why is that? Probably because they're f*cked.
It's been said numerous times recently that we need to mix things up. Our side is too jaded and mick has been too stubborn to change it. He changes it last night and again that seems to be the bone of contention. When things are not working out its easy to pick them apart. Not so much when things are going well. Certain reports have said that Murphy looks off the boil. Therefore I understand why he may have been rested last night, Sears on the other hand has been gleaming praise in an otherwise lacklustre side. So why drop him? Why have we persisted with smith at the back when he has been a long term concern? Why are we playing a centre back at right back when he was one of our most consistent performers at the start of the season? Nobody questioned it at that point. It's only when the going gets tough everyone reacts.
If it's difficult enough for us to find the answer, it should be remembered that Mick is in the same boat. Yes I know that's what he's paid for, but he managed to earn his keep up til christmas. Why the question of his ability now? Has he lost it? Did he never have it?
We have lost 9 games all season. Less than Watford who sit above us. Less than Brentford who perch themselves in that coveted 6th spot. Two losses on the bounce has sent shock waves through the Ipswich community. How far we've come from the start of one season where we couldn't win for like 15 games. Now it's two losses and meltdown.
As I said at the start of my little ramble, I've binned off football this season, I even went as far as saying on my last post that I was done with football if I read "that's the worst I've seen us play" again this season. However one thing I've not forgotten is how far my little side have come.
Would I have taken 7th by a point when asked in August. Yeah, I think I probably would. Overachievement has f*cked that right up though and by the looks of it, not just for me either.
What strikes me recently when the results come up on my phone is that we are nosediving. There was a point where we looked formidable. I had every confidence that when my phone buzzed it would be bringing me good news. Another 3 points in the column. Another scalp collected. Another result that made the critics take note. It was never going to last, that was obvious. It took arsenal pretty much 100 years to equal Prestons unbeaten season record. We were always going to lose some games.
I cast my mind back to Christmas and everything looked so rosy. We were second and looking strong. For a side with little spent on it and unable to name a full bench of players, we were doing the unlikely. We were exceeding all expectations. That has been our downfall.
We overachieved. Massively.
I sit here now thinking of how I wanted the season to pan out. Our 13/14 season in the second tier (something like that anyway) was looking like being another run of the mill affair. We've been through the big spending summers, we've been through the big name loanees, now we were at the far end of the scale. Freebies and little know loans. Why should we, a stalwart of this league, expect much else?
Well we did. Rather impressively for a while too. Reading the reports we were playing good football. Taking it to the other sides. A hard working and effort driven side was making others look p*ss poor. Now the effort is falling away. Why is that? Probably because they're f*cked.
It's been said numerous times recently that we need to mix things up. Our side is too jaded and mick has been too stubborn to change it. He changes it last night and again that seems to be the bone of contention. When things are not working out its easy to pick them apart. Not so much when things are going well. Certain reports have said that Murphy looks off the boil. Therefore I understand why he may have been rested last night, Sears on the other hand has been gleaming praise in an otherwise lacklustre side. So why drop him? Why have we persisted with smith at the back when he has been a long term concern? Why are we playing a centre back at right back when he was one of our most consistent performers at the start of the season? Nobody questioned it at that point. It's only when the going gets tough everyone reacts.
If it's difficult enough for us to find the answer, it should be remembered that Mick is in the same boat. Yes I know that's what he's paid for, but he managed to earn his keep up til christmas. Why the question of his ability now? Has he lost it? Did he never have it?
We have lost 9 games all season. Less than Watford who sit above us. Less than Brentford who perch themselves in that coveted 6th spot. Two losses on the bounce has sent shock waves through the Ipswich community. How far we've come from the start of one season where we couldn't win for like 15 games. Now it's two losses and meltdown.
As I said at the start of my little ramble, I've binned off football this season, I even went as far as saying on my last post that I was done with football if I read "that's the worst I've seen us play" again this season. However one thing I've not forgotten is how far my little side have come.
Would I have taken 7th by a point when asked in August. Yeah, I think I probably would. Overachievement has f*cked that right up though and by the looks of it, not just for me either.
