You don’t need me to tell you that our club has been shrouded in negativity both on and off the field.
Off the field events will take further time, protests and a hell of a lot of money to resolve.
But on the field can be changed quickly.
Before yesterday’s game, I was starting to question how long Mike Phelan would have as manager. Probably all season no matter how many games we lose (assuming no takeover), though how long he should have was the more pertinent question.
Monday’s game against Middlesbrough encapsulated the negativity that the team has been playing with since about the 5th game of the season.
I’ve said it before as have many others, that we need to play to the strengths of the players that we have, which is 3-5-2. What I haven’t said, but have thought about recently is who else should play up front – and I realised that Snodgrasss is easily our most potent goal threat, along with being arguably the most versatile player we have.
Lo and behold, Mikey boy played 3-5-2 with Snodgrass kind of up front. Finally shorning us of the dreadfully negative 4-4-1-1 which simply does not work, especially when it means Elmo is a defender.
He went one step further and chose Huddlestone in midfield instead of our record-signing star player wonderkid supremo, Ryan Mason. Brave. I guess he has a bad case of flu.
Before the match I was tempted to back 0-0. Within 10 minutes I was tempted to back 3-3. I did neither. And someone nearly tempted me to back Frazier Campbell as the last goal scorer but I refrained. If only I had had 13 beers rather than 3 beers the night before, I might have been stupid enough to have backed 3-3 with Campbell last goalscorer.
We’ll be rid of the Allams before I get one of my proper crazy bets in.
You know you can get 10/3 on us staying up with Sky Sports? That is a bit crazy. I might actually have a bet on that – I reckon its 50/50 – we are in touch.
Anyway, I’m not going to go through the ins and outs of the game, not even going to lambast Snodgrass for being overly influenced by Forrestieri.
It was heartening to see a good game yesterday. Even if we had lost, and I’d suggest that we just about deserved to win, I would have come away with a positive feeling.
It was simply a good old-fashioned entertaining game, the likes of which one can get very used to in the Championship but can be very starved of in the Premiserable League.
If the rest of the season can be played out in such a manner, we will surely pick up a fair few points and get some credit for it. Whether it will be enough to stay up is another matter but I’d far rather go down playing entertaining football and enjoying the rest of the season, than playing the negative shite that we had to ensure over recent weeks.
On-field negativity banished? One can only hope.
I was going to go to the Tottenham game on Wednesday night but sadly (or gladly) unemployment has raised its head. If anyone needs a website, drop me an e-mail!
Allam Out. Ooooh nearly managed a post without mentioning the bastards.
Oh and before I go, how could I forget the hero of the week – John Oxley for unveiling THAT banner. Thank you. If anyone needs safety wear, welding products, power tools or any form of engineering products, get down to Wolds Engineering Services. Well, it cost you £2,500
Well done to John Oxley, what a legend!!