Until the Nob End game I had quite surprised myself how I had reacted to our
defeats this season. Perhaps it’s because we are not struggling, perhaps it’s
because we generally play something like a decent team even in defeat. But probably being
beat by Forest or Brum is a lot more palatable than Colchester or Darlo!
The game at Tom Finneyland was disappointing because we
didn’t play as well as we all know we can. Shorn of Ball, Briscoe, Branch and Big
Glen, and with Cookey sold too cheaply, for the first time this season we showed that the
squad hasn’t as much depth as I would like. I admire Jeppo’s fight, and his
spirit helps the squad, but when was the last time he had an effect when he came on as a
sub?
We need to strengthen the squad, but to a much lesser
extent than most of us dared hope for after promotion. Without Cookey, and to a lesser
extent Lee and Gray, we need another forward. Stan admits it, but I would have kept Cookey
for the three local derbys if we knew we couldn’t get another striker in. But we
don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, so a striker remains on my Christmas list!
Without Glen we don’t create enough. Second on my
list would be another midfielder to compete with Paul Cook. Can you imagine us being on
top in a game and being in a position to bring PC on to stroke it about? That’s where
we need to be/
To expect more than two signings would be foolish, but
Sir Stan is always full of surprises, so perhaps more cover at full/wing back would be my
third wish.
If defeat to Dog End was hard to stomach, defeat
against the team on Devilroad 666 was even more painful.
What a disgrace that the town which aspires to be a
city could not sell 4,200 tickets. Free coaches, ex-champions, big spenders, but obviously
Jackass could not buy fans. (Quiz question: who, apart from Men City, was the last team to
sell their full allocation of tickets for a visit to t’Turf?)
The police did a splendid job in Burnley. Much as I
hate them (and I do) it does the club no good at all to allow our meatheads to inflict
physical pain on anyone in a new blue and white shirt. (Did anyone spot a roverite with
anything older than the Trelleborg game on?) (I just had to mention them, didn’t I!)
I must, however, make a complaint at the lawlessness
that was allowed to go unchecked in that small town near Accy where the free coaches set
off from. Hundreds of the scum got away scot-free. Watching a TV without a licence! Surely
Jack Strawhead can’t condone such behaviour.
If we had to win one of the two games against this
poorly supported outfit then I’d rather win at Evilwood, so here’s hoping. Oh,
and I bet we sell all our tickets!
It shows what fantastic steps Stan and Kilby have made
forward for us to have 38 points at this stage of the season. We are more than holding our
own in this division to date. We have a very tough end to the season, so we need to push
on during the next few months, and who knows how well we’ll finish up?
So I can’t complain, but equally I can’t help
but be bitterly disappointed to lose to two of our smaller Lancashire rivals in two weeks.
Up the Clarets.
