"Lads, we can still do this - we just need every result for ourselves and 4 other teams to go perfectly as well as a 9 goal swing in our favour and we're there. Book the hotels, Wem-ber-ley - it's what we do, it's in our DNA etc etc."
It's over...
We weren't very good today, we lost, no one wants read some shit pretending like the game hasn't happened and to be honest, I'm keen to get this over and done with - I'm adjusting to the idea that even though today was a 3 o'clock kick off and it felt like a Saturday, it was actually a Monday and therefore tomorrow isn't Sunday but instead Tuesday and therefore instead of a lie in, I've got to go to work, which feels all wrong when you've just been through the physical routine and emotional journey of a Saturday.
On Friday it was also like a Saturday and I watched the game on my phone so everyone looked tiny and then the tiniest of them all, turned up the hope with a lethal hattrick and Saturday felt like a great Sunday but now Sunday is Saturday again but this time with no Sunday and just a shit Tuesday ahead.
...Let's just cut to the chase.
---
Maclean scores. Because of course he does. And it's a shit goal too. FOR FUCKS SAKE. The ball that makes it is, to be fair, a truly brilliant pass, a quick, instinctive cross field ball that turns a nothing moment into a something moment but fucking hell, we just melt at the back and Evans looking like he's carrying three giant bags of wet washing with a gippy leg makes a pathetic attempt at closing down and Coulson seems to take the opportunity to audition as a magician's assistant for the next series of Britain's Got Hipster Left Backs Who Are Better Going Forward Than Backwards and climbs into a box and vanishes. Meanwhile, the object of our ire just wanders dreamily into the box, stops to admire the pitch (it's very good, well done everyone on that at least,) picks a daisy, muses at the way some of the petals have a pink tinge to them, has a little stretch, makes a couple of phone calls and ties his shoelaces, before slotting the ball home.
For fucks sake.
They score again. I'd like to be angry at the officials who inexplicably give Wrexham a corner that's definitely not a corner about 60 seconds earlier but I'm all out of rage. We never properly get it clear and then we concede 'that goal' again, the one where a simple cross comes in, some lad deceives our defence by moving and it all feels piss easy. I know it's not that simple in reality but it's frustrating as fuck that we defend really well sometimes but then appear to concede pretty crap goals quite often. I suppose if I was writing the other way, I'd be talking about the masterful poaching instincts and the beautifully flighted cross but it seems ages since we've scored goals like that regularly.
All game we're frustrating. First half we probably just about match Wrexham - they have the better chances and Tyrer makes a clutch of saves ranging from sharp, but you'd expect him to save it, to really sharp and actually, you'd expect the forward to score more often than not. We have good spells both early and later in the half but we're in 'piss about in front of goal' mode and no one wants to shoot or chuck themselves at a cross and I can only remember a decent-ish Apter effort troubling their massive keeper (who is excellent with his hands, but terrible with his feet) as he tips over a shot that looks like it might be going over anyway.
Silvera is anonymous. We really miss Carey. We have the ball up front and Silvera isn't doing what Sonny does and bursting into an attacking channel whether wide or central. He's not carrying the ball much either which is also what Sonny does. He's also not really doing much until the ball comes near him when he springs into life. The lack of Carey's work rate (working isn't just 'tackling' - it's the incessant movement and constant runs and pressing and blocking passing lanes that Sonny does) is putting a lot of pressure on Evans and Morgan who aren't having a vintage game either. Evans is particularly out of tune, he lumbers about like a piano that's been dropped down the stairs - he's all flats and sharps - you can recognise the melody he's going for, but today it's very harsh on the ears... He goes long when short would do, backwards when forwards seems on and plays it slow when quick is needed and slows it down when it seems that fast would be the order of the day.
Still, we get to half time and I'm thinking that maybe the pressure is all on Wrexham here and I'm expecting us to unleash Tom Bloxham and maybe CJ a bit later and pick them off on the break as they start to get desperate and the pressure of being global icons who are expected to fulfil the narrative demands expected of them starts to weigh on them.
That doesn't happen as we already know. Wrexham are deceptive. They don't look particularly outstanding - we've played them twice and neither time did any of their players blow me away individually - but they're an effective side who do pretty simple football things and have lots of pretty good players and if you do the basics of being a team and having some set pieces worked out and being fit and have more quality players than the other teams, then over the season, you'll probably do well. Phil Parkinson is not unlike Steve Bruce in that he's not daft, he's been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and they just feel like a 'unit' - we also do on our day, but today, we feel more like a collection of pieces missing some glue to stick us together.
For fucks sake.
They score again. I'd like to be angry at the officials who inexplicably give Wrexham a corner that's definitely not a corner about 60 seconds earlier but I'm all out of rage. We never properly get it clear and then we concede 'that goal' again, the one where a simple cross comes in, some lad deceives our defence by moving and it all feels piss easy. I know it's not that simple in reality but it's frustrating as fuck that we defend really well sometimes but then appear to concede pretty crap goals quite often. I suppose if I was writing the other way, I'd be talking about the masterful poaching instincts and the beautifully flighted cross but it seems ages since we've scored goals like that regularly.
All game we're frustrating. First half we probably just about match Wrexham - they have the better chances and Tyrer makes a clutch of saves ranging from sharp, but you'd expect him to save it, to really sharp and actually, you'd expect the forward to score more often than not. We have good spells both early and later in the half but we're in 'piss about in front of goal' mode and no one wants to shoot or chuck themselves at a cross and I can only remember a decent-ish Apter effort troubling their massive keeper (who is excellent with his hands, but terrible with his feet) as he tips over a shot that looks like it might be going over anyway.
Silvera is anonymous. We really miss Carey. We have the ball up front and Silvera isn't doing what Sonny does and bursting into an attacking channel whether wide or central. He's not carrying the ball much either which is also what Sonny does. He's also not really doing much until the ball comes near him when he springs into life. The lack of Carey's work rate (working isn't just 'tackling' - it's the incessant movement and constant runs and pressing and blocking passing lanes that Sonny does) is putting a lot of pressure on Evans and Morgan who aren't having a vintage game either. Evans is particularly out of tune, he lumbers about like a piano that's been dropped down the stairs - he's all flats and sharps - you can recognise the melody he's going for, but today it's very harsh on the ears... He goes long when short would do, backwards when forwards seems on and plays it slow when quick is needed and slows it down when it seems that fast would be the order of the day.
Still, we get to half time and I'm thinking that maybe the pressure is all on Wrexham here and I'm expecting us to unleash Tom Bloxham and maybe CJ a bit later and pick them off on the break as they start to get desperate and the pressure of being global icons who are expected to fulfil the narrative demands expected of them starts to weigh on them.
That doesn't happen as we already know. Wrexham are deceptive. They don't look particularly outstanding - we've played them twice and neither time did any of their players blow me away individually - but they're an effective side who do pretty simple football things and have lots of pretty good players and if you do the basics of being a team and having some set pieces worked out and being fit and have more quality players than the other teams, then over the season, you'll probably do well. Phil Parkinson is not unlike Steve Bruce in that he's not daft, he's been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and they just feel like a 'unit' - we also do on our day, but today, we feel more like a collection of pieces missing some glue to stick us together.
Our best move saw Apter slip it away down the right, one of those amazing little passes he does when you think he's got no chance, he sends Offiah who saunters forward, past a few, surely must shoot, but squares it to Ennis who I really like but plays today like he's accidentally worn some shit canvas trainers instead of his boots and can't control anything for fear of slipping over and he then doesn't shoot and then finally Albie Morgan does shoot but wellies it over. It was actually a really good move but sort of summed us up that the shot came about three passes too late and wasn't very good when it did.
I literally can't think of anything else to say - I can't remember any other chances other than CJ wellying it miles over and Apter, Offiah and Evans having a full blown row on the pitch with lots of arm flapping and pointing, seemingly because Evans feels neither of the other two are attuned to the 4d chess genius of his passing which to the untrained 3d eye such as mine, seemed simply a bit dicey at times today and maybe yelling at others when you've just played them into danger isn't exactly inspiring. I dunno. Evans is great when he's on it, but he looks knackered at the moment.
The goal we pull back is meaningless but I was nonetheless pleased that Apter scored, because his determination to attack was really not matched by anyone else and he played some blinding little tricks and sometimes had the beating of his full back. Yeah, he loses the ball but he's willing to go at goal and frequently today was furthest forward and calling for the ball at the point we were looking to break. It was that kind of day where that really was as good as it got.
---
Bruce's tactics were a bit weird today. The change I wanted to see at half time was Bloxham on the right and Apter switched to the left but we didn't see that - that said, I can't help but feel we're clutching at straws because (and I'm aware I've written this exact ending before) we're not good enough to go up. That's not down to any one player or any single choice we've made tactically - it's down to the overall make up of the squad and the lack of depth therein.
It's great having a regular line up but you simply can't expect 2 central midfielders to rock up 46 games a season and have 92 good performances and if you lose the middle of the park against anyone any good, you lose the game. That's what happened today, with Carey out, we've literally no back up at all and anyway, when Carey isn't on the left, you lose what he's brought of late and so you've got another hole and your central midfield backup shouldn't be a player who is already in the starting 11 in a different role and who probably isn't really the player you'd want in there anyway over a prolonged period.
The goal we pull back is meaningless but I was nonetheless pleased that Apter scored, because his determination to attack was really not matched by anyone else and he played some blinding little tricks and sometimes had the beating of his full back. Yeah, he loses the ball but he's willing to go at goal and frequently today was furthest forward and calling for the ball at the point we were looking to break. It was that kind of day where that really was as good as it got.
---
Bruce's tactics were a bit weird today. The change I wanted to see at half time was Bloxham on the right and Apter switched to the left but we didn't see that - that said, I can't help but feel we're clutching at straws because (and I'm aware I've written this exact ending before) we're not good enough to go up. That's not down to any one player or any single choice we've made tactically - it's down to the overall make up of the squad and the lack of depth therein.
It's great having a regular line up but you simply can't expect 2 central midfielders to rock up 46 games a season and have 92 good performances and if you lose the middle of the park against anyone any good, you lose the game. That's what happened today, with Carey out, we've literally no back up at all and anyway, when Carey isn't on the left, you lose what he's brought of late and so you've got another hole and your central midfield backup shouldn't be a player who is already in the starting 11 in a different role and who probably isn't really the player you'd want in there anyway over a prolonged period.
It's over, c'est la vie. For want of an athletic hard tackling midfielder we have squandered too many points.
Thoughts turn to summer.
There's a job to do. It could well be a massive one.
I hope we're prepared for it.
Onward
Thoughts turn to summer.
There's a job to do. It could well be a massive one.
I hope we're prepared for it.
Onward
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