Just me spouting off again. Take no notice
I find it soothing if I get something down on paper, so soon after a game has been played, a) while it`s fresh in my mind and, b) to ease the pain.
I don`t need to ask you how you`re feeling after that. There was ambiguity running through the first two league games, in regards to how the Whites had started their 2013/14 Championship campaign. Since, there has been no doubt.
I`ve called this little article ‘None` because that was the solitary answer to all my questions which I asked myself at the final whistle: The number of league wins after 4 games? None. My faith in the defence? None. The amount of creativity in the starting 11? None. The number of goals our attackers have scored? None. The number of clean-sheets in all competitions? None. Clues as to why we signed Jermaine Beckford? You get the message.
Speaking of Beckford? When I looked at the results and scorers from today, this next point stuck in my throat.
I watch football. In fact, I watch a lot of football. Obviously, it`s mostly Premier League games because I can only watch what the neo-monopoly, Sky TV puts out. But I also keep an eye on what goes on in the lower leagues.
Now, I`m no scout and I`m sure I don`t watch as much football as scouts must do, but when Huddersfield avoided relegation last year, it was mostly down to two men: Jermaine Beckford and James Vaughan. Both players were on loan from Leicester and Norwich respectively and both had similar goals-to-game ratios. Being on loan at Huddersfield, both their parent clubs wanted rid. As much as I`m not a scout, I`m equally not a clairvoyant and wouldn`t have known which one of these players would have faired better at their next club. To me, however, it was a no-brainer.
Beckford: nearly 30, with no point to prove, on the reverse slope of his career, with an attitude problem?
Vaughan: 25, from a Premier League club, hungry to prove he can cut it.
Both around the same price and our scouts and management team go for Beckford.
I pleaded for Vaughan over Beckford when it was rumoured we were coveting the Leicester diva while they were both unsigned at Huddersfield. Obviously they weren`t going to listen to me, but look at the stats this season:
Beckford: Played 4, scored 0
Vaughan: Played 5, scored 7
I`ve seen Beckford a few times this season and I can`t think of a type of player we need less at the moment. Lazy, sloppy, poor-touch, petulant, apathetic and worst of all, spent. They can cancel the man`s contract for all I care. In fact, I`d champion it. I know it`s early days, but I`m already done with him. He`s the antithesis of what we need and his indifference is already filtering through the team.
When it filters through to the fans- which it already seems to be doing- Dougie will be held responsible for sticking by his striker. If performances and results continue the way they are, we may then start seeing scenes we thought were only reserved for Gary Megson.
It doesn`t help the cause when the manager comes out after the QPR game and says we deserved more.
I`m sorry, Dougie, but the number of points we deserved from today`s game? None.
The chance of us getting promotion at the moment?
That`s enough of that.