Just me spouting off again, because unlike the players, I care
Yesterday`s result didn`t come as a shock.
No win in the league for 10 games- dating back to April against Birmingham- has delivered the Whites` worst start to any season for 111 years. So, going to the AMEX stadium and coming away 3-1 losers, didn`t surprise me in the slightest. I suppose you can say going 1-0 up in the first half when Brighton had done the majority of the attacking was surprising, but the Wanderers have a set script for such a scenario. After the break, Bolton`s habitual collapse happened within a condensed 4-minute period. After 57 minutes the fight was over. Actually, after 55 minutes the fight was over, when the second of their 3 strikes went in, but they weren`t to know how gutless we actually are. They made sure with a third goal, without any counter-punching whatsoever.
The season now is a right-off. I don`t mean we`re relegated already, but the chance of us achieving our pre-season mission statement of promotion lies scrunched at the bottom of the waist-paper basket. The remainder of this campaign is a salvage job. A salvage job with the heading: ‘Finish Above Three Other Teams`. Or, ‘FATOT` for short.
Obviously, after such a disastrous 6 months, fingers point to the manager. If anyone is sacrificed for such an appalling run of results, it will be the manager`s head on the block. But when you have a handful of players in the team who don`t want to play for the club, what is sacking the manager going to solve? I hate to say it, but Chungy, Ngog, Knight and Eagles can`t be arsed anymore. If, in the past, skill or form has let the aforementioned underachievers down, added to those temporary lapses of misfortune, is now the terminal sentiment of apathy. When pivotal positions are filled with such players, it`s a wonder we have 3 points at all at this stage.
However bad you may think this bunch of ‘players` are, this isn`t normal, you know that, right? Going 8 games in the Championship without looking like winning isn`t regular. There`s something going on here. A Championship team who are trying 100% every game will win several games within a 10-match stretch? Any Championship team. When a script seems to be at work during match-days, someone, or some people are orchestrating that script. There`s a reason teams are passing us off the park every game and it isn`t because they`re capable. It`s because they`re allowed to. This isn`t bad play, this is sabotage.
I`m sure a lot of you will disagree with me and think Freedman should get the bullet. Maybe you`d be right, but the vision Dougie has for the club is the vision I would love to see happen. I want to see exciting young players, busting a gut for the club and brimming with enthusiasm. But I fear we will not see such a vision because a handful of prima donnas in the squad are eating away at the club from the inside.
Sack Gartside and rip-up the contracts of Beckford, Ngog, Chungy, Knight and Eagles and give Dougie the money saved from such contract terminations.
If Dougie fails then? no excuses.