Well, another disappointment…..
Good evening everyone. Sorry to everyone who looked for our match preview, only to find that I had forgotten to write it. I`d had a very hard working week and all the almost thirty hours of overtime had pushed Vital Bolton straight out of my mind by the time I got home late on Friday.
However, I am back now and ready to do this article. It appears that the first team squad didn`t much like my absent preview, and so followed me by not turning up either. We drew at Huddersfield.
I didn`t see the game, as I was working into part way through the second half. But I expected a win from our trip to the mini Reebok. No offense to Huddersfield, but they are a small club who were sensationally lucky to sneak past Sheffield United for promotion last season. They also lost Jordon Rhodes to Blackburn, and despite some smart buys and loan deals, I would think that this is the type of team you should be able to do the double over. Especially if you`re not too happy about being in the bottom half of the table.
We went behind in the ninth minute from a Zat own goal. Some time into the second half, Mark Davies hit a lovely shot and equalized. Eagles missed a penalty, scored a good goal with ten minutes to go, and then James Vaughan made it 2-2 with a couple of minutes to go. That`s all I got from the four seconds of television time you get in the Championship.
I think this is where it really hits home that we aren`t in the big league anymore, or in fact one of the big boys in the small league. I`m usually as optimistic a supporter as they come, but now comes the time where I begin to think less about what we can do this season, but dream about next season`s possibility just to get me through this one. And right now it`s not looking great for that either. I really don`t feel positive about any of it.
Dougie`s short tenure has been one filled with potential, but ultimately has provided very little. And I`m not slagging the guy off, as he was left in quite a pickle by his predecessor, but this team needs to start performing on a more consistent basis. When we can pick up three wins on the spin, then I`ll start talking a bit less harshly, but I don`t see that coming any time soon.
For football fans, Christmas comes a little bit later in the form of the January transfer window. I`m hoping that this will be the key to how we finish this season. If Dougie still holds any ambitions for this year, and they can only be a cheeky sprint into sixth, then he must remove the underperformers and non-believers from the camp, and replace them with quality. Sordell needs to removed, Afobe`s loan terminated, and Pratley given away like the unwanted thing he is.
A change in some our defence could also be an option. I am not happy with Mills or Ream, and I think a more stable partner for the (am I writing this?) surprise relative stalwart Zat Knight would help plug any further gap in our defence. Stephen Warnock needs to be kept; whether an extension is an option or a permanent move if Villa want to cash in.
Minor tweaks are required; but if Douglas gets them right, and finds a winning combination, then we could do something. Could. I want to dream but I won`t hold my breath. See you Wednesday.