Just got back after a 6 hour drive in nightmare conditions, and I am still seething. Dismal performance and an unacceptable result against mediocre opposition.
Huddersfield was clearly a one-off as today normal service was resumed. Score a goal after five minutes, then an attempt to defend on the edge of our own 18 yard box for the next forty. No attempt to string two passes together. Inept tactics with a striker 50 yards from the rest of the team. Possession gifted to a poor side who grew in confidence, played better football than us and exposed our defensive frailties through simple passing, movement and wide play of which we are completely incapable. Defence had a nightmare in the first half, particularly McChrystal.
After half time we showed some spirit, pushed men forward and created some chances which we should have scored from. But so what ? We should never have been desperately chasing the game against a bad side in a match we couldn't afford to lose - and all after taking the lead after five minutes !
Substitutions were laughable in my view. Devaney was dreadful in the first half and had to go off, but our problem was a lack of support for Mustafa. So what does Les do ? Stick Weir on as a conventional midfielder leaving Tiryaki even more isolated. With twenty minutes to go as we pressed for an equaliser, Brunt is brought on, not as support for Tiryaki, but in a like for like substitution. Mustafa had done little wrong apart from suffer from a total lack of support and service as usual, yet gets the hook, with an untested teenager given the responsibility of leading the line against two centre backs in a game we were desperate to get a result in. Brunt actually did ok - but suffered the same total lack of support and supply that Tiryaki had for the previous 70 minutes.
Sick of the same tactical ineptitude week after week and the same lame excuses being trotted out after every game. One win in sixteen is not acceptable under any circumstances.
Where do we go from here ?
Do we simply cross our fingers, bemoan bad luck and injuries and hope something turns up before May ? Or do we take action, however risky, in the hope of preserving our League One status ? I for one, think we are destined for relegation, as no matter what the opposition, we are simply incapable of picking up the necessary results the way we are playing at present. I have seen nothing in recent weeks that suggests that Les has the know-how to get us out of this slump.