This is Clarkeonenil’s regular comment column, cutting through the various passing issues of football and getting to the core principle in the shortest time.
Clutching at back-up straws.
The “oh my god the Play-offs” genie is out of the Leeds United bottle of that their is no doubt. Even a win tonight won’t kill any residual panic until we are mathematically promoted (or not as the case may be). Some of us, including me, are looking at Simon Grayson’s 2006-07 Blackpool experience and are using it as a crutch on which to hang our hopes on should the wobble that has turned into a large jelly becomes a full on lake of the stuff. Even those of us not quite so impressed by his 44 wins and 59% win ratio at Elland Road (all in L1 mind) recognise that the experience of that season at Bloomfield Road plus the year and a bit so far with us should be useful in the lottery that is the end of season play-offs.
However, and as you know there is always a however, there is a big problem with that, the circumstances are different. In order to qualify for the play-offs Grayson had to produce 9 wins out of the last 10 games, now if that’s the form needed to take into the play-offs, we won’t be in the play-off because we will be going up! Even if we only have 7 wins out of the last 10 that should do it as at least one of those wins will have to be at Norwich or Southampton or Charlton or the mighty Yeovil (plus we would have beaten Millwall and Swindon at home). Their lies the crux, if we fail in the automatic promotion race it means we head into the play-off not only with a massive support as edgy as the 38th Parallel (google it) but a team clearly lacking in confidence and form. The comparison with 2007 becomes meaningless, Grayson will have to find a new way of achieving success.
Just to really show how 2007 and 2010 are not compatible, we started this season as a house on fire, Blackpool started that season with 1 win in the first 11 games.
Don’t be soft brushed.
As regular readers will testify I have a small Southend United following, born of upsetting a few by pointing out the obvious (club on a decline due to money issues, new ground not getting built, relegation sneaking up on them etc etc). As the season has worn on the reality has slowly dawned on a growing number until yesterday when the chairman sacked the Assistant Manager, predominately as a cost cutting measure but disguised as an attempt to shake things up a bit (think that through, deprive your manager of a pair of hands as you sit in the bottom 4 at a critical stage of the season) and finally things take a turn for the angry. A demonstration is planned for after the next home game (Saturday at home to fellow strugglers Exeter City) with demands to know what is going on. Ron Martin, the chairman, brings this all on himself by feeding clearly made up garbage to the fans over the course of the season (reminds me of somebody).
I bring all this up not to gloat but to make a helpful suggestion. Already the Southend blogs and forums are having a seismic ruck over the planned demo, loyalists to the present regime are giving it large (they like a bit of large in Essex) indicating that such a demo would affect the players (even though its timed for after the game). Ignore them, if you really have woken up and smelt the coffee about the potential for meltdown at Roots Hall then you need to make yourselves heard now. Pulling away from demanding answers to the many questions the two recent winding-up orders have provoked would be short-term, short-sighted nonsense and one you would regret if the team goes down anyway and Martin jumps ship before you get to pin him down.
The problem with some club owners/chairmen is they just carry on regardless if they are not questioned/stopped, the problem with some supporters is they let these things happen and before they know it the crises is unstoppable. Southend United fans are in the last chance saloon, a massive turnout at 5pm Saturday would at least show they understood that fully.
Cast Iron Guarantee made of paper.
9th league defeat for Liverpool last night, the pre-season bookies favourites to knock Manchester United off the PL title perch now so far off the pace its classic. The manner of it was so telling, out battled and out played by Wigan Athletic. Whilst the idiot pundits Burley and Claridge talked about the need for Martinez to temper his principles his team went out and not only wanted it more, they still played the better passing game. An unexpected joy to watch on and one that re-enforces just how much the over investment in Benetiz by the supporters (and the club CE) is wishful thinking. From 2nd to potentially 7th in one season is truly horrendous given the financial advantages Liverpool have accrued from the CL over the last 6 seasons. It is such a shame Benetiz has squandered it on a squad full of pap.
As most national newspapers will tell us the fans seem to blame the owners for this situation, ignoring £250m worth of transfer activity under the managers watch. Two £17m substitutes both point to over-paying for product not fully fit for purpose. We know why Gerrard is off his game, he is a pillock who doesn’t see the need to try anymore, why Torres was so woeful last night only he can say but you start to suspect that Benetiz has successfully added those two players to the Babel, Carragher and Reina list of confidence slowly seeping out group. Where and when does it end? Out of the CL in the group stages, out of the FA Cup to a CCC team, out of the PL title race in September and now clinging on by the fingernails to a Europa league challenge never mind the top 4. If this was any of the other so called top 4 the manager would now be toast.
That is the beauty of this to me, sometimes loyalty can work against a club and supporters, the continued loyalty towards Benetiz might just mean this isn’t a one season dip but part of a process by which they become another Everton, which would be nice.
