Great Expectations

[sonic youth]

Despite our relatively poor performance today I feel quite satisfied and content with the outcome and the means we used to get there. We didn't play fluid passing football, we didn't create chance after chance and in JMH75's words "we couldn't finish a book". Personally, I read very quickly although I think I misunderstood his point.

The teams in this division are here for a reason, that reason is mainly the fact they're a bit rubbish. Despite what we may think, or what we want to think, we're not really that good either. Do you remember how bad we were last season? Whilst we may have new management, new players and a new approach the players we have are still technically substandard. In comparison to three years ago when we made the play-offs, we had a team of relatively talented footballers - Parkin, Mooney, Igoe, Howard, Miglioranzi - who were all in good form.

Fast-forward to August 2006 and we've got an ex-alcoholic, a winger who can't cross the ball very well, a local lad who seems incapable of going within ten yards of the ball in case it breaks some unknown law of physics and a pick 'n' mix of players who are either unproven youngsters or the wrong side of 30 years old. Admittedly, we've got two former proven Premiership and international players with a third possibly on his way but it's looking increasingly unlikely Wise will play and I'd be surprised if Poyet played in a competitive match for us.

So why do we all expect to see flowing football? Where has this sudden demand come from? I certainly don't recall anyone demanding that we adopt Total Football and become the Ajax of the English leagues in previous seasons, so why now? Last season I'm sure we would all have settled for battling, hard-working performances where we nicked narrow wins despite scrappy, droll and tepid performances in terms of entertaining football.

Even so, whilst we've not been inspiring in our first few games there are many positives to take out of the performances, excluding the obvious three points. We've looked organised, fit, a solid unit, passionate and we haven't crumbled under pressure - when was the last time we could say that about a Swindon Town performance?

We all want to see us get promoted this season in style, astounding pundits and giving opposing fans nightmares for years to come but judging by the physical approach taken by both Barnet and Rochdale, we'll end up with an entire squad of cripples by December if we're not willing to get stuck in ourselves. Wise's career took off at Wimbledon, a club that everyone knows is famous for it's team spirit, underdog mentality and physical approach. There was no classy football at Plough Lane - well, I'm too young to know that myself but I'm going on my limited knowledge - yet they went from the basement right to the top.

Not that I'm saying we're capable of doing that.

I'd be happy for us to flit between the lower reaches of the Championship and the top of League One. I think that's our level.

But we're not going to get there, certainly not starting out in this division, with a team of lazy yet talented primadonnas and Wise knows that.

In short, people need to alter their expectations and perceptions because in spite of the three fantastic results we've had, people are still complaining that we're not playing champagne football. Of course, I'm not suggesting everyone stops moaning because that'd be utterly counter-productive, football fans are here to support their team on the pitch but moan about them off it in equal measure. Without the moaning, I think we'd all curl up into a foetus shape underneath our seats until the season has finishes. It's cathartic. We will never be 100% happy with STFC, but I've come to accept that.

For the time being, I'm fully willing to accept what we've got and it seems that everyone would too.

Perhaps I'm writing this for my own benefit, as anybody who was sat near me today would confirm that I was complaining and moaning about our reliance on the long-ball, lack of simple passing and most predictably, our lack of width. Maybe I'm trying to convince myself that these expectations we hold are wrongly founded on some misguided idea that we've picked up along the way.

I've started to babble on a bit, so I'll try to end it here.

In my mind at least, I've got no doubt that we'll challenge for promotion if we perform to a minimum level of the standard we've set in the first few games. I'm fully confident that Dennis and Gus will get the lads to improve their performances as the season progresses.

...and they will know us by the trail of dead.

[STFCere]

thats too much to bother to read, so yea i agree with you

[townendjim]

great post sonic

[Lumps]

I might have missed this, but I take it from SY's post that there are people moaning about the fact that we have a team of relatively poor bargain basement players, without too much skill, that are fit and organised and consequently are grinding out some results.

I wonder if any of the moaners are amongst those that named Macari as their favourite ever Town manager?

Because for those of us that can remember that far back, wasn't the 4th division championship season an awful lot like this? Not particularly entertaining in a football sense but a fuck sight better than losing every week?

[adje]

I might have missed this, but I take it from SY's post that there are people moaning about the fact that we have a team of relatively poor bargain basement players, without too much skill, that are fit and organised and consequently are grinding out some results.

I wonder if any of the moaners are amongst those that named Macari as their favourite ever Town manager?

Because for those of us that can remember that far back, wasn't the 4th division championship season an awful lot like this? Not particularly entertaining in a football sense but a fuck sight better than losing every week?

I said exactly that to young Tails in the Town End on sat-the comparison with 1985 is there for all to see

[Arriba]

sonic youth i salute you,great post.
one thing i have noticed is that we have loads of new coaches and backroom staff but few new players.not a critism just an observation

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I might have missed this, but I take it from SY's post that there are people moaning about the fact that we have a team of relatively poor bargain basement players, without too much skill, that are fit and organised and consequently are grinding out some results.

I wonder if any of the moaners are amongst those that named Macari as their favourite ever Town manager?

Because for those of us that can remember that far back, wasn't the 4th division championship season an awful lot like this? Not particularly entertaining in a football sense but a fuck sight better than losing every week?

I said exactly that to young Tails in the Town End on sat-the comparison with 1985 is there for all to see

We won no less than 17 games that season by a single goal margin. There were some great games that season but there was indeed a fair bit of dross as well.

We pissed the league then and we're going to do it again this time around. That's not arrogance or complaicancy, just my firm belief.

[normy]

Great post sonic youth, completely agree.

[Reg Smeeton]

A key difference to 85/86 is that we now have blanket coverage of games on TV, everybody thinks they could coach a team like Wenger, and that players should be capable of performing like Ronaldinho.  In other words their perceptions of what constitutes football have been altered.

  SY your analysis is spot on, and it will be interesting to see if the recent returnees, can still be attracted by what is inevitably a low grade product.


   Think you need a sense of humour to watch Div 4....although the humour may be black.

[reeves4england]

   Think you need a sense of humour to watch Div 4....although the humour may be black.

I think that sums it up perfectly.

We are in the worst league in the country's league system, and although still above Oxford, it is shit.

We as fans have to accept what has happened at the club in recent times and continue to back the excellent work currently going on to pull us out of this rotten patch in the club's history. The only way that will happen is by hard graft and grinding things out on and off the pitch. Results, attendances, whatever. It is a gradual process and the fact we have a maximum haul from the opening 3 games shows to me that we are heading in the right direction to putting this club back on the map.

PS Great post Sonic

[Reg Smeeton]

All very good points R4E......

[Samdy Gray]

Everyone's spot on.

We may not be playing silky football, but if we're taking home the three points every week I'll be happy.

[Frigby Daser]

SY, got to echo whats been said...completely agree. As for the ew fans...I'm not so sure that many are 'new' fans, but more fairweather fans. People who love the club, but don't want to shell out the money when the chances are they'll go home grumpy. I don't care how many passes we string together, so long as the scoreboard looks good at the end of the match!...i'll leave that to you sonic

[sonic youth]

I'm glad somebody read my post  

Although I'm too young to recall the 85/86 season, there are definite similarities and I have to agree with what people have said in reference to that. At this level, our fitness is going to count above everything else and on the basis of the last two games, we've kept working hard right up until the final whistle with no notable drop in fitness levels over the course of the game. How many games did we win in 85/86 with a late winner?

[Reg Smeeton]

I'm glad somebody read my post  

 How many games did we win in 85/86 with a late winner?

   Not that many....the great Colin Calderwood winner v Exeter,  in the game that turned our season around, as I've posted elsewhere we we went into that 9th fixture of that  season with 7 points, in 21 st place.

 Then a late Charlie Henry goal v Hereford....we did score a number of late goals in the second part of the season, but by that time we tended to be out of  sight anyway.