‘Oh what a night…’
Or, what a weekend!
England world rugby champions and Crewe hit the big boys for three. People say we were outplayed in the first half and were lucky but we weren’t either. There was only one occasion when we looked under real threat of conceding and that was when Foster’s tack hit the post - we all know he meant it as well. Other than that did we really feel threatened or out-played? Didn't think so.
The whole 11 were good, Ince was dynamite and was his best game in a while. Tonkin has shut up me after doubting him and as for Billy Jones… wow. 16 years old and looked the best midfielder on the pitch. Nothing spectacular but that’s not needed, he sat in the midfield and got the ball when ever Sunderland came near him. He sat in the whole behind the midfield for a while in the match and was doing an excellent job protecting the back four. Once he got the ball he used it well, spraying it around the field. He was obviously nervous, or sh*tt*ng himself, about his first start with the experienced players of Cochrane and Wright (At 22/23? Crazy) wishing him good luck just before kick off.
Yesterday we could certainly see why Dario see’s Billy as a first teamer at just 16 and why he’s reportedly interested Man Utd.
The front two in Steve Jones and Dean Ashton were once again superb. Jones just keeps proving me wrong in my theory that he’s not a striker and Ashton’s work rate, second to none. He ran after everything. Baker’s bollocking has done wonders, Deano is still the player he was 2 years ago. I said he needed just one goal and he’s got his first since the Watford game, and Baker bollocking, I hope he can continue on from his header against Sunderland as with his current form he can become a 20 goal a season player.
I was going to criticise Vaughany but after much thought, I won’t. Seeing the video replays and remembering bits from the game, he was involved in an awful lot. I thought he was quiet but he was actually creating everything. Two of the goals were created by him and could have been three if Rix wasn’t inches offside. So he was quiet, but oh so effective.
My verdict for where we should be aiming…. Play-offs.
Yes, the play-offs. I was convinced the doctors had mixed up Dario’s medication when he came back and started harping on about the play-offs but now, I think he’s right. There is one problem though. We need so desperately to carven copy our home form to our away form. Our away form is dire dire dire dire. One win all season away from home isn’t good enough. It’s not the ‘stats’ either it’s the performance’s. They are dreadful. Gillingham was embarrassing… we didn’t even turn up for the Cardiff game!
It’s not some crazy coincidence that we have the 2nd best home record but the 3rd worst away record, because it’s not. It’s not because we’re playing stronger teams away, because it’s not… if anything they’re relegation fodder 7 out of 10. It’s down to something I don’t know about, you don’t know about and for some reason Dario doesn’t either. Are we being intimidated by the crowd’s? Is it the tactic’s? or is it that some away grounds don’t do chicken balti pies? I don’t know.
If we have sorted out away games over the past 2 or 3 weeks and can start playing the Brazil type football we play at Fortress Gresty then we WOULDN’T be getting too carried away with the play-offs. Don’t let these football nobody’s convince you that just because we’re a small club doesn’t mean we aren’t a class side.
Come on Dario; Sort out the away tactics as we see every home game that we’re a class side…. Lets start performing on other people’s turf. Please.