Let's find the silver linings on the horizon. Bored with all the crap-trap and negativity. We all know it was poor, and we should be better... but we are also not a premiership club, with buckets of money and a huge squad and never will be, so get over it!
We have a manager and team totally ham-strung by problems that the chairman and board have failed to address over a 20+ year period. These are biting us hard again - so how exactly is that the manager, or the players faults...??
IF the rumours are true, the lack of motivation from senior players is no surprise. They have mortgages and young families too, and they will have similar money worries as the rest of us. In that situation I would be worried and not performing at my best either ?!
My positives are as follows, in no particular order:
1) we lost 3-2 in the end, when we were down and out at 3-0. Somehow, against all the odds, we woke up and got back into the game around the 75th minute. Far too late of course, but still - goal difference now 0, not -2. That will help us.
2) we only dropped down to 12th. That could have been far worse as well. Now, I know that points-wise we are closer to the bottom than the top, but have you studied the table? Note that there are at least 3 teams above us who could also be involved in and affect our involvement in a relegation dog fight? Reality is that this is a close league, anyone can beat anyone - no certainties.
3) Charlie Kelman! Just wow. Who knew that young man would have such a dramatic debut and have such a huge impact on the game? The chap on the Quest EFL show was raving about the goal, brilliant! It was a privilege to witness a very special moment in what I hope will be the start of a glittering career - that started right here at Roots Hall!
4) The youngsters. We have some seriously good young stars in the making who have come through our youth system, and are playing in our first team - albeit possibly prematurely. The trouble with young players is that they make mistakes. What they need in an ideal world is the experience around them to guide them and help them out when they mess up. We don't have that luxury right now. The trade off is we are going to remain inconsistent- so as fans it is our job to support and encourage, not complain, boo and systematically destroy these youngsters confidence!
5) Demi and Barratt should be back soon!
6) Ben Clarkson!!!
7) the number of times ex-shrimpers turn up at Roots Hall and score... just proves to me they were very able and capable, and somehow our very large band of idiotic and bullying boo-boys got to them and they couldn't do the business for us. Our current targets are Hendrie and Robinson... and I heard some big complaints in the East yesterday about Elvis and Hutchinson yesterday. Really...? See point 4!!
8) Simon Cox. Totally isolated up front week in week out, and we don't play to his strengths 99% of the time, at the moment by necessity - as his strike partner, Hopper, is out for the season. Yet, when it mattered, cool as a cucumber, that penalty was inch perfect!
9) the humour. I heard someone quip "nah, don't fancy it..." when Bunn came off injured and Hyam, Kightley and Macca were too busy having a chat at the corner flag. That made me laugh!
10) we know that a number of teams in L1 are at least as bad as us, and they don't have anything like our on and off the field problems... huge positive for me!
11) Dru clocked up 50 appearances... at 18 years old!
Substitute positives
12) John White - possibly not the most talented player in the squad, but probably the most reliable and underrated.
13) heard some Plymouth fans on the way out, totally deflated and bemused by conceding 2 goals in the last 15 minutes.
14) the feel-good feeling of watching said last 15 minutes made me feel far more positive and uplifted... reminded me that we are still in this, and this season is most definitely not over yet!