The season started off with glorious possibilities. Some excellent looking, if older, signings, Ranger coming out of Nick just in time, out playing the title favourites first game. Here was a team and manager capable of putting together a proper title challenge. Ok, so we didn't really bother against Newport in the Cup because getting out of this division was priority. And then we went to Rotherham where the awful, awful truth became apparent. Here was an Emperor With No Clothes - or in football speak, A Manager With No Plan B. So the injuries didn't help, but apart from a glorious sunny afternoon in Fleetwood, we scratched around for points and only a "fortress Roots Hall" home record kept us bobbing mid-table. However, everyone knew as soon as that home record went and the returning players didn't change things, it could get sticky. And it did.
It became apparent that our Wow Signing became someone we forgot we actually had (Rob Kiernan, just to remind you), we had an injury list longer than Ranger's charge sheet,
Ranger got the sack (and no one missed him) and we fell down the table quicker than Rigsby ducks a direct question. Oh, and Theo Robinson was the answer. There was no option but to change the manager - though probably six weeks later than it should have happened (after Bristol Rovers, that was as bad as I've ever seen). Thank you Mr Brown, your work here is done you left us in a far better place than you found us.
So in came SCP, a legend in every sense of the word. "Lets Have Some Fun" he said. Oh God, Yes. Please. Let's have some entertainment. And we entertainment we got with 9 goals in 3 home games and a home crowd that buzzing. Ok, so that probably keeps us in this division, but the honeymoon period is over and Plymouth showed we are still every bit as bad as we were at Rotherham. and our last couple of home games haven't exactly been entertaining.
So, overall.
It's been grim watching. Nasty negative tactics, playing off the back foot, unable to respond to conceding goals, players in the wrong position and a team that isn't playing as a team. Personally, I am looking forward to final whistle vs Bristol Rovers (partly because I am jumping on a plane to Venice straight afterwards).
There have been positives. Dru Yearwood, who stepped into Ryan Leonard's shows admirably, almost to the point we don't miss him. Other youngsters, Elvis and Harry have looked like they may develop into regular first teamers. Oxley who has turned himself into a more than decent keeper for this level. But these are outweighed by big players on big salaries who haven't work, haven't fitted or have spent too much time on the injury table. SCP has a major rebuild in the summer, and I can see six or seven changes to personnel.
