How big is the FA Cup to us and to Phil Brown now?
Out of the league cup at the first hurdle, out of the JPT Wembley final cup at the first hurdle and languishing in midtable - a side shorn of confidence.
I was fiercely disappointed when our manager meekly surrendered both cup competitions and thought we would regret it. Nothing has changed my mind on that since, and it looks like being a HUGE error on Brown's behalf to field weakened teams.
We now need something to look forward to, something to excite us, something to inspire us. Some might think that means a Jeremy Kyle team talk, a training session down the pier or actually something that wasn't a gimmick for media attention but a cup run to enthuse the fans and give us something to look forward to - because despite a decent first half v Exeter it sure hasn't been the football.
There's still plenty of time for a new manager to resurrect us, but if we go out of the cup in 4 weeks' time our season will be looking dangerously over, such is the folly of fielding weakened sides in the cup. What we need to revive us is a cup run. Remember the buzz of Wembley, the buzz of Chelsea, the buzz of Man U, the buzz of being one game away from a winnable tie against Liverpool, even the buzz of Canvey Island or the buzz of Paul Smith v Brentford and last season the buzz of Chesterfield, Millwall and Hull (less so Morecambe).
I think the draw for the next round, where we join, is Monday evening. Our season could turn on it.
A first round exit and Brown's time will be looking up. A win could ignite an otherwise dull season and inspire us to challenge.
Out of the league cup at the first hurdle, out of the JPT Wembley final cup at the first hurdle and languishing in midtable - a side shorn of confidence.
I was fiercely disappointed when our manager meekly surrendered both cup competitions and thought we would regret it. Nothing has changed my mind on that since, and it looks like being a HUGE error on Brown's behalf to field weakened teams.
We now need something to look forward to, something to excite us, something to inspire us. Some might think that means a Jeremy Kyle team talk, a training session down the pier or actually something that wasn't a gimmick for media attention but a cup run to enthuse the fans and give us something to look forward to - because despite a decent first half v Exeter it sure hasn't been the football.
There's still plenty of time for a new manager to resurrect us, but if we go out of the cup in 4 weeks' time our season will be looking dangerously over, such is the folly of fielding weakened sides in the cup. What we need to revive us is a cup run. Remember the buzz of Wembley, the buzz of Chelsea, the buzz of Man U, the buzz of being one game away from a winnable tie against Liverpool, even the buzz of Canvey Island or the buzz of Paul Smith v Brentford and last season the buzz of Chesterfield, Millwall and Hull (less so Morecambe).
I think the draw for the next round, where we join, is Monday evening. Our season could turn on it.
A first round exit and Brown's time will be looking up. A win could ignite an otherwise dull season and inspire us to challenge.