Apologies for reusing the end-of-season review headline I do, but I was genuinely struggling.
A bit like a certain football team we all know and sometimes love.
Anyway, the clocks go back and – seemingly – so does our ability to actually perform in games again.
I go away this time last week, see from afar that we shit the bed against t’Stanley and think we managed to get a day before my birthday before our first bad performance.
Your editor was working Soton v Birmingham yesterday, and was content with what he read about by half time.
Then, we came out from the dressing rooms…
As a Beast who played for us would have put it – what happen?
Poor subs? Poor decision making? Poor tactics? Poor attitude? Poor luck? Poor run of form that just happens to be one of those things?
I suspect it’s a bit of all of the above.
JJ isn’t somebody who chops and changes for the sake of it, which when you have two shit results within five days of each other sticks in the throat.
He could turn round and say that because there’s stability in the starting XI we’ve had a decent enough start until just before 19h45 on Tuesday.
I really don’t have enough willpower to look back through the team that started against Accrington, but didn’t we do a few changes?
Maybe changing some tactics from time to time, something called a “Plan B” might help?
If we’re being sussed out then we need a change of tack. Doesn’t have to be radical, just enough to neutralise the opposition trying to neutralise us.
The players themselves must take a large percentage of the blame for this week. They’re the only ones who can influence things fully when the whistle blows to start the game.
Some of them should maybe be thinking this morning they’ll be dropped for Cheltenham, and maybe Doncaster the following week too.
Not doing that might end up being Jackson’s downfall, especially if the results slump and he does little to change that.
Attitude might be an issue recently, and by that I mean complacency. We seemed to almost expect going to Morecambe and get something, because we were unbeaten away and it was a matter of just turning up.
Bit like before last Tuesday when we saw the strife between t’Stanley’s owner and manager, and thought they were there for the taking.
If this past seven days hasn’t been a wakeup call, I’m not sure what will be. At least, without radical changes.
By the sound of it, there was a bit of bad fortune yesterday. An own goal and a penalty, plus not converting the first half chances.
Small margins only really matter if you lose 1-0 (like we did against Bradford recently). It can’t really explain losing 4-1 and it certainly shouldn’t justify it.
Maybe, just maybe, we’ve had a bad week? Believe it or not, it happens.
We haven’t won since Harrogate away at the beginning of the month, and we found goals difficult the rest of the time.
Our recent form hasn’t been brilliant, but until last Tuesday it wasn’t that bad.
Again, not an excuse as well but we’ve had a pretty gruelling October travel wise. Harrogate, Barrow, Mansfield and Morecambe aren’t exactly down the road.
Put it this way – I’m not upset we don’t have a midweek game.
The most important thing is how we respond to this. I’m not going to join in the anti-JJ hysteria that engulfed a few places last night. Some of it got a bit embarrassing to read.
The current fashion is for Jackson to be sacked and the newly free-timed Gareth Ainsworth to be in charge.
I’m not one to burst a few bubbles this morning…. well, actually I am.
Firstly, there will be plenty of L1 clubs and maybe even another Championship club who would be in line ahead of us.
AFCW doesn’t offer nearly as much to a prospective manager as most others, not only in financial terms but in apparent basic competency.
Secondly, I’ve no idea how true this is but Ainsworth doesn’t like working under a Director of Football.
So those who want him here will have to accept Craig Cope will probably be gone, ditto Andy Thorn.
We’ve got a bit of transfer stability for once, although it would be typical AFCW if we did exactly that.
And let’s face it – those wanting JJ out and GA in will be calling for Ainsworth’s head when it turns out he’s not the reincarnation of Dave Bassett after all.
As for our current manager, he’ll be mindful he hasn’t got that many chances left here.
I’m in no doubt he’ll get the green light to turn around two defeats in a row, and I expect him in charge when the transfer window opens next year.
This isn’t set in stone, by the way, and if he doesn’t take that opportunity – he should be given his P45.
Indeed, one wonders if the game on the 18th November ends up being pivotal…