To be honest, I’d be hard pushed to call any game against Cheltenham a festival…
Still, it’s August Bank Holiday, there might be actual sunshine for it, and we can sit here today just thinking of a win/clean sheet away from home.
And won by a rather nice Piggy strike, at that.
Your editor was watching the fun and games at Loftus Road yesterday, so managed to avoid the trip down to the west country.
But it sounded like we were on top but failed to take our chances, and there was always the nagging feeling they would nick one at some point.
Plus ca change, as they say in Germany.
But we scored, didn’t fuck it up and maybe the defence is starting to get to grips with what it’s supposed to be doing.
JJ himself seemed pretty pleased with the performance (and try saying that without your teeth in), and this might be the first demonstration of why having strength in depth is so important.
We were able to play Bugiel and Piggy up front, which while some said how slow they looked does give us another option.
That’s already a vast improvement on last season, where if the Iraqi Scouser wasn’t available, then it was up to Lebanon’s finest having to make do with Josh Davison next to him.
Indeed, I do believe that the reason we didn’t reach the playoffs last season was because we didn’t have enough in reserve when it mattered.
This time round…?
OK, there’s January to contend with, and while Piggy is on a season long loan we all know that means jack shit.
If somebody offers Orient more than £2.50 for his services come the first month of 2025 he’ll be off and we’re back to square one again.
For now though, let’s enjoy the fact we have four players who might qualify as strikers, for the first time since 2016.
Actually, thinking it about it further, it’s possible we needed the win yesterday more than we realise.
Before yesterday, we hadn’t won a league game on the road since Notts County in March, so it’s nice to put that little stat to bed.
But we needed a response from Bromley last week, and we got one.
To be fair, we put in a decent enough performance against Wycombe too, although that’s the ex-JPT so it doesn’t count.
And we have Ipswich in the Carabao this Wednesday (not fully sold out, but if somebody is after a south stand ticket – your editor has a spare as I’m in the press box again).
I expect to be gubbed by them, as although it doesn’t seem like it they are a Premier League side.
I was amused by a couple of people saying that the Tractors are there for the taking after two losses.
They only lost to the piles of toilet called Liverpool and Manchester City. If they can beat them, so can we.
Seriously, like Chelski away last year it’s a free hit and we earn a lot of credit if we put in a good display.
Hell, it might even be nice if we win.
Finally, the WDON commentary again failed yesterday, by the sound of it. And no, there wasn’t a pun intended.
Leaving aside the technical issues, that seem to plague it especially for some away games, I have to give AFCW some kudos here.
I know the club’s comms are pretty poor a lot of the time, and almost non-existent on too many occasions. It gets a lot of pelters, and deservedly so.
But judging by the OS statement and private emails sent last weekend that your editor was privy to, they are at least aware of the situation.
Whether there are people coming in who have some idea of communication I don’t know, although if so that should be welcomed.
And I do hope that we get a bit more of this, when things do go wrong.
The club can’t tell its punters… sorry, customers…. sorry, owners everything. But a simple message a lot of the time saying it’s in hand, or they’re aware of an issue does help soothe things.
The update by AFCW is a good example of just a simple bit of communication. And it will go a long way.
Of course, it could be that WDON is something that would cost the club money if people felt it was too shoddy to stick with.
But I’m not cynical enough to suggest that…