20-01-2026, 17:39
The thing is you are still in sixth place, a play-off position. You have scored the most goals in your division, but only three teams have conceded more.
The problem is simple - ridiculously obvious - you have won too few and lost too many. How many moans would there have been if you had won 13 and lost 8 games? Would that have been failure? Are you necessarily playing the wrong way if you are scoring the most goals? Are the adjustments you DO obviously need major, or a few minor tweaks? Two games only with different results .... Lee Grant would still be in place and you'd all be looking up not down!
Your expectations were and are justifiably high, and you have spent on "success", but spending in Divison One is relatively minor. How much bang can you expect for your buck at this level? It is easy to waste money on players who aren't quite what they are reputed to be.
A measure I would be tempted to look at is Goodman on loan. He has spent two seasons on loan elsewhere being largely lauded and considered for international age-group squads. With you he became a mistake-ridden failure. That suggests to me something is wrong and it wasn't necessarily down to the individual himself - he isn't the only player who has performed way below his ability. Castledine on the other hand flourished.
The problem is simple - ridiculously obvious - you have won too few and lost too many. How many moans would there have been if you had won 13 and lost 8 games? Would that have been failure? Are you necessarily playing the wrong way if you are scoring the most goals? Are the adjustments you DO obviously need major, or a few minor tweaks? Two games only with different results .... Lee Grant would still be in place and you'd all be looking up not down!
Your expectations were and are justifiably high, and you have spent on "success", but spending in Divison One is relatively minor. How much bang can you expect for your buck at this level? It is easy to waste money on players who aren't quite what they are reputed to be.
A measure I would be tempted to look at is Goodman on loan. He has spent two seasons on loan elsewhere being largely lauded and considered for international age-group squads. With you he became a mistake-ridden failure. That suggests to me something is wrong and it wasn't necessarily down to the individual himself - he isn't the only player who has performed way below his ability. Castledine on the other hand flourished.