Well, where do you start! Wednesday night was without doubt disappointing, we have become accustomed to Barnet winning games whether convincingly, stoppage time goals or last minute winners, but in reality football doesn’t work like this every week.
Now I can appreciate emotions run high straight after games, the following day and even 48 hours after but some of the reaction after Oldham went home with the three points was pretty wild.
Yes, they taught us a lesson at times in a different way to both Chesterfield and Gateshead but frankly not one of the 24 teams in the National League have the right to win every single one of their 46 games, it’s earnt and it’s earnt every week.
How many other sides would swop positions with us after 21 games, 22 of them clearly would. Despite the Latics win on Wednesday night they’re still 12 points behind us, Rochdale and Hartlepool trailing in our wake.
Wednesday was embarrassing apparently, letting a side come to The Hive and beat us, well I’m afraid I don’t see that. Let’s drop back two years shall we, Kings Lynn away, Dover away, Wealdstone away to name a few, should really add Chesterfield away as well, that is where you correctly use the word, midweek wasn’t even close!
The ’boos’ given out by the minority to the same players who two weeks ago, four weeks ago, were world beaters, well they haven’t become bad players overnight, it’s a tough period. You ride it out together and as one, not turn just because we’re on a run of three defeats in a row.
Yes three, you read right, not 23 and sitting in the bottom four. It’s drawn some eyes from all quarters, especially from fans of clubs who are doing far worse than us, many of which would drive to The Hive and bring Dean Brennan to their own club to replicate what he’s done so far.
That’s currently how high his stock is, not just across the National League but in the EFL as well. Cast your mind back as Downhill Second Half did on Friday morning to remind us all that Brennan inherited a Harry Kewell kamikaze put together squad without a win and turned that season around.
Last year we had the bad run and around this time put together some sensational form which ultimately led us to the play-off’s and the Trophy semi-final. A similar losing of the marbles around that time saw questions asked of his tenure, people then forgetting the reason we had the mess for years before was the constant changing of manager.
Now I’ve not seen people calling for his head, I’ve heard through other sources however. If three defeats in a row constitutes a conversation like that then Dennis Kutrieb at Ebbsfleet should have been out of a job not long after they lost to us in August.
We win together, we lose together, we move together, it’s how we got into 2nd place, it’s how we made the play-off’s and the semi-final, it hasn’t changed at all.
When the chips are down that’s when the support really counts, encourage, cheer them on, if these guys were world beaters they’d be Premier League players. They’re not, they’re our players and ones who actually care to play for this shirt, could we say that of everyone over the last three years?
Some of our players have done more in a few months than some couldn’t replicate across a whole season, it’s a level or more away from where we were and we’re up against some big sides, some big budgets and some players who shouldn’t be at this level.
Referring back to Downhill Second Half again from the morning tweet ‘We’d encourage all to go experience it (that odd little place down the road) and back the team’, I don’t think I can add to that, you know what to do…….
Totally agree. You don't become a bad team overnight. We had a sticky patch in Sept last year, leaking goals game after game. Then we found the formula, went on a superb run and it set us up for the rest of the season. The team keep the ball well enough, but we just need to work on that killer ball, and our set piece deliveries.
OK agree with your comments 100%, I think DB has talked more than once about bumps in the road like he was trying to manage expectations. Whilst the reaction of some was over the top I think it was the manner of the defeat which triggered some comments as if the thought was we had put all that behind us and all of a sudden the hurt is back, well as you said football is not like that it is more like real life and that in following your football team is what some people are trying to get away from. I do think some teams with the ability have in some areas worked us out, DB what ever he may say in public has enough knowledge to realize if this is part of the problem and I think we can expect to see some subtle changes starting tomorrow. I know a top level ex pro who now runs a soccer school who once said to me the game is great when everything is going fine but it is a bitch when it is not so I know the players themselves will be hurting at this moment because as you say they care about the club, so when they are not as in life you find out who are the men and who are the boys, Manager, Players ans Supporters. I know which one I want to be. COYBs.