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It has been a long time since my last post on this blog. Honestly, it has been an embarrassingly long time. The main reason has to do with the lack of time and inspiration. And the fact I recently took two university courses while working full-time took the energy out of me.
My last post was at the end of the preseason. Back then we were looking forward to a season with hopeful eyes.
Two spells of bad form
Looking back, we didn’t get the season we wanted due to two rather long spells of bad form. We are currently seeking a way out of the second spell. Hopefully, the players and staff can find the form to finish the season in style.
There are many reasons the season didn’t go as we wished. Firstly we have been unlucky with injuries. Secondly, we have dropped too many points from lack of focus, individual mistakes and bad tactical choices.
The third and most common reason was that we once again had a poor January transfer window. There were big hopes for the new arrivals. They still have much to prove and not many matches left to do it.
The fourth reason the distance to the top seven has grown over the season is getting out of bad runs. We have had two spells this season where we haven’t won in a long time. You won’t battle for a playoff position if you constantly drop unnecessary points.
Lost momentum due to the lack of goals
The lack of goals since we lost Danny Johnson has been pretty obvious. If we can’t find the back of the net, the draws will stack up quickly. Besides a few matches lately, our defence has been superb. We can’t blame our defenders and keeper because that would be a bit harsh. Our main reason for not winning matches is our ability to utilise the final third. The lack of goals since January, and the loss of Liam Bennett have been the main reason for our downfall.
When Bennett returned to his parent club, we lost a dimension in our attacking play. We have been unable to replace him.
Let us finish in style
We have played 38 of the 46 this season. We are well into the final stretch of the season. All we ask from the players and staff now is to finish the season in style.
A push for the playoff will not be possible. Considering Mansfield is eleven points ahead, and we have only eight matches left to play. The more realistic aim is to finish in the top 10. We ended up in 16th place last year. If we were to end up 10th, is progress from our previous season.
When this post is published, Barrow is in 10th place with 55 points, six points ahead of Walsall. Both teams have played 38 matches.
The most important for the remaining matches is to win as many games as possible. In the remaining matches, we have everything in our hands. We should not look at how the other teams perform or how many points they manage to win.
We will aim to win the remaining matches, and then we will see where we end up on May 8th. All we ask for is 100% focus and dedication from the players. If they manage that I am sure we will see more wins than defeats from now until May 8th.
Progress takes time
We all want quick progress and instant results, but sometimes progress takes more time and patience than we first expected. The road to success is never straight. There will be hurdles and bumps along the journey. When the day of success finally happens, you will be grateful you were a part of this.
On a personal note, I will not come over to Walsall this season. The main reason is that it is too expensive. The season has pretty much gone, and save the money for next season instead.
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