Before we know it Christmas and New Year will be here and gone and then it will be the first anniversary of the Black meltdown and the supporters begging PDC not to go. At this point the new owners were getting flack on all sides, asset strippers, grave robbers and sleeze balls were among the more polite names given. The thought of the Fitton consortium, or what was left of it, leaving was simply not acceptable.
Then the maggots started dropping out of the woodwork , and players started to leave and the new manager left. Indeed turmoil at all levels, and the new Chairman, well , where are you, was the cry. Oh he uses Twitter, hmmmmm.
Well since then PDC went to pastures new and carried on just like he did here, and whoops, he got sacked for abusing players like he did here, the only difference being, these new guys were known names and were in the Premier League, he simply bit off more than he could chew.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch the player revolving door carried on at a pace. Loads of young faces, unknowns of various ages and back grounds and a few old hands remained. The new manager that came in,simply went and Cooper was appointed in a glorious hoodwink by the board as it was my opinion he was the one they wanted, their man. Luke Williams arrived, and dust started to settle.
Some of our footie at times has been the best ever passing game this club has ever seen. Some would say better than Hoddle or Ardiles, but the common factor of Tottenham Hotspur influence cannot be denied.
Other players that have come in like Ranger and Dany N'G have also proved their worth along side Ajose. We have a wealth of players here who can now slot in when somebody is injured, and the game carries on as before, seamless.
All of this, and the influence of Power in his relationship with Sherwood cannot be denied, seems to have been achieved on a budget far less than before and with a manager/coach who doesn't do the PDC every time a decision goes against us. By now with all the injuries, instead of keeping the faith with who we have a PDC would have been on Blacks back for more money for loan players,then spend weeks "getting them fit" before playing them, or not playing them at all.
Softly-softy Cooper goes about his business and with each press interview, he says his bit and quietly goes and each time he gains more and more increasing respect, the man not many wanted, no frills, no flamboyance,no big I-am.
Great guy ,great football and this weekend, openly admitted they needed to play differently to beat the away game duck. They not only won, they won it in style, with style and anyone, yes anyone, who can beat the Slug 0-4 on his patch gets my vote.
Its not all done yet, but we are 7th and most of the clubs above us, we have played them at their place, they have yet to come to County Ground . By the time they do, the floodlights may be gone and the Bank may have a roof on it, because that Chairman, the asset stripper and grave robber, is very much a bigger footie fan than the whole of the last board combined. He has already increased the crowd capacity and made rafts of improvements, and a roof on the Bank is firmly in his sights
Pendulum full swing, AND, we are sustainable, now that has to be the biggest result., and the last board for all their money and business acumen struggled to achieve what the Watford Wide Boy has done in just a few months. Perhaps our book has a new cover ? I think we'll have to wait and see, but the old cover had definitely got tatty and like old slippers, they need changing now and again, even if they are comfortable.
Pendulum at full swing
posted on 16/10/13
Great article SF. The fact that we've effectively coped with injury crises without having to resort to loans speaks volumes for the management. There are goals throughout the side too so we're not having to rely on just one or two players. I'm not getting carried away but I think there's a lot more to come from this squad. We certainly have earned the respect of other sides in the division.
posted on 17/10/13
I was beginning to worry about you all on this site!
It does look hopeful tho'. I was worried about our strike force at the start, but that seems to have been sorted. But, worrier I am, so now it is the CDs. If one of those two get injured or suspended.....?
However, seeing that we have scorers all through the side, if the worst happens, they will have to score more than we let in. When there was a bookies at the CG, run by little Lou, I always used to put a quid on a 4-2 win. Odds usually 100-1. I never won, came close when we beat someone 5-2, that was the only goal that I didn't celebrate - came in the last few minutes!
But the side is set up for that sort of result, so I might just start doing it again.
posted on 17/10/13
Two home games coming up. I know we have a good home record but these aren't going to be easy and we certainly can't take the points for granted. Notts County seem to have got over their awful start and have won two of their last three. Walsall are a decent side. We'll need to put the Rotherham result behind us, play well and not expect it just to happen for us. It looks like Mason will be on the bench so that's a plus. Following that then it's Oldham away where we should have a good chance. Six points from the nine would be good, anything more a real bonus .
posted on 18/10/13
Well Chaps its Notts Co tonight, and a very balanced and informative over view from Cooper in the Adver today. Indeed, he seems to know some of their players quite well and gives one or two a lot of respect, perhaps these are the guys who have settled in now to give them some decent results at last . Mr Cooper is very balanced and measured in his interviews and has impressed me quite a bit with his knowledge of the better players at this level, and is far from the Numpty many would have had us believe some months ago. Its rather refreshing to listen to a knowledgeable guy but one who speaks at our level, he continues to impress. I think we should be ok for that win tonight with Mason probably on for most of the second half if he starts on the bench. Rangers court case is next week so he may well get rested to the bench with Dany N'G starting in his place, and he seems to have plenty of goals within. There is a warm feeling at CG right now and rightly so, but I have also noticed that Bradford are maintaining their progress too RED, and apart from their games against us, I wish them well. A win for us this evening will see us sat just in behind them deposing Preston in 5th place.
posted on 19/10/13
I listened to the game on my computer. Went to bed a happy man But what is this about Bradford? When I lived there at first, I rented a hovel at the other end of Park Avenue to the ground. Valley Parade was at the other side of the city, 2 bus trips. So my favoured club was always PA. They were still in Div 4 when I got there. That didn't last long & NPL arrived.But they used to play a lot of games on Monday nights. It was cheaper for me to walk down & watch a game than heat the flat. I met a lot of good guys there, easy to recognise people in crowds that small. Monday night games were great - the pubs were open after the game, unlike Saturdays. So we used to walk back past my abode to a local & have pie & peas & a couple of beers, generally lamenting another defeat. I was just a student then so didn't have much money. I don't think that I ever had to pay for a round. As we passed my place I always asked them in for coffee. But always the same answer. " T' pub shuts in an hour & yourn coming with us" I played sunday football with some of them later & made a lot of good mates. One of the best has unfortunately passed away, but such was his hatred of City that when PA were playing there, he wouldn't go & allow his gate money to help them. I did go to watch City every other week but never felt the same empathy for them. Then I became mates with some of their supporters, but only through the course of work. Hooky being one.
A small city with 2 clubs in those days, but you cannot imagine the rivalry. Town & Oxford have nothing in comparison.
posted on 22/10/13
A tough game in store tonight. Walsall are a good side and Dean Smith will have done his homework after watching us on Friday. I think we may have to settle for a point, I'm going for 1-1.