MIKE BACON takes a look at the happenings at Portman Road after Town’s first defeat of the season at Doncaster. And he looks ahead to the Lincoln trip...
Look! We were never going to do an Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ and go through the league season unbeaten.
Town were always going to lose a League One game and, let’s be honest, the fact it was our seventh match before that first defeat came along means it has been a more than decent start to the new campaign.
The Blues are one of only four teams who have lost one game, just Sunderland remain unbeaten with four wins and two draws. We’re second in the table. In saying that, it’s not a case of ‘what’s not to like? That’s being far too blinkered.
Because,- I don’t know, it’s all a bit obvious, but we just desperately want the Blues to go to Lincoln on Saturday, pick up three points and get the smiles back on all our faces.
The last decade has seen so many disappointments - take last season. A great start, a damp squib ending.
I don’t want to hark on about the past, but it’s the past that is playing mind games with us. We’ve been here before. Our first defeat of the season feels so much more, don’t you think? When really it shouldn’t.
Just check out social media after the 1-4 defeat. Many Town fans were incandescent with fury. Can you blame them?
Well, actually in some ways, you can’t. It’s that history thing again, playing over and over in our minds.
So many build-ups, so many let-downs.
How we would now love the record to be changed. For the Doncaster result to be just a blip - nothing more. Normal service of what has gone of so far this season to be resumed on Saturday at Sincil Bank.
It’s all in the hands of the players - and the boss.
If I were Paul Lambert I would pick exactly the same XI that lost at Doncaster, show faith in them, especially the defence which up to now has been so good. And tell them to get out there and secure the points.
We then have two home games - games the Blues are more than capable of winning. There is no need to be feeling too downcast right now after what was a shocker of a result against Donny.
But bounce-back-ability is A1 key.
STU SAYS: Stuart Watson’s five observations on Town’s defeat at Doncaster
I’m not going to lie. I’ve never been a huge fan of playing out from the back at every single opportunity.
And I’m not going down the lazy route of suggesting only the likes of Barcelona, Man City, Chelsea or PSG are capable of it and everyone from League One downwards should just hoof it - because even the top boys muck it up.
It simply seems that since the new rule change of the ball not having to come out of the 18-yard box, came into force, teams now play out of the back for the sake of doing it.
Doncaster’s fourth goal was classic over-playing by the Blues in their own 18-yard box. You work so hard to get goals, then gift them back to the opposition. But hey, we are not the only teams guilty of doing that and when you have no big strikers on the pitch, I suppose you have to keep it on the deck.
It just seems so needless.
Anyhow, we must kick on.
I’m not going to be naive enough to say the Doncaster result was a one-off. I hope it was of course.
The Blues have the talent and amid a terrible run of injuries, as I said, have made a more than decent start to the season.
Just please put those nagging little doubts out of our minds on Saturday and get those three points at Lincoln. Come on the Blues!
ANDY’S RATINGS: How Town players fared at Doncaster
The rumours of the creation of a new European Premier League, involving the top sides from across the continent, hardly surprises me.
Money is all in football these days - as we all know.
And while the project still has a long way to go, taking Europe’s top 18 teams, that would no doubt include five or so from the Premier League, would be a massive money-spinner.
I just hope if it all goes ‘backside up’, teams don’t go crawling back to their domestic leagues.
Or if they do, they have to start back up in non-league - as the likes of many other clubs have had to do after getting in a financial pickle.
Could you imagine the bleating?
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