For the first time this season we find ourselves in the bottom three, mainly thanks to Ollie's Millwall beating an unpredictable Middlesboro 2-1. Although I thought we played reasonably well against Burnley, moving the ball about well and challenging more, yet again we never really looked like scoring. With games against Brighton, Wigan and Charlton coming up the chances of us getting any points is looking bleak. Not only that but we're still reliant on others to slip up, which has never been our strong point in the past. Both Brighton & Wigan will be going all out to grab a play-off place, whereas Charlton, like us will be fighting for championship survival.
So, do I think we still have a chance of staying up? If I'm being realistic, the answer is no. We've squandered the points we accrued and goal difference we earned earlier in the season and I don't think the team have the confidence the fight back. Despite the passion & desire shown by Barry Ferguson to succeed and keep us up, I don't think he has the managerial experience to pull us through, nor the tactical sense. He certainly doesn't know what his best 11 is, and too many faded stars have turned up promising they'll help to turn things around but failed. Chopra and Earnshaw to name two.
It's sad to see how far we've dropped since the Holloway days, but it goes to prove if you run a business on a shoestring without proper investment and foresight, you will eventually become unstuck. Karl Oyston's reputation is now well known throughout football circles for his unwillingness to spend and his rolling contracts. Respected managers, many still out of work have turned us down, so as a last resort he hire's managers with poor past records or as in the case of Barry Ferguson untried ones. You can tell Ferguson has the passion and desire but not the experience to succeed at present. He was also someone Oyston fell out with dramatically with last season banishing him to Fleetwood for a time. Add to this the number of loanees making up the squad who will be moving on at the end of the season and you have a recipe for disaster.
Whether or not we survive or get relegated the same problems will remain. We need a quality, experienced manager with a good scouting team behind him in as soon as the season finishes. So that they can get players in early and not get lumbered with end of season leftovers. Players with a desire and hunger to play for the club, a proper training ground and facilities. Otherwise next season will be a repeat of the last two. I expect season tickets sales to be hit badly if improvements are not made quickly. The fans unrest was clearly seen at the Burnley game and will continue because most fans have had enough of the false promises spouted by the chairman over the years.
