Well it's November 2022 and we're one game away before the World Cup break. Normally the World Cup competition is usually held in the summer so it doesn't affect the various domestic leagues. Unfortunately, due to the fact Qatar was awarded the rights to hold it meant our home fixtures have been put on hold for a month. These breaks can be a blessing or a damn nuisance depending on how well or badly your particular team are performing.
In our case it's a blessing. Why? Currently we're in 21st position with 22 points having played 20 games, won 6, drawn 4 and lost 10 and just above the relegation zone having played one game more than two others in the zone. This Saturday we travel to Wigan, (who as a matter of interest have just sacked their manager) they are in 23rd position on 20 points.
As a matter of interest and to get a better perspective of how Michael Appleton is doing at this stage compared to Neil Critchley's first 20 game stint in the Championship I've put together their results.
Critchley's figures were:- Played 20, Won 7, Drawn 6, Lost 7, Points 27.
Appleton's figures were:- Played 20, Won 6, Drawn 4, Lost 10, Points 22.
and yet the criticism aimed at Appleton seems totally out of kilter to what is only a 5 point difference to Critchley's record. Especially considering Critchley's next 5 games leading up to the New Year resulted as follows:-
Played 5, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 4. Points 3. Grand total of 30 points.
I know a number of fans didn't want Appleton re-instated as coach, citing his last stint as manager under the Oystons, which lasted all of 65 days as an example of why he was unsuitable to be given another chance. Yet if he had stayed working for the toxic owners his reputation would be equally tarnished. Other reasons given were he is an ex-Nobber, he has a PNE tattoo on his leg (he hasn't), he's been a crap manager at his previous clubs (wrong again), he's miserable and shows no enthusiasm on the touchline so how can the players be motivated by him? Yet, by people involved in football he is regarded as a good coach and a promoter of young players. Not forgetting the number of players in the squad currently out injured has been and is a real problem. Even Critchley could never name the same side week by week.
I do feel some fans are being a bit unrealistic in their assessment of Michael Appleton. Instead of giving him more time to shape the squad into how he wants them to play they just want him out. That poses a number of questions?
1) Who would be his replacement? Bearing in mind we've always had a problem recruiting managers/coaches in the past.
2) The cost of any any compensation to him would be high.
3) The new manager/coach would still have the same group of players both Appleton and Critchley had/have (most of which were recruited by Critchley.) and the current injury problems.
I also get tired of listening to other fans criticising Simon Sadler for not doing enough to sign new players or the lack of progress regarding the training ground, new east stand etc. Some complain we're going to get relegated now and seem to take satisfaction when we lose as though it's vindication of what they are predicting. These people have very short memories, they seem to forget how disastrous the Oystons were. How they benefitted financially from being in the Premiership and yet the club was run on a miserly shoestring for years. Sadler said right from the start it would take time to get things to how we want them. In fact we are now ahead of where we expected to be because we got promoted to the Championship earlier than we thought. These fans need a reality check, we average a gate of around 10,000 fans, daily costs of running a club is expensive, owners need to be billionaires to finance the type of managers and players fans want, but then they are the first to complain if the price of tickets are increased. They also fail to realise that their combined negativity has a detrimental effect on the recruitment of new players especially when calling for the manager to be sacked or worst still criticising the owner.
I hope we manage to get three points tomorrow at Wigan, but it's not a life or death situation if we don't.
