After last Saturday’s absolute horror show, I’m hoping AB has spent the last two days drilling into the lads the revolutionary concept of defending. Because whatever that was against Boston, it sure wasn’t football defending!
Every time Boston came forward we looked like we’d just met each other in the car park five minutes before kick-off. No shape, no communication, no urgency, just a lot of pointing, backing off, and hoping someone else might fancy doing a bit of defending. I’ve seen more resistance from a queue at Greggs. The back line parted so easily I thought there might’ve been a fire drill. Runners not tracked, space everywhere, and marking apparently optional. If goals conceded were loyalty points, we’d have earned a free toaster by half-time.
So yeah, after that mess, you’d hope for a reaction. Nothing fancy, just the basics: stay switched on, stop backing off like we’re scared of contact, and maybe, just a wild idea, don’t gift wrap chances for the opposition. If we can manage that, we might actually look like a football team again.
Rochdale away will be far from a stroll, and let’s be honest, nobody outside Scunthorpe are expecting much. But football does throw up the odd smash-and-grab, and if we remember how to defend like grown adults instead of decorative training cones, there’s a result there to be nicked.
Trying to be optimistic: Rochdale 1 – 2 Scunthorpe
Scrappy, nerve-shredding, backs to the wall performance, but with actual defending this time.
