Well last night shows exactly what I know about football…a much needed, and totally unexpected win. At times our goal lived a charmed life, how on earth they didn’t score is beyond me. That said, we had a couple of cracking chances too.
The only downside to last night was that the cods won…mind you, they are probably down and out.
To be honest, I am hugely surprised by the lack of clubs going into administration during the pandemic. There’s not a single football club that hasn’t taken a financial hit, and when it comes to finances, the lower leagues club have far less margin for error!
Between now and the end of the season we will likely lose more matches than we win, but I have to agree with Ferrite. Whilst it is mathematically possible for us to be relegated I feel the points gap, and goal difference between us and the relegation slots is too wide. With only 11 matches left, the season for us is about played out.
My fear is for next season. This squad has struggled in what appears to be a poor division. We are likely to see some departures come the end of the season, and our ‘transfer committee’ doesn’t have a good track record of building cohesive squads. When you add to the mix that the chairman isn’t likely to be providing much in the way of funding, the 2021/22 season could be every bit as bleak as this one!
I have come to the realisation that when it comes to Scunthorpe United Swann talks a good game, but fails to deliver on his promises.
We can all remember those grand promises when he took the helm…the new ground, entertaining football, playing in the Championship…yet here we are, still playing in a dated ground, with the worst squad in memory, struggling to get points on the board, and in real danger of getting relegated out of the football league.
The issue is, in the current economic climate who in the right mind would buy the club right now? Sure we have planning permission to develop the ground, but it would take years to get any kind of ROI. I’m afraid we’re stuck with Swann et. al. until he either gets bored, or runs out of money, or I win the euro millions.
I’m not sure how he runs his entertainment empire, but one thing has become very evident throughout his tenure as chairman, he has failed to deliver on his promises in a somewhat spectacular way!
Those who watched football back in the ‘not so good days’ will of witnessed countless incidents of racism, homophobia, and a general culture of violence and fear. Thankfully as a sport, we have moved on from those dark days, and I think we can all agree that most right minded people are not in favour of homophobia, racism, sexism, or discrimination of the disabled, vulnerable etc.
I personally have no issue with sportsmen / women taking a knee, or any gesture that supports equality, such as rainbow laces. Whilst I can see how some people *may* take affront at these sort of gestures, I feel it sends an important message to the younger fans out there. White, middle-aged blokes like me, are not likely to be influenced by players taking a knee or wearing rainbow laces, however…a young supporter who looks up to the players on the pitch may well be.
It’s great to see that Cox is starting to get results, be in no doubt however…we are a long way from the finished article. We were deserved winners against Harrogate, and we very fortunate to win against Orient. Howard pulled off a couple of crucial saves early in the game. Throughout the match Orient looked the better team however, as is sometimes the way, their inability to convert their chances came back to kick them in the ass!
I’m not sure why everyone is getting so vexed over last nights performance. I have given up criticising and complaining about this squad, and feel last nights match was a fare reflection as to the quality, commitment, and depth of the current squad.
We all know that there’s not enough quality, depth, or experience in the squad, and no amount of keyboard rage will fix that!! A few key injuries or suspensions and we will struggle. If we have everyone available for most of the season we should be looking at a mid-table finish, maybe even sneak into 10th place. If we are dogged by persistent injuries, suspensions etc. then it’ll be a real slog to maintain our league position however, I think we’ll have “just enough” in the squad to avoid the dreaded drop.
That said, I actually enjoyed watching the match last night. The off-the-ball movement of Bolton was top-notch, and not something you’ll see often in League Two. Cox and the team should spend some time reviewing that video so they can learn the importance what you do without the ball.
I am 100% certain that this “transfer committee” does not work…it’s failed at Scunthorpe for successive seasons and has resulted in us going from a League One play-off contender to a team struggling to avoid relegation out of the football league. It’s an experiment that has failed and needs to be binned immediately.
I feel for Neil Cox, or any manager of the team right now, staying up looks like a near impossible task. Our only hope is that those who return from injury have enough in them to carry the squad.
I was the first to call relegation from League One and was the original “moron”…the only reason I haven’t called it yet this season is that there are a some of key players missing. Mark my words though, if this team doesn’t improve dramatically over the next two months we are most certainly in a full on relegation battle, and I doubt we have the ability avoid the inevitable.
I have never, EVER, felt so worried about the future of Scunthorpe United FC than I do right now!
I was a little worried about the salary cap thing at first however the more I think about it the better it seems.
This is a huge leveler and hopefully should see clubs in the lower leagues start to invest in their youth set-up, talent scouting, and coaching set-up. No longer will clubs just throw money at players in an attempt to snap up all the best talent and gain promotion. Clubs will a small fan base will be on an equal financial footing as those with a larger following.
Some might say it’s unfair, especially if you have a large fan base for L2 such as Bradford City or Bolton. However for me it seems like the clubs with the best coaching, manager, youth set-ups etc. will be the ones that succeed in the long-term.
Bloody hell 29 years since he played for us, how time flies.
I know, makes me feel really old now!
I guess with the current issues around COVID-19, wage caps, and the economic fall out from the pandemic that this was probably the best we could get. Bringing in an inexperienced manager along with our inexperienced squad could make for a tough season ahead. That said, the way things are right now I’d be happy if we could get though next season avoiding relegation and insolvency. Maybe being a local lad he’ll be better at building the bridges between the fans and the team…
At least we have a manager, and some shiny new players….
