Officials-Assisted Defeat Turned Into Painful Rout

Today was always going to be tough, despite it being only Millwall after all. Up against another big, physical, confident outfit with weapons up front to hurt us, in the form of Azeez, who tormented us all afternoon, up against Chambers making his debut, and a centre-forward Coburn, who battered Ramsay in particular and whose only good contribution to the game from our perspective was to miss a sitter in the first half that would have put them two up.

We struggled throughout, but like any game there were ifs and buts, with some key refereeing decisions going against us at important times. With VAR Millwall’s opener would have been ruled out for offside, and the shove in the back of Campbell in their box which sent him to the ground would have been ruled a penalty. There was far more contact than when Bamford fell over in our box and Wilder considered that to be a stonewall penalty (it wasn’t but our one today did merit one). Also, at only one down in the second half we were unfairly denied an equaliser as Dykes got in behind their defender, only for a distant ref to decide that there had been a hand involved. In truth the ball came off his head and bounced off his shoulder, not handball. The shot may have been saved but the rebound dropped to Fullah and he put the ball into an empty net.

Who knows how the game would have panned out if these decisions had gone in our favour? This isn’t to say we deserved something, or would have got something if they had. Just that the game would have been different had correct decisions been made. As it was, their second goal with 10 minutes left on the clock settled the contest and Jones contributed to turning defeat into debacle by a crazy substitution. The same gung-ho change had nearly worked against Derby when we were chasing the game, but it was never on today. It contributed to us conceding two more goals to end the game with our tails very much between our legs.

The team showed three changes from Derby, with Chambers making his debut at left-side wing-back and Clarke starting on the other side, with Ramsay, Jones (fortunately recovered from his foot injury) and Gillesphey the central three, Burke providing the back-up from the bench. In midfield Anderson was retained and Rankin-Costello started, with Coventry back on the bench, while Carey kept the more forward place, while Fullah and Apter were among the subs – and still no sign of Docherty. Up front Campbell was freed up to play alongside Dykes, with Leaburn, Kelman and Godden the potential replacements.

I’ll admit that before the game my preference was for a 4-4-2, with Campbell and Apter starting on either flank, and reverting to the Docherty and Coventry pairing which had performed so well early in the season. I don’t know if the rumours of Jones falling out with Docherty (and/or Apter) have any substance, but I am at a loss to understand why Docherty is not featuring. The priority today was surely on keeping a clean sheet. With the defence involving a player who has only just joined and not played much football and another returning from injury, surely the expectation would be that it needed protection.

We actually started the game quite brightly, but Chambers had an early taste of what to expect as he failed to prevent Azeez getting in a dangerous cross from their right. And after just six minutes we fell behind to a dreadful goal fashioned from another ball in from that side. This time Azeez was given all the time he wanted to weigh up his ball into the box. That ball was flicked on by a Millwall guy, with Jones making an ineffective challenge. At the far post it was a case of who would get there first: Kaminski, Ramsay, or the Millwall centre-forward. Kaminski did, but he was unable to make a decisive interception, only diverting the ball to hit the incoming Ramsay, who didn’t see it coming because he was intent only on trying to ensure that the Millwall guy couldn’t get to it. The result was another own goal borne out of poor defensive play.

The goal knocked our confidence at the back, with more chances coming their way. After 10 minutes another cross from the right side was headed over by their guy unchallenged. After that Dykes did play in Campbell, whose shot with the left foot was comfortably saved, then came the moment when Campbell was shoved over from behind in the box and nothing was given. As the pendulum swung back a Millwall break caught Chambers out of position and a guy in acres of space, only for Kaminski to save his shot. Then on 26 minutes we were confused again at the back, ending with Ramsay and Kaminski contriving to concede a corner.

On 36 minutes everyone watching the game assumed it was going to be 2-0. From our corner Millwall broke down their left side. The guy skipped past Anderson, who being already on a yellow couldn’t make the challenge, and went on to deliver a low cross which reached Coburn. All he had to do was hit the target but directed it wide, to our huge relief. After that we did have another shout for a penalty as Campbell went down again, although I thought this one was less compelling.

At the break it was evident we would have to play better to get anything out of the game, but at 1-0 we were still in it. Although their goal was poor, they might have had others. Pretty much the same situation as against Derby. What we had to do was ensure we didn’t concede again.

Jones made a change at half-time, with Chambers withdrawn, TC reverting to wing-back, and Fullah introduced, to cause the same sort of confusion he had for Derby. It did mean compromising our main attacking threat to that point, but was understandable. This was no game to measure Chambers by, up against a very good opponent and thrown in at the deep end.

The change didn’t have the desired effect this time as Millwall put us under pressure pretty much from the start. Balls into our box caused panic and desperate defending. On 52 minutes Millwall thought they had there second as a ball whipped in from their left found Azeez beyond Campbell at the far post and he tucked it away.

Jones the Boss obviously didn’t like what he was seeing and after that let-off made a triple substitution. On came Burke, Coventry and Kelman for Gillesphey, Carey and Anderson. That involved a switch to a 4-4-2, with Burke and Jones the centre-backs, Ramsay and Clarke full-backs, and Campbell wide left while Fullah was shifted to widish right. Would have been harsh on him of course, but with a change to 4-4-2 and Apter on the bench, surely he would have been the better alternative to asking the youngster to change position after less than 10 minutes on the pitch.

It was taking a while to sort that out, when on 66 minutes out of the blue we were almost back level. The ball over the top saw Dykes run onto it and stay ahead of their defender, getting his shot in. The whistle had already blown before Fullah put away the rebound, but it shouldn’t have done. Have to see the replays again, to see just where the referee was when he made the call, but at the least he was on the blind side and some way behind play. He made a guess – and the replays showed a wrong one.

That was the closest we came to levelling things up. On 80 minutes Millwall won another corner and a routine ball to the far post was met by their guy, who got ahead of Burke and headed down and inside the post. Have to examine how he got away and to consider how it is that we had all 11 back but nobody on the far post to clear anything goalbound.

We all knew that was game over. But for some reason Jones the Boss decided on one more throw of the dice. Off came Rankin-Costello and on went Godden, with Fullah now required to compete alongside Coventry. No way to treat the youngster. With us wide open Burke was turned in the box and brought down Azeez. Kaminski saved the penalty but the ball didn’t go dead and was squared for someone to tap home. And to really rub salt into the wound in stoppage time another ball into the box was weakly headed away by Ramsay and dropped to their guy, who scored.

This one is going to hurt us for some time to come, until we play them again, which hopefully will be next season. Jones and the players have a week to forget about it and for some honest discussions about how we start to turn this around. We knew before the game we are in a relegation scrap, with away at Leicester coming up next. We need pride, determination, cohesion, and unity, perhaps after some choice exchanges to clear the air. Whether or not we come away from that game with anything is arguably less important than seeing that the resolve is there for the challenges ahead.

No Points And Fresh Problems

I couldn’t help thinking ahead of last night’s game that I hoped Jones and the squad were better prepared mentally than me for the encounter. That they would be up for the contest from the start, focused on the task ahead. Whereas all I wanted was for us, after Saturday’s gift, to bag another three points, by whatever means and with whatever good fortune, given the need to restore a decent buffer with the relegation zone, especially with a couple of shall we say challenging away games coming up. We know we’re not firing on all cylinders at present, still suffering from the defensive injuries, confidence not high. So just give us the points and be done with it.

Unsurprisingly Derby have ambitions and expectations of their own. And they did a job on us, keeping to a game plan which involved getting quickly behind the ball when out of possession, letting us play around in our own half to no good effect, and taking advantage of our defensive frailties, with a centre-forward who caused us no end of problems. For an hour it worked very effectively, although as Jones said the goals we conceded were avoidable (ie poor). Against that, were it not for more Kaminski saves there would have been others.

With the introduction of Fullah at the break the game did change, in that Derby suddenly had a problem they couldn’t contain. TC’s excellent strike got us back into the game and with the red card and us throwing caution to the wind we might have salvaged an important point. But that didn’t happen – and against the positives (which include another good performance from Clarke) are balanced Jones off injured and the apparent confirmation of a setback for Edwards in training. So we ended the day with no points and fresh problems.

For the team/squad, like Saturday there were a number of questions. Who would take the poisoned chalice of the left-side wing-back position? Would new signing Clarke be able to play two games in quick succession with Bree now gone? Would Burke, even Bell, be available? And would Coventry and/or Docherty be back in the team, with presumably Carey replacing the now injured Knibbs? In the event Jones opted for shifting Ramsay to right-side wing-back and reverting to Campbell on the left, while Burke came in to start alongside Jones and Gillesphey, Clarke among the subs. In midfield Coventry returned to the starting XI, Rankin-Costello dropping to the bench, to partner Anderson and Carey indeed starting, while Docherty was back among the subs. Up front Dykes would start alongside Leaburn, with Kelman held in reserve along with Godden. Among the subs would also be Roussillon, who we’d all assumed would remain out of the picture, and Fullah, with no place for Apter (or Olaofe).

The first half was a depressing affair. The decision to start with the ‘big two’ together up front did not work, the lack of movement making it easy for Derby to just keep their shape and hold us at bay, the only real exception being a crazy moment (for them) as Leaburn won back possession as they were looking to play out from the back and the ball ran to Dykes, who astutely knocked it past their onrushing defender only to be unceremoniously taken out. But for another defender in the vicinity, one I doubt would have got to Dykes, it surely would have been a red. Carey’s strike from the resulting free kick didn’t really stretch their replacement keeper and was our only attempt on target in the half.

By contrast, Derby fashioned a number of good openings and took the lead, on 16 minutes. We had several opportunities to clear our lines but failed to do so, causing confusion. Their centre-forward exchanged passes, then quickly skipped past a flat-footed Anderson and sent a low ball across the box. Gillesphey was confronted with a quick decision and failed to come up with a decisive answer, ending up just planting the ball into the net. Not his fault, he couldn’t know it, but the replays showed that if he had just left it alone there was nobody behind him.

Just after the half-hour, after Jones had received treatment for a foot injury, which seemed to require heavy strapping, he was caught out by a ball over his head, only managing to divert it a little, into the path of the onrushing Blackett-Taylor. Fortunately he failed to beat Kaminski from close range. And just before the break Campbell was standing still, trying to cover a guy of theirs out wide, and left an ocean of space behind him, which their guy ran into and received the ball. He made it into our box but pushed his effort wide of the far post.

The half-time stats showed that we had 53% possession but had done next to nothing with it. The only positive was that we were still in the game, but nobody doubted we would have to improve if we were to get anything out of it. And Jones the Boss did make two changes at the break, one enforced. Jones the Player was unable to continue, with Clarke coming on and Ramsay moving back inside, while an out of sorts Leaburn was withdrawn for Fullah.

That second change did alter the pattern of the game, as we could no longer rely on arial balls forward and Derby were clearly confused about what to do with this new guy annoyingly cropping up in different places. Almost immediately Fullah and Campbell combined on the left, the resulting cross almost converted by Clarke at the far post. Derby then missed a decent chance themselves, failing to convert a low cross at the near post, and as our early buzz seemed to be fading they doubled their lead, in a curious fashion. A fairly innocuous ball forward seemed to attract all our defenders, none of which got on the end of it, the result being their guy collecting the loose ball and being clear on goal. This time Kaminski couldn’t come to the rescue and we were two down, seemingly out of it.

However, rather out of the blue on 66 minutes we pulled one back, entirely due to TC. Derby had spent all the game crowding him out when necessary and not allowing him to cut inside and try the curler. But this time they failed to stop him and the shot, from a more central position than usual, was less a curler than a good strike planted just inside the post.

That gave us fresh heart. Kelman came on for Coventry as we upped the risk-taking and Derby were pushed back. Gillesphey struck a free-kick well, their keeper managing to claw it away, and Campbell just failed to convert a Clarke cross. On 84 minutes Clarke delivered a well-weighted pass forward (how often do we get to use those words?) and Ramsay got there just before their defender, who ended up flattening him just outside the box, collecting his second yellow, and leaving the pitch. Still time to rescue a point. Berry and Godden were sent on for Anderson and Burke, but despite some close calls and seven minutes of stoppage time Derby were able to see it out.

Last night we came up against another team basically better than us, in that for most of the game they shut us out, kept to a game plan, and created chances at the other end, scoring twice. Some may say that’s not surprising, given our budget and adjustment to the higher division. But it’s also a reflection of our current failures and (IMO) a need to reassess how we approach games.

Every good team plays to its strengths. Early this season there was no question that our strength was a dogged, resolute, determined defence, which provided the platform for decent draws and unlikely wins. Since Edwards was forced out, and given injuries at various stages to Bell, Burke and Ramsay, now we fear Jones also, plus the departure of Bree, the chances of returning to that are remote, in the short term at least. So surely there is a case for reassessing the 5-3-2/3-5-2 formation, especially if Jones is not available for Saturday.

Clarke is looking very good for right-back. Buy/borrow or promote from the youth ranks a left-back, which is probably simpler to do than secure the services of a good left-side wing-back. Choose the best available partnership for two in central defence. Play Campbell and Apter as outright wingers, give the opposition some problems and provide service for the front two. If that seems a little too gung-ho then start with one and have the other on the bench. And stick with the original idea of one big and one ‘little’ guy up front, at least to begin with (as that gives the option of changing to two big guys or replacing the two during the game). It is simply a case of looking at what our strengths may be and playing to them. Because right now the status quo isn’t working.

Circumstances Irrelevant For Us, Massive Three Points

Felt like the start of the second half of the season and for sure a tough one to kick things off, against a team obviously much improved compared with when we beat them on their patch. Seven wins in 10 (but two defeats in the last five), sporting the Championship player of the month, and presumably keen on revenge, while we really didn’t know how we would be likely to perform. Always two teams involved of course, but it felt to me as though the outcome would be down to how well we stood up to the challenge, how we handled their threats.

In the event it ended up being decided by two rash challenges and deserved red cards, plus a goal for us. Their fans may have sung ‘1-0 to the referee’, we would have done the same. But they have nobody else to blame but their two players, whose actions turned what were surely going to be three points for them to the three for us.

There were a number of imponderables regarding the team/squad. Would any of Ramsay, Burke, Bell and Godden be available/included? Would Bree be selected ahead of what increasingly looks like a return to Southampton? And would new additions Clarke and Dykes go straight into the mix? In the event there were several changes. In defence, Kaminski returned in goal, Bree kept his place on the right-side, Ramsay returned from injury to partner Jones and Gillesphey as the central three, with Burke back on the bench as a potential replacement, while Clarke came straight in as the left-side wing-back, with Bell not making it. In midfield surprisingly Coventry was rested, while Docherty wasn’t even in the squad (injured?). Rankin-Costello, Anderson and Knibbs were the chosen three, with both Carey and Berry among the subs. And up front Leaburn would be partnered by Kelman, with Dykes and the returning Godden among the subs. Also starting on the bench would be Campbell and Apter, with Fullah missing out.

You’d say that the defensive choices were predictable with hindsight, ie knowing who would be available, but the new midfield trio was undoubtedly a surprise. The other surprise was that Bree would switch to operate on the left side, Clarke taking his position. Hindsight of course, but that meant we started the game with one defender just signed for the club, one just returning from injury, and one playing out of position, all behind an untried and unfamiliar midfield three. It was a recipe for chaos and I’ve no idea why Jones made all of the changes he did.

After 30 minutes everyone in the ground was just scratching their heads over just how we were not losing, badly. It was a repeat of Southampton in that Sheffield carved us open at will, looked dangerous from set pieces, and basically looked like scoring every time they went forward, with Bamford pulling the strings to good effect (before he displayed his poor side later in the game). That they didn’t was down to a combination of excellent Kaminski saves, the post, some near misses, and some poor finishing. I don’t usually bother too much about the opposition’s chances, but suffice to say that after 30 minutes the stats showed they had 61% possession with nine attempts on goal, two on target (zero on both scores for us).

Bree looked distinctly uncomfortable on his wrong side, picking up a yellow for a foul after he lost possession. Ramsay looked very rusty. Whatever gameplan the midfield had wasn’t working as we were caught out time and time again by runners not tracked, while we struggled to retain possession, let alone do anything with it.

Then on 34 minutes the game took its first turn in our favour. Knibbs contested what looked like a 50-50 and immediately looked in big trouble. The replays showed clearly enough that, intentional or not, their guy had lunged in and landed square on Knibbs’ ankle. Thankfully the ref saw it that way and had the red card out of his pocket immediately. Knibbs was stretchered off (it was good to see him on the touchlines later with a big medical boot on rather than having been taken straight to hospital, hopefully the injury will prove to be not as bad as we all first feared) and Carey replaced him.

Sheffield didn’t panic, Wilder presumably realising that they were tearing us apart and having no problems at the back, so leave things as they are. But as we entered five minutes of stoppage time we had turn number two. Long ball forward was contested by Carey and their guy came clattering into him from behind. The replays showed he led with his forearm/elbow and made full contact. The ref did his job and pulled out the red card again.

You might play with 10 in a similar fashion to with 11, but no way with nine. Wilder made two substitutions before the break and at half-time we had the luxury of considering what changes we could make to exploit the situation and address some defensive concerns. The first was reasonably straightforward in Campbell replacing Bree (who might have moved over to his normal side if Jones felt that Clarke might not last the full game, but Bree was on a yellow). The second, with Dykes coming on for Kelman, was perhaps in anticipation that Sheff Utd would pack their box whenever out of possession and that Kelman would have no space to operate in, better to have another physical/ariel option.

The changes worked to immediate effect. Campbell had already threatened a couple of times down the wing before a ball forward by Gillesphey found the head of Dykes, who had excellently positioned himself between two defenders. He nodded it back and down, perfectly for Carey to sweep it home on the volley.

In an ideal world, with still another 45 minutes or so to play against nine men, we go on to score a second or third, ensuring no banana skin late in the game, perhaps from a set piece. That didn’t happen, although there were chances to make the points safe. Shortly after our goal TC played in Leaburn, whose attempt to chip the keeper didn’t have enough on it and went wide. A low ball in from Clarke on the right just evaded Dykes, Carey had a goalbound shot blocked, and later from a corner a Jones header at the back post was deflected by a defender and then headed off the line by another.

The fact is that Sheff Utd still carried some threat on the break, albeit a fading one as they not surprisingly tired. And any set piece, including long throws into the box, needed care. We almost criminally got caught on the break after the Carey shot. And right at the end I thought Jones was crazy to take off Leaburn just when they were about to launch another long throw, to bring on Godden (I thought the change should have been made 10 minutes earlier, with perhaps Apter for Clarke – who had a very good game – to exploit the space down the wing).

All ifs and buts. I honestly don’t care that we didn’t get a second or third. In our situation any win, in whatever circumstances, has to be grabbed with both hands. Looking at some of the other results today, if we hadn’t won today – and at one point we easily could have been three down or worse before the sendings off – we would really be in the mire. As it is, with Derby coming to The Valley on Tuesday night we have the opportunity to put some distance between us and the bottom three. It really didn’t matter how we got there today. That said, Jones and his team will surely have a long look at those first 30 minutes to see what needs to be changed, because it very nearly went very badly wrong.

Now Time To Prove It

With the break for the cup, and before that the end of the mini-series involving games against a number of those around us, for me at least there’s a real feel that we’re now going into the business end of the season. I don’t think the eight games currently scheduled for the rest of January and February (the mid-February home game against Stoke having been postponed due to their cup game) fall into any kind of natural grouping (no doubt with hindsight some pattern will become apparent), but they are pretty much all against teams not in a relegation fight (I don’t know if the now vacant Saturday in February will be used to play the postponed game against Portsmouth as they too are out of the cup) and not competing for automatic promotion either. So they all look tough but, if we are looking to move up the table, all ones we are capable of getting returns from, if we play to at or close to potential.

Just what that potential is of course is yet to be fully shaped by the transfer window and injuries. We don’t know yet if the signing of Clarke is with a view to giving us better cover or as a direct replacement for Bree if he returns to Southampton (and of course where he ends up for the rest of the season may not be clarified until the end of the month). We aren’t sure of the fitness status of Ramsay, Burke, Bell, Edwards, or indeed Clarke. And although we are confident the club is trying hard to get in a left-side wing-back, we can’t say if those efforts will be successful.

For me one of the pluses of the Chelsea game was the performance of Mannion, who showed no signs of ring-rust. Consequently, we know that if we stick with a back three/five, and keep Bree and add one on the other side, in an ideal world we have: Kaminski/Mannion (and Maynard-Brewer of course), Bree/Clarke/Ramsay, Burke/Ramsay/Gough, Jones/Burke, Bell/Gillesphey, and Edwards/Bell/Another. All ifs and buts for sure, but if all of that lot were/became available and competing for places I think we’d have a fair chance of getting back to the dogged, determined and effective defending and pride in clean sheets we displayed in the first phase of the season. To climb the table we have to.

There’s no sign of changes in midfield, other than rumours of Anderson going out on loan. I don’t think we can afford that in our position, unless there was a replacement. We have Coventry, Docherty, Rankin-Costello and Anderson available for the two deeper roles, although heaven forbid Coventry gets injured. He is the only serious challenger at this stage to Jones for player of the season. For the more advanced position we have Carey, Knibbs and Berry, with Fullah hovering in the wings. So never say never, but from the start of this season we have had sufficient cover in midfield. I do wish at times in some games we made more use of Apter from the bench. To do that we really need to shift during a game to a 4-4-2, but that shouldn’t be beyond us.

Up front I do think that the signing of Dykes is excellent news (although without doubt the prize for the best transfer rumour of the season goes to Nardin Mulahusejnovic). As well as the intelligence and finishing of Godden, compounded by the extended absence of Kelman, we have badly missed the battering ram option that Aneke provided last season (not always to good effect for sure). Leaburn, Campbell and Olaofe have all found it difficult so far to adjust, even though Leaburn has looked more effective in recent games and Campbell when going down the wing is still a real threat. At the least Dykes allows us not to have to rely on Leaburn played all game, every game, with presumably one or other starting and one coming on around the hour mark. It isn’t about Dykes goals per game ratio, much more about what we need right now and hopefully helping to bring out the best in Kelman, Godden and Leaburn.

So, time for them all to just go out and do it. I really don’t like this ‘being the best we can be’ line as football isn’t really like that. Games turn on moments and are as much about the opposition as yourselves. It’s now time for us to prove that we’ve put a (very) sticky patch behind us and more than deserve to be in this division, starting tomorrow.

Now Back To The Real World

So, the Cup is put to bed for another year, we do after all have greater priorities – and haven’t yet stopped laughing about Palace. We can claim that we lasted longer in the Cup this season than anyone else in South London, everyone it seemed had a good night out under the lights, I managed to watch the game with a beIN Sports subscription for a month (which has exposed my partner Suzanne to more football over the next few weeks than she bargained for), Leaburn added to his tally for the season, and the club made some useful money.

We have to hope the fresh concern over the fitness of Bell proves unwarranted, that TC’s injury was nothing serious, and that the absence of Godden from the squad, after expectations had been raised, was just sensible precaution. Otherwise, I’d say we did OK, but not more than that. When you set out to frustrate your opponents – as we did to reasonably good effect for almost all the first half, without giving the impression that a clean sheet was likely – and end up shipping five goals, and your goalkeeper was probably your man of the match, we can’t say we did we especially well defensively. Sure, two of the five were in stoppage time and left a scoreline giving the impression of a hiding that was harsh on us.

My only real disappointments were that having pulled it back to 1-2 we didn’t have a longer period when Chelsea might have got a little edgy, conceding the their third only five minutes later, and that due to the injured list we weren’t able to put out a full-strength team to really test ourselves, whatever team they put out. No matter, it’s all over and done, now attention can return to the transfer window and our chances of staving off relegation.

The old joke about two guys running from a bear and one stops to put on trainers keeps running through my head. (In case anyone doesn’t know it the other guy says it will make no difference as they can’t outrun the bear, to which his companion says I don’t have to outrun the bear, I have to outrun you.) Obviously Sheff Wed take one of the three relegation places. On recent form and having seen them against us, I’ve been inclined to assume that Oxford will take another, although nothing is cut and dried for them at this stage, with a new manager and having just strengthened with the signing of a Brentford midfielder. On that basis, we just need to outrun one other.

The bookies have both Portsmouth and Norwich on shorter odds than us to go down, despite both of them having recently beaten us. We can have no complaints about the Norwich loss; we played poorly and deserved nothing from the game. Like Sheff Utd and Southampton before them, most people will be surprised that Norwich are in the relegation mix; but I’d guess that like the other two they have enough quality to pull themselves up the table. Perhaps that won’t happen, like for Luton last season. But the other two still below us, Blackburn and Portsmouth, are I think a different matter. The three points we dropped – and handed over to them - against them really do rankle.

If we had held for 30 seconds more against Portsmouth and retained the lead to beat Blackburn, we’d be sitting alongside Southampton and Sheff Utd with a nine-point cushion above the third relegation place – instead of now just five. We’d be looking at the January transfer window in a very different light and contemplate signings in the context of what we might need with next season in mind. As it is, having taken only six points from the six-game ‘mini-series’ (preceded by a five-game losing streak), we are in the relegation mix and have to think in those terms.

In both defence and attack we need to either strengthen or adjust. I’d no idea when any of Ramsay, Burke, Bell and Edwards are going to be available again. Jones and his team need to make that assessment (of course I assume they already have). To say we need a left-side wing-back is obvious (as the Roussillon option has for whatever reason just not happened and Hernandez returning is not an option), and a right-side one if Bree is recalled by Southampton (with no sign of Asiimwe being recalled). If say two of Ramsay, Burke and Bell can be relied on to play effectively the rest of the season, fine. But I’d suggest that if that’s too big a risk, either another centre-back is brought in (it’s asking too much of Gough at this stage to be a regular and there’s no indication of Zac Mitchell being recalled) or we change formation.

The 5-3-2/3/5/2 set-up has served us well over the past (very successful) 12 months. But it isn’t written in stone and has disadvantages as well as advantages, like any formation. If we switched to a flat back four we would have the option of playing both Campbell and Arter as outright wingers. Think what a difference that would make to our style of play and the supply to the forwards. As things stand, Campbell is being asked to do his best as a wing-back and Arter is restricted to occasional cameos from the bench. Such a change would restrict the use of Carey/Knibbs/Berry of course, probably Fullah too.

Up front, we just have to wait and see if Dykes ends up with us rather than others. We do need a more physical option to lead the line at times. If we don’t buy Dykes, or someone similar, Jones presumably has to look to recall one or more of Kanu, Mbick, or even Ahadme. Strangely enough I could see the logic for recalling Ahadme. I know he was a big disappointment for us last season, and he isn’t pulling up any trees at Stevenage (one goal, in his first start, in 13 appearances and often not making the squad). But there has to be a footballer in there, we must have seen something we liked to have spent the money on him. Imagine him being called back to play in the Championship, at least on the bench. Surely – if he has anything at all in his locker – he would see that as a massive and probably undeserved opportunity, one to do everything possible to make it a success. May just be wishful thinking on my part of course, but he could add to our options at little or no cost.

Real Opportunity For Big Three Points Not Taken

A massive game today. Win and we would emerge from the six-game mini-series with two wins, two draws, and two defeats – disappointing given the nature of one of the defeats and the opposition but coming on the back of five straight defeats not a disaster. Lose and it would mean having been beaten by Norwich, Portsmouth and Blackburn in quick succession, switching the focus to a record of one win and just five points in 11 games and a slide towards the drop zone. We’d outfought and outplayed Blackburn at The Valley, just needed to do that again, especially with them missing a number of players.

In the event we had to settle for a draw, one which left us with mixed emotions. Just past the half-hour and we were two up, the game seemed there for the taking. But we let them back into it shortly after our second and that gave them something to fight for, then lost Burke through injury and some of our shape and quite frankly didn’t do enough in the second half to merit the win. We might have held on, we might have nicked a third, but for long periods were chasing shadows and unable to hold the ball, let alone do anything with it. They scored again and we are left with no real cause for complaint, just disappointment at not securing a vital win.

Given the performance last time out against Coventry, it was no surprise – barring fresh injuries or need to rest tired limbs - that Jones the Boss went with an unchanged starting X1 and squad. That meant continuing with Campbell as a wing-back, Burke and Bell both just back from injuries being asked to play a third game in a short space of time, Rankin-Costello keeping the midfield slot alongside Coventry ahead of Docherty and Anderson, same for Berry over Carey and Knibbs, and Leaburn and Kelman paired again up front, Olaofe the only recognised forward replacement option (something which we hope changes during the transfer window). It also meant three former Blackburn players lining up for us.

The bulk of the first half was competitive but largely inept from both sides, neither creating a chance of note. Blackburn had a couple of moments, a scramble or two, but rather out of the blue on 27 minutes we took the lead, with the first bit of quality in the game. Campbell and Berry moved the ball from the left side and finally on to Bree in space on the right. His ball into the box was wicked and met by Leaburn. His header came back off the bar but nicely for Kelman to hit home the rebound. And around five minutes later we doubled the advantage. A ball into their box was contested for by Jones and as he went for another touch he appeared to be taken down. The ref thought as much and gave the penalty, which to be fair may have been a bit soft. No matter, Kelman took the responsibility and fired it home.

At that point we really felt that the game was ours. Only two goals and plenty of time left for sure, but Blackburn had shown themselves to be vulnerable at the back and might have had the stuffing knocked out of them. Instead within a few minutes they were back in the game. A move down their right and the ball touched on, then a cross dinked into the box to be met by their guy, who showed better movement and determination to get on the end of it than our defenders.

Them getting one back before the break changed the whole complexion of the game, put them back on the front foot, gave them hope, and left us a little caught between chasing another goal to restore the advantage and concentrating on holding what we had. Losing Burke before the break added to the concerns, leaving us with two left-sided centre-backs out of the three as Gillesphey came on to replace him, while the changes Blackburn made at the break seemed to strengthen them.

And although we had moments in the second half when we might have grabbed a third, we spent most of the time defending and closing down. We did that part of the game pretty well, but it works against being able to do much with the ball when you get it. We just didn’t play enough in their half to make the percentages count and ended up paying for a defensive lapse.

On 58 minutes Jones made a couple more changes, with Docherty and Carey replacing a tiring Rankin-Costello and Berry. On 74 minutes Leaburn went down and was in the process of being replaced when Blackburn drew level. A break down their right resulted in a ball into the box. That was intercepted, but Campbell had switched off and their guy hadn’t, getting to the rebound and this time pulling it back low for their guy to score unimpeded.

Knibbs and Olaofe replaced Coventry and Leaburn, but in the final stages we seldom threatened their goal and seemed ready to welcome the final whistle, which came after five minutes of stoppage time. In truth both sets of players and staff were probably not too unhappy with the outcome, with us looking very tired and Blackburn gaining a point that had looked beyond them.

So the mini-series of six ends with us having won one, drawn three, and lost two, six points from the six games. After we’d beaten Oxford we anticipated better than that, leaving aside the nature of Portsmouth’s win (for the record I went for a few days to Naples for new year, most enjoyable aside from that last kick). Those looking at the table will now be pointing at one win in 11 for us. While the point against Coventry might have been a bonus, not getting the three today is a blow, given the circumstances. We just have to hope that Burke and Leaburn are not sidelined, that one or two are brought in during the window to freshen things up and give some tired legs a rest, and look to go again once the Chelsea game is out of the way.