If we are aware of it, then you can bet your bottom dollar that other clubs are aware of it too. We seem to press the self-destruct button repeatedly, and there is no escaping it.
Yesterday, it was like watching a horror movie that we have seen over and over again. It starts very positively and is full of brightness and joy until this dark cloud looms over us, and all hell lets loose. We have lost the lead to MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon when a similar thing occurred.
We led 2-0 against them only to squander a two-goal lead, and interestingly, just like yesterday, it was 4 minutes after we scored our second that Wimbledon pulled a goal back. It is becoming a very worrying character trait.
I remain hopeful that the arrival of Peter Reid might improve the mental grit of the squad, but a lot depends on whether he has a hands-on part to play? Will he just oversee from afar – or might he have an impact on attitude and tactics? We shall have to wait and see.
Manager Paul Cook was very confident that Sam Morsey would give the team more solidity but so far this has not occurred. OK, on his debut, Town thumped Doncaster Rovers 6-0 but since then he has not been much better than former skipper Lee Evans who was missing yesterday.
The Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde nature of this squad are all too apparent. In the first half at Cambridge, we dominated possession and constantly created goal-scoring opportunities. In the second half, it was as if another team had turned up.
This has happened too often this season, and it is as if we cannot retain motivation and concentration for the full 90 minutes. Is our new Czech keeper that much better than our old Czech keeper? Well, personally, I am not convinced. Holy was not perfect, but he did manage to keep clean sheets. Five in a row last season, and five in a row the season before. Now we struggle to keep one!
I don’t mind admitting I am concerned. I am sure Paul Cook feels the same way, but it is all very well being honest and telling us as it is, but unless you can change the mindset, then you may as well incorporate a pre-recorded message rather than doing these media interviews. He knows where the problem lies, but seems incapable of doing anything about it. This is very troubling.
News that we will be facing Oldham Athletic at Portman Road at the beginning of November is a nice distraction. I sincerely hope that a good cup run might inject some collective belief into the squad, but I guess that depends on whether Cook takes the cup seriously – or whether he considers it to be an unnecessary fixture in our long term quest for promotion?
