Positivity abounds at the moment, and for good reason. New manager Kieron Mckenna has started well, and those two wins and six points from his first two games in charge is just the start that he, and we, had all hoped for.
Whether you agree with the decision of our American friends to pull the rug from under Paul Cook’s feet – just when he was beginning to get comfortable is of little significance now. What is done is done. We must stop looking back but only forward, and focus our minds on the excellent start our new boss has made.
Two games. One at home. One away. Two wins. Six points from six. No goals conceded. Five goals scored. It’s a fabulous start but we must not get ahead of ourselves. There are still 21 matches to play, and a lot can still happen between now and the 30th of April. Let’s hope that most of those happenings are good ones!
Let us prepare ourselves too for the bad days. There will undoubtedly be some between now and the end of the season. How will the manager and players react to a defeat? Bouncebackability is key when you have momentum, and for the first time this season, I genuinely believe we have some, so we must sustain it at all costs.
The New Year has been a happy one for all of us so far, so let us look at the four remaining fixtures this month and try to predict our points haul by the end of it.
Saturday, 15th January, Bolton Wanderers (away) The Lancashire side are struggling at the moment and find themselves in 18th place in the table, just two points ahead of the drop zone. They have accrued just one point in their last five matches and are on a four-game losing streak. This is the same Bolton Wanderers that humiliated us at Portman Road on the 11th of September when they ran out 5-2 winners, so I don’t think the players will need much motivation here. I expect Town to win, and I am going for a 1-3 victory. (3 points)
Saturday, 22nd January, Accrington Stanley (home) They are neck and neck with us in the league table so this would be a very helpful result if we were to win it. The goal difference is interesting though, as we are + 9 and they are -9, but they have only lost one of their last five league encounters. Bolton have signed their 26-year-old Northern Ireland forward Dion Charles recently though and this might make a difference. I am going for another Town victory here, which would mean it is four in a row for our new boss in the dug-out! (3 points)
Tuesday, 25th January, AFC Wimbledon (away) We struggled against them earlier in the season when we could only muster a 2-2, and I would be happy to take a point back to Portman Road because this will not be an easy one to call. The fact that they are near the foot of the table might suggest that we should expect more, but they are a good footballing side, and at home, are always a serious threat. They have lost their last two league fixtures though, so they will be more determined than ever to keep their heads above the parapet. (1 point)
Saturday, 29th January, Sheffield Wednesday ( away) This is undoubtedly the most testing of our remaining January encounters and having watched them earlier on in the season when they drew here, I think this will be a very difficult fixture. They always have big partisan crowds supporting them, and they play some very decent football. They have lost their last two fixtures though, which might give us some hope and on this premise, I am going for another draw. (1 point)
Eight points from four is acceptable, but this is purely theoretical, and literally, anything could happen in what I consider to be one of the most unpredictable league’s in Europe. We will need to ride our luck from time to time but that old adage that you make your own luck might also apply here.
8 points from 4 games is fine by me. Would take that!
For what it is worth, I disagree re PC’s sacking. We were sliding down the table with no end in sight.
Back to the here and now. Our crowds this season have been excellent as has our travelling support and fans using i-follow.
Only Sunderland (by 8000) and Wednesday (by 1000) have better average crowds than us.
Remarkably good crowds for League 1, to the extent that Sunderland’s attendances are higher than every Championship side and ours would be 4th best.
Says a lot for Town fans loyalty!
For the record Richard, although I quite liked Paul Cook and was shocked when the club decided to part company, I think it was perhaps for the best. That said, we must not forget the players he recruited and the quality he brought into the squad.
Town have had solid support all season, and that is why the owners felt that to sustain it, they had to do something a little more drastic to ensure the fans remained onside. It was a bold decision to remove Cook but probably the right one in hindsight.
We were sliding down the table, but you disagree with Cook going ????
“What is done is done. We must stop looking back but only forward, and focus our minds on the excellent start our new boss has made.”