We look like a mid-table team with the occasional flirtation with a play-off place when we get a run of results. Steven Schumacher's post match interview was honest and an accurate appraisal of the problems we are currently facing. Our weakness is and has been most of the season has been the wide areas. The system usually deployed relies on athletic wing backs who can get up and down. Recently, we have been good at the former (witness our 2nd goal last night) but not at the latter where the freedom to get crosses into the box places extra pressure on the centre backs.
The truth is that Wilson and Scarr, in particular, are not maintaining the standards they displayed earlier in the season and as a result we are often vulnerable not least to a swift counter attack. Whether Bolton remains to be seen as he works his way back to full match fitness. Galloway is an obvious loss and Gillesphey and Critchlow have work to do to fully convince. The other issue is that most opponents expose Mike Cooper's obvious Achilles heel in dominating his 6-yard box. Many create a 'crowd scene' (as Big Ron used to call it) for corners and we lack the physicality within the team (beyond the CBs) to effectively defend it.
The early season start offered false promise but we are a solid mid-table team and play a 'brand' (horrible word) of football that often results in entertaining games albeit not always with the desired result. I for one are content with that outcome for this season and I would see it as a valued progression on the pathway to the Championship. In the balance of hope v expectation we perhaps just need to embrace more of the latter.
