The first 15 minutes or so of the second half, I thought we looked so good. There was a shape change, and they couldn’t handle it. The foul on House was a red card, no doubt in my mind, but it doesn’t get given. That is something that I can live with as it’s football fortune to a degree, rather than an attempt to take Jacko out of the game. It leads to a goal, and my next rather angry little rant this morning, this time, not aimed at the creature in the opposite dugout. This time, it might just be aimed at you.
The free kick falls to Makama; he fights off his marker and fires home. It’s not a ‘tap in’, he has to wrestle and battle to get the chance. It’s his second goal in as many games, which is a pretty solid answer to critics who said he doesn’t score enough. He celebrates by cupping his ears, a celebration he has used before (check my Twitter profile picture from a couple of months ago), and I see social media trolls on it immediately. Lincoln City fans, not happy that a striker has scored against Rotherham, but eager to justify their own agenda against that player. That’s what it is, an agenda. Why? Before Rotherham had won the game, arguments were breaking out, Jovon’s goal return since breaking through as a 16-year-old popping up on social media, people so desperate to prove their own agenda correct that they’ve lost sight of what being a football fan is all about. I genuinely believe there are a group of supporters who would rather we’d lost 2-0, than 2-1 with Makama scoring, and as I sit here (angry already, I confess) it makes me want to block an awful lot of people. This morning, I have muted quite a few.
Football opinion should never be preset. Football is organic and changes, and supporters should always be ready to give credit where it is due or criticism where it is not. The criticism after Wrexham was well-founded, not just for Makama but the front line. Last night, Makama got his second goal in as many games, and some fans of the team he plays for have a go-to response of ‘yeah, but’. Honestly, if that was you, you should be ashamed of yourself.
We still pushed forward – there were a couple of moments I’d like to have seen Jack Moylan shoot rather than pass, one in particular where he tried to centre to House, but Jack did get a shot or two away. House had a good chance he couldn’t quite get out of his feet and another, which he shanked on the volley after good work from the left. Then, on 60 minutes we got an ‘injury’ which stopped our flow. We were knocking hard at the door, and they needed the time out. I have no issue with that, it’s game management and as far as I’m concerned, we’d do the same. It immediately sucked the life out of the game (there was no life in the home stands to suck out). The Millers regrouped, reorganised and took the one chance they had 17 minutes later.
I’ve seen some blame Makama (obviously), as he is marking Raggett, and now I’ve watched it back; it’s actually a foul. Raggett peels off, Makama tries to go with him and is held firmly in place by Zak Jules. The worst thing is, the referee is looking right at it. Should Wickens have come out? Perhaps. Should Freddie have outjumped Raggett? Perhaps. Should it have been a foul? No doubt. It’s not even subtle. Martin Woods bottled that, like he bottled other big decisions.
Also, as soon as it went in, I noticed Evans cup his ears towards the away end, but there’s not as much anger about that. I suppose it’s okay if the opposition manager is doing it as a direct gesture, rather than our own young player’s usual celebration.
After their goal we pushed hard, and had four chances late in the game. I’ve seen comments about Cadamarrteri missing a sitter (funny, I thought all our late chances recently were ones the Sheffield Wednesday man would bury) but not sure what chance that is. Ring, who caused a few issues after coming on, also looked like he’d levelled. I genuinely felt we’d go on and get a second late on, because there was nothing in the ground stopping us. By that I mean the atmosphere wasn’t intense, and the only 12th man was wearing blue, not sitting in the stands. He did his best to piss me off even more, though, giving yellow cards to our players but not doing the same to Nombe as he deliberately pulled a player’s shirt to stop us from making an attack and then walked off as a sub like nothing had happened. Woods was so weak. At the time, I didn’t see how weak, but watching moments back this morning, he was by far the worst official we’ve had all season.
I’m going to stop now, because I’m angry. I thought a night’s sleep would calm me down, but it hasn’t. Granted, it’s two points from 15 now, which is damaging, but honestly, I think we were worth all three last night. We created chances, we scored a decent goal, and we were on the wrong end of (at least) three bad decisions (failure to punish Jacko foul, failure to send off player after House push, holding for their goal). Of course, I’ll be told I can’t blame the referee for our defeat (I just did, sue me). I’ll be told we’re rubbish, but we had more xG (1.87 compared to 0.93), more shots (11 to 8), more box entries (30 to 18), and more touches in the box (19 to 8). We weren’t rubbish, sue me. I’ll be told I’m pushing a club agenda, I’m the opinion police, I’m this and I’m that. Heard it all before, probably from the same people who’ll be telling me all these things. It’s like the end of the film Eight Mile – you’ll need to come up with some new material.
I call games as I see them. I said after Wrexham strikers let us down. I said after Crawley in the league were were not good enough. I say that last night, we did everything needed to win the game. Walking away, I was disappointed but if you ask me which set of supporters has the brighter immediate future, it would undoubtedly be us. They’re a team of gifted players playing for a side that is unrecognisable from the Rotherham we last visited. The Evans disease has infected them, and even after last night, I’d rather be us than them right now.
Up the Imps
My thoughts exactly. The Jacko incident was planned.