I won’t sugarcoat the second half, and if you’ve got this far into my article, I’m pleased, because it probably means you’re here for the good and the bad. The ten men battled well enough, but we had nothing to offer. One shot, off target. The subs couldn’t make an impact, and their second goal ended the game as a contest. It was a tough watch, and while I’ve seen Michael Skubala blamed, the squad depth blamed and a host of other things, one person has to own this, and that’s our number six. I’m sure, behind the scenes, he does.
I might be controversial here, but I’m angrier at Erhahon than I was at Mandroiu when he cost us points against Burton and Bolton (ironically). Mandroiu’s challenges were reckless and wild, but his loss was just about us having one player fewer. Erhahon has been booked twice for talking, stupid bookings, one when the game isn’t even going on. Also, losing him is different from losing Mandroiu because he is (and I’ll die on this hill) our best player by a mile, and when he goes, it affects everything we do. Mandroiu could be swapped with Bishop perhaps, or Moylan later in the season, and the impact in minimal. Erhahon is the heartbeat of the team, the conductor, and he’s been in fine form of later. Losing him for 45 minutes because he can’t walk away is a huge loss. Losing him for the Rotherham game is angering. I won’t say unforgivable, because it’s two matches, and unforgivable (in my eyes) is reserved for the likes of Ben Hutchinson calling supporters the worst in the world, or someone’s Dad buying back row tickets at an away game and then demanding everyone in front sits down.
I’m not going into the second half any deeper than that because, for the first time under Michael Skubala, I’m happy to say it was woeful. We had no attacking impact, and the home side were able to just take control. Purely and simply, yhe game ends for me the moment Erhahon gets sent off.
That’s where I’ll finish today. I feel a bit jaded about the game, cheated out of at least a bit of excitement in the second half. I don’t think there’s a crisis, and I don’t think people talking about changing managers know what they are talking about, but it’s been a tough couple of months and no mistake. Before the season started, I imagined we’d be just outside the top six this campaign, and I still think that’s where we are as a club – top ten perhaps, but certainly not top six. That’s not an excuse – had we not been on this run, we’d be firmly ensconced in the top six, and that angers some, but I can live with it. I know there will be a host of people soon rolling out the ‘sleepwalking into a relegation battle’ comments, and I’ve already seen a comment ‘the brothers still have a house in Lincoln’, and even one suggesting a fan might start to go and watch a Premier League team instead.
On days like those, I wish social media hadn’t been invented, and this article was just an eloquent analysis I delivered from a seated position in a pub immediately after the game.
I still think we’re in good shape with a decent squad capable of a top-ten finish. But then, what do I know? I spout club rhetoric and try to spin everything like a Reform politician, always looking for a devious angle to underline their stance rather than offering genuine insight and opinion, so don’t listen to me. I’ll just shut my mouth and hope that one or two of our players start to do the same.
Up the Imps.
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