yogi bear up the cagire
Life President⭐
When Paul Sturrock has the time to reflect of this season, will he be ironically regretting the fact that his luck in Cup Competitions changed? It seems to be the fashion at the moment on here to furnish reasons for our expected failure again in gaining promotion from the basement League........so I shall come in with my halfpennyworth.
Southend United 1 v AFC Wimbledon 2................Southend United 0 v Stockport County 3. If those two results in the First Round of the JPT & FA Cup competitions were reversed as shown, where would we now be in the League? I esteem that we would be rather better placed that we are at the moment.
The FA Cup win against County involved us in four more games, which culminated in a demoralising defeat at Brentford. The successful JPT run led to five extra games, the penultimate of which cost us VERY dear. We lost Timlin for the rest of the campaign and IIRC both Barker and Phillips picked up injuries from which they have not yet recovered. Thus our cup 'success' has resulted in ten extra matches (including the Final). It is obviously difficult to assess what other damage this extra workload has inflicted on a relatively small squad but in my opinion it can't be negligable. The tiredness from the extra games and the increased susceptibility to injury is apparent, add to that the attitude of the players as they approach a Wembley final and the cost of all this, IMHO, is important.
Bradford City supporters may be having similar reflections on their dazzling League Cup run, where their league form has similarly suffered..........they may have stopped the rot but a series of draws is not going to get them promoted.
So, when we proudly walk up Wembley Way in April it may well be an idea for us to consider the price we have had to pay for that privilege. Even a victory, as far as I am concerned, will be little compensation for another long trip up to the likes of Morecambe, Rochdale and perhaps Bury again next season.
Southend United 1 v AFC Wimbledon 2................Southend United 0 v Stockport County 3. If those two results in the First Round of the JPT & FA Cup competitions were reversed as shown, where would we now be in the League? I esteem that we would be rather better placed that we are at the moment.
The FA Cup win against County involved us in four more games, which culminated in a demoralising defeat at Brentford. The successful JPT run led to five extra games, the penultimate of which cost us VERY dear. We lost Timlin for the rest of the campaign and IIRC both Barker and Phillips picked up injuries from which they have not yet recovered. Thus our cup 'success' has resulted in ten extra matches (including the Final). It is obviously difficult to assess what other damage this extra workload has inflicted on a relatively small squad but in my opinion it can't be negligable. The tiredness from the extra games and the increased susceptibility to injury is apparent, add to that the attitude of the players as they approach a Wembley final and the cost of all this, IMHO, is important.
Bradford City supporters may be having similar reflections on their dazzling League Cup run, where their league form has similarly suffered..........they may have stopped the rot but a series of draws is not going to get them promoted.
So, when we proudly walk up Wembley Way in April it may well be an idea for us to consider the price we have had to pay for that privilege. Even a victory, as far as I am concerned, will be little compensation for another long trip up to the likes of Morecambe, Rochdale and perhaps Bury again next season.
