Watched this at son's. Two points thrown away by us tonight but in the end it wasn't actually a surprise either. I would love the Ref to explain to me how the last Fleetwood goal was not after a foul on Cooper. Their big central defender went to head the ball, missed it completely and fell on Cooper who was taken to the floor when one of the others scored. He certainly was a strange beast with fouls being given for small brushes and yet other contacts not even getting a free kick at all. However, our downfall was our own fault and we need to learn fast how to protect a lead. The pitch tonight didn't seem to have any grass on it at all. In places the ball just plopped down like a pudding and didn't bounce. Shocking state.
We do have serious problems if we think we're going to make the top 6 though. Jephcott scored again and Garrick and Ennis were terrific. No complaints there. But the rest of the outfield players seem to have lost it. The defence looked impregnable early in the season but far from it now. Is it the succession of injuries? Galloway out altogether and Wilson back after an injury? Some are asking if the new defensive coach is to blame. Camara and Broom worked hard as always but we just don't seem to be able to keep the ball. Some, who were probably singing offensive songs about Ryan Lowe on Saturday are now asking if he took whatever we had with him when he left. You have to say this run of poor form started about the same time the players probably knew he was going. Pitch and referee aside, this was poor.
Agreed notdistant we do seem to have gone backwards in defence. Tonight I thought it was mostly average with perhaps the exception of Scarr who was his usual steady self. I am not sure about Critchlow. He seems a bit casual and some of the clearances were less than emphatic when needed. Gilllespy was absent with his marking most of the time and he does not work well with Grant. The space their player had, Lane I think, was so criminal and we learned nothing from him having half a dozen shots in space. The forwards did ok mostly and Garrick is still a favourite of mine. His pace is scary. Jephcott scored one of his classics tonight. That service has been missing so it was good to see it back. He doesn't score from most attempts other than feeding off a cross. Overall though they were quite poor as an outfit.
Okay congratulations on Fleetwood getting a draw after being 3-1 down as the 89 minute started.....although a question mark on a possble foul on Cooper for their equalizer....this day and age a touch on the keeper generally ends up as a free kick for the keeper....but that isn't the point I want tp make. My point is what future is there for a team like Fleetwood.....attendance last night was 2584....many Conference teams do better than that....take away approximately 500 green army fans....and you end up with only 2000 home supporters.....you probably need more than that to keep the ground open....let alone pay staff and players etc. So I assume they've got a benefactor....what happens when he is gone and the free money has dried up....will they then become a kamikaze job free falling down the leagues. I can understand a club being formed in an area of a large population....but a club formed in an area of one man and his dog...plus a few seals to me makes no sense.....I do understand that the one man, his dog and the seals might disagree. Forest Green Rovers have a similar situation....they're ground is situated in a small village or hamlet and attendance is secondary to their vegetarian beliefs.....do their players have a sneaky burger on the quiet.
Football's crazy. I was talking the other day about Rushden & Diamonds.. funded into the league by the guy behind Doc Martens boots which folded after he retired and could no longer provide funds. At the other end if the scale you have Derby County all over the news today, what a shame for the fans blah de blah. They aren't mentioning the gross overspending in the Championship that led to the crisis nor the part the fans play in pressuring owners to buy this player or that for millions the club doesn't and can't earn.
Salford, Wrexham, Crawley are but three more. There are plenty of examples of this. Accrington in our league who get nobody and his dog on a Saturday. Barrow a stones throw from Fleetwood, Morecambe and Blackpool. Sutton United with attendances of less than 2000 at times. London area with loads of competition. I would guess and this would only be that, around half of the league one and two clubs have to have injections of money every season. Lucky aren't we.
