It is impossible to take anything positive from the FA Cup defeat at Lincoln. Stephen Robinson has to say something to the press after the game but my ears will not accept any more excuses. The management team had two weeks to prepare for this night and had watched Lincoln in action so should have known what to expect and how to prepare the team. They knew it would be a tough physical contest but his ‘charges’ looked like fish out of water, flapping and going nowhere.
I have supported this team for a long time and one of my lowest points was to be beaten by a non-league team for the first time, way back in 1969. That team was South Shields. The match was a replay at Boundary Park and I was also present at the first fixture at Simonside Hall in the north-east. I was devastated, and so was Maurice Whittle who threw his shirt to the ground in disgust when he was substituted. The defeat at Lincoln is on a par but it’s probably even more important as the club have suffered a huge financial loss, one which cannot be repaired.
I blame the modern game and modern coaching. Clubs today go out not to lose as a first priority and resort to playing ‘crab football’ which involves sideways movement, followed by backwards movement of the ball. Players are not encouraged to be adventurous and play with flair by taking people on. No, it’s now a possession game – well it’s not! It’s a ‘run at them and beat them’ game. The number of times that clubs are in a scoring position, and they resort to playing the ball backwards is extremely frustrating – it even goes back to the keeper from these advantageous positions. There are too many experts – director of football, manager, coach, goalkeeping coach, sports psychologist etc. Need I go on? Get back to proper football where getting the ball down to the deadball line and cutting it back was the way. Oh for the days of five forwards and exciting football based on scoring goals.
Of course it will never happen. We have too many foreign players and players who do not show allegiance to their team. They are there as workers; doing a job and getting paid for it until a better offer comes along. The game has taken a backward step and it’s all down to too much money in the game – but only in the top flight. I fear for Oldham and I fear for all lower league teams. It’s time the FL and FA got their act together for the long time good of the game. Saying that, I fully expect to be at Oxford on Saturday, cheering on my team with blind faith. I must be mad!