Curating these pieces is a juxtaposing activity. Because I put them together the day after the game in question, usually my own personal emotions have calmed down a little. But essentially, I then relive the experience all again going through the reaction.
That is a very nice feeling after a win – not so much after a result like Saturday’s. While imperfect, the first half was electric, and a faraway cry from what we experienced last season in the best way possible.
The second however was nothing short
of unacceptable, and it was film we’d all seen too many times before. Here’s how you reacted to the key talking points.
Déjà vu
The worst part of that second-half performance was the fact that, after a summer of progress and seeming positive steps, the same cracks we saw so painfully often last season were still there.
Countless comical defensive errors, a midfield all at sea that the opposition played through with ease and a jarringly blunt attacking showing – particularly once Jack Marriott was subbed off.
It’s early in the season yes, but the fans thought – or at least hoped – these bad habits had finally been put to an end…
Reinforcements needed
Look, Rob Couhig and co weren’t in the dugout or the ones on the pitch making unforced error after unforced error. But you could argue that it’s their actions, or lack of actions, that have put us in this position at the start of the season.
It’s been evident for a while now that more signings are needed, and that need has only been multiplied tenfold by Saturday’s debacle.
We have a good enough 14/15 players, but nowhere near enough diversity in qualities or depth to last a full season in this league – in pretty much every position minus wingers and ‘keepers.
It’s something the fans want to see some progression on, and sharpish…
Jack Marriott
While it’s very easy to focus on the second half, and as hard as it may seem to do so, we do also need to acknowledge the first half – there were again plenty of positives to take, the biggest of which was Marriott.
He is priceless, invaluable. Out-and-out goalscorers are gold dust; we have the best one in the league. All three of his goals on Saturday showed him in his best form: right place, right time and devastatingly ruthless.
It’s hard to take positives right now, but there was enough space for another Marriott love-in…
Conclusion
The long and short of it is that we scored three goals at home and still lost, after having a two-goal lead. As Leam Richardson mentioned after the game, that should be impossible. It just should not happen. It can’t happen.
But it did, and there’s nothing can be done about it now apart from sit and pray we get a reaction.
The first half was nowhere near perfect, but showed that, when we are on it, we can be an aggressive, front-foot team. But in the second we fell back onto the ropes as soon as Luton landed one punch. That’s a deep-rooted mindset that needs to change and has needed to change for far too long now.
