Two games. Two wins. Almost two clean sheets. Almost perfect.
I joked on social media after the game that now I had to write about something positive, following what seemed like endless months of wondering when – and if – this team could ever turn a corner.
I maintain that the club has had to endure a lot of PTSD to get to a position where we could, finally, forget about all of that and move on. It was never the case that, once new ownership came in, everything would be rosy in the garden.
But what
about now? Can we start to look forward again? The signs are there, at least from the last two performances.
Following on from the missed opportunity at AFC Wimbledon, something appears to have clicked within the camp. As with any squad thrust together over a summer, things take time. As fans, we have become increasingly impatient – with justification at times, sometimes not – but all we want is to see a team with belief, passion and confidence.
It could be said the belief has to be there before the confidence can kick in, and maybe we lacked that last season. We trudged through games; some we won, some we lost, but there was no traction.
We had no spark. Despite racking up wins, even climbing into the rarefied air of the hallowed playoff positions at one brief point, it all felt a bit unearned.
A vastly different proposition
Fast-forward to September and we’re a vastly different proposition. Leam Richardson always said he needed several windows to get this squad ticking again, and it could have been said that was just kicking the can down the road. Deal with what you’ve got, you’re the manager.
Fans were snappy and couldn’t align with that kind of language, but it appears he was right all along.
There’s no doubt that the frustration we saw clearly and often last season was part of the reason fans turned on him. His protestations seemed like excuses as his interviews became spikier and pointed.
He will be a much, much happier man now.
Joining him on cloud nine will be new signings Kyreece Lisbie and George Earthy. Both of the new boys have been key to the two home wins that have propelled us up the table.
Some sage writer once put it like this: “In my mind, the 10 position in this system is key. Get the ball to him early, or let him make moves between the lines to draw the opposition and open up space. But we don’t seem able to utilise our 10 anywhere near enough for him to be truly effective.”
I doubt very much that Richardson read what I wrote, but what I described has been fixed by Earthy. Not only has he slotted into his role rapidly and comfortably, but he’s already got goals in his locker.
But it’s his overall game that’s ever so impressive. His footballing IQ is far higher than we’re used to at League One level. He drifts around the park effortlessly, but it’s not aimless roaming, he’s finding space between the lines, poised and with expectation.
His two goals against Mansfield Town and Blackpool are evidence of this. On both occasions, he knows exactly where to be. Not just a hope or a wish – he’s there.
As much as we got fairly decent numbers out of Kamari Doyle, it’s not churlish to say we’ve upgraded in that position. Better still, Earthy’s here on a permanent, too.
He’ll be a huge part of what makes our team tick for the season ahead, I’m absolutely certain of that.
Joining him in that number is, of course, Lisbie. What an absolute menace this kid is. Not only does the opposition have to worry about Earthy roaming and dragging defenders around, but Lisbie is terrorising the right wing too.
What we have begun to see with Lisbie is not just that he’s got the fire and feet to match, but that he actually cares.
We want all of our players to care, and they probably all do in their own idiosyncratic ways, but Lisbie will wear it on his sleeve, on his shirt, and in his beaming smile.
He confessed in his post-match interview that he had heard the songs and desperately wanted to be a part of that himself. No doubt Amadou Mbengue will have been his inspiration for how to send the fans into delirium, and rightly so.
Watching him return to the field post-match to begin the celebrations, you could see that all he wanted to do was score and win. It’s rare to see a player so joyful, so uninhibited. He was, to all intents and purposes, one of us.
He clearly wanted this move so badly, so his patience – and the club’s – is beginning to pay off.
A balanced XI
But it doesn’t stop there. The resurgence of Andy Rinomhota, a powerhouse in midfield, and Paddy Lane, who is now looking like the player we thought we’d signed from Portsmouth, are further signs that this team is getting its act together.
Overall against Blackpool, the starting XI probably had the best balance we’ve seen in a good few years. Full-backs that weren’t shoehorned in. A solid backline beginning to understand each other. Even central midfield doesn’t look too shabby, even if Lewis Wing isn’t as influential as he once was.
Lest we forget the mercurial Jack Marriott, who continues to confound with an amazing goal rate.
But what I enjoyed most was that togetherness. It’s a team that’s starting to look like one. They are gaining that all-important confidence that’s vital for bonding at this and every stage of the season. It’s early days, obviously, and winning two home games doesn’t mean the sterner tests away from home will be any less hard.
That is when we’ll really see if this team has the appropriate minerals. Turn these two performances into similar ones on the road and we could be onto something.
There’s a slight nagging feeling that we could be fun to watch at home but struggle away, though I’m trying to banish that thought from my mind. Think happy thoughts!
But for now, we’ll bask in the late-summer sun and enjoy these two, almost perfect, wins. They were both joyous, exciting and easy on the eye.
Are we back?
