This season began with a heightened sense of promise and, dare I say, expectation. After a season of brave, battling performances and qualifying for the Europa League, most of us knew that this year would be tougher, even if only because of the extra games.
One win in nine Premier League games, but going well in Europe and a place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, makes for a mixed bag. However, there’s no denying that league form is most important and needs to change sooner rather than later.
For the first time in a decade, we find ourselves in a rotten run of Premier League form. Being on a bad run in the Championship or (God forbid) League One was marginally better, if only in the sense that there were fewer eyes on you. When you’re in the Premier League and struggling, it feels as though the whole footballing world is bearing down on you.
Losing without laying a glove on the opposition or putting up much of a fight was far too regular towards the end of that awful 10 years in the top flight. Whilst our current squad would batter that squad, I don’t like the feeling of grim familiarity which has crept in over recent weeks.
Nobody wants a return to those days and, despite the poor run of form, I fully believe we’re still a long way from that – but let’s not tempt fate or anything like that.
Things have been relatively rosy under Régis Le Bris, and this is comfortably the worst run of league form we’ve been on in the last three years. It’s a test for everyone at the club, including supporters, and we’ll see soon if we can pass this particular test.
We have one more tough game before the international break, after which the tough games don’t let up, but we will have a few players back to full fitness. The Chelsea match on Sunday is the chance to get a handle back on our season before the break and show at least a glimpse of what made us a tough-to-break-down side last year.
There are plenty of players who need to play themselves back into form, and others who could do with a rest. Hopefully, some of the lads from the cup team will get a chance on Sunday, namely Jules Ahoka, Jocelin Ta Bi and Chemsdine Talbi.
As for Régis Le Bris, whether he’s showing it or not, he will be feeling the pressure, and the last thing I want is to see him sacked. The dream is that he and his players can get their heads together and pull us out of this funk.
I couldn’t be arsed in the slightest with football after our latest dismal trip to Coventry, but now, even with a home game against a free-scoring Chelsea side, nothing is stopping me from having a silly optimism about matchday being back. The result will have a big say in how much I’ll be looking forward to our next game, although, in fairness, I’m off to Villa Park and I’m quite excited regardless…
