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I think I’m just about getting over the horrible feeling of Rangers losing a match. A feeling that I had forgotten all about, but when you wake up the following morning and having momentarily thought about what day it is and do you have to get up for work, the reality hits you that we lost and that’s when I got even grumpier. It’s taken some getting over this weekend, but the results yesterday have certainly helped. However I’ve reflected upon where we are and what our expectations are and have concluded the following.
Warnock is absolutely right when he says that if we are still in the top 2 after the Burnley game then he’ll be delighted. Thinking back to the start of the season, I honestly thought that we’d finish somewhere between 4th (a good finish) and 10th (a poor one). However given how well the team has gelled and some excellent early season results, we are now starting to dream of automatic promotion. Have we ridden our luck as some have suggested? I don’t think so. Have we over achieved considering the fact we have 10 new players and a new (ish) manager? Probably. Cast your mind back to August and Boro were favourites to win this league along with Burnley and last seasons beaten play off teams such as Cardiff and Forest. So for us to have topped the league for most of the season so far is a great achievement.
Friday’s result has brought us down to earth with a bump and it’s now all about how the players react and an away trip to an in form Leeds is not really what the doctor ordered. But Leeds has shown us that getting stuffed at home live on TV doesn’t necessarily make you a bad side (0-4 vs. Cardiff). Our excellent start to the season should also mean that the cheque book is out in January and I hope that we bring in 2 or 3 and lose a few that are not really up to it (Clarke, Borrowdale, Ephraim, et al). Giving the arm band to Derry should also be on the list of things to do over Christmas as long as Taarabt can be consoled adequately and doesn’t go into a child-like sulk.
So, I believe that we need to just bear in mind that we have come a long way in a very short space of time and manage our expectations somewhat. Whether this defeat will be a blessing in disguise remains to be seen, but I think it will. Warnock knows what he’s doing and I wouldn’t swap him for any other manager in this league at the moment. Keep the faith.
Warnock is absolutely right when he says that if we are still in the top 2 after the Burnley game then he’ll be delighted. Thinking back to the start of the season, I honestly thought that we’d finish somewhere between 4th (a good finish) and 10th (a poor one). However given how well the team has gelled and some excellent early season results, we are now starting to dream of automatic promotion. Have we ridden our luck as some have suggested? I don’t think so. Have we over achieved considering the fact we have 10 new players and a new (ish) manager? Probably. Cast your mind back to August and Boro were favourites to win this league along with Burnley and last seasons beaten play off teams such as Cardiff and Forest. So for us to have topped the league for most of the season so far is a great achievement.
Friday’s result has brought us down to earth with a bump and it’s now all about how the players react and an away trip to an in form Leeds is not really what the doctor ordered. But Leeds has shown us that getting stuffed at home live on TV doesn’t necessarily make you a bad side (0-4 vs. Cardiff). Our excellent start to the season should also mean that the cheque book is out in January and I hope that we bring in 2 or 3 and lose a few that are not really up to it (Clarke, Borrowdale, Ephraim, et al). Giving the arm band to Derry should also be on the list of things to do over Christmas as long as Taarabt can be consoled adequately and doesn’t go into a child-like sulk.
So, I believe that we need to just bear in mind that we have come a long way in a very short space of time and manage our expectations somewhat. Whether this defeat will be a blessing in disguise remains to be seen, but I think it will. Warnock knows what he’s doing and I wouldn’t swap him for any other manager in this league at the moment. Keep the faith.
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