Vic Morgan Blog: Playing the Numbers Game…

It’s Friday, so it must be time for the latest blog by BBC Devon’s Vic Morgan.
Another quiet week at the place we like to call SN1 then. No game at the weekend allowed me to sample life in our old division.
Remember League Two? Well toddled along to St. James Park in the sunshine to “enjoy” Exeter City against Dagenham and Redbridge. Quite frankly it was awful.
What I found interesting though was that there was a bloke stood behind me who had it in for one particular City player and moaned at everything he did. It reached comical proportions when he blamed said player for a mistake when it wasn’t even him.
Sound familiar? Yep it happens everywhere. It reminded me why some of us go to football. To moan, to let off steam after a long week at work or just to moan. As for the player concerned? I can only imagine what that must do to his confidence. Knowing that every time he went near the ball he would be criticized by one “expert” on the Big Bank.
It made me think about my behaviour over the years. We all have our “targets” don’t we. Those who we almost will to make a mistake so that will justify our criticism. Don’t suppose it’ll change and after all supporters lay down their cash so are entitled to a view. Maybe though, particularly when a younger player is involved, we ought to consider how it affects their game.
As for criticism… Wow there was tons of it after the defeat at MK Dons. Because of work commitments I couldn’t go to beautiful downtown Buckinghamshire so I can’t comment on the performance. By all accounts though it wasn’t too bad just the inability to hit the back of the net. When we did the officials denied us the lead with a decision I can’t comment on as I wasn’t there.
What got most people going though was the formation. I felt I’d entered a time warp. Is it 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 ? I think that’s a question I asked repeatedly to one former Town manager. Only to get the response 4-3-3 attacking 4-5-1 defending. So that’s that then.
Basically I couldn’t care less what numbers you stick on a group of players you send out as long as they give their best for the red shirt.
I think by common consent Doncaster was dismal, I was there, it was. One things for sure, it appears the new manager and his tactics are the subject of much debate. His and the team’s job is, however, simple and that’s to win as many football games as possible between now and the end of the season. Doesn’t matter how you dress it up. That’s it. If we miss out on promotion but give it our best shot then we have no complaint. If we miss out on a whimper we can all have a moan.
Saturday I will be at Sheffield United. I’m going to confess something now which means a probable slagging. I found Danny Wilson a gentleman always accommodating and professional. So when it all went sour for him at Swindon, I genuinely felt for him.
I feel for him now that the “second season syndrome” appears to have caught up with him again. Another club he guided to a play off final, like Town and Bristol City, has parted company with him. I wish you well Danny and at least you won’t have to suffer the same as that player at Exeter did from the terraces on Saturday.
Its another must win game of course. A defeat and our play off hopes wont be over but they’ll be very damaged.
Formation… Just bleep bleep win.
For the moment though keep it loud keep it proud keep it SWINDON.