as an optimistic realist, at the start of the season i marked down on a piece of paper, my predictions for each game.. i had us down to lose at Forest. i then went for a draw against Soton, and our first 3 points a couple of days later against Boro.. but, new manager or not, i had us down for 2 back to back away defeats against Reading and Millwall. i couldnt see our away form changing any time soon.. so from August, id predicted us to be on 4 points.. in reality, we have fared better than i expected, points-wise.. performances may not have been the exciting, attacking ones we all hoped for, but nevertheless, we have come out of the first month of the season unbeaten away, having conceded just ONE goal, a dubious penalty.. yes the 2 games at home were dreadful to see. the effort was lacking, especially against Soton. but having seen what they and Boro have done already in their other matches im inclined to think we were up against 2 of the strongest sides at too early a stage in our evolution.. but thats football. thats the Championship nowadays. we are undoubtably the underdogs week in, week out, even at home, in 9 out of 10 games this season. i think its fair to say we have just played 4 of the favorites for promotion. and although i wouldnt earmark Millwall for a playoff spot, they are only a quality striker away from having a real go, again... so im generally well chuffed at this stage with our progress. lets not forget, that this is a steep learning curve for our management and players this year.. im confident that as the season moves forwards, so will we. our new players will adapt, and learn. as will our manager.. im pretty sure, nay positive, that Keith Hill and Dave Flitcroft are the best thing to happen to this proud club of ours since Patrick rescued us from the inevitable abyss.. patience is a virtue. patience is paramount. Keith spoke of clean sheets, and a better away record. he has already had an impact there. and there isnt 3 tougher trips on the calendar for us, than the City Ground, The Madejski, and The Den. notoriously un-happy hunting grounds over the years.. yet we came out of all 3 unscathed. thats down to Hill and co. theres no fluke to it. hard work, practise, and preparation. yes, the home form now needs addressing. but do u seriously doubt that Hillcroft wont crack that too, given backing and time? theres 1 easy way that we as fans, could help them crack it. get behind em. this is our/your team, let them know. give em an atmosphere to relish. give em an environment within to flourish, and theyll thrive.. i seriously believe that. or u could sit silently, or BOOO, scream obscenities. because that really helped last time out didnt it? proper galvanised the lads did that... Keith has said as much regarding atmosphere. "fans can be absolutely magnificent when they are behind you. without the pressure that causes nervousness, where the players, anticipate failure, and in turn a negative reaction from the crowd"
Spot on SING you REDS supporters SING. Anybody at Oakwell for the Ipswich game just before the FA Cup Semi Final will know the power of that. We went a goal down but the fans started singing "RED ARMY" constantly for the rest of the first half and pretty well the whole of the second half. Result, we won 4-1 with a hat-trick from Brian Howard. You know it makes sense.
