When we are up, we are up. When we are down....
Confidence is a funny thing, only a couple weeks ago it seemed we were on a high. A good run of fixtures fed into positive results, and we were beginning to look at the fixture list with positivity. We were looking up the table, instead of those teams below us. What a difference a few games can make. A loss to a star studded yet poor performing Manchester United team and a poor, poor performance against an Everton team that has been absolutely rubbish in recent weeks has left many fans questioning where we are??? How do we gauge if we are anything more than a mid-table performing team right now?
For perspective its three defeats from the last twelve, following our poor opening fixtures. But It’s the manner of how we lost the last two.
I remember watching a Mike Tyson Documentary a few years back and he talks about a stage in his career, where his confidence was at an all-time high, and often he would stare his opponent down from the ring entrance until the point they were toe-to-toe. And how, even before a punch was thrown, he would know he has won. I must say as the teams were walking onto the pitch in the last couple games, I was already feeling the nerves. Then you add line up selections, substitutions and whether the players are following the managers in-game tactics and well, it leaves a lot open for discussion. Feel our players and fans alike are a bit all over the place now. But should we remember in December the games come round fast and even already being on the 11th, we play another five games between now and January. The landscape can look so different again in a month.
Everton was one of the fixtures fans were looking at as the re-bot to go again, so now the work starts with Southampton. We need the 3 points, but it would be lovely to see more creativity too. Much of the focus will be on our ability to score and how we behave and manage the game if we go ahead. And although the strikers have come under scrutiny in recent games, I do sympathise with the fact we create so little in terms of clear opportunities. I honestly think even Lewandowski would struggle in this team with our current inconsistency. Auba I believe is not in the matchday squad due to illness, so will the boss continue to only use Laca as the experienced forward, or will Pepe come back in from the cold too?
Southampton are winless in their last 4, drawing the last two games so less hope we can add to their problems.