The international break allows time for reflection on the season so far. To be sixth and well in touch with the promotion race after a quarter of the season is something we all would have taken after the angst of the pre-season when it seemed we were struggling to attract players and couldn’t envisage a settled side, as so many key players of recent years left.
That loss could have seen the spirit within the squad damaged, but a new core has developed with centre halves who relish a challenge ensuring we are difficult to score against, while we have a number of strikers who can contribute. Maybe one criticism is that we’ve been over-cautious, seemingly content to rest on a one goal lead rather than finish teams off. As a consequence we’ve drawn a number of games recently that could have been converted into victories with a little more attacking intent.
The one area that could still be improved is the midfield; while we have a number of people who can break up play, we lack creativity, leading to the forwards being isolated on occasion. Maybe Dan Gosling can resolve that conundrum, linking our defensive strength with our attacking players.
It’s clear that the days of throwing men forward with no regard for defence are gone, but to be fair, the results are speaking for themselves. As long as the team remain in contention for promotion, I’m sure most fans will take the different approach in their stride and continue to support the side.
If Ince can get the balance between defensive strength and attacking prowess right, then I see no reason as to why we can’t stay in the race.
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