We had a free weekend football—wise this week. Keith called our away game off early (if only more teams did that to help travelling supporters before setting out).
So with some time on my hands away from the madness of the game I had a chance to reflect on where we are in the league this year and on what has gone wrong.
Its not been a great year for the County thus far, too many defeats early on hamstrung any early momentum and the recent fixtures had been meagre fair.
We’ve been getting turned over by teams who in recent years we would be expecting to beat and a string of middling performances have resulted in a consistent mid—table position.
Perhaps we have been spoiled in recent seasons with many top six finishes, but the fans are restless, some demanding this player does more or that player should go. A lot are demanding the head of the manager. I’m not in that camp, but I understand the sentiment.
I personally feel that results this year are a combination of things. Firstly and most importantly its not lack of effort, Ive seen players gutted this season after running their hearts out and coming up short on the result.
I think results are against us this year as our system invites pressure, we play too deep for reasons I’ve spoken of before with the result that teams are invited onto us.
We lack a playmaker, somebody with a bit of craft who can find a bit of space and time to make things happen. We will score goals through Robbie, Sam and Conor but they are all the same type of player, we lack the ability to change it if Plan A isn’t working, what we would give for a Billy Urquhart up front.
All this has led to a lack of confidence, we seem to go out now hoping to beat teams not with the belief that we will.
A lack of belief from within and also from outwith. At a fans meeting this week the lack of belief in the team was palpable.
This is not to be confused with a lack of support, the hardcore Nairn supporter will be there through thick and thin, but there is a lack of belief in the team and the manager from many fans.
So what do you do? Well you can do a couple of things, do you sack Les and hope a new man inspires the team. You can spend a heap of money on players (if we have a heap of money to spend that is) and hope things get better short term.
I’m not sure either of those is a solution. History shows us that bringing a new manager in gives you a short term bump which soon disapates. It can even go the other way entirely, look at Butcher with Hibs.
Stats will tell you that outwith an elite bunch at the top, changing manager has very little effect on overall performance other than to appease the baying from the stands. If Newcastle had dumped Pardew would they be beating Man City?
Spending money on big signings scares me, it doesn’t work. We brought in three players from Elgin last season and for varying reasons none of them were a big success and none of them are still at the club.
My solution, for what its worth, is really simple.
For the short term you pull together, you circle the wagons, you say `No one likes us we don’t care` and you get that siege mentality going. This means everybody, the players, the fans, the management, the committee, the tea lady…everybody together!
Its easy to moan and complain and make excuses about why we aren’t where we want to be, none of that helps. We are where we are, we have what we’ve got, its up to us all now to push on and make the best of the situation together. If we win, that’s great we go forward, if we get beat that’s hellish but we go forward, and we go forward together.
Long term we have to be looking at nurturing players through, developing quality from youth and giving them the opportunity to play in games where they can learn without being destroyed. This is where we can cast envious eyes at Clach and their system.
One of the lines associated with Nairn these past few years is ‘We Believe’, its time to put that into practice. A belief from players, fans, management and committee that we are better united as one than divided as many.