Paul’s Penance
Gillingham (1) 3 Leyton Orient (0) 1
Nelson; Chambers (sub Demetriou 65), Thelwell (Capt), Mkandawire, Palmer; JJ Melligan (sub Daniels 60), Demetriou, Thornton (sub Terry 69), Corden; Boyd, Gray (sub Ibehre 60).
In the time available, some reflections only on Tuesday night. Almost everything was wrong from start to finish. No excuses, you understand. Never any excuses for being soundly beaten. But some observations on the psychology of the game, as well the physical circumstances, which might explain a lot. To deal with Paul first. Anyone who waits until his side is hitting 4-for-4 away from home before attending an away game, deserves to watch the first away defeat of the season. Just a pity that the rest of us had to pay the price of Paul’s penance too. So no question of a curse. Expect to see you at Leeds, Paul.
Next a word for the greedy. Perhaps the first time this season that we have indulged in the dreaded hubris. The Cobra observed before the visit to the Memorial Ground that four points from those next two would be a good return. Of course, he, like everyone else, foresaw three from Priestfield, while a draw at Bristol would be a good result. Saturday past, it was all too easy to dream of six. And, worse, adjust those expectations. No. If 85 points wins promotion, as it did last season, then nineteen from nine is fine. That’s 95 for the season with a game in hand! So no need to be greedy. Four points from those two games would have been quite enough. Inflated expectations are the last thing we need.
Then what about Gillingham? They were, after all, the first to take anything at all from Leeds this season. So, why did we write them off? Because they were 21st, relegation candidates and had amassed only seven points from eight games. But what do we know about Gillingham? 2- 1 winners at Priestfield last season and a draw (that remarkable 3 – 3 affair) at Brissy. Not bad for a crap team. And what about other opponents? Well, 14 – 2 – 7 – 29 – 24 was the Gill’s home record last season. Bettered only by the two straight promotion teams. Of course, they had the worst away record in the Division! And this season? Nought-for-4 away from home, once again the worst in the division. But, Leeds apart, once more the best home record of all. We, players and fans, should have treated this game as seriously as we will no doubt treat the next two. But we didn’t. Why, even Paul turned up! And if the fans are showing just a little hubris, it will eventually rub off on the players.
The drive home after was a nightmare, with the A2 closed. But for those who drove TO the game, the A2 was also a trial and reports that 30 m.p.h proved a maximum speed showed just how trying the journey must have been. The Club coach suffered similarly and the players and management were half an hour behind their scheduled timing. Now anyone who has played the beautiful game at all seriously (at whatever level) will know the importance to be placed on physical and mental preparation. The Cobra, in his heyday, spent three hours every Friday night cleaning the boots, applying the Dubbin (remember Dubbin?), folding and packing the kit and so on. And then, for home games at least, arriving well over an hour before kick-off, to prepare mentally, allow time for a team chat, and then prepare physically with a warm-up and a run-round and an application of Radian B. For our lads, that routine was savagely disrupted on Tuesday due to the state of Ken Livingstone’s London roads (Election? What election?). So, if the psychology was wrong to begin with and, in their heart of hearts they fancied an easy run, their late arrival would have been the final nail in the coffin.
The Cobra thought we were beaten by a somewhat better side, though the feeling was never quite the same as against Hartlepool. Incidentally, students of the game’s psychology will have noted how Hartlepool reacted to their massive win at Brisbane Road. Yet others thought this not so. That Gills simply got it right on the night. No question that Graham’s first goal was stunning in many senses of the word. A brilliant, slick build-up, swift and knife-through-butter again, and an amazing strike from distance which left Stuart Nelson no chance. Stuart, BTW, stood little chance either with the other two which were rather the result of dreadful defending (as a team). Nor was our performance that dreadful, at times. The one criticism, or negative comparison with our opponents, was the laboured nature of the build-up. Perhaps down to the fact that we have two wide men who are inclined to hold and tease, rather than break quickly down the line. Whatever the case, the Gills’ defence was often well-organised, long before we got around to reaching box or byeline. Perhaps we should be seeking to release Wayne Gray (or Jabo) rather sooner on occasions with the through-ball. They do, after all, have the speed. Yet, for all that, we had our moments and, on another day, might have re-run the Bristol performance. The other observation, and observation it is, not criticism, is that our text-book style, slow start, warming up and getting more aggressive as the game progresses, can be countered effectively by any outfit who, like the Gills, goes hammer and tongs at us from the outset. To be sure, we responded with like-for-like once the realisation that we had been psyched set in, but it was all too late by then. Solution? Take a risk and start with a tempo a little more upbeat than that to which we are accustomed.
Martin Ling’s removal of Sean Thornton, with twenty minutes left, was significant. The Cobra was not aware of a knock, though there could have been such, as Sean was, as ever, in the thick of things from start to finish. More likely, he had an eye to the upcoming games and the fact that we again have two games in seven days next week (albeit some will sit out the visit of the Daggers). And no doubt Martin is already approaching those next games with the professionalism that has taken us so unexpectedly far this season already. But us? How should we be approaching them? What are our expectations now? It might be no bad thing to prepare for two more defeats. But that would be un-necessarily pessimistic. The Gillingham attitude in reverse. We know we should be in for two really great games. We know also that our lads are capable of almost anything. Swansea’s away form is average for a top six side. 50/50. And our recent history against them is not too depressing. Perhaps we should leave it there and simply ensure, both tomorrow and a week ahead, that they get all the support they deserve.
Up the O’s.
COBRA
