The View From Churchmans

Another season, another abject home display against Watford. They must love it here. There's so little to say about this one. We were devoid of spirit and devoid of ideas. The crowd are depressed and most certainly not being entertained. And from the performances and the statements coming out from the management you just get the impression that the whole club is a bit rudderless. It's been a long time since I wondered ... More...

I have to keep reminding myself here of the mental note I made at half-time: "whatever happens in the second half, even if we score ten, do not forget how angry and frustrated you felt as the players went off". The events of the second half can often make you conveniently forget what's gone before, and it would have been easy for that to have been the case yesterday. So, two match reports for ... More...

We had a false dawn at the start of the season getting so many games against poor sides (Cardiff, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday), and got found out as soon as we got decent opposition. I'm not sure what category Norwich fall into. You can see why they've been at the foot of the table; as a unit, they're a shambles, and it looks suspiciously like there's some antagonism between one or two players. Their ... More...

Given that Southampton ought to be one of the best sides in the division, coupled with our current state of injury- and suspension-induced disarray, we'd have probably settled for a draw prior to kick-off. And if the umpires had offered us the light (and a 0-0 draw) when the stadium was plunged into darkness after five minutes, we might have taken that. So let's at least be grateful for the improvement over the ... More...

For the most part, this was an utter shambles. It was far worse than can be explained by the absence of Bam-Bam, the stupid one-up-front-at-home formation, or even the fact that it was one of those days where almost everything went in for the opposition. We started off ordinarily, completely took our eye off the game, fell to pieces, and then didn't seem to have any inclination to even salvage some pride. It ... More...

You'll have seen us play better than this in the past, and you'll do so again in the future, but seldom will you come away from Portman Road with such a buzz. This was, quite simply, the sort of afternoon which makes you brave all those damp February evenings in the hope you'll see it again. Why? Commitment, teamwork, and an infectious desire to win ran right through the team. And guess what? ... More...

A very satisfying start to the season, given the way that most teams (especially Ipswich) often look so disjointed at this stage. Cardiff will punch above their weight this season, with a decent manager and a lot of experienced players, and we can probably count ourselves fortunate to have got them right at the beginning while they're still getting sorted. They were a solid opposition, and it was a ... More...