It’s been back to basics at Vetch Field this week, not surprising really when you consider how poorly we defended at Rochdale.
There was not too much Christmas cheer around on the trip home after our 3-0 defeat, so instead of being buoyed up preparing for a difficult festive programme I find myself addressing a problem I thought we had cured.
Keeping clean sheets is vital at every level of the game, whether you are playing for Manchester Utd, Swansea City or on the local parks on a Saturday afternoon.
Obviously it was a problem at the Vetch when Jan Molby was manager earlier in the season, but I genuinely thought we had got to grips with it when I introduced a new system and new players.
I know it takes time for everyone to adapt, while new players need time to bed in, but our recent results showed that we had shored things up at the back.
Just when you start to believe you are getting it right you get a rude awakening like we did at Rochdale.
What was really disappointing about the game was the identical manner we conceded the first two goals, a long ball from the back, a flick on and a lively striker running through our defence.
Given the way we play with three central defenders that should never have happened and the players concerned must look at themselves and accept their share of responsibility.
Our skipper Keith Walker had an off day but in his defence I should point out that he had been ill in the days preceding the match and was obviously below par.
But that’s no excuse. Even though he was the player beaten for the two flick ons you have to ask: Where were our other two central defenders? They should have been a lot closer to Keith.
With three matches in nine days, starting with Saturday’s visit of Cambridge, it’s vital that we get it right at the back again.
Cambridge, despite Monday’s FA Cup setback, Torquay and~ particularly Barnet have all been going pretty well so we will certainly have our work cut out getting points from those matches.
Barnet have been in the frame most of the season, while Torquay have hardly lost a League game since Swansea beat them earlier in the season which, incidentally, was our last home win.
Maximum points from all three games would really get our season going. It’s not beyond us but it is a tall order for a team that keeps slipping back to old habits.
Right now, of course, no-one is looking beyond the Cambridge fixture and we will need to concentrate and work tremendously hard to beat them.
We have not won at the Vetch since September 5 so what better time to start us on a roll?
I bet there were a few gasps when we were paired with Peterborough in the Auto Windscreens Shield. They are just about the best team in the Third Division, as they showed when they dumped us out of the FA Cup last month.
That night our defending was very poor and we surely cannot play as badly again.
This time there will be no camera around so let’s hope we can turn some of the chances we created in the last game into a winning performance.
Finally I’ll be at Griffin Park tonight cheering on our youth team in their FA Youth Cup replay against Brentford.
The entire management are making the trip to support the players, who should win if they can turn in the kind of performance which thrilled everyone at the Vetch last week.