Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Andy Munro thinks the unthinkable.

After the capitulation against Leicester City I’ve been having a rethink. Chrissy H is doing a decent job but is he likely to win us anything? No, is the answer. Yes, we may have a couple of entertaining wingers but what is the end result? Very little.

Hughton’s own signings such as N’Daw and Rooney are proving in the long term to be mediocre, and don’t get me started on ‘Bozo’ Myhill. Despite the number of games, I also think that Chrissy H has tinkered around with the team too much and any semblance of real cohesion is lacking. Contrast that, in retrospect, to the vastly underrated McLeish who got us to our highest ever Premier league position, signed some great players like Dann, Foster and Johnson and won us our first ever major Wembley final. He did all this by playing a methodical system which meant that we rarely lost a game.

Now if you believe all that, then you’re obviously wearing claret and blue underpants. Presuming that we don’t completely implode, I’ve enjoyed some memorable moments this season with the Europa Cup performances the proverbial icing on the cake. Chris H has done an excellent job, in very trying circumstances, and I feel that if we don’t make the play offs – although I think we will – he has been a tremendous example of intelligent and dignified football management.

Obviously we have hit a sticky patch but this happens to most clubs in a lengthy campaign. Unfortunately football is about 60% confidence and 40% skill and after a poor run that can be difficult thing to regain.

In terms of the Leicester performance, the match report is starting to look familiar. An uncertain Boaz Myhill, adefence that suffers when Curtis D is taken out of the middle and a pair of stand in full-backs who lack flair and fluidity. In midfield an uncertain and out of sorts N’Daw is bailed out by an unfashionably consistent Fahy while on the wings, Townsend looks a good prospect to help offset an out of form Burke. Up front Ziggy misses chances with Husekleppe alongside looking every inch a Norwegian international. The thought occurs that we were better before the cluster of new signings but I still trust that Chris H can turn things around.