Planet Swans ArchivesI have read a few comments on yesterday’s game that we should be seeing of the likes of Chester if we want to progress and that a point away from home in this kind of match is seen as points lost rather than a point won. I can only assume that these comments can only be made from ignorance at best. arrogance at worst.
Quite simply Chester City are no pushovers. A slow start to the season, no doubt assisted by the resignation of their manager on the eve of it, have given them a slightly false league position. Prior to yesterday’s game they had picked up 8 points from the last 12 available, just one behind our record over the same period. They are moving forward under Ian Rush after having reeled from the loss of the man that led them to Conference success in such style last time around.
Of course we have aspirations of promotion and championships but every manager in the league will tell you that at times you have to grind out results and points away from home should be seen as steps towards the target needed not a backward step.
Yesterday’s result was also assisted by home points dropped by Yeovil and Mansfield, two games which we expected to see the home side come out with points. Couple that with Scunthorpe’s defeat and draws for other sides and the end result was there for us all to see this morning – Swans in second place in the table – something that even the ignorant would have taken at the start of the day.
I can understand people commenting on results looking only at the oppositions league position but it’s early days in the season and there is just twelve points today separating top from bottom in this division so Chester’s position is not what it may seem on the face of it.
One comment yesterday was “We should beat sides like Chester” baffles me. What is this based on. It’s just sheer arrogance that gives a belief that we have a right to beat all these sides. It’s easy to say that we should beat half the teams in the division but they should also expect to beat us. We’re not Arsenal, Liverpool or even Bolton Wanderers – we are in the same division as these teams and on that basis we have to deserve to win games not take a divine right to do so.
I must admit I was a little down when I read the initial comments on yesterday’s game but once the, once again admirable, travelling support arrived home it soon made me realise that we had battled back in this game. That left me in no doubt that over years gone by this would have been a game that we lost and once more it heightened my belief that we will be where we want to be next May. We took a battering in the first half, but recovered and could even have won the game. But it is most certainly a point gained and not two dropped as has been quoted.
From here we move onto an interesting part of the season that will see us play six more league games before the FA Cup starts for this year. Four of those games will be at the Vetch – Mansfield, Leyton Orient, Darlington and Bristol Rovers. However, we have to realise now that all four of those sides have similar aspirations to us this season. None of them will be easy and to be honest I don’t even expect us to win all four of them. I can honestly see Darlington and Rovers taking points off us at the Vetch but I think we will win the other two. Add to that away trips to Southend and Grimsby and I think we will add three more points meaning that after 17 games, we would have 32 points – a tally that I am sure most Swans fans will be happy with.
But let’s take the positives when we have good results and points at places like Chester are very much that for me plus it keeps our momentum going. One league defeat in eight – sounds good to me.
Onwards and Upwards – Kenny Jackett’s Barmy Army!
