It was a good result at the weekend and while I couldn’t have predicted we’d dominate the first half, struggle in the second and the win it in the last minute, I did suggest it was going to be tough. I don’t like it when it’s like that, but there could be an element of game management in play.
I don’t really understand game management to be honest. I mean, I was listening to something on the radio the other day and it made sense. Players are told to slow the pace down a little to conserve energy and maybe that is what happened. Or it could be that a degree of thinking the game was won came into the minds of the players and they took their foot off the gas.
Or it could just be the goal in the 60 something minute worked. Luton got one back and that gave them the belief. The second a few minutes later just made it tough. I’m more inclined to think it was something like this and that terms like game management and transition, are used too freely these days.
It was a great match, Luton fought back but we just had more in the engine and more quality. I like that explanation a little bit more than the others. But that was last week, this week is a little more challenging.
And it starts tomorrow with Ajax. I couldn’t get a ticket. I tried. So, I’ll be at home watching and hoping for something special. I’m not going to write what I think will happen, but I did mention it to someone yesterday and if it happens, I will tell you all on Thursday after the match but it’s not just about tomorrow, it’s about Sunday too.
And you know this, but on Sunday we have Spurs and some might say this match is more important. Beat Spurs and even if they win their game in hand, we are still five points above them. Lose to Spurs and they win their game in hand and we find ourselves in fifth place.
Don’t get me wrong, football is all about winning things, but with so many games left in Europe and the prospect of Champions League football next season, I’m split. Let me take that a little further, I want to win both, I think we can, but it’s going to be tough. Ajax are not what Ajax were and you could easily argue the Eredivisie is Championship standard, but have you watched the Championship recently?
And there is the second leg at Villa Park next week too. We get two chances at Ajax but only one against Spurs and they have not yet won their game in hand. This is most definitely the business end of the season and every match can make or break it.
That’s all very serious right, but isn’t it nice to think about us in this way?
