Another poor week for Ipswich Town FC... MIKE BACON reflects and looks ahead to Saturday...
OK, Ipswich Town fans, close your eyes and breathe in...
Now breathe out. Open them. Yep, this is happening!
One point from the last four, one goal and that from a pen, fantastic support throughout mind you. Makes you cross, hey?
As fans seemingly we have a bond. If ever there was a time to stick together, it's now. We have to.
Because quite frankly we're the only people we can rely on at the moment... Or so it feels.
Our current form resembles a bottom four club, not one striving for promotion.
We can blame Marcus, we can blame Lambert, we can blame Hurst, we can blame McCarthy, we can blame Keane (Roy, not Will!), we can blame the players, we can blame the cones and training balls if we like.
Let's be honest, supporting Town right now feels like a Portman Road to nowhere.
The only ones above any criticism are the fans!
After that feeble result at Wimbledon we feel let down, we're fed up, we're angry, we're sad.
Sad, that our once great club has declined to a level few of us have ever witnessed.
Even if you remembered the halcyon days of '62 '78 or '81. Or the wonderful time back in the Premiership in 2001/02, as Ipswich Town fans we're all in the same cart these days - wobbly wheels and all.
Don't let people throw our supposed obsession with history at us.
We have a great history, of course, but it's not an 'obsession' - it's a fact.
Yes, many of us remember the great days and seasons gone by, but don't insult us to say that's all we think of. The vast majority of us care very much about the here and now.
We want to be back in the Championship, the Premier League (some hope that appears!) - and we're not impressed on how the Club is going about trying to achieve that.
And what's the past anyhow?
It's not all Sir Alf and Sir Bobby.
George Burley (1994-2002), Joe Royle (2002-2006), Jim Magilton (2006-2009).
These guys were managers of our club just 10-20 years ago. Yes, the past, but hardly ancient history.
As managers they entertained us.
They built teams, trusted youngsters, played attractive football. We weren't governed by freebies and loans. If we sold the family silver, more often than not we reinvested it. Quite simply... THE CLUB GOT IT!
Managers took risks, they took responsibility.
They didn't all have to bring back the FA Cup or UEFA Cup to get us off our seats.
What a contrast to recent times.
MORE: Stu Watson's 5 observations after Town's 0-0 draw at Wimbledon.... So, and I can't believe I'm saying this, our home game with Burton Albion on Saturday is a huge game.
I won't say 'must win' because apparently we have loads of games left and lots of points are up for grabs, so even losing 0-4 wouldn't be a big issue if you believe the rhetoric.
Our loyal fans will be there, as usual. They always turn up.
More than ever, after the last few weeks they deserve a 90-minute performance of the highest intensity and quality this Saturday.
I'm not interested in ANY reason for us not beating Burton.
Don't care about having all the possession, don't care about bad luck, don't care about injuries, don't care about lack of confidence. Don't care what colour socks we wear.
I don't care about anything other than getting our club back on track.... Somehow, anyhow!
Of course some will say that shows a lack of respect to our opponents... Again dodging responsibility.
And yet incredibly, in this topsy-turvey season and bang average League, our run-in against 'lesser sides' and with a plethora of home games, still gives Town a decent chance of, at least a play-off place, and if we are really lucky (cause we'll need to be), an automatic promotion one.
A Portman Road to nowhere?
Well, despite everything as it appears, not quite yet...
MORE: 'We need to win all of them' says DownesMilky was a 'no show' down at the Bristol last Friday.
We didn't miss him, although Peroni takings were down.
Apparently he had gone for a job interview at some fast-food chain after he lost his job packing slippers in Rochester Harbour.
According to Roxanne (his partner of now four months), Milky fell asleep on the late shift a couple of weeks ago and was dismissed with immediate effect after a bundle of slippers he should have been packing, clogged up machinery.
What a card that boy is.
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