|
Two contrasting results in the last five days have left everyone a tad confused about the quality of our team and whether we'll be at one end or the other come May next year. The 5-0 defeat to Charlton asks questions of our new(ish) defence (and frontline for that matter) and a 4-2 victory last night is almost the complete opposite. Granted, friendlies are never a Michelin-starred guide as to how well any team are doing but it's very easy to feel unsure about where these men will finish.
Now you are probably thinking that this is a typical 'sit on the fence' type piece, the same drivel that we hear each and every August, but it's not - for once we actually have a lot to be positive about. If Royce does/has signed we will go to Cheltenham with two goalkeepers, decent ones at that. Our defence is experienced, our midfield plentiful and our strike force scarier than last season. The £200,000 payment for Simon King will hopefully be a reflection of his abilities and create a tighter defence between the minutes of 80 and 94. Steve Lomas adds experience and options to our midfield and joins the in-form Andrew Crofts, near man-of-the-season Mark Bentley and the lively Aaron Brown.
But it's with our strikers where there is a little uncertainty. It's unclear whether Facey's average form at Rotherham was due to the lack of service that comes with a relegated team. Hopefully his double strike last night is a sign of things to come and not a pre-season teaser. Mulligan isn't a big goalscorer at present despite his hard work, and Guylain has yet to convince us with consistent goals. The trials of David Graham and Patrick, added to the rumour about Chris Dickson, shows that Jepson is looking for at least one more forward but if another cannot be found, our success might stop at mid-table.
On the other hand, Facey might prosper from the service of Brown, and Mulligan could well score consistently. He's still young and although he might not have the natural ability to bang them in every week, it wouldn't be far fetched to suggest he will do sometime in the future. This is where the uncertainty will change: find a couple of strikers who will score 15 or more, and the play-offs may beckon. Scramble together a few strikers who cannot reach double figures and another year of mediocrity will follow. Facey and Brown are the linchpins in this respect.
The early feedback from the Colchester game is positive and a good start to the season is crucial, irrelevant to which end of the table we'll be fighting at. Cheltenham will be a test of how far we've come - an away game wasn't something to look forward to last season, but maybe the 11th August will change that and change our fortunes for the season ahead. It's going to be a big year for Jepson - now his squad and therefore no more excuses - let's hope the criticism of him in the past will be proved wrong.