If you have been watching Blues for over 60 years or 6 weeks, you will realise that our crazy club has some strange ways of going about things. Last week was typical of the way that they have for many years done things that you can’t believe possible. A wonderful performance at the Den against a side firmly in a play-off place which was not only music to the ears of Blues fans, but it would have really choked our old pals at Millwall. Add to the fact that the whole of the Lions management team are ex-Bluenoses it made for a wonderful evening. Four days later against a Blackpool side virtually doomed for the drop we manage to present them with three points. A lifeless attack and a freak goa, l so out of context from the previous game saw yet another 0-1 home defeat against struggles. I cannot count the number of times Blues have done this. Twice in the 90’s we followed 7 goal wins at Stoke and Oxford by failing to score in the subsequent home game.

Hull, Preston and Stoke have all been beaten on their own patch yet Blues failed each time to win the return home game.

Let’s analyze the season. Against the bottom 6 teams Blues have dropped 24 points. Had we managed to only drop 12 points wewould be on the same points as Sunderland who are sixth. The 24 points would put us in 4th place and have a secure play off place, 

Much has been said about the number of clean sheets we have achieved. John Ruddy has done wonderfully well especially with the changes in format, and personnel. 6 shut outs away and 7 at home. In 4 games where we were impregnable, we also failed to score. There was another 8 points gone begging. Blues failing forward line now down to a one-man battleship in Jukey havefailed to score on 15 occasions, 8 at home. 6 of those games were 1-0 defeats in which one goal would have been worth another point. 

Finally, we have been awarded only 6 penalties this year and two were missed, although only one of those cost us points,

The current total of 53 points is better than the previous 6 seasons and we have never been remotely involved in the relegation battle. Even the 11 out of 12 defeats run after Christmas made a few of us nervous but were steered clear of the rocks before we were anywhere near disaster. 

We are obviously in need of the kind of attack that can score 50plus goals between them. We have never replaced Che Adams 20 goals. Not even the Moneyball tactic of replacing him with three strikers has worked because goals from other areas are still in short supply.

In July when we started, we would have snapped your hand of to be offered that total and relative safety. The point is it won’t take much to move the team forward, will it?

God Bless all you Bluenoses and stay safe.

Anyway, look out for ‘Watto’s Weekly Live’ on You Tube, Twitter and Facebook. 

God Bless you all

THE TILTON TALK SHOW

Back Wednesday 6.30 April 24th