A goal from James Collins, and another that should have been from Darren Bent, but the important thing is the 3 points that are on the board. The bells ringing had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one feeling it. The stadium was understandably subdued as the game started, as obviously we are feeling a lot of pressure given our unusual position in the league. I’m glad that we managed to stay strong at the end with some good saves from Brad Friedel being the difference between all 3 points and only one or less. Certainly keeping a clean sheet will have given us a little more confidence – something which I believe will be key in the next few six pointers. It also goes to show that whilst Brad Friedel might be 40 at the start of the season, he still has the qualities required to perform as a top keeper (although I do think we will buy a new keeper in the summer).
4-4-2 – A formation for the now, not the future
As a fan, I’m glad we went with 4-4-2, and we saw more from Gabby up front than we have on the wing. It is important to ensure that we score goals, and goes without saying that to score goals then adopting a more attacking approach is going to have a positive effect. I have absolutely no doubt that 4-4-2 won’t be employed next season, but I think it is what is needed given our current set of circumstances. The teams around us will be battling, and I think that a strong physical 4-4-2 will prove more effective in putting up a fight than trying to overcomplicate matters.
We played more as a team, and that has obviously had significant impact on the match, and for our future matches. Other than that, there wasn’t a massive amount to really mention, besides perhaps a slightly subdued performance from Jean II Makoun, as well as some more proof that Luke Young has a part to play as a left back at the club.
It’s Sunday night, so kick back and relax
I hope you are all breathing a little easier after some tense moments today, and that you can enjoy the remainder of the sunny evening. Crack open a beer or two if you like as we deserve it after a fairly stressful day. We are by no means safe just yet, but it is important to savour this result today without getting too concerned on the next few games yet. Who knows – give us another 2 or 3 wins, and we might be able to breathe again. Until then, at least we are guaranteed an adrenaline fueled and exciting end to the season.
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