THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

THE MELTDOWN - IPSWICH TOWN
There are some positives to take from the game, but ultimately we lost again to extend our miserable form at home, and at the end of the day points are the thing that matter the most.

Dean and Harvie look to be injured and never made the squad to compound our worries, and have added to an already long injury list, it never rains but it pours.

One good thing was McEachran managed the full game after I spent 20 minutes writing about him last week, and how he never lasts the game, so that stuck two fingers up at me, so it would appear he has shaken off the injury, which according to my stadium mole was to do with the knee.

We could possibly have nicked something out of this as we had several quick fire chances early in the first half from KaiKai, Mo and Leko, but was denied by a couple of saves from Walton and a couple of goaline clearances, but in honesty that was just about all we offered in terms of threatening the Ipswich goal and in the second half we offered no threat whatsoever, giving Ipswich the momentum to pin us down, and it was only really Cumming that stood between us and a trousers down and six of the best thrashing.

We stayed in the game as Jacko put it, but there is no point in that if you don’t offer anything going forward and it seemed to me like a damage limitation exercise, ok we never shipped five again but I’m not going to be joining some who have called it an improvement, Ipswich were ok but they are hardly a Sheffield Wednesday or a Bolton Wanderers.

Other than the performance of Cumming, shoot me down if you like but I thought considering the level of the Ipswich attack Tucker dealt with them well making some timely clearances and blocks.

McEachran and Devoy did well but were at the heart of the error that led to the Ipswich goal and in the second half both either ran out of steam or were neutralised by the Tractor Boys midfield, likewise Leko who started brightly but the longer the game went on he became anonymous, again either running out of steam or Ipswich had him sussed.

Inevitably their goal game from our mistake and once again we paid the price, it didn’t seem a massive blunder, but Ipswich countered quickly and Morsy fired it low and hard in the corner past the despairing dive of Cumming…..and to the idiot in front of me who said Cumming should F*** Off back to Chelsea because of it, can I suggest you go instead….we certainly have some fools amongst us and you are possibly one of the biggest mate…and I do so hope you are reading this.

To be honest Ipswich deserved to win, I think the most we could have hoped for was a draw, but it makes you wonder how it would have panned out if we had breached the Ipswich defence in that flurry of chances.

There is little else to say on this, you have heard and seen it all before, and I’m not going to churn it all out again. I didn’t expect much from this month, but I didn’t expect to take the pastings we had this month either, and they obviously haven’t helped the confidence levels of the players or the mood of the fans.

Up next we have Lincoln City, and for those that think this could be the start of the “Great Escape”, we might need to think again as they remain undefeated at home this season in 15 games but that does include and incredible 12 draws.

Then we have Port Vale away with moderate home form, Cambridge Utd at home and they have the second worst away form in League 1, Accrington away who have the third worst home form, and then Morecambe at home who have the worst away form in League 1, so thats a thing to look forward to, the worst home form versus the worst away form, two teams doing their utmost to throw things away.

What should we be targeting do you think, well if we don’t get maximum points from Cambridge and Morecambe we deserve to go down. Without doubt if we don’t do it in March we will go down, and honestly I don’t really care, I have made my peace with relegation so if it doesn’t happen I’m not really sure how I will feel, as I think we might very easily have another season of dross to look forward to, at least in League 2 we might win a few games.

The final word for our lady referee Rebecca Welch, and you have to say she was ok, more than ok, and certainly better that the majority of refs we have already seen this season, good luck to her and hope she makes it to the Premiership.

The final, final word, I met two of our long standing Dons fans outside before the game and it was lovely to see them and chat, a great couple in their twilight years, and I say that with the greatest respect who felt let down by the club, like many disillusioned by what’s been going on both on and off the field, and it further confirmed my feelings at how far this club had plummeted in the eyes of some of the most ardent Dons fans, and when you say that you realise how serious an issue it is.

I’m going to leave it there, like I said I would only be raking over old ground…. sooner or later I’m going to have a win to report on……aren’t I?

See you next Tuesday.

Love ‘n’ Kisses

WD

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

Thanks WD

Great read as per usual, and absolutely agreed about Tucker who I thought played well

Fair assessment of the game. Tucker was arguably our best player and made no serious errors today. Whoever blamed Cumming for the goal is an idiot. That was an unstoppable low drive into the side netting.

Thanks WellDon. Once again, I find myself agreeing with everything you've said. It's not your fault you sound like a stuck record every week!

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That was one of the most miserable experiences I can remember since I started following this team. I was absolutely fucking frozen. I get that technically my seat is actually below ground, but yesterday was the coldest I can remember feeling at any ground since I started going to matches. Which I was reliably informed by my late father was 1966. I can’t blame Sweeting for the weather, but by fuck was I cold.

I went to Lewington’s before the match, and sadly I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be better if that place was shut down. It’s fucking rubbish now. Gone are the halcyon days of last season. It’s nothing short of a wind tunnel, and it was so cold in there that I couldn’t get warm no matter what I tried, and basically that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Bar the 5 seconds where we had 5 shots at their goal, which they somehow miraculously stopped from going in, we had absolutely nothing. At one point in the second half we were attacking their goal (I’m using ‘attacking’ under advisement here). Somehow, Ipswich had nine outfield players in defence. If you include the ‘keeper, they had ten players defending against our three attackers. Now, obviously Ipswich aren’t the sort of team to sit back on a one-nil lead. So what does that say about the way they were organised? It says that not only have they got better players than us, it also says that they’re better coached. It’s sadly looking like Jackson isn’t the man that can get us out of the mess Sweeting has landed us in. At one point during one of Ipswich’s many attacks, their ‘keeper was doing star-jumps to try and keep warm as he had fuck all else to do.

Folk began leaving on the 74th minute. Not just a few drips and drabs, loads of folk. Up out of their seats and heading for the exit, and the warmth of anywhere but stadium:mk. I went to the loo on the 80th minute (a man in his 60’s, too many beers, what can you say!). As I was walking back to my seat I thought “What the fuck am I doing? Why am I going back to get even more cold watching this crap?” and quickly turned around and headed to Asda where The Current Mrs Gers was waiting to pick me up. I’ve recently bought a new car, which she was driving. Almost top of the range Mini. Those heated seats were fired right up as high as they’d go.

If season ticket renewal day was last night I’d genuinely have ripped the fucking thing up. There’s nothing to entice me to go back. Nothing. Shite overpriced beer, served by kids. An ice tomb of a bar to drink it in. The guy who sits behind me is the most foulmouthed, opinionated, boring wanker I’ve ever had the displeasure to encounter in my six decades upon this planet, and he’d brought a friend who was an even bigger Ladybit than him. I was beginning to lose my temper with them, and at one point my son had to remind me that folk are entitled to their own opinion, and that I needed to calm down.

The Current Mrs Gers asked why I go if I’m obviously not enjoying it, and to be honest I couldn’t find a reason. She also asked if I’d renew our season tickets next season if, or more likely when, we get regulated. As I’ve said above, if you’d asked me last night I’d definitely have said no fucking way. There’s a million things I could on a Saturday afternoon in winter that would actually bring me pleasure. Making music in my studio. Reading. Watching a film. Listening to music. Shopping for even more expensive clothes that I don’t really need. Anything. The prospect of L2 football next season is not something that I’m looking forward to. Far from it.

I’ve put a lot of time, money and effort into following this club. But at the moment, sitting in my kitchen on a Sunday morning, it feels like I’ve wasted my time.

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When you make your music, do you think about the man in the street? No, I've met the man in the street. He's a Ladybit.

It looks like you were hit by the wind chill which must have been directed straight at the Cowshed. I can only assume that's why the subs didn't come out at half time. I'm renewing my season ticket, but picking a seat as close to the away end I can get (at least I can see some action).

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

They are going to get heating in Lewington's by the time we play Plymouth.....oh hang on

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

WellDon - Just a point of order to mention.

Matt Dennis isn’t injured. Or if he is, it’s not an issue. He’s on loan at Sutton

Bugger…..I keep doing this.

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Read the MELTDOWN after every game, no bullshit, just giving it straight

‘Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.’ - Aristotle

The sweet and merciful relief of relegation and league 2 is coming, the odour of their decaying terracing and the sights of their huffing and puffing downwardly spiralling footballers now tantalisingly close. There is beauty in the suffering we are enduring - I for one am embracing it. Blow ye fowl winds, bring me another kit of filth and delayed production dear Castore, run ye Griggy into nowhere producing nothingness and let corner after corner fizz onto opponents heads and billow our net once more.

Don’t fight it people - embrace it.