Three points - but six teams.
That's a lot of teams to overtake.
Across 26 games, that’s a lot of points to play for and a lot will happen / change in that time.
I also don’t buy this players weren’t trying nonsense. If we had a squad of non-triers when the going got tough, we’d be nowhere near where we are. Nor would we have our record of coming from behind in games.
We entered the season thinking our squad was a little short, so it’s hardly surprising that with 9 missing players we struggled a little against a well organised side who are full of confidence and are in a winning habit.
I don’t think there was a lack of effort today. It depends what people would class as trying though? Running round like a headless chicken? Smashing into players and risking further suspensions?
It was a bad day at the office. Nothing we tried came off. When Engels deflected cross was parried away and the ball landed between our two oncoming attackers who could have had a tap in, you knew it just wasn’t meant to be.
Rodger’s has showed glimpses but clearly has rough edges and is still learning the game. Greenwood is up and down and Crooksy had his worst game in a long while. I just don’t think we had the ingredients in the right areas.
Not having Jonesy and his pace down the right was a big miss. We just looked disjointed and clunky, and lacked a bit of pace and guile.
A lot of that can be resolved with players returning eventually, and I imagine some additions in January.
Losing is frustrating - I was hungover today and freezing so a bad day all round but small margins can make a difference. Laths header goes in and it’s 1-1 and a different feel to the game.
It just didn’t happen for us and we looked a little short of options in attacking areas - on and off the pitch.