Yes, it was quite some Saturday afternoon, with all our promotion rivals stumbling, leaving us in control of our own destiny as we move into the countdown towards the end of the season.
Jack Clarke scores from the spot for Town at Sheffield Wednesday (Image: PA)
It’s probably best not to focus too much on the performance at Hillsborough. It was another below par display against a team who have been doomed all season. The only real positive is that we got the job done in the end.
Bluntly, we are playing too much ponderous, lacklustre football at the moment. It’s now four games in a row when we simply haven’t got started until the second half.
Take the midweek game at Stoke as an example. We were absolutely atrocious in the first half. We gifted the home side two horrible goals and looked for all money as though we were dead and buried at the break.
Credit to the players for coming back, but after going ahead it all went crazy again. We seemed to have no idea how to manage the game, and the dubious penalty happened because we were suddenly playing like the Keystone Kops. Absolute chaos.
What it screamed out for was a calm, cool presence on the pitch to get everyone to calm down. Where was that leadership? Not for the first time this season, it went AWOL.
Ivan Azon celebrates giving Town the lead at the Owls (Image: PA)
We won’t get away with performances like that against the better teams. For me, there are three games which stand out: Millwall and Middlesbrough at home, and the trip to our old rivals Norwich.
Millwall, who come to Portman Road next Saturday, stumbled at the weekend after going down to ten men, but they represent a real threat. The same goes for Middlesbrough.
As for Norwich, after looking like they were destined for League One, their change of manager has had a remarkable effect and they’re now playing like a top six side. That will be a real battle royal, with added spice if Marcelino Núñez plays against his former team.
It goes without saying that we will have to be at our best in those games. None of this oh-so-slow, oh-so-sloppy stuff we’ve been producing. Honestly, I struggle to recall many worse performances than in the first half at Stoke. It truly was appalling.
Where on earth are those terrible spells coming from? Whatever happened to getting a fast start? Putting the opposition under pressure from the first minute? We are basically wasting 45 minutes in every game at the moment. We fans might as well have another beer in the pub!
But seriously, it will cost us if it carries on. We know we have the talent, and the quality, so it’s high time we displayed it on a consistent basis. As I said, we are in a great position. We must take advantage.
I mentioned our trials and tribulations at the hands of referees. Of course, it all got a whole lot worse when we learned that key player Leif Davis had been banned for three games after apparently pulling the hair of a Leicester player.
To me, this looks like the game has been re-refereed. Why? The powers that be have looked in micro-detail at the shenanigans in the six yard box from a set-play. All the pulling, pushing, holding, and wrestling which reminds me of Mick McManus and co on Saturday afternoons back in the day.
Leif Davis has been banned for three games (Image: Ross Halls)
From all of that, they have apparently seen Davis pulling an opponent’s hair. Of course, they’ve ignore all the rest of the nonsense. Absolutely ridiculous, and so unfair. We really do seem to have upset the refereeing gods.
The worst news from Hillsborough was Wes Burns going off with a hamstring problem. Let’s hope it’s not too serious, because Burns is still by far our best option on the right wing. Direct, quick, powerful. A far better bet than either of the big money signings, Sindre Walle Egeli and Kasey McAteer.
Ben Johnson celebrates at Hillsborough (Image: Ross Halls)
Finally, a word of praise for Ben Johnson. He had become the forgotten man of the squad, but in the absence of Leif Davis he’s suddenly doing a massive job. He did well on Saturday, and created our crucial first goal. Well played, Ben.
So, It’s Millwall at Portman Road on Saturday. An absolutely massive game. Let’s build on this great position. A fast start would be good!