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Diary - Friday 12 November 2010

12 November 2010

Wimbledon, Luton and Crawley have drawn no more than three matches apiece this season. Town have drawn seven and look likely to continue in similar vein. Manager Woodses raved about the midweek draw against a Cambridge team who have drawn six times themselves. Two teams who ought to be doing better in this division, but lack the winning mentality. Your Guest Diarist, as regular readers will know, is an admirer of Woods the man and not one to call for rash sackings. I am not wavering either, more resigned to the fact that unless things change on the field then a lot more points will be dropped to unfancied opposition because there is a complete lack of winning mentality at the club from the very top to the very bottom.

I, of course, blame the chairman, who will bluster his way through the fans' forum next week talking the same old tired claptrap. For it is Fenty who has led us down the path through three relegations, multiple managerial changes and the costly embarrassment that was the failed new stadium project with nary an apology or explanation other than to keep blaming ITV Digital year after bleeding year.

Buried in the free-to-air Hayes & Yeading pre-match interview, Woods admits that "there was one pass too many" in some of the Town attacks. Neutrals at the Cambridge match (if you can call away stewards and bored coppers neutrals), to a man, made the Arsenal comparison. Too much coaching from Woods, it looks like to me: we have a genuine lively goalscoring partnership if Ademeno keeps fit to partner Connell. Just tell them to score goals, I say.

The players whose turn it is to tell the Telegraph we've drawn too many lately but we'll win one soon, honest, are Coulson and Atkinson this week. "Being hard to beat is what you want away from home," burbles Atko and then goes on to tell us he is a hard man as well as a culture bunny. Coulson, at least, says he is fully fit again.

As for who will play tomorrow, well, Woodses says Arthur is raring to go (until he pulls something in the warm-up, no doubt). And Bore is a bit better but might not brave the trip, while Wood is still a bit groggy but undoubtedly will. Garner's hamstring is niggling, according to the manager (Woods likes dropping Garner or playing him out of position so he looks stupid). But nothing negative said about Ademeno, Gobern and Coulson so if they need matches he needs to pick them.

Finally, my senility was charmingly exposed in a mail from Richard Lord who pointed out that he had told us a bit about Fleetwood in his Rough Guide to the club at the start of the season - including the fact they play the Pugwash theme when they score (see yesterday's diary). It really is a good idea to re-read our Rough Guides when we are about to play someone. Especially today, when the CA lads are too busy fighting the cuts and being dynamic at work and that to compile a pre-match factfile. Here's a useful snippet from the Hayes & Yeading one: "On a positive note, at least we can say Town are undefeated against Hayes & Yeading." Except we then went on to lose at home to them a bit dismally. Anyway, at least we didn't draw. See yer.