Monday morning consisted for me, and probably half the country, of the accumulation of too much food, too much beer and probably too much time at their family home. Monday was the end of a long weekend that always promises so much, moves too fast and inevitably always ends with watching abstract itv3 documentaries that makes you realise that you never thought you'd know the breeding patterns of barn owls, or how long the river Severn actually is.
Anyway - This is where the beaming light and slightly surreal moment of Bradford being on TV came to pass. One which, for all of us was looming over the whole festive period with anxiety, excitement and, today's buzz word, expectation. A lot has been said about the expectations of our season versus how it is actually panning out. Without repeating myself from an article I wrote last year on expectation, as we all know anyway, it can be more obstructive than constructive.
Today's debacle didn't live up to our expectations. Instead, it turned its back on our expectation and went against the narrative that we had all built up in ours heads. It wasn't a historical tale of heroes, it was a hard hitting hammer to the head. To be a football fan.
When we all came crashing back to reality, post the apocalyptic early afternoon, we remain securely in the playoffs, with only a point needed to secure a spot in the top six. We've been in the playoffs all season and probably where we thought we were going to be at this stage from the beginning. Why did today hurt so much if we remain on course? (Bloody Oldham) if they hadn't have beaten Bolton then maybe accepting this result would have been a lot easier and maybe more fitting of our trajectory of reaching the playoffs. The truth is that we dropped points. This, though, isn’t the sole reason we aren't in the top two. You have to look at results such as 3-0 away at Southend or the four points dropped against Bolton over the course of the year. This is what let us down and what for me has coined this season as one full to the brim, of 'ifs and buts.'
I think the attractive football this year has papered over some cracks, in which the same way our defensive solidity papered over cracks under our previous manager. The problem last season was that we didn't score enough goals but the problem this season, especially the latter end of it, is that we let in too many. Two differing styles, but with the same outcome. You can admire the free-flowing football this year as much as you could admire the defensive fortress that our back 5 were last year.
Without opening up a debate about which means to an end we'd prefer, it's a prudent point worth making. Furthermore, to quell the 'look at where we were in the summer' argument, comparable at the start of most seasons under our previous regime there was a thread needle budget and a root and branch of the squad.
So what is so different?
To get on with my point before people smash their keyboards is that we lost today, but fitting in the context of this season and where we both are, as clubs. I can't bring myself to compliment a team that includes Billy Sharp but, concentrating on us, we dust ourselves down and make sure we finish the job of securing top six. If we didn't lose our manager and coaching staff at the end of last season, then I do think there would have been more pressure than there ever has been to get in the top two - I.e. to see the tangible progression that the previous regime hung their hat on. This season, even though we haven't necessarily seen the tangible progression in terms of league positions, instead we have witnessed a season of intangible progression, so to speak.
A season for Mark Marshall, Danny Devine and Charlie Wyke. Our future sure seems brighter than our past. We have players such as marshal thriving when previously they may have not. We seem to have a genuine path for youth players to break into the first team and possibly most importantly we have owners not scared of throwing their financial clout around to ensure BD8 can attract the best talent at our level.
This horrific positivity doesn't move away from the fact that today was agony. We lacked everything that we have done so well for most of the season. We played a team we all believed we could beat but instead we gave into submission, without so much of a fight. Put this game in February or October and it doesn't hold the same resonance but put this game in the context of going one point behind our divisional rivals, with two games to play, and it feels like a black hole of emotion.
Don't we all want a trip to Wembley anyway??
