A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Football, Brian Clough used to say, is a game of two haaaaalves.

Sometimes, today being a case in point, the two can be very distant relatives. Related, perhaps, only in duration. Extreme differences, bordering on alien, have you starting to question the DNA.

The first 40 minutes were good. It was football as we've come to know it - played out from the back and through the thirds. Possession was enjoyed off the back of a good shape, willing support and quality decisions - thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

Reasonable chances were crafted, and it seemed like a matter of time before the FREDS would reap a fitting reward for their endeavour.

Unfortunately, a decision-making and execution wobble afforded Wallingford a golden opportunity in the final minutes of the first half, and the travelling red and white stripes capitalised. 0-1.

Football is also two games though - one in possession / one out of possession - and 80 minutes in total. Wallingford delivered a brutal reminder in the 40 minutes that followed.

We can talk about distortions of truth, and the result being harsh, but it actually wasn't.

If we understand cause and effect, as a group we must accept responsibility for how we show up without the ball. After all, an individual player has the ball at his feet for 1% of the game. It's what players donate to the cause for the other 99% that separates.

To react when possession is lost, get back behind the ball, then press and cover as a midfield unit is a vital ingredient. If the reaction to losing the ball is delayed or lack-lustre, there is invariably a consequence, and it's an ugly one.

As a coach, one of my jobs is to find and accentuate the positives. The first half, blip aside at the death, was excellent. The second required a thought-warp to arrive at a 'blessing in disguise'. Here it is.

Often, it's only when we start to link serous pain to something that we're finally motivated to make changes. Small hits are bearable, and allow players to think that, on balance, the self-disciplined hard graft required is still more painful than the risk. It's not. It lacks integrity and, as people, we must aspire to be honest in every moment.

Today, Wallingford punished every single gamble.

Moving forward, finger pointing after the event must be trumped by urgent demands for a response before the event. As a collective, it's important to agree what is acceptable and unacceptable before a ball kicked, and hold each other to it in-play.

I LOVED watching the first 40 minutes. It was composed, and reassuring to know that

we definitely have some of the corners and edges in place. Yes, there are pieces to the puzzle yet to be inserted, but these developing FREDS are 15, and most players peak at 27. We should keep this in mind.

Would love to add ...

a) Wing-backs wanting possession when we have the ball, and looking to support the attack.

b) Midfielders recovering fast, as a group, and pressing and covering as a recognisable unit.

c) Forwards reading and reacting to the unfolding play quicker than the defensive players.

d) Players attacking balls into the box ( in defence and attack ).

These are team goals, not criticisms. I look forward to Wednesday, where we will be playing variations of this game design to incorporate some of these, and look to increase intensity and stamina out of possession.