By Matt Owen
26/11/2007 - Fanzone: December crucial to promotion aspirations
SO the fine run of form comes to end with a defeat at Nottingham Forest, who moved in to an automatic promotion place as a result of their 2-0 win at the City Ground against an improving Crewe team.
No disgrace in losing to a team of the stature of Forest. This fixture was always going to be a tough one and it appeared to be one hurdle too far for Steve Holland’s boys.
After a disappointing start to the season, we have slowly and surely moved ourselves away from trouble and we can begin to looking upwards rather than downwards.
It’s certainly not a time for doom and gloom. It’s time for the players to roll their sleeves up and go again.
Games will come thick and fast in the coming weeks and with the imminent return of Nicky Maynard I think a position just below the play-offs is attainable for us going in to the new year.
The Forest defeat shows we have a bit to do if we want to consider ourselves as genuine promotion candidates and an improvement in our form on the road will be needed if we want to stay in the top half.
November has been our best month of the season without doubt. While, at times, we haven’t excelled, we have still picked up the points and only one defeat in the month is not to be sniffed at.
Next Saturday we travel north, that is about as much as we know at present!
We face the winners of tomorrow’s FA Cup replay between Doncaster and Oldham.
I don’t really have a preference as to who we play – we have already managed to lose in the league away to both of them.
After that cup game we have back-to-back home games, starting with a Tuesday night encounter with Gillingham, who are yet to win an away game. Banker away win then?
The following Saturday we entertain Walsall and the majority of the Crewe faithful will expect us to take six points from the first two games in December.
Positive results in these fixtures would give us real momentum going in to the hectic festive period.
Trips to Hartlepool, Huddersfield and Millwall give us a chance to improve our woeful away record, while Doncaster visit Fortress Gresty the week before Christmas.
We need to ensure that this season doesn’t fizzle out like last.
At the moment, we are no better than last season. In fact, we carry almost identical records.
After 17 games in the 2006/07 season we had 23 points and were 12th and could boast just one away victory. In the 17 matches this season, we have 23 points and are 12th and have just one away victory.
We do have a better squad this season despite the loss of Luke Varney, but we still need to go out and continue to improve on the pitch.
Results at Christmas last year were woeful and, in truth, ended any hopes we had of making the top six – and we must do better this time around.
Our squad should be strong enough to deal with the rigours of the festive period and looks strong on paper.
David Gray joined on loan from Manchester United on Thursday, minutes before the deadline for emergency loans elapsed.
This is an important time for us and we must get it right. I have every faith in Steve Holland, but they would be wise to remember what happened last year.
Anything like the results last December and we can write off any hopes of a top-six finish.