Good evening everyone. In any football season it is how you deal with disappointment that truly matters. On Saturday we were all left feeling very frustrated after losing to Rotherham, but three days later we have to show a positive reaction and do all we can to beat Ipswich Town.
Saturday’s game started the process, because as poor as we were in the first half, we refused to lie down and we showed plenty of fight in the second, where Nathan Holland and Marcus Browne made a big impact. They, along with Liam Kelly and Rob Atkinson, will all add to what we have here, and it was good to have a strong start to this transfer window.
The reaction to all the signings was incredible from the fans on social media and we are still working on things, not just for this window but for the summer and even the window beyond that. People maybe don’t believe that, but it Is true; the recruitment team under Mark Thomas have to be flexible enough to adapt day by day - minute by minute right now - but also have a wider strategic aim which fits within out longer-term plans for this squad.
That doesn’t change just because of one bad 45 minutes like we saw on Saturday. Every team will have that from time to time and perhaps it sharpens everyone and makes you realise that this division is the closest of them all and we are going to have to work hard - even harder than we worked in 2019 - if we want to achieve our aims in 2020.
I mentioned the longer-term aims and may I just take the opportunity to wish our under 18s the best of luck tomorrow night when they play here against Preston in the FA Youth Cup. I want to thank Firoka once again for working with us to provide the boys with a chance to play at the Kassam Stadium. It will be the first time for many of them and they deserve a bigger stage after all that they have done this season. If you have the chance, then please come along and support them.
I thought your support was exceptional on Saturday. Three-nil down at half time, you did all you could to show the players that you had belief in them and the noise levels went up, which was a massive boost and lifted the players after the break.
It is midweek, there is always extra drama under the lights, so be loud, be proud, and let’s all play a part in bouncing back to win the game.
Tiger
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc