The Start of a New Season
On the eve of a new season it feels to me like Ian Evatt’s three-year tenure in charge of Wanderers has flown by. As a forty-something year old I’ve had the privilege of watching the White Army rise from the lower leagues to reach the Prem and it was those earlier years that cemented my love for the club. The heroes from back then, the likes of McGinlay, Branagan, McAteer and Thompson are still held in high regard now and the current crop of players should take notice of the level those players were playing at, and the journey this club took them on. Heroes don’t have to be top-flight international players.
The squad at present feels strong enough to be challenging for promotion this season, and that’s what it will be, a challenge. Despite the levels of expectation, reality should remind us all of the number of big clubs in past seasons that ‘should’ have been promoted from this league but failed. I am sure we will be up there at the end of the season with the other bookies favourites, alongside maybe one or two clubs that might punch above their expected weight. But anyone who thinks we ‘should’ be walking the league need to temper their expectations to a degree. I for one am looking forward to the ongoing development of this team. For the players who have been here a season or two to improve and progress and for those arriving this summer or in the Xmas window to show the fans just why Ian Evatt and co have brought them to our amazing club.
Players will certainly need to give more and perform even better to underline their place in the team and the added competition should hopefully push performance levels. It feels like each year the squad has developed and strengthened into one which could compete in the Championship. It is easy to compare this to earlier seasons under Mr Evatt’s management where it would have been difficult to name more than a few who could have played in a higher league. Hopefully we can hit some good performances early on and maintain consistency, something which this team has struggled with in past seasons. Hopefully the changes in rules to battle against time-wasting should also help us, particularly at home, to really impose our style of play on opposition teams. ‘Fortress Toughsheet’ has a pleasing ring to it!
One of the reasons why I fell in love with this club as a youngster was due to the thoroughly enjoyable and exciting seasons of the 90’s. In my opinion the football on offer now is great to watch and the excitement and expectations are at a recent high. Now with three children of my own all as eager as I was, I can see the cycle coming round again through their growing enthusiasm for a matchday. I took two of them to a group-stage Man City Champs League game last season and they commented on the lack of atmosphere in comparison to watching Wanderers. In my opinion this was due to the level of expectation of that crowd, moans and groans were commonplace despite being 3-0 up at half-time, and a polite applause greeted each goal. The fact that they’d rather be at home watching the Whites was music to my ears and even if they wanted to go elsewhere the answer would be Toughsheet.
They say time flies when you’re having fun. Let’s hope these fun times have a prolonged stay at our club.