Gutless County Down Without A Fight

County’s relegation was confirmed today without even a wimper as a spineless performance on the pitch was matched by a disgusting performance from the idiotic element of our fanbase off the pitch.

Booing players when they’re brought on, jeering players when they’re taken off, sarcastically cheering when players are carried off on stretchers and making a party of the day we get relegated.

The first three minutes or so were fine. It was the other 87 that were terrible. County kicked off attacking the Cheadle End seemingly with intent, and the fans got behind them.

As I say, that lasted all of roughly 200 seconds. Before the lack of effort was evident, the inability to string two passes together was evident, and a bunch of staff sat in the dugout not even responding was even clearer.

And just less than 24 hours after we were given a boost by the 2015 Consortium, with a deal agreed and a fantastic statement from Sean Connolly outlining their ideas as a group – the place should have been a little brighter. Regardless of the impending relegation, we were being given a brighter future with a group of people who care for the club. It was what we had been begging for for the past 12 months, to be rid of Melrose and his bunch of chancers and to have some hope.

We got that hope yesterday. But today was completely abysmal.

Jemal Johnson has been sent back to MK Dons after reports of disciplinary problems (some seem to suggest a fight or some sort of disagreement in training between Johnson and somebody else), so David Pole started on the right-hand side.

It was simple – if County lost, County were down. The incentive was there to play with pride and to ‘go down fighting’ but it seemed to be lost on the eleven men on the pitch.

Passes were being hopelessly misdirected, players were arguing, and the idiotic fans at the top of the Cheadle End were being, well…idiotic.

The usual songs about promotion and the Football League being upside down were being chanted, quite openly and blatantly taking the ‘P I double S’ out of the team, some of whom seemed to hear and probably think ‘what the hell am I doing here?’

Even in the successful period under Jim Gannon back in 2008, the embarrassing element of our supporters were still there. The Upper Tier 2 gang who seem to care more about trying to be controversial or clever than supporting the team. Chants of ‘We love you Stockport’ etc were drowned out by ‘We’re sh*t and we’re going down’. Absolute morons.

I read something the other day where Gary Ablett was saying that County will stick to their principles of playing football despite the relegation.

I’d love to see these footballing principles. Really, I would. Basic, schoolboy errors and woeful attacking play, I’ve seen that. Plenty of times this season.

Let’s get it right – I feel for Ablett. He was lied to and promised the same crock of **** that we were by Melrose. But this thing about him ‘staying and fighting for us’ is basically rubbish. He’s getting paid probably pretty well for the job. If he walked, teams would hardly be fighting for his signature. If he walked, he’d be out of a job. So let’s get that bit right.

Secondly, once this 2015 Group take over, which I’m very confident they will do at the first attempt at the FL in May, you just have to wonder if Ablett will be here under these new owners.

And the answer, in my honest opinion, is no. Not just because of who is involved with the consortium who may be coming back to EP in Ablett’s role. But because this group of people aren’t stupid.

They know that Ablett’s been strung along just like us. But they also know that even if this ex-manager wasn’t rumoured to be returning, we need change.

Under the eye of the current bunch of staff at the club, we’re going nowhere. Except down. Even further.

And I’m confident that this sensible group of people gaining control of our club will make the decisions that are needed for us to thrive.

As for the here and now, well…it could have been worse. It could have been the Unibond, but it now seems as if League Two is our destination.

Goals from Dean Bowditch and two from Gavin Williams easily saw us off on our way today. A late consolation from Plymouth loanee George Donnelly was worthless. The damage had already been done. Not by Yeovil, but by a gutless bunch of players in the blue and white shirts.

Oh, and the ones in at the top of the Cheadle End.