Ten Games In

Well what a start to the season we have had, from the highs (FC utd and Fylde games away) to the lows (Stalybridge at home and player suspensions) I don`t think anyone expected it to start like this and this is only the beginning.

We are now 6 weeks into the season and we find ourselves sitting in 8th, If anyone had have asked me how I saw the first month panning out I thought it was probably the hardest given some of the teams we played.

Considering we have only lost the two games (and we were 2 players short on one) I think the lads are gelling very well, we may not have hit the ground running – but we have hit the ground and found our feet. Although we are still not hitting the back of the net?

I must admit the games against Worcester and Brackley seem to feel like 4 points post, we could have been about 2nd place by now but hey you can`t live in the past and it`s still good to know that we aren`t conceding many.

Our away form was diabolical last season and thankfully seems to have improved now, in fact it`s our home form where we seem to be struggling to score but I honestly see that changing once some of our strikers?er?start to strike.

Also I`ve just been informed that we have given the task in playing Fylde away (again) in the FA Cup. If that game is half as entertaining as the previous league game then we`re in for a belter.

So 10 games into the new campaign and even though we haven`t been scoring for fun I still feel we have what it takes to make a challenge.

One thing that`s becoming more and more obvious are the standard of the refs who have been coming to EP, we don`t get a look in when any opposition player brings one of ours down – yet we do the same to them and the cards are out in full force.

Now if I have a bad day at the office and make mistakes then my boss would come down on me and monitor my work after that. I hope this is happening to the refs that are making some shocking mistakes at our level.

NY (Neil Young) hit the nail well and truly on the head when he said that some seem to like to be seen as the pantomime villain due to the size of the club, the FA need to monitor this closely.

Speaking of which, our disciplinary record is looking pretty poor! In the 10 games we have played so far we have seen about 15 yellows and 4 reds up to now.

Now, I like a decent tackle when you can hear the crunch and I also enjoy the occasional red card (like when Dennis got one on McConville the other season), but NY should hopefully be handling these matters internally as they have a knock on effect when suspended.

In other news Everton have recalled Callum Dyson (who can blame them, he is a brilliant little player) and we have signed Accrington Stanley player Max Hazeldine on a youth loan.

Has anyone been watching the YouTube videos of Neil Young after the games? I think they are brilliant and he really speaks the truth on the situation and the team. He seems like a nice guy, softy spoken but I bet he can give a rollicking if needed.

On other County related news, I bought a nice little match worn shirt this week.

It was the 2008 Gareth Owen away kit (the black one) from his last game against Cheltenham – I`m now after a 1996/97 away shirt (either signed or match worn) or a 2009 home match worn if anyone has one to sell?

I`ve yet to see one for sale since I started my collection a few years ago, and I`m now almost 40 deep with those still missing.

I also saw an absolute gem on eBay for anyone who is really geeky into county memorabilia, I saw for sale the 2004 trophy from when we toured China !!!

How rare is that, but what saddo county fan is really going to buy something like this?? Anyway it`s in the post as we speak – and it will fit nicely next to my 1995 Isle of Man runner up medal…

I hope anyone who`s reading my County A to Z in the match day program is enjoying it? With one letter allocated for each home game – I`ve worked it out and if we just play just the league games I should be on letter U by the last home match against Ashton.

So that gives me the last 5 letters of the alphabet (V W X Y Z) for any additional home / cup games).

I`m probably gonna struggled with the Z and I am struggling even more with the W letter as I just keep thinking back to my nickname for most of the referees we`ve had up to now this season?

Animo Et Fide.