Did I miss much?

Yes, I’m back from sunnier climes, considerably warmer too but, despite City turning in another loss I saw last night plenty to make me think we won’t have to wait too long to get that feel good factor back.

My first view of our Michael Appleton side and, I think much to admire and be hopeful about. In fact I’ll go as far as to say, with a bit less profligacy in front of goal not to mention a bit more luck, City could have finished up convincing winners.

In the initial exchanges, City looked every bit the accomplished league one outfit, taking the boys of Man U on and, frankly, giving them the run around. It was only a matter of time surely? Matter of time before what I hear you ask. Well for a team on a bad run, a bit low on confidence, though they didn’t look it at first, still hurting after the recent upheavals, City took the game to their illustrious, well the club is illustrious, opponents but in the end it was the same old story. If you don’t take your chances you don’t win. United didn’t quite have just the one chance but it wasn’t much more but the one they got they took, with aplomb, defended well, had a goalkeeper in fine form and City once again finished up with nothing to show for their efforts.

I’m starting to think, because there’s no use being negative, that this whole episode could end up a blessing in disguise. It doesn’t really seem so at the moment but given the circumstances, given that we’d started to become Cowley City, given that this whole circus surrounding the club every time a management vacancy came up, given that, and I’m saying this with a very heavy heart, the Cowleys focus wasn’t fully in the cause, it probably was time for us all to move on.

The pity is, because of the nature of their departure the Cowleys name will not engender the reverence that is still felt when Graham Taylors name is mentioned, yet, after all, he left us for another club too but I feel a sense of disappointment in the departure that I didn’t feel when Taylor left. Whether that was because of unfinished business or all the statements that were made that I won’t go over again or the feeling that possibly the Cowleys sensed something of a rebalancing in the wind after that wonderful start.

Whatever it is, however it came about, here we are. A new man at the helm, a new start. I didn’t feel that electricity when looking at the dugout that I used to. That is by the by. Appleton is his own man. Despite the loss I feel optimistic. The immediate objective is to steady the ship, secure our position in the division. I’m sure that can be done then, with a bit of luck, which has deserted us for the moment but will surely come back, it’s onwards and upwards.

I’ve said before the loss of Clive Nates and our board of directors would be a far bigger blow than the loss of managers who, lets face it come and go but they are still here, committed as ever, the infrastructure is still there and I don’t hear anyone from the club talking about consolidating, far from it.