GOODNESS me! Town don’t do anything easily, do they?
Okay, let’s forget about the quality of the performance in the second leg of the play-off semi-final and just celebrate the fact Town are one game away from the Championship.
It is a major worry – and has been all season – that Town stop playing when they go in front and suddenly think the job is done.
Anyway, no negativity from me at this stage because it doesn’t matter how you win games, it’s just about getting over the finishing line and having something to celebrate.
The players are one game away from being heroes and part of a successful campaign, but also one game away from being deemed failures and massive under performers.
That is the harsh reality of the play-off system.
I wasn’t a great fan of it when it was first introduced, as it just seemed unfair.
How can a team who finished third, 10 or 15 points ahead of one in sixth, not feel aggrieved about having to play more games to show they are the third best team in the league?
However, it does create great end-of-season drama, and the TV cameras love it – so I guess it is here to stay.
Mind you, neither Town nor Sheffield United have great play-off records, so I doubt either club is really looking forward to the trip to Wembley.
The fear of failure is a massive burden for any sportsman and, when two teams come together and have the investment and ambitions way beyond their present level, then something has to give.
At Sky Bet we are 10/11 Town, 10/11 Sheffield United to go up. We can’t split them.
Fans usually bet with their hearts, not their heads, although I have heard of fans backing the opposition for decent amounts in play-off games.
The thinking being ‘if my team wins I don’t care I’ve lost a few hundred quid, but if they lose I’ve paid for next year’s season ticket’.
A nervous week ahead and then the big one.
Good luck and best wishes to all the Town players and staff.
