Leamington leapfrogged Hereford in the table on Boxing Day by making short work of Gloucester in a 3-0 home win. Their form overall has been a bit up and down, but recently there's a suggestion that they're starting to play well and haven't quite had the rub of the green in games. That said, they've still won three and drawn two of their last six, and sit fourth in the form table.
Of course, this is that rarity of rarities, the chance for Hereford to do the double over a team. The 2-0 win in the away fixture was Hereford's last, and depressingly took place on 1st October which was, like, ages ago. Quite how the Bulls forgot to let in three in that away game is still unknown, but a repeat 2-0 win at home would be a/ smashing, and b/ surprising.
The Brakes recently signed defender Josh Martin, formerly captain at Redditch, presumably in readiness for this match as the reputation of the Bulls' strike force continues to send ripples of fear through the clubs around them in National League North. The 21-year-old had reached the fringes of the Birmingham City first team before moving on, and looks like the sort of localish defender with a decent pedigree the Bulls should be looking at. Whether there's no money left, or he was on the radar but simply wasn't deemed good enough, is of course unknown, but if he wasn't deemed good enough for the Hereford defence it's safe to say that Leamington have an incredibly weak link there to exploit.
The play-offs look like an increasingly distant dream now as misery piles upon misery, so thoughts start turning to summer recruitment and next season. As this appalling run continues, it's understandable that supporters are starting to wonder what Russell Slade is bringing to the party. His record thus far doesn't compare favourably with that of Marc Richards, which, as damning indictments go, is pretty definitive, but just for once it would be refreshing to give a manager the summer to build his own squad from scratch, and let's face it 'from scratch' would have to be the case with the exceptions of Hall and Thomas, and the guarantee of a whole season to prove himself.
Admittedly, if things don't pick up between now and April that idea would be far from universally popular, and the clamour for change before the summer would be substantial. What can't happen again of course is another bizarre self-sabotaging September sacking, and another misguided fresh start, which quickly turns stale.
It's also worth remembering that, with Blyth winning against Gateshead on Boxing Day, perhaps those two relegation places are not quite already done and dusted.
It's bad, of course it's bad, but Southend are letting in the best part of three goals a game (they did at least draw on Saturday). There's always someone worse off then, although finding an example took some dredging up.
It may not be pretty, it may look like it's come from a coaching manual co-written by Gary Peters and Martin Foyle, but if this more direct approach hinted at by Slade results in a positive outcome tomorrow he may be vindicated. A win is, after all, a win, which is a sentiment I'm usually quite suspicious of, but come on...1st October. 1st of OCTOBER! Quite ridiculous.
COYW