The Russell Claydon Column

However, rewind back a couple of weeks and against Watford we couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo. To go through a home game without a shot on target is disgraceful.

Sandwiched in between was a point at the Withdean and it all goes to demonstrate perfectly our ‘patchy’ form of late. Plymouth at home today and who knows what side will turn up; the gung-ho style that went for it at Derby or the side that couldn’t register a meaningful shot at home to Watford?

The home crowd have come in for criticism from the management team, with Willie Donachie suggesting that the players prefer to play away at present.

My view is that there is an unfortunate time-lag between where the current squad is and the supporter’s expectations, which have not altered sufficiently enough from last season.

Whilst this division, so unlike the Premiership, is a case of anyone can be anyone our squad isn't up there with the front runners for the top two places this year and a play-off position is arguably, verging on optimistic.

Royle and Sheepshanks have both pointed to the fact that the cost of not getting promoted is huge. Whilst it sounds like an excuse I’d point to two seasons ago, when Nottingham Forest lost out in the play-off final, to demonstrate the devastating cost of not getting promoted; look where they are now.

The chairman came in for big criticism from a section of supporters in our last home match and to the average fan, his messages through the media have certainly been confusing.

He consistently tells us that the club is now in a stable financial position but then it is revealed that the club are plagued with debts in the region of £60 Million and the Chairman continues to desperately plead for investment, confusing indeed.

I would certainly welcome a cash injection to the club but find it sad that this is now what it takes for a club to progress forward. Wigan are settling well in the top flight and their rapid rise through the football pyramid has been in no part withdrawn from a multi-millionaire chairman. Does this indeed represent 'the death of football'? It certianly poses serious questions.

Sheepshanks continues to tell us that we don’t need to sell any players but I bet you there’ll be at least one departure in January (I have deleted 'big money' here as it never happens with our sales). Most likely seems Bowditch to West Ham. This would be hurtful despite his poor recent form but if Owen Garvan were the one to go it would be catastrophic. There is no point in having an academy of our class if you sell the talent before it has benefitted the team.

The signing of the Norweigan Vemund Brekke-Skard is one that has really puzzled me. Still an amateur at the age of 24 begs questions as to why he wasn’t spotted sooner and I hope this signing by the club isn’t rushed to appease the fans as it came quickly after the protestations against Watford.

During that protest, 150 or so fans were ‘told to leave’ in no uncertain terms by the security officer, who threatened them with trespassing. This is surely a big gaffe on the clubs part. The way that it was handled will only increase the animosity within these fans towards their club.

The formation against Derby was similar to that which Chelsea has been using to such aplomb; two wide attackers feeding a lone striker certainly improved our goal threat. The midfield lacked pace and the introduction of Bowditch and McDonald in the wide positions gave the team a fresh dimension. It’ll be interesting to see if Royle goes with the same system against Plymouth. In my opinion McDonald was very lively in this role.

Finally some breaking transfer gossip. I was doing some radio work at Nottingham Forest’s league fixture with Bradford last Saturday and also in the press area was an Ipswich Town scout. Who he was watching then? It wasn't revealved but a certain David Johnson got the winner and looked lively, maybe?... While that may be far-fetched, keep an eye out for possible links with young ball winning midfielder James Perch, his energy is in a similar ilk to our own Westlake and he looks a good prospect.

Plymouth are a team struggling at the bottom and nothing but a win is going to be good enough for me today. I hope we enjoy this home game more than the last one!