Few will argue the point: Labour United are having
a difficult season, and time is running out. The knives are again out for the
manager, Corbyn, and fans who have supported the club for years are apparently
deserting in droves. The good news is that thousands of new supporters have
turned up recently, but there is no denying the team is in trouble.
It hasn`t exactly been a bowl of roses for the
manager from the start. Whilst his tactics, always focused on attacking from the
left, appeared to go down well with many of the fans, he never has been able to
regain the impetus lost by his predecessors. Previous managers concentrated on
less of the left-wing approach, and looked for more play down the middle, and,
indeed, there was some success until supporters realised this was a game foreign
to them and voted with their feet. Potential managers who favoured maintaining
this more conservative style lost out to Corbyn.
His approach was criticised by many, especially
some of the leading players, who appeared unable
to adapt to tactics other than those which failed in the crucial matches. How
can fans forget those awful results in 2010 and 2015?
But it is the players who are out there in the
field, and they claimed they could not win unless they chose the tactics. Revolt
was inevitable. It came, of course, last year; Corbyn had definitely lost the
changing-room!
He`s not been in the game for forty years and
not learned a thing or two, though, and even though the players put forward one
of their own as a rival leader, Corbyn had the backing of the supporters. The
truth is they like his tactics. Attacking from the left is, as they see it, a
game-changer; it will bring results which will transform, rather than tinker,
and that`s what many, especially the younger ones, like.
It`s gone quiet in the dressing-room
recently, but no-one can afford to relax, especially with the important game
coming up in Copeland. Labour United`s form has been abysmal of late, with the
last match in Richmond Park, admittedly never a ground United like to visit, a
near-disaster, losing to a rival team with no form at all! Now they are up
against it, with the opposition scenting victory.
Failure to win in Copeland will reinforce
the calls for the manager to go, and it`s certainly not going to be easy for
Corbyn. The opposition will concentrate on what many see as United`s achilles
heel, defence! The insistence of United`s manager`s on playing down the left
means defence is always a problem, especially when they play in this particular
part of the country. Strong resistance from the right will undoubtedly be the
opposition`s tactic, and perhaps, lead to Corbyn stepping aside. Much will
depend on the role of the manager himself; will he lead from the front, and will
he be able to galvanise his players? Defeat is inevitable unless they all pull
together!
The manager`s opponents are predicting relegation
already. They point to his confusion over priorities, and doubt whether he sees
a future in Europe. They insist he needs to strengthen the squad, teaming up
with rivals to secure victory wherever possible, rather than sticking to his
long-held principle about attacking from the left. Perhaps they have a point, as
the Green team are led by managers with many similar views to Corbyn, and some
co-operation with them, rather than any of the others suggested, might help to
save the manager`s job?
Wars are not decided by one battle, a season is
not determined by one match, but an awful lot is hanging on the Copeland
result!
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