Time for us to stick together

MATT SMITH . . . put himself about.

Latics’ star player writes every week for Chron Sport
AFTER working so hard to prepare for a game, as we did before Stevenage, it really hurt all of the players to lose the way we did.

I sent out a message on Twitter after the game to apologise to the supporters. We are professionals and when we don't produce, for whatever reason, it affects us deeply.

I went back home on Saturday night and wasn't much fun to be around. I didn't get much sleep, either.

Players are not selfish beings. Every one of us wants to put in good performances to entertain the supporters. When it goes right, that is a major part of the joy of being a professional.

When it doesn't happen, there are no excuses.

One of the main routes to success is sticking together in good times and bad. That is absolutely key now.

At the moment when on the ball we are afraid to make mistakes — rather than being brave enough to make them. Too many easy options are being taken.

It is vital that we get back to the form we had found both in pre-season and in the first half of the Sheffield Wednesday cup-tie at Boundary Park.

On the opening day of the season in front of the television cameras, we were terrific in the first 45 minutes. But what happened in the second half knocked us for six — and I don't believe we have recovered from the blow yet.

Against Stevenage we didn't move the ball quickly enough, we weren't positive — far too many passes went backwards — and there wasn’t enough pace. I believe I touched the ball three times in the whole of the first half. It was unbelievably frustrating - and probably ranks as one of the worst halves of football since I have been at the club.

In the second half, we changed things round and Matt Smith put himself about up front. We gave it a go and we caused them a couple of problems.

But if you look at the goal we conceded, it came about as a result of another mistake.

We need to grow up, fast, because the errors keep on happening.

And if we don't find our confidence again, quickly, it will be a long season.




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