The true mystery of the passion

If you were to roll the clock back, to May 2011 we didn't even really have a team. Since then Canioman had a few weeks initially recruiting old buddies and a few players we had never heard of. Some still remain, I suppose we are limited to RDV and Joe Devera from that initial squad. In addition to those a certain Mr Atiku never made a league start, while a certain Mr Connell made his mark, both have along with others have gone, left, had contracts paid off, even full fledged stack-ups on the pitch. The revolving door gets greased on a regular basis. Since winning promotion and a trip to Wembley last season and with it seemed a cast of many we are now established in League One.

Meanwhile this summer saw another sort out/clear out and a new team it seems was created. Not content with that, another raft of players came in as the transfer window slammed shut. More than a few dodgy starts and games that showed that we were far, far, far from the club that finished last season on a high. despite Cup wins against Brighton and Stoke, the team started to flounder from one crisis into another. Captain Caddis aka Mr Tea Total Reliable, suddenly became another statistic on the Canioman notched belt, and a deal was done which saw Another Rooney come this way from Brumigham City. However, that said Another Rooney looks a decent bet and has ability in a similar vein to Bostock. meanwhile we continued and didn't put it together and our year long home record vanished before our very eyes amid booing and discord, even some calling for Caniomans
head. That game drew a line and the performance along with the Oxford away brought a new low. Bluntly we were worse than awful, disjointed, tired, dysfunctional, without skill and for sure devoid of Caniomans much vaunted passion and desire. Canioman refused to take the blame for his teams worse performances to date, and instead fuelled more dis quiet by naming and shaming players that he thought were to blame for the defeats, something which went down like a bucket of lead with most even the most die-hard supporters.
Somehow there had been a watershed and things started to pick up, suddenly we have seemed to be a thousand years from those disparaging moments, over the last few games, the last two home games have shown perhaps what all the hard work behind the scenes has been all about.
We played well on Saturday against a side which was a lot poorer than we thought possible, last night we played against a top CCC team, and to be very honest, they were lucky we only scored three, and all this was done with a rotated team due to some players being cup-tied.
The fear of "what-the-heck-do-we-do-now-Caddis-is-gone" syndrome has been replaced by the sheer awe and admiration for his replacement from the youth squad and so things continue to improve, Roberts back from injury stepped up a gear or two from Saturdays showing, and suddenly the left flank with Jay McEveley looks as good as the right with Thompson and Ritchie. Suddenly we score three, wonder why a raft of others didn't go in, or how did that stay out, and three scored, but no Ritchie on the score sheet, strange maybe, but his input was immense as usual, as was that of every other player that took part.
The players departed the field of play and Canioman comes out onto the turf and suddenly all is well, his gestures show that, his clenched fist of celebration aimed towards Wray, who returns a smile and a massive "thumbs-up", indeed, on paper an unlikely pair, in the flesh a partnership which is set in stone and mutual respect and admiration.
The passion that is Canioman, seems to have at last been installed in his charges, along with the much vaunted, pride and desire as well, drive and commitment are also in that equation and it was something that Eddie Howe hadn't been able to quantify in his pre match assessment of STFC.
It looks like the ball is rolling once more, and now the talk is already extending to who may be coming in during the January window. One thing is for sure that passion and what ever drives it or feeds it is responsible for the best football seen in a very long time at County Ground. The true mystery behind it is what ever is in Canioman, even at his age he certainly still has a lot to prove, or so it seems. Total Football ? well, its on the cards Gents, it is definitely on the cards, and one team very soon will get a total humiliating thrashing.