Beware of negativity!

I have to admit that I wasn’t at Saturdays game, so I write this without personal experience of the feelings of those present throughout the match and at full time.

I was sunning myself abroad on holiday, drinking cocktails and following the match on Twitter - so the only negativity in my life was from those posting online.

However if the sentiments shown online are a barometer of the general feeling then something needs to stop it - as we know, once the mood darkens it is very difficult to reverse.

There are a few examples of when a mood of negativity has been broken - Reid’s young team of 1997/98 freed themselves of the shackles of relegation and pressure of playing in a new stadium after defeat at Reading. However still raw and fresh in our minds is the memory of David Moyes and his team failing to escape the self-impossd negative atmosphere which took hold post-Allardyce.

We have had one game - a disappointing home draw. We should be beating teams like Oxford with the squad we have. And whilst I would not advocate an unquestioning happy clapping attitude to find a way out of this, we must retain perspective, and we must avoid negativity breeding a malaise which leads to apathy.

We have the tools, we have made some what would appear to be decent additions, and they must be allowed time to settle.

The management and the club also need to play a part in avoiding the trap. Jack Ross needs to show a more aggressive, belligerent style in his communications, and Methven and Donald need to fire up the fanbase just like they did last summer.

Maybe this will lift the pressure on the players, free Jack Ross from what seems like an over-defensive on and off pitch demeanour, and in turn reinvigorate the mood in the stands.

So lets beware of negativity - it sucks the life out of football clubs and it does it quickly.

Oh... and a few wins will help; that’ll do.