GLF57: Del stands by the manager
In Terry We Trust
The recent build up to the transfer deadline was very interesting indeed.It was abundantly clear to everyone that we needed at least one defender-perhaps only over the short term,but it was urgently required.As the deadline approached with no positive rumours in sight,fans began to contemplate the fairly disastrous possibility that Butcher was content to stick rather than twist.Terry eventually made his moves and signed up a couple of players.Due to the constraint of deadlines,I have no idea how they'll have turned out but no doubt we'll all know soon enough !
But the actual quality of the players is not what is being discussed,certainly not at this stage.What is strange,to me anyway,is that people have doubts about the thinking of Terry Butcher.You may disagree with some of what he does or what he plans but surely with his current record,he has earned our unreserved backing and the benefit of any doubt which exists.If we can all see that the defence needs strengthened,it hardly seems credible that Butcher would miss it.Does anyone genuinely think that he would sell our one dominate centre half and then make no attempt to replace him ?Come on.
However,other than the one issue which was addressed on deadline day,Butcher deserves our backing for the whole season.We have finished in the Top Six in the last couple of years but for a club our size,continual progress is nigh on impossible. Even one or two breaks going differently last season could have meant eighth rather than sixth.Should we not make the Top Six this year or heaven forbid, if we are struggling at the wrong end of the table, Butcher has more than earned the right to a crap year.
Success is rarely built on the insecure foundations which come from changing the manager regularly.We all remember the glorious 1993 / 94 season but memories of the previous season are not so nice.Tommy McLean endured some horrific abuse around the Christmas of 1992-a mere nineteen months after winning the cup ! - but thankfully both he and the board managed to resist the calls for change.Everyone got their reward a few months later with a wonderful campaign which resulted in a third placed finish and European football.
The lesson to be remembered is that sticky times can be survived.The quick fix is not always the answer.I have every confidence that the board will not even contemplate sacking Butcher-nor will he walk away.I just hope that the crowd remember what we have achieved recently and have confidence in what Butcher
and our club can go on to achieve in the future,even if this year turns out to be a mild disappointment.
Derek Wilson
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