Just because you have lost the last six play off campaigns doesn’t mean you’ll win the seventh. Similarly, if you’ve won five finals you won’t necessarily lose the next one.
We need to learn to adapt more. We’ve looked good this season against teams who have come at us and been able to counter attack. At 1-0 on Sunday, after a Lincoln flurry in the first ten minutes Blackpool stayed patient and let us fall into their trap. Eventually (as Appleton alluded to), too much lateral passing resulted in an error and only their second real chance of the game put them level, lifted their fans, and turned the game on its head. More teams are playing a patient pressing game without the ball, and we will come up against similar tactics more often next season. Needs to be a better Plan B with a greater tempo Oh, and we need to take some of those half chances like Blackpool did.
Every football fan should experience their team at Wembley, but it is overpriced, difficult to get to, and a fairly soulless experience when not half full. Let’s hope come August we are back to full grounds around the country with fans grateful for what they missed; and go back to Wembley one day in better circumstances with 20,000-30,000 fans behind us.