I'm not going to get involved in the happy clapper v doom monger baiting as all opinions are only that. FWIW these are mine.
The club started the season on the back foot due to losing and having to replace several key players from last season, having finished the season late and being put on the back foot in terms of player recruitment and recovery as a consequence.
The manager had to deal with a significant illness and player recruitment was further hit when it became clear that the division was going to be a tougher prospect in terms of the financial muscle of many clubs following the relaxation of financial caps. It has since emerged that we have already missed out on some favoured targets.
My expectations are that we will not finish as high this season as we did last time out.
For whatever reasons the club have suffered from fairly unprecedented injuries to many players and that has contributed further to a difficult and truncated pre season.
There have been some decent passages of play in the games so far but the team has looked a little light weight and out of sorts at times. This is only to be expected taking into consideration the number of early season games for a depleted squad to contend with. It is not only the issues caused by work load, but the effects of having to play people out of position and use unfavoured formations in the extreme example seen at Oxford.
The latest league defeat away at an in form Oxford is disappointing but is not cause for an over reaction.
There will be further signings to strengthen the squad in the key areas that have been identified. Many players will return to training and become available over the next month or so. The next fortnight is a great opportunity to be treated as an extension or catch up on the pre season preparation that has been missed and so badly disrupted. The Bradford game came be treated as part of the preparation process within that; it doesn't matter in the greater scheme of things.
We have a good opportunity to resume the league season strengthened, refreshed and with 41 matches, yes 41 matches remaining and only 4 points away from the top half of the table.
Reasons to be cheerful, optimistic and forward looking - many.