WE'RE DOWN ON OUR LUCK BUT THOUGHTS ARE WITH KYLE
I'VE BEEN wondering what I did wrong in a previous life after the terrible injury news we received this week!
I know injuries are part of the game and you've got to take it on the chin but we've been very unlucky so far this season.
Kyle Critchell was complaining about a bad back and we thought it might be a slipped disc. He was rushed into hospital a few weeks ago and diagnosed with severe sepsis.
Thankfully Kyle has had a few surgeries since then but he's having a bad time of it and it'll take him a long time to get back after rehabilitation.
Our goalkeeper Simon Evans is also going to be out for a long while and will probably miss the whole of the season.
He got injured in a pre-season friendly against Portland United but we had to wait to get his MRI scan results.
Unfortunately they've shown that he has done his cruciate ligament.
Simon is hoping to have an operation around Christmas time so we've not had much luck over the past few days.
As bad as it is for the football club, you have to think of the two lads.
Kyle has been really ill in hospital and Simon's out for the season so it's extremely tough on them; their health is the most important thing.
As a club all we can do is support them and hope they get back to 100 per cent as soon as possible.
In terms of results it's not been too bad so far but some of the performances haven't been as good as we want them to be.
But saying that we've got four key players out and any team at any level is always going to find that difficult to cope with.
As well as Kyle and Simon, Michael Walker and Jamie Symes have also been missing. Both joined us in the summer and they should make a big difference when they're back.
We've played seven games, won three, drawn three and only lost the one so in realistic terms it's not been a bad start.
We've got some tough games coming up but hopefully Michael and Jamie will be back in the next couple of weeks to give us a boost.
The table is starting to take shape now with the teams up there and there aren't many surprises.
Our job now is to get back in that pack and try and go on a bit of a run.
CUP SUCCESS IS ALL IN THE PREPARATION
IT'S NICE to have a bit of a break from league action and everybody looks forward to playing in the FA Cup.
We've got quite a few ex-pros in our squad so they know what it's all about and what a great competition it is to play in.
A good run in the cup can not only boost confidence in the squad but is also good for the finances too. As long as we don't come away with any injuries then I'll be happy!
We got Fareham Town away in the draw and were in a bit of a no-win situation. Because we're from higher up the leagues, we're expected to win and if we don't then it's a disaster for us.
But if you prepare professionally then the extra quality you have should shine through in the end.
