Tough Season Prompts Tough Choices at TLX Arena
As the players trudged off the unholy fields of the Juju Stadium, tail between their legs and supping from the cup of defeat once again in this toughest of seasons, the gaffer made good on his promise to consider his future following relegation.
"I think I've taken this team as far as I can. My management style brought the team so far, but we're looking at a big overhaul to regain this position. I'm probably not the man to do it.
"I'll see what the feeling is among the board at the weekend. If they think we can improve with our current paying squad then I'll consider staying on; we all know there's no big spenders out there with deep pockets."
TLX needed a final day win for any chance of staying up. But despite rumours of a massive survival bonus their opponents Mineru Motru took the lead early in the first half with a set-piece free-kick past Mascherano, and doubled that lead after the break as a Wilkes through ball split the back two and set Reyna running at a flailing TLX keeper.
Two-nil down, and everything was against the Xplosive side. Then, for a moment, the comeback was on as Tee en Tee beat the offside trap and scrapped a shot past Masterton; but a final surge from the home side snuffed out all hope of survival for the Most Explosive Side in Football™. Koszos' clinical strike silenced the travelling support momentarily, even as news of ProViva's capitulation came in; the door had been left open, but TLX had not the energy to step through it.
The gaffer offered a final word to the media;
"It's been my pleasure to coach this side from day one. I feel a new project is calling, perhaps abroad. I hear there's a few sides in the Dream League that could do with a run at the top divisions.
"Watch this space."
TLX