TAUNTON supporters who make the journey to Southampton on Saturday will be hoping for a change in fortunes after a series of ordinary matches punctuated only by the excellent Trophy win at Dorking, writes Kerry Miller. 

They take on AFC Totton who lie 15th having won just six of their 18 league games to date and will be looking to get their season back on track, having scored only one goal in four games, and that by Josh Klein-Davies who has since joined Bridgwater Town and may well be on the opposite side on Tuesday at the Viridor Stadium when the Robins visit.

The home management showed its contempt for the League Cup competition by replacing half the squad with youth players and debutants at Paulton and it had the desired effect as they will not be bothered by it again this season.

Just why management teams around the country indulge themselves in that way when cup competitions come around remains a mystery to many but the league has got to look at the problem as far too many paying spectators are being short changed.

Town chairman Kevin Sturmey’s idea of playing the League Cup after Christmas when most sides are out of the FA Cup and Trophy is an excellent one but it was given short shrift by the league members which would seem to leave only one option, to scrap it altogether.

But that could lead to other long established and previously much loved cups around the country going the same way and that would be very sad and a savage indictment to Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United who started the whole bandwagon years ago by not entering the FA Cup.