Well said KIO! Unfortunitely in this unromantic modern day footbal world, money is god, we are in a group of clubs that will likely be bottom end PL or top end Champ. The binners, barring some outrageously wealthy backer are doomed to midtable champ. The difference between us at the moment is that they seem in a long slow painful decline. OK this season they are having a day in the sun, but with their financial position it is mearly a blip, most seasons I would expect them to more likely be looking down with fear than up with optomism. As you say I think they know this and whilst they can rightly be proud that their club had some success in the past, I and many of them have no recollection of it as it was so long ago. I'm under 40 (Just!) and for the last 25-30 years of following football there has been little between the two clubs. The last 5 years on the pitch we have been in accendancy, off the pitch too. But it is now harder than ever before to see how they might get back on top?
A change of owner at the very least! A change of style would help a bit, but how do you reverse the large decline in attendances and cash in flow? This season and getting some PL money is a chance in a decade or more for a club of their size and limited finances and you can sense the nerves and feeling now that they are going to blow it and return to midtable obsurity for another decade or more. But don't you worry, they won some stuff before most of them could read or write (perhaps that's pretty much all of them!)
We may have had limited success in the past but, I'll enjoy the now, when I can get a ticket, whilst they continue to bleed fans and get a stiff neck watching McHoofball!
Bah!