I haven't posted much for a while, cos I've been too busy with other stuff and then the way the wheels fell off our promotion push just knocked the stuffing out of me. I am worried about the future. I've been a big supporter of Steve Bruce, and I still contend that he's the best manager the club has ever had, followed closely by Brownie, but something has failed this year, and failed badly. With the squad we've got, we should have ****ing walked this league, but the prospects for getting past derby in the play-offs, never mind whoever else makes it to the final, look bleak, given our current form. To be honest, I'm pinning our hopes on Derby being complacent, having beaten us home and away, 6-0 on aggregate. Sadly, I don't think they will be. Where does that then leave us? The reason I say our squad should have walked this league is because we hung on to so many of our players after last year's relegation; we pretty much still had a Premier League squad, plus Premier League parachute payments. There should've been no excuse. If we don't go up this year, we can expect an exodus, and mid-table status at best next season. To be honest, being an established mid-table side in the second tier wouldn't be such a disaster; traditionally, it's been our natural environment, and all of those silly claims about us being a 'sleeping giant' have been made to look ridiculous by our piss-poor attendances this year. Even when we were in great form at the top of the league, we were only pulling in 15-16k, and it's clear that we are not, and never will be, as 'big' as the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough, or even two League One clubs with bigger average attendances than us this year, in Sheffield United and Bradford City. I could just about live with all of this, were it not for the fact that we are owned by complete ****ing arseholes who continue to ride roughshod over supporters, caring little about the divisions they have created; I fear that, rather than finding ourselves in steady, mid-table, tier 2 status, the uncertainty our owners have caused, and the resulting lack of faith many people have in them, will result in our decline being considerably more severe. Is anyone else as worried as I am?
the fans wont come back until we start playing attacking football - Brucie has ****ed up morale, ****ed up the team and ****ed up the style of football - in fact there's absolutely nothing he hasn't ****ed up
It's not about the football. When we were top of the league, the football was perfectly enjoyable. Do you not apportion any blame, for the poor support and poor morale around the club, to the owners?
Yes, at the moment the dripping of the poison, as AN suggested, is working a treat. Congratulations to the Allam's, if they wanted a club in turmoil they certainly appear to have been successful in creating it. Nobody tells them how to run their business.
Worried? Attendances falling, manager, players and fans apathy increasing, ****wit owners ''dripping poison into the club'' by pressing on with name change by stealth and their stupid membership scheme. The clubs slowly dying on it's arse ............ worried? We ****ing should be!
If we don't go up (and it will be a miracle if we do), I cant see how the Allams get their money back without taking the parachute payments, meaning we cant afford decent players and we plummet down the leagues. I can see terrible gate next year because of this membership scheme but Dim and Dimmer wont back down so even less revenue incoming. I also can see this ending badly
It's certainly about the owners, we were averaging bigger crowds in the fourth tier, if you keep ****ing people off, eventually they'll **** off completely.
They can't get their money out in parachute payments, or player sales, either we get to the Premier League, or they don't get their money back.
I dunno, I see where you are coming from but I have supported City a very long time as many others have on here, and if it tells you anything, it's that you never know whats going to happen next. I'm not sure there will be the mass exodus of important players some people allude to. Of course we'll probably lose Huddlestone, Diame and Elmo for starters, but to be honest I wish we'd lost them all at the end of last season. We might have played with more pace and with 2 strikers (though maybe not!). I think a team which retained at least for a season the likes of Odubajo, Maguire, Davies, Robertson, Clucas, Meyler, maybe Snodgrass and a few of the other hungrier players might do ok. And if we do lose a few of the players under contract, we'll get some money for them. Let's face it, It really all depends what happens to the ownership. But just think the gloom is getting a bit prematurely excessive. We might still be in The Premier League.
Agree with most of this post but it depresses me that people forget our attendances should be much bigger than this. We got full houses in League 2 only a few years ago and we were talking about having to expand. Our current crowds are nothing like where they should be and that's because of the owners and their associated actions. It absolutely is not a measure of the potential size of this club.
Drastic times call for drastic measures. Offer anybody who buys a ticket for FC and KR £5 entry to City in the play off semi. Logistical nightmare, but might get a few more rugby going City fans through the gate.
Sad thing is, I don't really care if we go up or not. I've lost interest. First game 1974, season ticket holder since 1997. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I hear you, but - speaking as someone with a background in human geography - I still have doubts about the potential for support. I'm not convinced that the regional support base is something to rely on, and I'd rather look at the support potential in a more immediate catchment area. When you look at it in this way, there are getting on for THIRTY English clubs with a bigger immediate catchment areas than us.
Genuine response. I'm perplexed. But,that's life Everything to blame. I have a **** list. I could go on forever... Bruce is on there (but I remain a fan) for his negative stuff on the pitch The players on the whole do not give a **** bar the odd exception. I really feel sorry for talented footballers with a moral compass. **** agents The owners are the number one reason why i didn't renew at the beginning of this season ( We used to have great seats in E2). **** off back to your dirty businesses and leave sport alone Yeah it's great We had it on a plate but will now freefall in to the conference **** the play offs
I don't have your expertise in human geography but if we got 24,000 in League 2, I'm sure we can get 30,000+ as a Premier League side.