Is that there will always be a Chelsea FC to follow, be it Champion's league or Blue Square South. History counts for nothing, I didn't support Chelsea as a cub because they had won things before (four trophies, if you include the Charity Shield), not a stella haul. I can dissect the club, players and board, and look for what I think I could do to make the team better, but then I'm not a fan who expects Chelsea to win every game. Every team has to want to win every game and believe that they can, fans can be more sanguine, accept recently they aren't. I think my attitude actually makes me more cynical when I look at my own club. I do not fully support the players in all they do on the pitch, I expect them to have my morals (indeed everyone else too) and if a Chelsea player dives I abhor it. Support in the face of adversity and deficiency is what I'm talking about, but that means I feel I have the right to rip into the club on all footballing matters. I'm quite happy to left Rafa see out the season even if we finish out of the Champion's League places. I want success, but I don't need success. The only ones who need it are those for whom it is their profession. So the questions this thread asks is what do you get from supporting your club? You must get something or you wouldn't do it. Does your team have to win consistently to satisfy that need? For some this must be the case as we all know those who switch support for this very reason. Conversely if your club doesn't win all the time then why are you still supporting them? Do you ever ask yourself these questions?
I know it's impossible to win every game. In fact it would be boring if we did. All I ask for is a good performance and everyone involved to at least look like they give a **** and are putting the effort in. I don't play football professionally but still give everything I possibly can for the teams I do play for. I don't think it's too much to ask people to do the job they are paid for, don't you?
At the moment... with our players and a billionaire owner... we expect a lot from the team and at this moment in time, rightly so. They are on huge wage packets a week to play football and give their all for the win. We are missing that at the moment and that is one thing that really frustrates me. We also have to put it into perspective... compared to other teams in England, we're not exactly having a tough time are we!? Supporting a club is about following the team through the good and the bad. You support your club because you have a passion for the game and you want the team you follow to do well. Even if we aren't winning games, we will still have a very big fanbase. If Roman left and all of a sudden we were in the **** and started dropping down the leagues, we would still have loads of fans going home and away. If anything many old Chelsea fans would come back and we would get our proper support back. I know that if we went down to say League 1 or 2 I'd still go... Tranmere away... Southend away... Would be brilliant! Does our team have to keep on winning to make me love them more? Definitely not.
its been so long now that it is some sort of sad addiction that can be a massive high or a terrible low. i feel like shutting off from it all at the moment
DF---As someone who has endured 4 relegations and watched 8 seasons in the 2nd deivision I completely agree with your feelings! The problem I find now though Is, having been spoiled rotten since RA's arrival, being outside the Top 3 now, brings on depression!
DFER, I think most on here have or would support the Club in the bad times and good. I have since 1969. I can't speak for others but my own feelings about the current and recent situations are of frustration that we have created a self destructive culture, and a monster in overpaid core players who don't always act in the Clubs' best interests. In the long term, winning is better than losing, losing is no disgrace, but not trying and underperforming is shameful.By underperforming I don't just mean players not giving their all, but Management undermining the team with poor selections ,bad tactics etc. It's like going to war with no ammunition and it frustrates the hell out of me.
I wouldn't cast aspersions on board members' club loyalty, but it's good to hear re-affirmations. What we all seem to feel regarding Chelsea, is that we expect more effort from the players even if we lose, even if the manager is clueless, even if we're playing Halesowen Town. Owner, board and manager aside the players aren't brainless automatons, they all have thousands of hours of competitive matches behind them. Some of them, we are told, are natural born leaders, some are touted and future coaches and managers. We fans aren't seeing these special qualities right now. We see lots of highly paid finger pointers, forming small cliques to protect self interest. The fans aren't united, some completely stuck in the past, the club definitely isn't united and the board gambling that a man manager like Benitez can bring togetherness. I accept his explanation of his past comments towards Chelsea as showing loyalty and commitment to the team he was currently working for at the time, and I'm sure he still has Liverpool firmly in his heart, yet I'm also sure he is working at Chelsea in a professional manner as anyone can. This isn't to say he can get the on field tactics right or unite the team, just that he seems an honest broker. I think we need some one to get all parties at the club to share a common goal and share it whole heartedly, far more than we need a tactical coach or a technician. Maybe this should be two people. Good cop, bad cop. We don't notice these people much, but AVB was one at Chelsea when he was the analyst and what was under his woolly hat, Graham Rix, Ray Wilkins, Eddie Newton (still at Chelsea), social glue, inspirer's, vision builders and driving forces. The manager is just where the (Bruce) Buck stops.
