I think since the Premiership formed, the big 4, Spurs, Villa and Everton have not been relegated. The latter 3 are the clubs we aspire to be like - permanent fixtures in the top flight. Out of those, who has really had success? Spurs won the league cup in 2008, Villa twice in 94 and 96 and Everton the FA cup in 1995. I'd love any of those honours, but the point I'm making is success is relative. Failure in the past has been the constant relegation yo-yo. Things are looking very worrying at the moment on that score, but with 30 games to go anything could happen. Fall into the bottom 3 and fail to get out and we are back to square one.I really feel this puts the whole season on a knife edge. Spurs are clearly above us, but when I look at Villa and Everton, they have similar problems to us. Big clubs, established in the Premier League, but can't hang on to their better players because they are not winning things. Villa had a poor start to last season, Everton are only one point ahead. We are all caught in that middle ground from being the crap making up the numbers to big team winning stuff. A few bad results and you are in the fight at the bottom. One thing is clear, if we are to avoid the drop, either Bruce needs to change what he is doing, or Short needs to change Bruce.
Interesting take on things, I agree with you to a certain extent. I think for mr last season I always though we had the potential to beat the top 4 sides (ie Chelsea away) but now I just feel it's a case of damage limitation.
In a word, no. But Ellis Short will have to be ruthless to get us to step up. If we were results oriented, Bruce would have gone by now. Until we blend pragmatism with ruthlessness we will always struggle to improve.
I think the curse started in November 1984 when Bruce had a night of nookie with a lass after an away game doon south. After having his evil way with her he dropped her off at the gates of her street. She lived at a place called Dale Farm and her ma sold pegs, when she found out about the nookie the curse was made.
