Historically success for us is just maintaining our status as a top league club (and have a few seasons challenging for Europe) and i'm very proud of the 27 year run between 1978-2005. The Cortese years sold us all a vision that maybe we could join the elite clubs at the top permanently. That vision was a long term plan to make us self sufficient by producing the majority of the first team ourselves from our academy and lots of money was invested in Staplewood to help to achieve this (the Barca model I think Nicola said). I don't believe that we were ever meant to be competing to buy players at the top level on top level wages. Now we are either not producing the required quality or they are not being given chances to develop by cautious managers (give Puel his due, he brought through more than his quota from the academy) and we can all have an opinion on this. I myself have revised my expectations for the club, success would be avoiding a relegation scrap and having a decent cup run and I hope that I am still alive to see us beat that 27 year run and maybe some knockout silverware too.
When we were in League 1 our ambition was to get to the Premier League and do well. That was the surface message; the hidden message always was 'to make money.' After all that is what you buy a business for. I think survival in the EPL is of major importance for fans and the owner....for different reasons. That doesn't mean that 'good times' won't return.....just that it isn't today or probably tomorrow.
Do you think so? Markus always gave me the impression he was in it for a hobby, not for a business venture.
I've already said that the list was mainly what I'd like to know rather than a genuine list of questions. Some could be though. I'd be interested to know which you feel falls in which category though? For example how exactly are things like safe standing, away allocations and a points system 'none of our business'?
He was a businessman first...and as he said, we were cheap. He may have grown to love owning a football club....but that was the bonus. I'm sure we gave him a lot of happiness in his final year....which is why his daughter held on when she sold other parts of his business empire....and why she still seems to want to hold on and oversee us (for the moment anyway).
Safe standing, away allocations and a points system are all valid questions....to which there will be an answer or a promise to look into it. There will also be soothing noises made if ambition is raised. The questions raised by some that will not get an answer are financial (at least those outside the public sphere and involving Gao's finances) and to do with employees, including board members. I'm glad not to be going as amongst the good stuff raised by fans, there will be a few fans that will make the rest of us cringe.
Yeah exactly, I know I would never get an answer (and wouldn't bother asking) on some of those question, though I think we'd be due some honesty about whether we could cope with a relegation. It seemed silly to dismiss my entire post though. Agree on the last bit too.
I think the answer about relegation would be that all businesses plan for variables, but it wouldn't be without pain. And most teams do survive.
Adam Blackmore to Ralph Krueger and Les Reed: "Gents, the good thing about a first fan forum in three years is that there's a lot to talk about! The bad thing is... there's a lot to talk about."
Richard from Highcliffe just asked: "If our fabled black box is in full working order, how comes we parted with £19m to sign a striker that Monaco were very happy to sell to us [and is now on loan at Leganes...]?" Hat tip.
