When Smith comes on board, it's my job as a fan to support him wholeheartedly. But today I want to let my feelings of negativity out. It's therapeutic. Feel free to ignore me. Or tell me to get a grip. 
I think this is the end of 'the project', because the club is irrevocably split. It's possibly split within, with a small group of disgruntled young players who have switched off, who knows? But the crucial thing is that the fans are split, too, and a lot of us don't believe any more. The Farke decision split us, then the Lampard nonsense split us again, now it's Smith we're arguing about. If Webber had done his job, we would now have a continental manager no one had heard much about, and we could probably all rally around him, at least for half a season. Ignorance would be bliss and there'd be hope, even if it eventually turned out to be misguided. Webber has failed us big-time IMO.
I'm open-minded about Smith. I doubt he'll keep us up, because I doubt anyone can, but he might manage it, and that is our only hope now. If we go down, I don't think we'll bounce back up because there won't be the same belief in the plan anymore, among either the fans or the people at the club. This time next season I expect us to be roughly where Sheffield United are now. We'll hang on as long as we can to Smith but eventually sack him and lack of money will mean that Aarons, Cantwell, and probably Omo and Tzolis will be gone. Webber will desert a sinking ship as soon as he decently can: he didn't seem to have any contacts in continental Europe when it came to potential head coaches, but I'm sure he'll manage to find some who are looking for a DoF. The fabulous roller-coaster of the last few years will be over and we will be a mediocre Championship club again.
I know this is defeatist, but it's what I honestly believe. I really hope that a few months from now, you guys will put this up on the board and mock me when we have finished 14th and look set fair for the years ahead. And after Smith is in position, I promise, no more negative posts.
I think this is the end of 'the project', because the club is irrevocably split. It's possibly split within, with a small group of disgruntled young players who have switched off, who knows? But the crucial thing is that the fans are split, too, and a lot of us don't believe any more. The Farke decision split us, then the Lampard nonsense split us again, now it's Smith we're arguing about. If Webber had done his job, we would now have a continental manager no one had heard much about, and we could probably all rally around him, at least for half a season. Ignorance would be bliss and there'd be hope, even if it eventually turned out to be misguided. Webber has failed us big-time IMO.
I'm open-minded about Smith. I doubt he'll keep us up, because I doubt anyone can, but he might manage it, and that is our only hope now. If we go down, I don't think we'll bounce back up because there won't be the same belief in the plan anymore, among either the fans or the people at the club. This time next season I expect us to be roughly where Sheffield United are now. We'll hang on as long as we can to Smith but eventually sack him and lack of money will mean that Aarons, Cantwell, and probably Omo and Tzolis will be gone. Webber will desert a sinking ship as soon as he decently can: he didn't seem to have any contacts in continental Europe when it came to potential head coaches, but I'm sure he'll manage to find some who are looking for a DoF. The fabulous roller-coaster of the last few years will be over and we will be a mediocre Championship club again.
I know this is defeatist, but it's what I honestly believe. I really hope that a few months from now, you guys will put this up on the board and mock me when we have finished 14th and look set fair for the years ahead. And after Smith is in position, I promise, no more negative posts.
