I think you're right - everyone was happy - there was great potential... but I feel we are still waiting for that potential to be realised - and I can't honestly say that our players are performing to their capabilities? Frankly, to summarise our season so far, the coaching seems not to be working - tactically we are naive, our setup is puzzling and our fragility on the road is inexplicable. I don't know any Rs fan who expected us to be anywhere near the top of the table (most were happy for a 17th place finish) and no-one is disputing that we are still in with a chance - but we have a lot of work to do and confidence/morale appears to be very low, unlike the teams around us who are almost all on the up. When players don't perform they are always going to be subject to criticism on the boards - and it's only fair that management and the owners are put under the same scrutiny... that's life. By contrast, I don't agree with barracking players from the sidelines, it doesn't help anybody, but you can understand the frustration. No one disputes TF is committed, but only a very small minority are calling for more money to be spent on the squad - most voices seem to be looking for stability and consistency. It has been said ad infinitum that the owners have been (and are still) naive in their expectations, and in their business dealings. But on the playing side, when does it become an unreasonable amount of time for a team to gel? Harry had half a relegation season in the PL, a full season in the championship and now another half a season in the PL to get used to the club and sort out his backroom team. But now we have to start planning for the future. It can't always be a case of buying not to be relegated, at some point we have to accept that chucking money doesn't work - Burnley certainly haven't, and there is an evident togetherness about their club that we can only admire. This season Harry has once again had to bring in significant new faces to compensate for the loans and 'deadwood - we have cut him slack for that, but when he blames poor performances on the fact that he is playing with his championship team, that's just not true. We get two stories, it's either new team not gelling, or championship team not good enough? But you can't have it both ways, and with a 19.6% win percentage, whatever the truth the management team are just not getting the best out of the squad. You're right in that being an R has never been easy - and days like 24th May are even sweeter as a result. Let's be honest, it doesn't take that much to make us all happy - and losing is far less of a problem if we feel there are committed performances, intelligible tactics and culpability accepted for the results.
