its quite sad how the slide has occurred in such a short time. If we turn the clock back to July where we had a good preseason on the back of a promotion. A diary of events is sad reading - euphoria of promotion and seeing a club joined up with its fans. A manager who engages with fans readily and is respected and trusted with our future. - We see some key players who have contributed both goals and clean sheets leave - we see youth replace the. Transfer window ends but there are concerns over experience or lack of and leadership. - but we are hopeful and start with the usual positivity - September the reality sinks in. The inexperience people raised is fully on show. We hear no loanees, cap on age and experience and no free agents allowed - the game day experience subsides as the traffic, car park, surrounding area makes attending games hard and time consuming. - the on field discussion start the rumours thick and fast. Player meetings, club turned down available experience, coach offer to quit, fans get nervy. - once loyal fans start to lose heart. They question their own commitment and support and question their own attendance. The environment is less attractive even to some loyal fans - people question the clubs intention and ambition. The same mistake are on full show - head coach sacked / quits. - club comms create tension and anger. Fans show support for coach and the divide between ownership and fans grows even wider - more rumours and players go quiet - conspiracy theories grow. People feel the need to spend time investigating and challenging the owners credentials. Forensic analysis of their history and lack of info raise more questions than answers. - clubs financial structure is analysed by fans - no information received from the club other than the unofficial leaky buckets. When there is no official news then human nature fills in any gaps. No club engagement at a critical point. No news is seen as bad news. - more fans express lack of interest and question future ST and attendance. The turmoil through lack of any info to hang on to grows - no positive news on a new manager, pending Saturday game or in fact anything. People feel left in limbo Thats where we are unfortunately. Undoing the above is by on impossible. We are on a sad downward slope and i feel we haven't reached the bottom yet.
As much as I don't want to believe that's true, it really does feel true. Just hope some things can change before Saturday (new head coach announced, hear from board, bit of a positive feeling around club etc).
I think you're right, I don't think we're anywhere near the bottom yet. Saturday has to come. We don't know who the next coach will be and if the owners will veer towards populism or maintain with an analytical approach (i'd guess the latter, or credibility in the owners will dip even more). We have very young players til January and there is no other way of gaining experience other than by obtaining it through the slow passage of time. Our next 5 games are huge and very tough as we face a couple of our close competitors shortly in Hudds and Stoke and clubs at the top of the table. Lose those. Lose heavily, especially at home to Swansea, and I can see a hostility that will surprise this ownership group. The watershed could be Bristol against another former head coach... here's a side issue with massive turnover of coaches and players... you face more exes most weeks and they are seemingly all sticking the boot in every week, at least with goals and performances. Doesn't help matters when former players (and why shouldn't they?) are conrtributing to your demise. Winning will appease and abate some, but only til the next slump, and the key questions are still there. Til those key concerns are addressed, they will continue to exist and fester. I think the owners will look to January and think its not far. But we have a lot of games before then and there are no fast easy fixes. What the owners need to worry about most though.... if the anger turns to apathy. Then the fan base will be lost.
I thought this was going to be about skiing, so I clicked on it excitedly. Sadly, it wasn't. Agree with every word though, good post. No way back in my eyes.
All very true unfortunately..... The only thing that could bring some stability is results on the field. Cant see that happening tho so its not looking good.
Sadly, I agree, I don't think there's any way back and if there is, it certainly won't be an easy one.
Yep, a lot of us have a big decision to make when next year's season tickets come on the market. At the moment, I'd rather book a Thomas Cook holiday.
Yep, big decision indeed, we can all hope we get more information before Saturday. If not, I can't see it being a pretty sight with fans being negative etc. The atmosphere will just be toxic and it won't help the players one bit.
