A Lack Of Love For This Team

I know obviously there is posters who have attended decades of games, so it seems miniscule when I am approaching twenty consecutive seasons. This season has been the worst for some time that I for the first time I am really struggling to see what return I will get with a season ticket. The team today lacked an identity, shape or any sort of passion for the shirt.

The blame lies solely with the board, they had a golden chance at the end of last season to spend some money and back the success of the squad which was a whisker away from the championship. From Mads to Mccart, Isted to Roberts, Thomas to Earl. The recruitment has been devastatingly bad.

If they can't be bothered to invest, why should we?

 

Spot on.

 

I have gone past the point of disappointment or feeling rubbish about a result, with the football on show I can't work out if its tactically because a teamsheet involving the likes of Connell, Cole, Cosgrove, Phillips and Mcatee should be absolutely mouthwatering.

 

The recruitment has been poor this season, but I think accusing the board of a lack of investment is incredibly harsh, considering they've pumped millions in again just to keep us going.

 

They have spent money. Covering losses in the main.

God knows where the next few million is coming from for next season. We don't have any saleable assets despite playing in the Moneyball style.

 

Why are we towing financially when we're "famous" for spending within our means, nkt going mad on player signings and wages, AND we've recouped more in transfer sales than most if not all other teams in this League? Where's the money actually going?

We don't have massive crowds, but they're not tiny either. Why does it seem that it's just us that has our future hinging on promotion or relegation all of the time??

The owners have put money in, and so they should. Speculate to accumulate and all that. What I think they expected to do was come in, sell a couple of players every year to negate the need for them to put a copper coin in, all in the hopes that the football, and ultimately results wouldn't suffer. They've realised this isn't the case and are having to plug gaps to keep their hobbled together plan on the road.

They're part of a group who invests in many different businesses where the objective is to MAKE money. This will never happen at a football Club unless you're in the top 4 of the Premier League realistically.

They were sold a lie in my opinion.

 

Fans staying swaying, not renewing etc will add to that and that’s Not knocking them at all , it’s their prerogative. However, it will effect recruitment.

 

Seemingly, all these transfer fees we've been receiving have been on tick so we won't get the money until further down the line. Which of course begs the question why don't we recruit better players on tick.

 

Board putting money in to cover all bad signings they have made, and progressively getting worse each season

 

Maybe so but they have failed to invest it wisely already not sure there is any trust currently that we have learned from our mistake. Januarys inability to make up for poor recruitment further compounded it. Mladen Sormaz going to have to really pull things out of the bag this summer.

 

Come on, the footballs a bit dull but how short is your memory? Can you not remember the Schopp / Asbaghi season? It was only two years ago.

 

Jalo

 

I'll be glad when the miserable moaning supporters actually do back up their words and stop going to Oakwell and coming on here then the rest of us can get on with supporting our club who are 5th in the league and heading for the playoffs.
I'm really disappointed we didn't win today as I am everytime we don't win but I'm not going to act like a screaming tantrumming kid.

 

That is unlikely to be beaten as the worst season during my lifetime.

As for the OP's point, I can't criticise a perceived 'lack of investment' from a board that has pumped millions in as share capital in the last two seasons to keep the club afloat. Poor recruitment choices, perhaps, but not a lack of investment, and they're essentially trying to fix issues created under the Conway/Lee disaster era.

 

But as I keep saying it's up to the owners of the business to make it a profitable business so they don't have to pump in cash. Questions should be asked as to what their plans are going forward.

Is it to keep making us weaker selling assets or are they having a good look at alternative options.

 

Do people forget about the Schopp/ Swedish PE teacher season? It was only 2 years ago.

 

Since Patrick Cryne sold up, the board have sucked the life out of the club. I’ve never felt less emotionally attached to the team and the club.

 

We fans aren’t investors, we’re the paying public, consumers, punters or whatever, because we don’t expect to get a monetary benefit from our ST purchase. We buy in the hope that we’ll see entertaining, winning football, but with no assurances are given or refunds offered.

The owners are only the current incumbents of the board room, they’re not ‘long term’ like many of us, so I’d be careful what you wish for when you ask for them to load our club with debt owed to them (invest) It’s got to be paid back at some point.

 

A vocal minority of our “supporters” need to wind their necks in. Look at other teams that have a more illustrious recent past than us (Charlton, Pompey, Forest, Sunderland) who spent longer in this division than we will have even after this season. We have no divine right to be in the championship yet some on here go on like we do.
The owners are spending a lot of money to keep the doors open and have seen us in the playoffs last season and likely in the playoffs this season. I think they’re doing what they can. Much like Collins who lost (through no fault of the board) a lot of good players in the summer/start of the season and has us in the top six currently when loads of the same people were talking about mid table. The board have done their best to replace them but obviously the players aren’t yet as good (yet being the operative word - think about mads first season).
Patience is in short supply with some.

 

As for this guff about them continually investing and putting millions into the club, just to keep us going etc.
Well yeah I know they are doing that, but...
They are the owners of the football club (or the business as JQ thinks it is), so surely its their responsibility to do that, isn't it ?.
And if they aren't prepared to do that, or aren't capable of doing that anymore... then what the heck are they doing trying to run a football club in the first place ?.