Over promised. Under delivered.

So far I've invested 62 of my 67 years on this planet supporting our club. As we all know, that's not just investment, its emotional investment with an upper case E.
On the assumption that this Swansea business is all a done deal I'd relish the opportunity to eyeball MD and question his integrity. He has had no bigger fan than me since Day 1 and I 100% bought into his vision for our club. Whilst I can understand the whole bigger job, more £££, closer to the family thing, why oh why Michael weren't you honest with the faithful 10,000? Kinda says to me you weren't honest and couldn't give a flying fck1 about us fans. You didn't need to talk about staying here blah blah blah.
Note for you Michael.......don't talk to your future club's fans about loyalty, 2 clubs in 20+ years, "I'm not a fly by night", etc because you'll be lying to them. I'd personally marked you down as a man of integrity and truth. Turns out I was wrong and I'd say that to your face. Completely understand the family thing, closer to home etc....etc...but don't lie to us. Show us some respect. You knew you were lying. That's the sad part. You knew that if a club closer to home came in for you, that you'd be off. You knew lad. You knew.
In your defence it might just be naivety that you said what you said about the long term project but you're not stupid.....put your brain in gear before opening you mouth with statements which you know you won't deliver if you get a "better" offer.
Quick diversion and mention for Marc on here. Marc, I always read your posts with interest...in particular your feelings on this issue. On the whole I agree with your sentiments but disagree with the "sack the next manager if he doesn't get promotion" argument. We can hope that the next appointment might not over promise and that if offered something better he will turn it down. Why might he do that?
Because we might find someone who loves the club as much as us.
Whoa....there goes another pig flying across the sky!!
COYR.

 

The internet is a strange place baby

 

If we're going to rip into him, let's wait until he's officially gone. I know a lot of people think it's already a done deal, but that hasn't been confirmed. If Duff remains with us there's a lot of things being said that will be difficult to take back.

I still remain hopeful he'll stay, but if he doesn't, we had a good manager for a year, we shouldn't forget that. I still maintain his use of subs was crap though.

 

Rice, rice baby. It's Muller....mmm tasty.

 

This bedwetting is getting a bit OTT now, get a grip people.

 

But is it Heinz?

 

Totally agree mate.

 

I don’t blame Duff for what he said, he needs fans on side from the start, let’s be honest he’s hardly going to announce that he’s only here until something better comes along, if he goes I won’t be unduly (face bovvered), I accepted a long time ago we’re just a stepping stone club, we’ve lost better players and managers and we’re still here,

 

Whilst I share the frustration, there is little loyalty in football, and that cuts both ways.. if we're bottom at Xmas next season most fans on here would be wanting him out ASAP... not many would be arguing to stick with him because he's vowed that he's here for the long haul.

 

Has Mr loyalty left yet?
Have any of the season ticket holders who were conned with something special is happening next season at Oakwell found out what it is yet? If its were selling our captain and our manager is fucing off, that's not special. We do that every season.

 

Swansea is just eighteen miles closer to Cheltenham than Barnsley and the journey involves M5 and M4. The journey time will be similar. Has MD actually said all these things, or is it rumour? I have not seen anything directly attributable to him. I would be fully expecting him, on his record of loyalty and transparency, to be hear for at least one more and probably two more seasons. All we can do is wait and see before rushing to a judgement.

 

Completely accept that Bossman it's just his talk of the long term project etc that grates. needn't have said it.

 

If Duff gave a flying fukk about proximity to Cheltenham, he would have stayed at Cheltenham.

 

People are just daft on the issue of “loyalty”. Circumstances change. Financial opportunities change. I’m not doing the same job I did 20 years ago. I worked hard and diligently when I worked there but got offered a better job somewhere else and took it.

Football managers are just people doing a job. When he spoke of a project he may well have intended to stay but at the time no one was offering to set him up financially for life.

I guarantee that 90% of those whining about loyalty would have been on his back if we were bottom 6 in January. Football fans playing the loyalty card are usually the most fickle of all

 

I'd be interested to know where you got the 18 miles from. The distance between Cheltenham's ground and Oakwell is 144 miles, while Cheltenham's ground to Swansea's is 107. I realise Duff doesn't live at Cheltenham football club but it seemed like an appropriate reference point considering we're talking about a football manager. Travel times according to Google Maps are about 3 hours to Oakwell, 2 hours to Swansea.

 

It's 44 miles nearer according to Google maps, so double that for there and back x 5 times a week and your looking at around 450 less per week, that's a lot more family time

 

Well I ****** that quote up. I can't be bothered to put it right.

 

I agree - people who demand unquestioning loyalty from fans or wear it like a badge of honor - like the shire horse Boxer in Animal Farm - need to understand that loyalty is conditional, why should you remain loyal to someone or something that breaks its promises or lets you down? Players and managers talk about it, but very rarely display it in action.

 

Good point well made!

 

I’m not going to lie I did think for the minute I’d got short term memory loss and I’d forgotten what I’d written