And now you're gonna believe us?????

[Royal Rother]

I think RR’s post and similar say more about an inferiority complex, a need to be shown as ‘right’, than it does about the generally passionate support for the club on this board, and the desire of the fans for it to do well.

Some people panic when things aren't going well, others don't.

These reactions are simply characteristics of the personalities involved. It doesn't mean to say that those who panic are bad people, or less committed as supporters, they are just symptomatic of the type of individuals they are - nothing more.

The fact that you have taken it as some kind of personal dig at you illustrates more about your own complexes than mine!

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[NWL Royal]

the smallest, cheapest team in the prem manages to stay up by a good few points, closer to midtable than the drop, after spending nowt? quote]

Wigan..?

[Franchise FC]

Yep, that's a pretty convincing argument - all the talk of Newcastle through me !

THREW, you thick oxf*rd.

Maybe he's a medium

Apparently, he's definitely not a large !!

[cmonurz]

You taking this stance is ridiculous, considering your rants against players like Lita.

Exactly.

I agree with Spacey.

The whole we will/won’t be relegated debate has been characterised by fans taking the moral high ground against those who doubted we could stay up. Now that it looks like we will, it isn’t much of a surprise that those same characters say ‘I told you so’. At least ‘2 world wars’ has been honourable enough to admit it, RR.

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[cmonurz]

What did Spacey say, cmonurz?

[brendywendy]

the smallest, cheapest team in the prem manages to stay up by a good few points, closer to midtable than the drop, after spending nowt? quote]

Wigan..?

on years in the top flight, no

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[Platypuss]

The only people who "panicked" were those who said we should sack Coppell.

The only one I can recall who said that was Royalee.

I don't think anything further need be said.

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[Fezza]

I haven't stopped worrying yet.

With regards to feeling let down;

The club failed to replace Sidwell and left us for the majority of the season with no right winger.

We brought a young right back and took till February to realise that the captain was the weakest player in the team and the former U21 international might be a better idea.

The fans were told in November that the club would invest heavily as the team needed strengthening, only for the club to turn around and change their minds a couple of weeks later.

I feel let down by SC's dithering in the transfer window, his failure to axe players from the first team until we were almost shafted, and, the pathetic way in which the team has played for the vast majority of the season.

I really hope the promised move to the next level (mid table safety) will happen soon with players coming in in the Summer.

All that said I am delighted with the way we've played lately and also the way that the teams around us have been playing (which for me is the reason we will stay up). My love of the club hasn't faded I just feel like a child that has been promised a new toy and gets given something out the bins!

[Thaumagurist*]

.

[Fezza]

I feel let down by SC's dithering in the transfer window,

"Dithering"?

How would you know what happens behind the scenes? They don't tell us everything that happens with every transfer dealing, so it looks like they're doing nothing.

Yes I will strengthen - November
I will bring in proven Premiership players ready to step into the team - November
I have faith in the current squad - December
We are looking to move on to the next level - December
I have faith in the squad - January
I wish I had added to the squad - February
I may replace the whole team for the next game, I've been to loyal - February

Yep doesn't sound like dithering to me! Why he couldn't have just said "we are looking at various players and will strengthen if we can" I don't know! He got my hopes up and then came across as not knowing what he was doing - which is clearly not ideal for moral.

[Pat Butchers Ring]

Marek Matejovsky is premiership class and has come straight into the team.

[CMRoyal]

1. Yes I will strengthen - November
2. I will bring in proven Premiership players ready to step into the team - November
3. I have faith in the current squad - December
4. We are looking to move on to the next level - December
5. I have faith in the squad - January
6. I wish I had added to the squad - February
7. I may replace the whole team for the next game, I've been to loyal - February

Yep doesn't sound like dithering to me! Why he couldn't have just said "we are looking at various players and will strengthen if we can" I don't know! He got my hopes up and then came across as not knowing what he was doing - which is clearly not ideal for moral.

Are you quite sure he said all those things? To an extent I think we all hear kind of what we want to hear, but I don't recall SC ever saying numbers 2, 4, or 6 above. As for "1", well he did buy Marek and Kebe. "3" was justified in December after we'd seemed to be over a sticky patch, "5" is a constant because if he didn't have faith he or they wouldn't be here, and "7" is an exaggeration/misquote on your part, he said something along the lines of "I would be justified in changing all my XI", ie they've all been playing badly. He never said he may actually do that, my impression was he meant that everybody's place was up for grabs, which is a slightly different thing.

I just get the feeling that success has spoilt many of us. Give your kids a tenner a week pocket money when previously they only had a quid, and see how they behave if you then have to reduce it to a fiver a week. Would they think "well, it's better than that quid I was getting the year before last"? Would they heck. I'm not saying I think we should be unconditionally grateful for everything that happens, but we do have to see this season for what it is, a transitionary one where some of last season's successes have failed to emulate their past performances (the defence, mostly), our summer replacement(s) for Sidwell didn't integrate as quickly as hoped (this was partially rectified in January) and injury (Little, Oster), lack of commitment (Seoul) and an inability to find a decent enough replacement (Kebe) have scuppered the right-wing position.

Given all that, survival would be a tremendous achievement, and leave us with much to be optimistic about. Another test passed, as far as I'm concerned, on the road to Premier League establishment.

[Rawlie19]

the smallest, cheapest team in the prem manages to stay up by a good few points, closer to midtable than the drop, after spending nowt?

something to be proud of, not ashamed.

Please don't get carried away just yet. We aren't safe yet, the same way ManUre haven't won anything yet. Doesn't mean we won't stay up but saying we have by a few good points is premature. I still think (and have done even during the 8 in a row period) that we will be safe, but I would rather not tempt fate by saying that the job is done.

[Royal Rother]

You taking this stance is ridiculous, considering your rants against players like Lita.

Exactly.

I agree with Spacey.

The whole we will/won’t be relegated debate has been characterised by fans taking the moral high ground against those who doubted we could stay up. Now that it looks like we will, it isn’t much of a surprise that those same characters say ‘I told you so’. At least ‘2 world wars’ has been honourable enough to admit it, RR.

What has highlighting one player's inadequacies got to do with the issue of whether people have confidence in the team and its management to get things right?

Your comparison just makes no sense. Different people react in different ways due to their personalities - I was not casting any aspertions on the individuals who took the negative view, merely saying they look at things differently to those who were more positive. Pretty straightforward and certainly not condescending in any way. The way you have read my comment further highlights how you prefer to take the negative view rather than the more balanced one so thanks for underlining it.

(As it happens of course, Lita's departure does seem to have coincided with a return to form, even if not his own, and is another example of how it appears, despite the many views to the contrary at the time, to have been another instance where faith in Coppell's decision-making has been rewarded.)

[brendywendy]

The only people who "panicked" were those who said we should sack Coppell.

The only one I can recall who said that was Royalee.

I don't think anything further need be said.

there were whole threads on the subject saying the same thing, by different people

[brendywendy]

I feel let down by SC's dithering in the transfer window,

"Dithering"?

How would you know what happens behind the scenes? They don't tell us everything that happens with every transfer dealing, so it looks like they're doing nothing.

Yes I will strengthen - November
I will bring in proven Premiership players ready to step into the team - November
I have faith in the current squad - December
We are looking to move on to the next level - December
I have faith in the squad - January
I wish I had added to the squad - February
I may replace the whole team for the next game, I've been to loyal - February

Yep doesn't sound like dithering to me! Why he couldn't have just said "we are looking at various players and will strengthen if we can" I don't know! He got my hopes up and then came across as not knowing what he was doing - which is clearly not ideal for moral.

those quotes could quite as easily have been aimed at either kicking players up the arse
or giving them increased confidence
coppell uses the press for motivational techniques, and those quotes were for that, as much as for the fans
and we did buy players in january.