Bond

[TETLEY74]

The problem, in my opinion, is there is a great unhappiness at how our club is being run at the top, and the fantastic opportunities we have spurned to kick on in the last 10 years. This is not helped by the ambition that both Wolves and Villa are showing.

The fans take out their frustrations on the only people they have access to; the players on matchday. I'm not saying it's right, but it happens.

I do express my opinions on forums, but equally I do get behind the players during the game. Our deficiencies are clear for everyone to see though, and if I were a gambling man I would stake good money on us starting next season in the Chump, and for a considerable number of seasons thereafter, unless the way the club (and probably the ownership) is changed. We can do nothing to facilitate this, though.

Saved me a post.
+1

Sadly a lot of truth in that post, we are in need of a boost as a club, Several years avoiding relegation is not the success we all aspire to. Reality tells us we are never going to win the Premier league or even give the top 6 a run for their money.
The glory open to us is the cups, yes we would need lady luck and the big boys to knock one another out. But it's our only real chance of giving the fans a day to remember and we treat them as a run out for our 2nd string. This really pi55es me off. I for one think winning the FAC is as big as winning the PL title it self and massive for the fan base. It would pay for the people who run our club to remember this in future. The ASTLE gates should remind all the fans of Jeff's greatest achievement. I don't recall him or anyone saying avoiding relegation had any importance what so ever.

This 1000% I've always said start taking the cups more so the FA cup(leads to European football) seriously win one or two and that raises the profile of the club get into Europe that raises it a little bit more helps us attract better quality players which in turn could lead to more sustained success as a club as well as increasing the fan base as we become more successful,, not fuggin rocket science is it., unfortunately this takes money and ambition both of which are sorely lacking with the club at the moment imho.

Spot on - I'm going to have to stop agreeing with your posts Sir.
It's almost as though I written them myself

It's only what any right minded fan would be thinking.

[Derek Hardballs]

The way we treated the cups during our better years - and the way it was meekly accepted by the fans, so long as we stayed up - was an embarrassment and a fucking disgrace.

The fact is that clubs like us have a finite life in the PL and, as supporters, we should want something to look back on other than ensuring the like of Craig Gardner didn’t have their wages halved.

To play devils advocate here, any cup successes we have had in the last thirty odd years has been down to Sky Money recieved through relative success in the top two divisions. The two things have to go hand in hand.

[Remi_Moses]

The way we treated the cups during our better years - and the way it was meekly accepted by the fans, so long as we stayed up - was an embarrassment and a fucking disgrace.

The fact is that clubs like us have a finite life in the PL and, as supporters, we should want something to look back on other than ensuring the like of Craig Gardner didn’t have their wages halved.

To play devils advocate here, any cup successes we have had in the last thirty odd years has been down to Sky Money recieved through relative success in the top two divisions. The two things have to go hand in hand. (What success would that be ?) have I missed something please enlighten us

I'm sorry Dek, but IMO that's the biggest carp you have posted for a while. 
I could say endless opinions to blow you out of the water, but in all honesty I wouldn't waste my time. For you could you explain how Ajax or Porto and Sky money has made them such good sides.
Second thoughts just think about it, but don't try and explain. It's obviously another WU

[Malcolm Tucker]

The way we treated the cups during our better years - and the way it was meekly accepted by the fans, so long as we stayed up - was an embarrassment and a fucking disgrace.

The fact is that clubs like us have a finite life in the PL and, as supporters, we should want something to look back on other than ensuring the like of Craig Gardner didn’t have their wages halved.

To play devils advocate here, any cup successes we have had in the last thirty odd years has been down to Sky Money recieved through relative success in the top two divisions. The two things have to go hand in hand.

Yes, hence we should’ve been looking to make merry in the cups while we had the chance.

[Derek Hardballs]

The way we treated the cups during our better years - and the way it was meekly accepted by the fans, so long as we stayed up - was an embarrassment and a fucking disgrace.

The fact is that clubs like us have a finite life in the PL and, as supporters, we should want something to look back on other than ensuring the like of Craig Gardner didn’t have their wages halved.

To play devils advocate here, any cup successes we have had in the last thirty odd years has been down to Sky Money recieved through relative success in the top two divisions. The two things have to go hand in hand. (What success would that be ?) have I missed something please enlighten us

I'm sorry Dek, but IMO that's the biggest carp you have posted for a while. 
I could say endless opinions to blow you out of the water, but in all honesty I wouldn't waste my time. For you could you explain how Ajax or Porto and Sky money has made them such good sides.
Second thoughts just think about it, but don't try and explain. It's obviously another WU

At the risk of getting accused of trolling I will reply. 

It’s not a wind up, show me one club in the last decade that has won a major cup competition without having the benefit of Sky millions and or a rich benefactor or in most cases both.

Porto and Ajax are arguably the biggest clubs in their respective leagues and are completely irrelevant to the English game.

[SW4Baggie]

The way we treated the cups during our better years - and the way it was meekly accepted by the fans, so long as we stayed up - was an embarrassment and a fucking disgrace.

The fact is that clubs like us have a finite life in the PL and, as supporters, we should want something to look back on other than ensuring the like of Craig Gardner didn’t have their wages halved.

To play devils advocate here, any cup successes we have had in the last thirty odd years has been down to Sky Money recieved through relative success in the top two divisions. The two things have to go hand in hand. (What success would that be ?) have I missed something please enlighten us

I'm sorry Dek, but IMO that's the biggest carp you have posted for a while. 
I could say endless opinions to blow you out of the water, but in all honesty I wouldn't waste my time. For you could you explain how Ajax or Porto and Sky money has made them such good sides.
Second thoughts just think about it, but don't try and explain. It's obviously another WU

At the risk of getting accused of trolling I will reply. 

It’s not a wind up, show me one club in the last decade that has won a major cup competition without having the benefit of Sky millions and or a rich benefactor or in most cases both.

Porto and Ajax are arguably the biggest clubs in their respective leagues and are completely irrelevant to the English game.

Yes all the clubs that have won a cup have had the benefit of PL millions, but that’s because at any time the top 20 clubs in country will have that financial advantage so it’s no surprise they will dominate the cup. The point is that we had the same financial advantage over 70 other clubs that many teams that have won a cup in the last 20-25 seasons - or at least made a final and made it into Europe - have had.

[Remi_Moses]

FAC Portsmouth, Wigan, Palace, Seals, Stoke & Hull made it to the final- none of which I consider to be a bigger club then us?
LC Swansea, Blackburn, Boro, Brum, have won it, not checked on runners up. Again none as big as us.
As for having done it without funds?? Nobody has ever won anything without funds - what a stupid add on.
When I bring up 2 clubs that are a match for any team in Europe that have not been built with massive funding you say it's irrelevant.
I understand why I don't debate anything with you??? You keep moving the goal posts.
I won't mention Leicester winning the PL as that was a miracle, but it did happen.
My point was never how much money Man Citie have, it was about us giving up on the cups before we have started.

[Derek Hardballs]

FAC Portsmouth, Wigan, Palace, Seals, Stoke & Hull made it to the final- none of which I consider to be a bigger club then us?
LC Swansea, Blackburn, Boro, Brum, have won it, not checked on runners up. Again none as big as us.
As  for having done it without funds?? Nobody has ever won anything without funds - what a stupid add on.
When I bring up 2 clubs that are a match for any team in Europe that have not been built with massive funding you say it's irrelevant.
I understand why I don't debate anything with you???  You keep moving the goal posts.
I won't mention Leicester winning the PL as that was a miracle, but it did happen.
My point was never how much money Man Citie have, it was about us giving up on the cups before we have started.

I never directly put my reply to you, it was to MT and the clue was me saying “playing Devil’s advocate”. Also the point seems to have been lost that our relative cup successes quarter final, semi final whether we have or haven’t been taken cup ties seriously over the years have been due to recieving Prem money. If we had failed to go up in that time cup success would have been even further away. Now it can be argued that we should have focused more on the cup but the rights and wrongs of that are completely subjective, what isn’t is the need to continue to bring the Prem cash in to enable us in the future to win either cup. 

The point about Ajax and Porto is irrelevant. They are the biggest clubs in their leagues, they receive the biggest sponsorship deals, they attract and develop the best players in their respective league. Why are those two clubs relevant to ourselves? Also Leicester did exceptionally well but they broken FFP rules in the Championship and were bankrolled into the Prem.

[albion_pigeon]

Clearly chucking Bond in at this stage would be a massive risk but I don't care what anyone says, from his limited appearances he looks a much better keeper than Johnstone.

I can tell you that as every time he played I didn't walk out with a shit stain down the back of my kegs like I do most weeks with Johnstone between the sticks.

[Statto]

David de Gea. That’s what happens when you let players line up their long range shots.