Do Fans Have The Patience Required?

S

Schalke_FY4

Well-known member
I was thinking after Saturday’s game whether there was anything we can cling to in the hope that our season can turn into a really positive one.

I immediately thought about the 2001-01 season where (those of a certain age will remember) we won against Hull on the opening day and then went downhill from there for some while and in the first third of the season also had the embarrassing 7-0 defeat at Barnet (in front of 25,000 travelling fans apparently although the actual attendance was 2520 and yes I was there!!).😬

After 9 games, we'd won that Hull game, drawn 3 and lost 5. We picked up a few results then but after that Barnet game, our record was P18 W6 D4 L8 F24 A32 and we stood 16th in the league on 22 points. Barnet were 9th and one point off the Play Offs.

Barnet ended up that season getting relegated on the final day and we ended up getting promoted via the Play Offs in Cardiff....so you never know 😉

So whilst there’s not a direct comparison as such (as we're only a handful of games into the current season), there is though a need for patience - something I know very little of us have being football fans!

I'm as guilty as anyone of not having that patience but I think this season, of all seasons, requires as many of us as possible to show a higher than normal amount of restraint.
 
I would suggest just from reading this board that the supporters ( on here at least) are split. You have a bunch who think it’s all over and NC is not up to the job and you have a bunch who are prepared to let NC go about rebuilding the club after what was left behind. Personally I see it as a longer term appointment and accept we won’t necessarily be going up this season.
 
Didn't last season we had one of our best ever starts to a campaign? Look how that turned out

I think we're all guilty as football fans of having quite short memories, but I'd hope we all realise how long a season actually lasts and how much changes over the course of one. In the modern era we're fairly consistent in finishing strong (think of our most significant promotions), and as much as I doubt we'll go up this year there is lots of time (and games) for us to improve
 
Do fans have the patience required?

No. Very few anyway.

But I'm fine with people questioning things, it's part of following a team, and frustration is normal. We all want the team to win, but we all handle defeat differently. I'm not so fussed about things like promotion any more. I do want success but I'm not that bothered what division we are in! It's just a relative position and I quite like League One. I don't want relegation though, that's never very pleasant.

The cups should mean more. It's an enclosed competition. Someone wins it, then it starts again. Winning the LDV was good. Big day out, goals, lift trophy, celebrate. All over til next time!
 
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Sadler has invested millions into the club since he took over last year. Im sure he will want to see results .

I suspect at least the play offs will be the minimum target but i suspect that unlike some of the posters on here will be prepared to let Critch show him what he can do bearing in mind its only the start of the season.
 
If there hadn't been a very clear and specific recruitment policy, following on from a managerial appointment hired due to his credentials in coaching and improving youngsters, there could be some cause for serious worry.

I could understand the anger we see from some quarters if we had adopted a recruitment policy similar to Fleetwood's, one clearly built for a win now season consisting of mostly talented, experienced albeit declining players hoping for one last stab at success.
This however isn't the road we have gone down, and we are clearly aiming for longer term success based on the improvement of young players signed due to their potential. Expecting that potential to be realised after 6 league games is misguided at best.

Nothing I have seen from the club suggests they are wavering from this approach, so Critch is here to stay for the foreseeable.
No one knows whether this is the correct direction to take, but we might as well all get on board with it instead of looking for literally any reason to moan.
Constructive criticism and even calling a spade a spade is one thing, but overwhelmingly being down on everything just to be able to say I told you so serves no purpose to what you'd hope all fans are wanting from our club.
 
TangerinePeel said:
Didn't last season we had one of our best ever starts to a campaign? Look how that turned out

I think we're all guilty as football fans of having quite short memories, but I'd hope we all realise how long a season actually lasts and how much changes over the course of one. In the modern era we're fairly consistent in finishing strong (think of our most significant promotions), and as much as I doubt we'll go up this year there is lots of time (and games) for us to improve
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and the season where ince was in charge and we won the first 6 on the trot and then i think won another three games all season.
 
It's the recruitment process and outcome that bothers me. I don't see that Mansford, Johnson and Critchley have covered themselves in glory this summer. Too many mid 20's league2 and out of contract inexperienced and players lacking fitness. The all important spine of the team hasn't been addressed. The keeper isn't the best, we've been all over the place at centre back (Ballard and Gretarsson may improve us), the midfield lacks a playmaker and up front we're lacking a proven goalscorer. I hope that performances and results improve but can't see us challenging this season. I'm not a fan of Critchley but if he is to be given time then we need to see improvement and better results this side of Xmas.
 
BFC_53 said:
Most fans on here don't have the patience to get to half time let alone the end of the season.
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From some-one who is making substitutions more than 24 hrs before the game has kicked off and not a clue how the game is going. You really couldn't make it up.
 
So come on then all you patient ones what about relegation.

Would you back the manager still? Do you think SS would back him?
 
It's a football forum where people are allowed to express their opinions, anger and emotion. I think people need to remember that. Especially as the games cannot be watched in person.
 
20togo said:
From some-one who is making substitutions more than 24 hrs before the game has kicked off and not a clue how the game is going. You really couldn't make it up.
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Who's making subs before the game's kicked off?
 
I don't actually see a lot of stupid postings on here regarding the team, even straight after a defeat. I see a lot of differing opinions and those can prompt some pretty silly and OTT responses. Even so, a lot of the tactical and strategic discussions are thoughtful.
 
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1966_and_all_that said:
I don't actually see a lot of stupid postings on here regarding the team, even straight after a defeat. I see a lot of differing opinions and those can prompt some pretty silly and OTT responses. Even so, a lo of the tactical and strategic discussions are thoughtful.
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I don't see many stupid postings after judicious use of the ignore button
 
Blackpool fans definitely don’t have patience, which is weird after all the years of protests...

That or most football fans genuinely don’t understand football/how teams work
 
Most football fans are impatient. I dont think its a new thing but has got steadily worse over the years. I think the 'modern attitude' is I WANT EVERYTHING NOW & its not just prevalent in football.
Social media, the web & platforms like talkshite radio certainly exacerbate this.
I doubt arguably the best manager in British Football Alex Ferguson would have got 18 months at Man U nowadays.

I would give NC a season minimum & look at it then.

Many on here are saying he should get 10 games or half a season at best.
 
If I’m still a pool fan following the last 5 years, I imagine I’ll still be one in 5 years time.
Personally I have the patience as I think the foundations are being laid, which is the right thing to do. I hope NC is given time to learn and adjust in this league and also to figure out his best 11 for different games (I.e Swindon or Gillingham).
Our model is young players with potential being coached by the best coaches. This is clearly going to take time (although pre-season gave us false hope) and the future has never looked more brighter.

However people do need to be able to report on the players and performances as they happen and that inevitably leads to losing perspective.
Perhaps we shouldn't overreact to overreactions either.
 
voyeur said:
Do fans have the patience required?

No. Very few anyway.

But I'm fine with people questioning things, it's part of following a team, and frustration is normal. We all want the team to win, but we all handle defeat differently. I'm not so fussed about things like promotion any more. I do want success but I'm not that bothered what division we are in! It's just a relative position and I quite like League One. I don't want relegation though, that's never very pleasant.

The cups should mean more. It's an enclosed competition. Someone wins it, then it starts again. Winning the LDV was good. Big day out, goals, lift trophy, celebrate. All over til next time!
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I don't get the not being bothered about what division we are in. Bit of a head scratcher that. Surely the purpose of being a supporter is to want to see your team play at the highest possible level? Otherwise every game must feel like a friendly?

I'm not having a go. I just can't get my head around that statement.
 
Fortunately, the 'fans' are not responsible for making any decisions, other than whether to protest or not
 
I love a thread where people slag off their own supporters because they feel they are better fans for having a different view.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
I don't get the not being bothered about what division we are in. Bit of a head scratcher that. Surely the purpose of being a supporter is to want to see your team play at the highest possible level? Otherwise every game must feel like a friendly?

I'm not having a go. I just can't get my head around that statement.
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I don't get it either. I think it's the effect old age is having on me. I like us to get promoted cos you need to aim for something and achieving it is good obviously. But in the modern game I think as you climb higher up the leagues, you gain something and you lose something. It's don't particularly like modern stadiums! Or all the shite thats attached to football at the he higher levels. I watch tier 7 to 9 football sometimes. I'm more interested in football than wanting something to happen, I think! But Blackpool has been my team since early childhood. I've enjoyed spells at all levels.
 
Schalke_FY4 said:
I was thinking after Saturday’s game whether there was anything we can cling to in the hope that our season can turn into a really positive one.

I immediately thought about the 2001-01 season where (those of a certain age will remember) we won against Hull on the opening day and then went downhill from there for some while and in the first third of the season also had the embarrassing 7-0 defeat at Barnet (in front of 25,000 travelling fans apparently although the actual attendance was 2520 and yes I was there!!).😬

After 9 games, we'd won that Hull game, drawn 3 and lost 5. We picked up a few results then but after that Barnet game, our record was P18 W6 D4 L8 F24 A32 and we stood 16th in the league on 22 points. Barnet were 9th and one point off the Play Offs.

Barnet ended up that season getting relegated on the final day and we ended up getting promoted via the Play Offs in Cardiff....so you never know 😉

So whilst there’s not a direct comparison as such (as we're only a handful of games into the current season), there is though a need for patience - something I know very little of us have being football fans!

I'm as guilty as anyone of not having that patience but I think this season, of all seasons, requires as many of us as possible to show a higher than normal amount of restraint.
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I have the patience, this is a long term project.
 
voyeur said:
I don't get it either. I think it's the effect old age is having on me. I like us to get promoted cos you need to aim for something and achieving it is good obviously. But in the modern game I think as you climb higher up the leagues, you gain something and you lose something. It's don't particularly like modern stadiums! Or all the shite thats attached to football at the he higher levels. I watch tier 7 to 9 football sometimes. I'm more interested in football than wanting something to happen, I think! But Blackpool has been my team since early childhood. I've enjoyed spells at all levels.
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I know what you mean with regards gaining and losing certain things as you move higher up the leagues. The quality obviously improves quite drastically as you move up to the championship and then again tenfold in the PL. But I find that the lower down the football pyramid you move, the higher the passion and character. Proper stadiums, proper fans and more genuine players.

But like you say, you need something to aim for. I know during the Prem season we got done all the time by officials seemingly favouring the bigger clubs. But you can't deny it was a real thrill watching us ruffle a few feathers at the top table. I would love to see it again.

Anyway, apologies. I have gone way off topic.
 
I think it’s fairly normal for fans to have unrealistic expectations really...
Pre season all we heard was how amazing it was all these top players being brought in, snapped up from under the noses of other clubs....
Now we are hearing there all league 2 standard etc etc...
Reality is prob somewhere in between...
I thought that Saturdays performance was promising tbh...
 
20togo said:
" I'd bring on Woodburn on late on to give him some game time"

I do think so.
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I'm suggesting what I might do to get a new player some game time. In no way whatsoever is that the same as some of the incredible impatience displayed on this forum, even during a match. Which is the point I was making.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
I know what you mean with regards gaining and losing certain things as you move higher up the leagues. The quality obviously improves quite drastically as you move up to the championship and then again tenfold in the PL. But I find that the lower down the football pyramid you move, the higher the passion and character. Proper stadiums, proper fans and more genuine players.

But like you say, you need something to aim for. I know during the Prem season we got done all the time by officials seemingly favouring the bigger clubs. But you can't deny it was a real thrill watching us ruffle a few feathers at the top table. I would love to see it again.

Anyway, apologies. I have gone way off topic.
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It was fantastic having a season at the top table, and Holloway gave us the bets possible experience. But it couldn't have lasted and i didn't really want it to, to be honest. Especially under the Oystons. But I wouldn't want us to try to transform into a Premier League club tbh, with all that that entails.
 
BFC_53 said:
I'm suggesting what I might do to get a new player some game time. In no way whatsoever is that the same as some of the incredible impatience displayed on this forum, even during a match. Which is the point I was making.
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So what I said was correct then!
 
Killingmesoftly said:
I think it’s fairly normal for fans to have unrealistic expectations really...
Pre season all we heard was how amazing it was all these top players being brought in, snapped up from under the noses of other clubs....
Now we are hearing there all league 2 standard etc etc...
Reality is prob somewhere in between...
I thought that Saturdays performance was promising tbh...
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I think anyone who thinks we have brought in top players is deluded.
We have hardly done the Lg 1 equivalent of Man City buying established quality at top dollar.


We have started pretty much from scratch this season & brought in big numbers, Some will work out & some will not as is always the way in football. We have some potentially decent players who hopefully may be able to do well in LG1. Not many imo are recognised as top quality even for LG1.

I think because of the paucity of ambition shown regarding signings under the previous owners people got carried away because we are finally doing things differently & like a decent club with a good owner doing his best.

I agree that the reality is likely in between as you said KMS 👍
 
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20togo said:
So what I said was correct then!
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You were criticising my comment about impatience by accusing me of the same thing with a comment that wasn't displaying any impatience. So you're original comment made no sense.

If you want to see impatience, take a look at some of the comments on the Crewe match day thread. There's plenty on there to justify the point I was making. But I think you know that anyway.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
But I find that the lower down the football pyramid you move, the higher the passion and character. Proper stadiums, proper fans and more genuine players.

.
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Inverted snobbery at it's finest. You're saying the many thousands of season ticket holders at clubs like United, Liverpool, Everton and many other top clubs don't have the same passion for their clubs as lower teams? Utter nonsense.
 
BFC_53 said:
You were criticising my comment about impatience by accusing me of the same thing with a comment that wasn't displaying any impatience. So you're original comment made no sense.

If you want to see impatience, take a look at some of the comments on the Crewe match day thread. There's plenty on there to justify the point I was making. But I think you know that anyway.
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Of course I know that. Not for one minute do I think Critchley shouldn't be given plenty of time to sort out his best team, get them playing in the way he wants etc etc. But I also know many fans were making genuine comments expressing their concerns. Fans you were criticising.
 
20togo said:
Inverted snobbery at it's finest. You're saying the many thousands of season ticket holders at clubs like United, Liverpool, Everton and many other top clubs don't have the same passion for their clubs as lower teams? Utter nonsense.
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IN MY OPINION there is more passion in the stands of lower league clubs than that of Premier League clubs. The bigger clubs often have 'tourists' getting hold of tickets so that they can say they have watched Aguero, Kane, Salah etc. Then you also have the armchair supporters that jump on the PL bandwagon with the smaller PL clubs. Lower down the leagues you tend to lose the tourists and bandwagon supporters (just as we have). Like I said, that id my opinion. If you want to dismiss it as 'utter nonsense' then that's fine. Please yourself.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
IN MY OPINION there is more passion in the stands of lower league clubs than that of Premier League clubs. The bigger clubs often have 'tourists' getting hold of tickets so that they can say they have watched Aguero, Kane, Salah etc. Then you also have the armchair supporters that jump on the PL bandwagon with the smaller PL clubs. Lower down the leagues you tend to lose the tourists and bandwagon supporters (just as we have). Like I said, that id my opinion. If you want to dismiss it as 'utter nonsense' then that's fine. Please yourself.
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It's why I specified season ticket holders because it was obvious you'd come back with the other stuff. I think it must be a first, that some-one says the Liverpool Kop doesn't have as much passion as the lower league teams.
 
20togo said:
Of course I know that. Not for one minute do I think Critchley shouldn't be given plenty of time to sort out his best team, get them playing in the way he wants etc etc. But I also know many fans were making genuine comments expressing their concerns. Fans you were criticising.
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I was criticising because the comments were impatient (and ridiculous) in my opinion. I don't mean comments on the game either. You weren't even a culprit so I'm not sure why you're trying to defend something you haven't done!

Two of the comments on the Crewe match day thread below which is the kind of thing my comment about impatience was referring to. I absolutely will criticise comments like this after 6 games, and won't make any apologies about it. The comments on that thread that were critical of the performance I don't have a problem with as we all see it differently and much of it is valid.

"He’s the managerial equivalent of the crap footballing kid who has all the gear but no talent. He’s got all the qualifications and I’m sure he can give a good power point presentation but he’s absolutely useless."

"I said give him 12 games, I've changed my mind, 10 will be plenty to figure out he's a complete fraud of a manager."
 
BFC_53 said:
I was criticising because the comments were impatient (and ridiculous) in my opinion. I don't mean comments on the game either. You weren't even a culprit so I'm not sure why you're trying to defend something you haven't done!

Two of the comments on the Crewe match day thread below which is the kind of thing my comment about impatience was referring to. I absolutely will criticise comments like this after 6 games, and won't make any apologies about it. The comments on that thread that were critical of the performance I don't have a problem with as we all see it differently and much of it is valid.

"He’s the managerial equivalent of the crap footballing kid who has all the gear but no talent. He’s got all the qualifications and I’m sure he can give a good power point presentation but he’s absolutely useless."

"I said give him 12 games, I've changed my mind, 10 will be plenty to figure out he's a complete fraud of a manager."
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Yeah poor comments, I agree..
 
There's plenty of bandwagon supporters in the lower leagues. The ones who 'prop' themselves up partly supporting another bigger team, the ones who turn up for a play off final when they don't go near for years and the ones who suddenly swell the attendance for a glamour tie in the cup.
 
voyeur said:
It was fantastic having a season at the top table, and Holloway gave us the bets possible experience. But it couldn't have lasted and i didn't really want it to, to be honest. Especially under the Oystons. But I wouldn't want us to try to transform into a Premier League club tbh, with all that that entails.
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What a tragic lack of ambition. I can almost hear the Hovis bread music in the background reading your last 3 posts. No wonder you are lauding up recent failures. Basically you don't want success. I feel sad for you.

You also talk like the club only exists for you and your requirements. Thankfully we have fans an owner who's objectives don't match yours.
 
20togo said:
It's why I specified season ticket holders because it was obvious you'd come back with the other stuff. I think it must be a first, that some-one says the Liverpool Kop doesn't have as much passion as the lower league teams.
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Do you just spend your days picking posts apart so that you can have an argument with somebody?

When did I say that the Liverpool kop doesn't have as much passion as lower league teams? I didn't say that. I said that there is more passion in the lower leagues on the terraces than in the PL. It was a general statement. There are more tourists and floaters knocking about in the PL than there are in the lower leagues. You tend to get the more hardcore in the lower leagues. Blackpool are the perfect example.

Like I said, that is my opinion. If you think that is nonsense then good for you. I won't be losing any sleep over it.
 
Class_of_2010 said:
Do you just spend your days picking posts apart so that you can have an argument with somebody?

When did I say that the Liverpool kop doesn't have as much passion as lower league teams? I didn't say that. I said that there is more passion in the lower leagues on the terraces than in the PL. It was a general statement. There are more tourists and floaters knocking about in the PL than there are in the lower leagues. You tend to get the more hardcore in the lower leagues. Blackpool are the perfect example.

Like I said, that is my opinion. If you think that is nonsense then good for you. I won't be losing any sleep over it.
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No, I just read a post from you which I thought was inverted snobbery at it's best. So I said so. And your last post is another example. of it. "The more hardcore....."
 
Macseasider said:
What a tragic lack of ambition. I can almost hear the Hovis bread music in the background reading your last 3 posts. No wonder you are lauding up recent failures. Basically you don't want success. I feel sad for you.

You also talk like the club only exists for you and your requirements. Thankfully we have fans an owner who's objectives don't match yours.
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What an incredibly unpleasant, ignorant and revealing response. Most unpleasant reply I've ever had on here, and I've been on AVFTT from the start. If this is how we can expect to be spoken to on AVFTT, and it is deemed acceptable, then I'm not the sort of person to stick around, to be honest.
 
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