Premiership 2006–Present

Again this is just an opinion, but if some aren’t happy with the club and how it is run.. Why do they continue to support the team?? Surely they could support someone they would be ‘happy’ with.. But in all honesty I think some people just like complaining, simple as that.

And what do you recommend filmoss.. Do you want us to attempt greater things (That aren’t possible) and follow in the steps of the Glorious Portsmouth F.C etc??

I personally would prefer to watch and support my team, and see financial stability aswell.[/quote]

JAMESC,

The reason I continue to support the club, personally, is that I have done since 1986, and have witnessed far worse times than we currently have. JRFATFAN alluded to people ‘chucking money in buckets’ the other day. I myself recall my dad and me doing just that in circa 1988 when we signed Stan McEwan from Hull City. The collection was to help pay his wages. I’ve been through the relegation, the tough years of the early to mid nineties…..frankly, since 1997, our fans, on the whole, have been spoiled. Since Whelan took over, we’ve played at Wembley Stadium twice, Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium, and have won promotion 3 times, with us winning both the Third and Second divison championships, the latter being at a canter. (Was it 11 points clear?) Then in 2005, we reached the Premiership, finishing runners up in The old First Division. (Championship) In fact, had we not slipped up against West Ham and Sunderland in that seasons run in, I think we’d have won the league then as well. But anyway, we got to the ‘promised land’ and have managed to stay there for 8 seasons. A lot of other clubs fans would give their right arm to have had half the success we’ve had in that time.

But is that to say we should just settle for constant survival? I always believe you can never stand still in football. I believe if you are a football manager, you should never be satisfied with your squad and should always be looking at improvement. When you settle for what you have, complacency can set in.

I would like us to try and do a bit better than a relegation fight every season. To be honest, it IS boring. And you ask why don’t I follow someone else? Don’t be silly. That’s a bit childish. If you support somebody, you stick with them. It doesn’t mean you have to be happy with how things are going. Latics are a very frustrating club, we all know that. They never do things the easy way….never have, never will. Personally, I will still support Latics whatever league we are in and whatever manager and players we have. There may come a day when I think “2012 wasn’t that bad afterall”. I don’t know. None of us do. We could go down this season, we might not. That’s football. But if we do eventually go down, I would like us to be able to say “we gave it our best shot”, and I’m not sure at the moment if we are doing.

Squad is too small and not good enough, and only one man can address the situation. I don’t believe we can ‘bed in’ foreigners and untried youngsters. Those games will fly by, once New Year has been and gone. Trust me.

And FILMOSS,

I quote “Ah the old Portsmouth chestnut ! Don’t expect to ever finish in the top half then or expect the club to have enough depth in its squad to go on a good cup run because it will not happen ! I think I would prefer to compete on a more level playing surface and glean more satisfaction from our home performances than merely survive every season. The odd win every blue moon against the big boys (which I hasten to add shouldn’t really be a surprise because we are after all in the same league)just doesn’t do it for me because in-between there are too many lac lustre performances ! In my opinion ( Stats back this up ) under Bruce we had more success and to be honest the football wasn’t as bad as many make out. The sight of Camara running on to a lofted pass had many of us rising from our seats and there did seem to be a hell of a lot more penalty area action back then ! The wages have since been cut and the purse strings tied in a double knot but had we continued in the same vein financially as we did under Bruce I really don’t think there would have been an implosion ! ”

I agree with you. Knowing you will only win a handful of games in a season……what fun is that? And yes, nothing wrong with a long ball, as long as it’s effective and creates a chance. (Rodallega ran on to a long ball when he set up Nzogbia V Arsenal, is onme example)

Definitely need to ‘mix’ our play up a bit more, I reckon. Very predictable, and if they stop our ‘tikka takka’, we’ve still no alternative.

James, have you been in some strange Buck Rogers suspended animation type of thing?

At the risk of being a pedant, Camara didn’t play for Bruce. He got shipped out on loan…. ;)

Anyway, that not why I’ve posted.

So, on the matter of investing and taking a risk, how much investment were you thinking of?

For each Premier League place, a club is awarded £750k, so based on last season, we’d earn an extra £7.5 million if we finished in 5th (I’m not being too ambitious and factoring in Champions League)

For winning the FA Cup, a club is awarded £3.4 million

For winning the League Cup, a club is awarded £100k

For reaching the Europa League Group Stage, a club is awarded £500k

And if this success filled our stadium each week and we charged £20 per ticket for the 5k extra – based on an estimate of 25 home games, we’d earn an extra £2.5 million

In summary – for finishing 5th, winning the FA Cup, winning the League Cup, reaching the Europa League Group Stage and filling our stadium every week, we’d bring in an extra £14 million.

Yes, it’s a simplistic view of it before anyone points that out, but the general theme is that it is one heck of a hope and a wing and a prayer for not a huge return.

Take out the League Cup win, and that’s the route Portsmouth took.[/quote]

No point then really eh ! All I was trying to say was that the squad was better and fairing better at that when the wage bill was a little higher ! Since Martinez was told to cut said wage bill the squad in my opinion has suffered and the results on the whole are worse hence league placings dipping ! I thought Camara and Bruce were the same time and I apologise for my error but I remember with fondness the attacking style during the Camara era. I find the current tactics very boring indeed because the players we have are quite simply not good enough to pull them off ( Opinion ! ) against the better sides in the league ! We have been sussed out and there appears to be no plan B ! Just to reiterate, I have said this club has gone as far as it can and with what now ( Johnny’s figures ) seems like a waste of time investing in moving forward there really does seem no point in staying in the top flight ! Like I said, I wouldn’t mind competing on an even playing field and yes I would still watch because I was a season ticket holder back in the Championship days contrary to popular belief ! As for the likes of Thirty-IQ-Latic, he would probably eat Dave Whelan’s shit and still say it tasted nice ! :ohmy:

at the end of the day what do we want? to stay in the premier league, the best league in the world, get decent crowds, watch the best teams and the best players, cause the occasional upset and yes try and avoid relegation each year, or get relegated. but then what, yes its a decent league with some big teams, and attractive fixtures, leeds, millwall, cardiff, but wont we be trying to get promoted or will we try and avoid it and hang about mid table every season in which case it will be no different than what we are doing now really but with lower crowds. might as well stay where we are and give it a shot every year

Absolutely spot on.

Some posters on here wouldn’t be happy unless we were playing the likes of Grimsby again. But then, they’d be be harping on about how there’s no ambition on the club.