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No I aspire to see us winning the Premier League title, or failing that a nice run in the top half but the difference between me and you is that I understand that it is very unlikely to happen and anything finishing above the bottom three must be considered a success
We have the lowest crowds, one of the lowest wage bills, £60m in debt, and running up massive losses year on year, which can only be prevented by selling players. We have no comparative history at this level – people comparing us to the likes of Blackburn and Bolton is even laughable they were a top flight club 120 years ago, they are bigger towns who have won major honours and have no rugby team competing for their money!
When we first came up to the Premier League we expected to get tonked every week, the only thing that has changed in the above is that we are even more in debt and many of our fans have turned into the same Bertie Big times who exist at every other Premier League club. As I said at the beginning Roberto Martinez has achieved exactly what Jewell & Bruce did, to answer my own question when I started this thread – the difference is that the expectations of fans like you have changed and what was good enough under Jewell is apparently not good enough under Martinez
I’ll be supporting us whatever division we are in pal, just like I always have. As the very sage Old Git put it, every year Little Wigan exist in this division they thumb their noses at the big boys. Long may it continue!
I think you’ll find there’s not much difference in our expectation and aspiration. If you don’t turn up at the first game of the season thinking ‘this is gonna be our year’, it’s time to pack up.
I am as thankful as anyone that we are where we are and I often remind myself of that. If someone had said to me thirty five years ago that thirty five years in the future, WAFC would be involved in a game that could decide where the Division 1 (Prem) title would be going, I would have looked at them like they were strange.
We should be thankful we’ve got a club in the first place, after all that’s happened but the thing is we’ve moved on from that, we’re in the top flight and, like you say, long may that continue. We should be starting each campaign that little bit stronger, wiser and tougher. Unfortunately, we’ll be starting the next one in a more vulnerable state than any other, barring some miracle close season trading. I put much of that down to the current manager.
I think that one of the straws that broke the camel’s back for me was him playing Stojkovic a second time. Petty it may seem but how anyone in pro football management could take him into their squad, let alone play him in a league fixture, is beyond me. Speaks volumes, as far as I’m concerned. To be fair, Jewell came near with Aghahowa but fortunately for him, it wasn’t quite as calamitous.
Whoever’s in charge, I’ll be there next season. We’re probably going to start it as hot favourites to go down rather than just favourites.
If you seriously believe that you have a right to demand that WAFC should be in mid table, then you’d probably be better off supporting another mid table clubSo your biggest aspiration is survival? Maybe you’d be better off supporting someone else? Do you think it’s ok to trade off five tonkings for a victory over a top four club?
On the subject of top four clubs, if we hadn’t got our three ‘bonus’ wins, we’d have 27 points. Throw in the arguable Villa away bonus win and it would be 24.
Maybe that goes some way to explaining the difference?
I heard an interview with Gold on Five Live about three weeks ago where the interviewer was challenging him on Zola, as they do, and asked the pertinent question ‘Do you want Gianfranco Zola to be your manager next season?’, to which Gold replied a resounding ‘Yes’.
I don’t think I dreamt it :? :?:
Newsflash: these people lie!
You can usually tell when they’re lying, their mouths are open. ;) [/quote]
Not usually that blatantly! The interviewer was mithering him over it and he probably said it to get him off his case with timing being an issue because of their relegation battle.
They might be lining up a move for Roberto…. :o
I heard an interview with Gold on Five Live about three weeks ago where the interviewer was challenging him on Zola, as they do, and asked the pertinent question ‘Do you want Gianfranco Zola to be your manager next season?’, to which Gold replied a resounding ‘Yes’.
I don’t think I dreamt it :? :?:
There are parallels. Anyone who isn’t emotionally attached to West Ham would probably think there’s a good chance they’ll go down next season if Zola’s in charge. Many people think the same about us with Martinez in charge. The powers that be at West Ham see fit that there should be a change. Ours don’t. Time will tell.
Not getting sniffy at all but the fact is Liverpool were poor when we beat them. Beat them we did but trying to balance that victory with an 8-0 hiding, like some people are, is pushing it a bit.
He never promised a thing but losing 9-1, 8-0, 5-0 (twice), 4-0 (thrice), 4-1 to Blackpool, having a League 2 side knock us out of the cup is something beyond a transitional period/season. It’s a decline.
Those results far outweigh wins over Chelsea (superb), Arsenal (10 minutes of magic) and (a very poor) Liverpool.
He’ll be in charge next season and all proper and decent fans will be behind him and the team but anyone who thinks he’s genuinely achieved something this season is in some sort of denial.
1. I can take defeat and failure but I have real difficulty accepting embarrassment. The indignities suffered this season have (for me) overshadowed the “magic moments”. I have witnessed some dark days in the past but I can’t remember being as acutely embarrassed as I was after the Tottenham game and latterly the Chelsea debacle.2. As previously stated, I think this is the most talented squad we have ever had so it follows that Roberto must be responsible for my deep depression.
I have come to the conclusion that Roberto must modify his “devil may care” attitude to playing football and become more realistic; bring in an experienced top flight assistant; learn from his many mistakes quickly or GO NOW.
I think they’re, more or less, the words I’ve been searching for a while.
My depression isn’t as deep as yours. As a matter of fact, I’m not depressed at all, just angry about the fact that we were totally embarrassed in front of millions – again. Football couldn’t depress me.
As far as being the most talented squad we’ve had, this might well be true but as you insinuate, Roberto doesn’t know what to do with them.
Roberto’s a top bloke and all but if he’s manager next season, he’ll take us down. You don’t have to walk in front of a bus to know it’s going to hurt.
1) 12th
2) Dave Jones
3) 1 1/2 to 2 seasons
There’s no sign of Martinez getting it right. If there were signs, he could have all of next season for me. 36 points, 79 goals shipped, minus 42 difference. That can’t, by any stretch, be described as going the right way.
“I just asked for the difference between the above three identical scenarios”
Martinez didn’t keep us up. Portsmouth, Burnley and Hull did.
”the likes of you” what is that supposed to mean :roll:Nowt personal. You know exactly what I mean.
Had Martinez been in charge in any of the seasons Jewell and Bruce were here (except maybe the first), he’d have taken us down, imho.
Another attempted positive spin on a dire season.
Is that one less season ticket ???[/quote]
Not for a minute – but I’m not going to say what the likes of you want to hear.
Had Martinez been in charge in any of the seasons Jewell and Bruce were here (except maybe the first), he’d have taken us down, imho.
Another attempted positive spin on a dire season.