Am I the only one with the "meh" feeling?

[Steven]

Maybe it is a hangover from the title winning season but at the moment even after 45 years of being a City fan I have a I don't really care what is happening at the Club at the moment. 

 

This feeling is brought on by rubbish home performances, changing managers, squad rotation and an inability to settle on a side and a style of play. Then I see Morgan will get another year! Hardly an improvement.

 

Much of what has happened recently has been fantastic, we need to re-engage and rebuild going forward rather letting this just drift in the way they are.

[Beechey]

"Wes has one more year, after that we will see" != "Wes is getting another contract"

[jonthefox]

No , it’s not just you. 

[DB11]

Other than the Champions League games I’ve felt it since we won the league  

[STUHILL]

I think this is often the case for teams who aren't in a battle for anything. We are safe from any relegation scrap and have been for some time and we aren't pushing the top 6 teams like we might have hoped. The push for 7th gave some of us an aim at least, but that is fizzling out and Europa league can be a bit of a poisoned chalice anyway. I think Burnley will really struggle next year juggling that competition and the league. 

 

It also doesn't help having such a boring manager. I am not in the OUT gang but my god he is dull. I can't get through his interviews! 

 

The thing I'm most looking forward to now, is the transfer window and hopefully spending a lot on some quality additions. I think if we get 3 or 4 top players in (at a cost!), then we could genuinely push Arsenal next year for that 6th spot. Other than that, the flat feeling will probably continue until that window opens, as I can't see us catching Burnley and many of our players seem to be going through the motions now, with one eye on the beach or the World Cup and not getting injured! 

[Donut]

What youre seeing now, is an "era" of the club coming to its end, and the club needs to now move forward and rebuild with a new identity.

 

Weve spent the last 18 months or so patching up an old slow computer with disk cleanup, weve been making do with a washing machine that's vibrating a lot.

 

We cant keep patching things up and expecting to achieve the same success when everything is older, less effective, worn out....and everyone else is moving forwards while we look backwards.

 

So what needs to happen is we transition into a new era, a newer identity, newer players that itll take us time to get to know more and hopefully love. Itll take one or two stellar performances where we look at a different style and say that's the blueprint for what we want.

 

If its not Puel, someone else will have exactly this task, and its a big one. Its not a quick fix wave a magic wand and out pops a league title. It needs patience and especially at the early stages a sense of realism.

 

Im sure Macia and Puel have singled out some targets for the summer to begin this process, and I think next season we can start to go forwards bit by bit.

 

Hopefully this season, we close on a high and send people home for the summer with renewed optimism and energy.

[weller54]

Definitely just you! 

I'm always full of the joys of Spring!!! 

[shilton_fox]

Not just you. Have really struggled getting up for games this season. Can tell in the atmosphere in the stadium many are the same 

[sylofox]

5 minutes ago, weller54 said:

Definitely just you! 

I'm always full of shite.

sorted that for you  

 

On a serious note if we've given up what hope for the players.

[Koke]

We've been 8th since November, being 7th for a week or two in that time. An era is coming to an end and we are starting a new one. 

 

I'm over the title winning season. And I think in order for most fans to be that as well, several players need to be moved on.

[CarbonVirtine]

I think I'm still suffering post-Newcastle loss apathy. It feels to me, at this point, as the season is as good as over. Maybe I'll perk up come Saturday but I felt bereft watching the Newcastle game, bereft and numb. It was Stoke, it was Swansea and Bournemouh all over again. And to finish the seasons with a final sense of deja-vu, I think well get stuffed for a cricket score by Spurs... and I effing hate Spurs. Oh woe is me....

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

9 minutes ago, weller54 said:

Definitely just you! 

I'm always full of the joys of Spring!!! 

What spring? ☔️☔️☔️

[weller54]

3 minutes ago, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

What spring? ☔️☔️☔️

...next week... 

Wednesday 23 degrees! 

Too bloody Hot!!!! 

[StriderHiryu]

This is what being a mid table club feels like. It was the same during the MON era, which is why our cup runs were always so exciting. Luckily MON was great at getting a team "up for it" which is why we over performed. 3 cup finals in 2 wins with that squad was an exceptional achievement. But the league was always a case of being "also-rans."

 

This is why in recent years teams like Stoke, West Brom and Southampton all fizzle out at the end of the season. As soon as they are safe, they drop lots of points and don't make Europe. I was hoping it wouldn't happen to us but it has.

 

It's not the disaster some make it out to be, but all 3 of the clubs I mentioned above could be relegated this season. That's why people are fearful because it's so easy to go from being top of the world one day to being irrelevant or worse the next. It happened to us after we won the title lest we forget.

 

However, to cheer you up being a mid-table team where it's a bit dull and dreary is necessary before you're ready to step up again to the next level. On Vichai's plan for competing in Europe after 3 years in the Premier League we are doing OK. We might not qualify this season, but we are getting closer and did actually get to Europe one whole year ahead of schedule WITH a trophy! 

[Dan]

Do sense a big feeling of this amongst the fanbase at the minute. Quite frankly it's making games less enjoyable.

[SheppyFox]

I want Morgan replaced by dragovic on a permanent basis, and I’d like to see Puel make big moves over the summer to see his vision for our squad realised. 

Edited 11 April 2018 by SheppyFox

[Fox92]

There's no connection between club and fans. The club felt more of a unit when we had stability (when Pearson was here). BUT I love football, I love going home and away, and that'll never change.

[Babylon]

People are coming to realise that we aren't going to be challenging on a regular basis. No matter how much people thought we "blew" our chance the summer after we won the league. It would have taken a herculean effort to stay a top 6 team on a regular basis, even if we'd got that summer right. We simply don't spend enough money, don't get the crowds and will always lose out better players and managers.

 

The 18 months of great escape and title win will probably never be bettered, reality of supporting a mid table premier league club is about what we're going through now. The premier league novelty wears off, seasons become boring, teams start thinking they need to change manager to "push on", sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Eventually you'll get it very wrong and probably get relegated.

 

I'm afraid it's all after the lord mayors show, it's just hitting people at different times, for me it was the first season after the title win.

[foxy boxing]

For all fans with the "meh" feeling think about supporters of other clubs especially in League one and two or the conference who never get any sort of success and it is a struggle to the club going. we are extremely lucky we have tasted success and a large portion of those other clubs fans were even backing us so to some extent we should be grateful for what we have achieved. yes things haven't gone as well as we hoped since but any success we have from now on I think of as a bonus. yes we all want the team to play good football and carry on challenging for things, fans have every right to moan at things but to just say "meh" come on we are all better than that!

[yorkie1999]

To be perfectly honest, i'm bored of the premiership, it's just a big circus.

[Fox92]

Trouble is, after the top 6 teams the PL is very poor quality. Arsenal have been shite this season yet still find themselves in 6th. Sides like us, Everton, usually Southampton and, this season, Burnley all fight for 7th, 8th, 9th... and that's the best you can hope for. We aren't a massive club - we can't attract players like Eriksen here. Likewise, Spurs couldn't attract a player Manchester United can.

 

Top players are consistent and top 6 teams have a squad of consistent players. Clubs like us have the odd consistent player (Ndidi is probably our best example) but not a full 11. Consistency is the issue, regardless of how much you try and spend. The season we won the PL, we were consistent. 

Edited 11 April 2018 by Fox92

[Donut]

3 minutes ago, Babylon said:

People are coming to realise that we aren't going to be challenging on a regular basis. No matter how much people thought we "blew" our chance the summer after we won the league. It would have taken a herculean effort to stay a top 6 team on a regular basis, even if we'd got that summer right. We simply don't spend enough money, don't get the crowds and will always lose out better players and managers.

 

The 18 months of great escape and title win will probably never be bettered, reality of supporting a mid table premier league club is about what we're going through now. The premier league novelty wears off, seasons become boring, teams start thinking they need to change manager to "push on", sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Eventually you'll get it very wrong and probably get relegated.

 

I'm afraid it's all after the lord mayors show, it's just hitting people at different times, for me it was the first season after the title win.

I think you sum it up perfectly.

 

There is a danger in the "push on" theory....sometimes the manager that is occupying the safe mid table position IS pushing the club on. Classic example think Curbishley at Charlton. that club was being pushed to its max to be where they were.

 

Even after winning the premier league, we simply are not capable of signing players to improve on that. We simply cannot bring someone in for 50, 60 or 70 million and put them on 250k a week. Its the reality of life for 99.9% of clubs. The calibre of player needed to improve us would simply not come here.

 

Relegation however is a complete disaster. It can set your club back decades. That's why a sense of perspective and realism needs to be maintained when thinking a championship push might be nice, a relegation battle might be entertaining.

 

You might laugh but ive seen this school of thought more times than a few.

 

[kingfox]

"A new identity" "He's trying to change us for the better".

 

Absolute bollocks. In Ranieri's second season he tried to change things, yet everyone rightfully got on his back because it wasn't working. This is the same case for Puel, he's trying to change too much, this possession based football isn't our style and probably never will be our style.

 

If we keep him on then you might as well scrap the majority of our squad, because the majority of our squad do not suit his methods.

[Babylon]

Just now, kingfox said:

this possession based football isn't our style and probably never will be our style.

It won't be if you bin managers off the second they try and change how you play. We can't play how we did to win the league forever, because a) it had stopped working anyway and was shit to watch and b) it was a once in a lifetime event.

 

[Fox92]

1 minute ago, kingfox said:

"A new identity" "He's trying to change us for the better".

 

Absolute bollocks. In Ranieri's second season he tried to change things, yet everyone rightfully got on his back because it wasn't working. This is the same case for Puel, he's trying to change too much, this possession based football isn't our style and probably never will be our style.

 

If we keep him on then you might as well scrap the majority of our squad, because the majority of our squad do not suit his methods.

This is the point. If the owners want this then he needs a summer to get in players that will complement his style. Attacking full backs, for example.