Do we look like a side that is supposed to be challenging for promotion?

[Babylon]

Here we go again....

Before this season started, most people were saying they'd be happy to see an improvement on last. Very few people mentioned 'promotion'.

Now it's all changed, we have this divine right, all of a sudden, to be up there fighting for it?

My only complaint is that I'm still not enjoying watching them. If we were getting results, then it puts a diferent perspective on things, but even I expected we would drop more points than I would like this season!! Whilst there can be no defined time limit as to how long a club sticks with it's manager, part of me thinks it is too soon to think about sacking Levein.

As for crowds dwindling, that's happening almost everywhere, it's not just City. I personally think that football's bubble has burst. It happens in cycles, football becomes popular, football loses popularity, football becomes popular....and so on.

Well said Lisa, at least somone has their head screwed on right.

[Gené and Tonic]

West Ham managed it!

[Guest]

Well as a side that was established in the Premiership, got back up and came down again, I'm sure many of the supporters would expect nothing less than the play-offs. If you let this club become an average divsion 1 side, and expect nothing more, then we'll be here for as long as you keep thinking that.

If we were promoted this season, what sort of season do you think we'll have in the premiership?

Don't you think the way Colin W*nker has gone about things (as much as I dislike the bloke and his club) by developing a squad would ensure a better chance of survival?

[Guest]

West Ham managed it!

And?

[Gené and Tonic]

If we were promoted this season, what sort of season do you think we'll have in the premiership?

Don't you think the way Colin W*nker has gone about things (as much as I dislike the bloke and his club) by developing a squad would ensure a better chance of survival?

Then it's Leveins fault for not buying or signing the better players, or the right ones. They were out there.

And?

Their fans demanded that they were a play-off team. And look where they are now. Our fans are happy just to sit in mid-table.

[Babylon]

And?

Well it's obvious Lisa, if west ham can do it why can't the mighty Lcfc.

[Babylon]

Then it's Leveins fault for not buying or signing the better players, or the right ones. They were out there.

Their fans demanded that they were a play-off team. And look where they are now. Our fans are happy just to sit in mid-table.

*Anish i'm sorry but i'm going to have to do another sarcastic post*

Oh my god... you are trying to wind us up aren't you? Your posts cannot be genuine.

[davieG]

West Ham managed it!

Did I miss the part where West Ham nearly went bust and went into administration, funny I thought I'd notice something like that. Oh and didn't they have a fair number of players they were able to get a decent transfer fee for? While we're on the subject Watford, Cardiff & QPR haven't had anywhere near the personnel changes that we've had.

You'll find no answers comparing us to other clubs no two are anywhere near the same, it's a totally useless and inaccurate yardstick - Have a look at the club stats to see who's been here the longest and played the most games then compare that with other so called similar clubs.

[Gené and Tonic]

good point

[Guest]

Well it's obvious Lisa, if west ham can do it why can't the mighty Lcfc.

Because we're not mighty.

We're a club that is traditionally too good for one division and not good enough for the one above. On average, we find ourselves spending more time than we like in one, and more time than expected in the other. We enjoy the good times, and we moan about the rest.

Until someone comes in with the finances, or the nous to take us above this level, we will always be a yo-yo club.

[Gené and Tonic]

Did I miss the part where West Ham nearly went bust and went into administration, funny I thought I'd notice something like that. Oh and didn't they have a fair number of players they were able to get a decent transfer fee for? While we're on the subject Watford, Cardiff & QPR haven't had anywhere near the personnel changes that we've had.

You'll find no answers comparing us to other clubs no two are anywhere near the same, it's a totally useless and inaccurate yardstick - Have a look at the club stats to see who's been here the longest and played the most games then compare that with other so called similar clubs.

Fine, but surely you agree that what we are witnessing has to change?

[Guest]

Then it's Leveins fault for not buying or signing the better players, or the right ones. They were out there.

Sorry, you'll have to refresh my memory here, but who are these players we've missed out on?

[Libertine]

Sorry, you'll have to refresh my memory here, but who are these players we've missed out on?

That we could afford...?

[Babylon]

Their fans demanded that they were a play-off team. And look where they are now. Our fans are happy just to sit in mid-table.

How long was he in charge at west ham, how about warnock, curbishly, allerdyce, megson at west brom or worthington at norwich? All were at their respective clubs for a MINIMUM of two years before getting promotion. Levein has been here one.

End of fecking story.

[Babylon]

Because we're not mighty.

We're a club that is traditionally too good for one division and not good enough for the one above. On average, we find ourselves spending more time than we like in one, and more time than expected in the other. We enjoy the good times, and we moan about the rest.

Until someone comes in with the finances, or the nous to take us above this level, we will always be a yo-yo club.

Precisely..... we just need a few more people to get into the real world and realise this also.

[davieG]

Fine, but surely you agree that what we are witnessing has to change?

Has anybody anywhere said they are happy with the current situation - The Chairman, The MD, The Manager, The Fans, My Auntie - I've not heard them. Your's and others theoretical solutions are exactly that theorectical reakl life is somewaht more difficult.

Of course things have got to change, I've posted on here enough times about how bored and depressed I've been not only about LCFC but football in general but we don't have Alladins Lamp

Football is, and always has been cyclic and about evolving, sometimes you can do it quickly if you have the resources, Chelsea, Wigan sometimes slowly if you're absolutely bankrupt, beggared, bereft, busted, dead broke, deficient, depleted, deprived of, devoid of, dirt poor, divested, drained, empty, exhausted, flat, flat broke, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, insolvent, lacking, melted out, moneyless, necessitous, needy, on breadline, penniless, penurious, pinched, played out, poor, poverty-stricken, stony, strapped, stripped, tapped out, totaled, wiped out, without as in Leicester City

[Head Honcho]

Have any of you Moaning Minnies looked at the table!

We are 5 points behind Southampton in 6th.

I would certainly have settled for that at the start of the season.

Yes we aren't scoring at the minute, but dont assume because of it that we are losing touch with a play-off place.

We won't finish in the top two that is a certainty and as long as we are only a couple of wins away from a play-off place i'll be happy.

West Ham did it last year, just below the play-offs for most of the season, look what happened!

Things do need to improve but getting on CL's back will do us no good.

[Anish]

How long was he in charge at west ham, how about warnock, curbishly, allerdyce, megson at west brom or worthington at norwich? All were at their respective clubs for a MINIMUM of two years before getting promotion. Levein has been here one.

End of fecking story.

Sorry Babylon - Alan Pardew was appointed manager in October 2003, and achieved promotion in May 2005. That's a year and a half in my book. Levein was appointed in October 2004, but I doubt we'll be anywhere near promotion in May 2006.

Alan Pardew took the reins from caretaker manager Trevor Brooking at West Ham United on October 18 2003 having had to wait in the wings following his departure from Reading the previous month.

Former reserve team manager at Reading, Pardew was appointed manager of the first team in October 1999 after spending a month in charge in a caretaker capacity following the departure of previous boss Tommy Burns.

His coaching career began with his last club, Barnet, and when Bees boss Terry Bullivant was appointed manager at Elm Park in the summer of 1997, Pardew went with him to take charge of the reserve team.

Less than a year later Bullivant was replaced by Burns, but Pardew retained the reserve team manager's position until the end of the 1998/99 season, when the reserve team was disbanded following the introduction of the new Youth Football Academy.

Within months Pardew was back with The Royals, re-housed in the purpose built Madejski Stadium to take charge of the first team, where he helped the club mount a serious challenge for promotion back to Division One.

They achieved that in 2001/02, though their progress through the divisions was halted a year later in the Division One play-off semi-finals. In 2003/04 they made an excellent start, but Pardew handed in his resignation in September that year and eventually joined West Ham.

His time at Upton Park has been turbulent so far, with calls for his head on more than one occasion. However, he came up trumps in May 2005 when the Hammers won promotion to the Barclays Premiership by beating Preston in the play-off finals.

http://www.4thegame.com/club/west-ham-unit...alanpardew.html

I know I'm being picky but Pardew got promotion in less than 2 seasons.

[Thracian]

Here we go again....

Before this season started, most people were saying they'd be happy to see an improvement on last. Very few people mentioned 'promotion'.

Now it's all changed, we have this divine right, all of a sudden, to be up there fighting for it?

My only complaint is that I'm still not enjoying watching them. If we were getting results, then it puts a diferent perspective on things, but even I expected we would drop more points than I would like this season!! Whilst there can be no defined time limit as to how long a club sticks with it's manager, part of me thinks it is too soon to think about sacking Levein.

As for crowds dwindling, that's happening almost everywhere, it's not just City. I personally think that football's bubble has burst. It happens in cycles, football becomes popular, football loses popularity, football becomes popular....and so on.

I don't suggest exciting football is the only reason for dwindling crowds - the ever increasing burden of indirect taxes imposed by this Government doesn't help - and I can't speak for the entertainment at other clubs because you can't judge by canned highlights on television. But football has certainly been more entertaining at Leicester than it is just now - and the crowds were pretty huge at the time (and yes it was in the 60's though O'Neil certainly showed how to attack with limited resources).

Again one gets mocked by the dour diehards who somehow associate open football with inevitable defeat.

Strange this because even Levein is unhappy with the situation.

The fact is that Sheffield United and Reading have metaphorically lapped us in the first three months of the season (having twice as many points as we've managed) and a reason is that they go out to win (home or away), they score goals and they haven't drawn half of their games as we have (just like we did last season).

I am mocked because I say there has to be fluid links between defence and attack yet the only times I have seen this happen so far this season was against Stoke, against Ipswich to some extent, against Sheffield Wednesday and maybe the odd occasion when I haven't watched or listened.

We have a tight defence partly because we sacrifice attacking options and this must change (not the defensive bit) because an average of a goal a game won't ever get us promoted and the fans will get fed up.

Levein says he will be addressing the problem but as I've explained elsewhere it is about more just signing new players. It is about getting those players to understand HOW to attack just as they've learned how to defend.

Sadly the attacking shortcomings look as if they'll be harder cured than the defensive ones not least because no-one on City's staff appears to have any idea about attacking.

What is Tony Cottee doing these days? Or anyone else of his calibre and apparent intelligence.

[davieG]

Sorry Babylon - Alan Pardew was appointed manager in October 2003, and achieved promotion in May 2005. That's a year and a half in my book. Levein was appointed in October 2004, but I doubt we'll be anywhere near promotion in May 2006.

http://www.4thegame.com/club/west-ham-unit...alanpardew.html

I know I'm being picky but Pardew got promotion in less than 2 seasons.

but he didn't have to build a new team from the ground up as I recall.

[Matt]

Well as a side that was established in the Premiership, got back up and came down again, I'm sure many of the supporters would expect nothing less than the play-offs. If you let this club become an average divsion 1 side, and expect nothing more, then we'll be here for as long as you keep thinking that.

I don't want it and don't expect it with the players we have got, who said I wanted or expected it? I could clearly see it happening and what I thought would happen, happened, simple!

[Anish]

but he didn't have to build a new team from the ground up as I recall.

That wasn't the point I was trying to make. Babylon was suggesting that Pardew along with the other managers he named took more than 2 years to achieve promotion, which is incorrect.

[davieG]

That wasn't the point I was trying to make. Babylon was suggesting that Pardew along with the other managers he named took more than 2 years to achieve promotion, which is incorrect.

Fair enough

[Thracian]

So that's how it works, mind over matter. If we all believe we are as big and as good as Chelsea we will get promoted and win the premier league.

Nottingham Forest were Europen champions and look at them now. Their fans had delusions of grandure and couldn't accept that they simply were not good enough, didn't do them much good did it. When will you realise that this isn't the same team or the same club that was established in the premier league. EVERYTHING has changed, we all want to get promoted and play brilliant football. But thinking we deserve better than what we have got at the minute isn't going to do that.

I don't "expect" anything in this life. Nothing is guaranteed, certainly not on the football pitch.

No but aiming for something better - and working hard to achieve those ends - might help. Trouble is it is only by the fans demanding a certain approach that we will get it and I'm not sure there isn't too big a body of diehards who would accept anything so long as it isn't a defeat.

It takes nerve to dictate terms in football instead of having them dictated by others. And decent players of course which certainly means we have to shed five or six and shed them as quickly as is practical.

[davieG]

No but aiming for something better - and working hard to achieve those ends - might help. Trouble is it is only by the fans demanding a certain approach that we will get it and I'm not sure there isn't too big a body of diehards who would accept anything so long as it isn't a defeat.

It takes nerve to dictate terms in football instead of having them dictated by others. And decent players of course which certainly means we have to shed five or six and shed them as quickly as is practical.

I assume from your previous post you mean more entertaining/attacking football and not sacking Levein. In which case the fans are doing this, certainly forums, letters to the Merc, Radio phone ins, all have a very strong element of dissatisfaction with this apsect of LCFC, I think CL knows it but let's face it part of this is now more noticeable (not withstanding your early season warning) because the defence has improved so much that we find we are focussing almost exclusively on the creativety and scoring. I certainly am a lot more relaxed when the oppo has the ball, still too often mind than I was just 4 or 5 games away - CL has improved that with the same players, let's just hope that he can make the same impact on the midfield and forwards. From his statement about getting another striker in he sures seems to recognise that it will be a difficult task.