Expectation is our worst enemy.

[FuriousFox46]

In recent seasons, our club as a whole seems to be unable to cope with pressure and expectation.

• This season, we were joint favourites to go up and we're languishing in mid-table.
  
• The 2007/08 season, we were again amongst the favourites and we were relegated
  

Then you look at individual results, this season, here are the teams we expected to beat but didn't;

• Bristol City (twice)
  
• Peterborough United
  
• Doncaster Rovers
  
• Portsmouth
  
• Watford
  
• Nottingham Forest
  
• Millwall
  

On the flip side, when we play without pressure, we seem to thrive.

• Even in the 2008/09 season, we were only 2nd favourites to go up but we did one better and won the league.
  
• Nobody expected us to do well in the FA Cup, but we reach the Quarter finals and put in some decent performances against PL opposition.
  
• In the 2010/11 season, we put in two great performances against Manchester City
  

Then a list of the teams, towards the top that we somehow beat.

• Southampton (twice)
  
• Cardiff City
  
• Birmingham City
  
• Hull City
  
• Brighton & Hove Albion
  

The point, I'm trying to make is that, do you think we'd benefit from a more relaxed approach at the club?

Yes, we know it's a high stake business and we are desperate to go up, especially with the investment we've received. But the negativity from the fans and players when we hit a stumbling block seems to have a knock-on effect.

Perhaps, we need to expect less?

[DanTheFox07]

Or perhap`s we need someone who can buy the player`s not after money and actually have the hunger to win something!

[AKCJ]

A cracking point was made to me yesterday.

Why would the squad want to put themselves out of a job by getting promoted?

With the Thai owners would the playing squad be good enough at the moment? Nope.

If they did get promoted then there'd be massive changes.

[THEFATBASTARD]

god forbid we might expect better than 12th in div 2..how dare us all.. only weak people feel pressure don't they? I suppose there is too much pressure on hospital surgeons...they should be allowed to kill a few and save a few I suppose... it looks like we now live in a world where nobody is held responsible for anything. players should just asked for huge wages and deliver nothing..and we should cheer them on....not me mate.

[FuriousFox46]

god forbid we might expect better than 12th in div 2..how dare us all.. only weak people feel pressure don't they? I suppose there is too much pressure on hospital surgeons...they should be allowed to kill a few and save a few I suppose... it looks like we now live in a world where nobody is held responsible for anything. players should just asked for huge wages and deliver nothing..and we should cheer them on....not me mate.

I'm simply saying we shouldn't pressure the club as much as we do.

I'm hardly happy with 12th!

[stourbridgefox]

I'm not putting any pressure on them this season, I've more or less given up.

I'm concentrating on building up expectation for next season. It will definitely be our year!!!

[Out Foxed]

A cracking point was made to me yesterday.

Why would the squad want to put themselves out of a job by getting promoted?

With the Thai owners would the playing squad be good enough at the moment? Nope.

If they did get promoted then there'd be massive changes.

you mean the guy who said this point on bbc radio leicester?

the caller before this compared beckford not wanting to go forward for the free kick to her son beating meningitis

it's a mad world we live in

[seenitall]

In recent seasons, our club as a whole seems to be unable to cope with pressure and expectation.

• This season, we were joint favourites to go up and we're languishing in mid-table.
  
• The 2007/08 season, we were again amongst the favourites and we were relegated
  

Then you look at individual results, this season, here are the teams we expected to beat but didn't;

• Bristol City (twice)
  
• Peterborough United
  
• Doncaster Rovers
  
• Portsmouth
  
• Watford
  
• Nottingham Forest
  
• Millwall
  

On the flip side, when we play without pressure, we seem to thrive.

• Even in the 2008/09 season, we were only 2nd favourites to go up but we did one better and won the league.
  
• Nobody expected us to do well in the FA Cup, but we reach the Quarter finals and put in some decent performances against PL opposition.
  
• In the 2010/11 season, we put in two great performances against Manchester City
  

Then a list of the teams, towards the top that we somehow beat.

• Southampton (twice)
  
• Cardiff City
  
• Birmingham City
  
• Hull City
  
• Brighton & Hove Albion
  

The point, I'm trying to make is that, do you think we'd benefit from a more relaxed approach at the club?

Yes, we know it's a high stake business and we are desperate to go up, especially with the investment we've received. But the negativity from the fans and players when we hit a stumbling block seems to have a knock-on effect.

Perhaps, we need to expect less?

More relaxed? It is a football team, where grown men get paid annual salaries weekly for 13 hours work a week - how can you relax this anymore without actually letting them stay home all week and watch all the games on telly instead having to play in them???

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I'm not putting any pressure on them this season, I've more or less given up.

I'm concentrating on building up expectation for next season. It will definitely be our year!!!

Oh no, not this response again. We see it every year.

[Matt]

Only weak people feel pressure.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

i think we should all be happy with a top 12 finish in the 2nd division of English football every season . . . . . . . . .

[Kitchandro]

I'm simply saying we shouldn't pressure the club as much as we do.

I'm hardly happy with 12th!

Of course we should.

My expectation makes no difference to them unless they choose to dwell on it

They've got to deal with it. We are no different to any other club our size. It's the players who are not doing their job properly.

[Matt]

I really hope my boss doesn't expect me to do a good job tomorrow, it'll just make me worse.

Hmmmm don't think that excuse will hold up personally.

[stourbridgefox]

Oh no, not this response again. We see it every year.

But next year will be different. I can feel it !!

[sbfox]

I get what the OP is saying... Some of our fans think we have a god given right to beat teams like Bristol, Forest, Peterboro, when in reality, the Championship is a crapshoot most of the time. When those same fans start booing a 0-0 at half time, especially at home, its hardly going to inspire confidence in the players. The less intelligent City fans need to realise that money doesn't buy success and there's no reason why we should be up there challenging for the title.

[stourbridgefox]

I get what the OP is saying... Some of our fans think we have a god given right to beat teams like Bristol, Forest, Peterboro, when in reality, the Championship is a crapshoot most of the time. When those same fans start booing a 0-0 at half time, especially at home, its hardly going to inspire confidence in the players. The less intelligent City fans need to realise that money doesn't buy success and there's no reason why we should be up there challenging for the title.

About 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, we would've had a huge advantage with our backing. We haven't necessarily got the same advantage now because there are so many clubs with rich, foreign owners.

[Bob Weasel Fox]

We expect better than we are getting

[ozleicester]

with any luck and our current setup, anything resembling a high expectation will be gone soon enough. Unless winning league 2 is expecting too much

[AKCJ]

you mean the guy who said this point on bbc radio leicester?

the caller before this compared beckford not wanting to go forward for the free kick to her son beating meningitis

it's a mad world we live in

A mate told me at about 10 O'Clock yesterday. I don't listen to the twats that call in on that show.

[Vale Blue]

Some good points made but is it expectations that are high or just fear of the unknown, if we dont go up?

[stourbridgefox]

I think I've figured out the problem. I have just been thinking that the Championship next season looks like it might be quite hard. West Ham might still be around and Wolves and QPR might be back. So no guarantees of top two then.

So instead of expecting a good season next year...I'm just going to hope for one.

[Out Foxed]

I think I've figured out the problem. I have just been thinking that the Championship next season looks like it might be quite hard. West Ham might still be around and Wolves and QPR might be back. So no guarantees of top two then.

So instead of expecting a good season next year...I'm just going to hope for one.

qpr will implode and wolves will most likely lose fletcher/doyle/jarvis and possibly johnson/o'hara/hennessy and will be looking for a new manager.

[Captain...]

I really hope my boss doesn't expect me to do a good job tomorrow, it'll just make me worse.

Hmmmm don't think that excuse will hold up personally.

It depends if your boss is on your back constantly expecting you to do better despite the fact you are trying your hardest. Oh and there are 25 thousand of them. Work/football analogies don't work because they are not comparable, the closest you can get is comparing salesmen and sales figures, now if you are trying to sell an inferior product for a higher price than your competitors you are not going to be successful no matter how hard you try. Sometimes trying your hardest does not guarantee success, so you get down about it and you stop trying your hardest and sometimes a rollocking will pick you back up, sometimes it will drag you back down, sometimes an arm around your shoulders will help, other times it will make you think your boss is weak and you lose respect for them.

There is no tried and tested method, but normally these things work themselves out or something gives, you quit, your boss gets fired or promoted then you can start again.

[Guest Basildon Fox]

It is not expectation that is the biggest ememy, it is the inconsistency from a team of mainly individuals that has. There was rightly a huge amount of expectation at the start of the season. The players and management have let themselves, the club and the supporters down over there failure to win 2 games on the trot more than once this season.

[Captain...]

It is not expectation that is the biggest ememy, it is the inconsistency from a team of mainly individuals that has. There was rightly a huge amount of expectation at the start of the season. The players and management have let themselves, the club and the supporters down over there failure to win 2 games on the trot more than once this season.

But who created that expectation? Was it the club? The fans? Or the media? I think that as fans we are generally a down to earth bunch and don't have delusions of grandeur, well, didn't until this season. For some reason we let the exaggerated transfer fees being reported by the media, and the hype around the club, carry us all away with the idea we would walk this league, this permeated into the club, the fans, the players, the staff, but it was never going to work like that, that is not how you get out of the championship, nobody gets out on reputation alone.

We failed at the start to get a foothold in the league and impose ourselves on the league, we didn't do what you need to do, which is create a good team spirit a good work ethic and a bit of consistency. What has raised expectations since the start of the season has been some of the performances, we can beat anyone in this league and some in the league above, but we are also capable of losing to anyone in the league which to me says it is not an ability problem, but a mental problem.

With the season as it is and the decent cup run coupled with injuries and suspensions we are having to spend too much time and energy changing and adapting that we haven't had time to get our ship in order. I am confident that preseason we will do that as long as we can focus on the football and not get caught up in the hype, as long as we establish next season as one of progression not instant success we will get there.