Post by QPR Report on Nov 14, 2009 9:01:46 GMT
Very good piece
Metro/Mark Bright
Football fans must be more realistic
By MARK BRIGHT - Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Metro columnuist Mark Bright calls for football supporters across the country to be be realistic and accept their club's limitations.
Many years ago at Crystal Palace I attempted an overhead kick during training. Someone shouted: 'Don't let your ambition exceed your ability, Brighty.'
Many a true word said in jest. It's something that's stayed with me throughout my career and led me to think about fans' ambitions.
Take two of my former clubs, Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday. At Charlton the fans felt Alan Curbishley had taken the club as far as he could. New Valley fans had renewed ambition, Curbishley left, and Charlton supporters now find themselves watching League One football.
Sheffield Wednesday fans also had delusions of grandeur. Trevor Francis led the club to five appearances at Wembley including League and FA Cup finals. But the general feeling was Trevor was too soft and out he went.
He was replaced by David Pleat, who in my opinion is the least impressive manager I have worked with. To me he lacked structure, complicated the game and confused the players.
It was the beginning of the end for Wednesday and the biggest club in Sheffield are currently maintaining a mid-table presence in the Championship.
My point is, maybe fans need to be more realistic with their ambitions. I think we all agree the 'Big Four' of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are virtually impregnable.
Attempting to break that monopoly are Manchester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton. City fans quite rightly expect to be watching Champions League football next season after Mark Hughes' huge spending spree of around £116million this summer.
Last year, while nowhere in City's league, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill spent big to try to break the top four and finished sixth.
Shouldn't fans, as much as they hate it, just say, we're a mid-table team and as long as we stay in the Premier League we'll be happy, but we must throw everything at the League and FA Cups?
Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, Wigan, Fulham, West Ham, Portsmouth and Hull are all in danger of relegation sooner or later, while Birmingham look to have won the Lottery but we'll have to wait and see.
The reason I believe this is because, along with the promoted teams, all the above cannot afford a bad season but the bigger clubs can have a bad season and still survive.
But the aforementioned teams need only look at Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and West Brom. Not to mention Luton, Coventry and Middlesbrough.
Fans should be careful what they ask for, because change isn't always for the good.
www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/article.html?Football_fans_must_be_more_realistic&in_article_id=765596&in_page_id=43
Metro/Mark Bright
Football fans must be more realistic
By MARK BRIGHT - Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Metro columnuist Mark Bright calls for football supporters across the country to be be realistic and accept their club's limitations.
Many years ago at Crystal Palace I attempted an overhead kick during training. Someone shouted: 'Don't let your ambition exceed your ability, Brighty.'
Many a true word said in jest. It's something that's stayed with me throughout my career and led me to think about fans' ambitions.
Take two of my former clubs, Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday. At Charlton the fans felt Alan Curbishley had taken the club as far as he could. New Valley fans had renewed ambition, Curbishley left, and Charlton supporters now find themselves watching League One football.
Sheffield Wednesday fans also had delusions of grandeur. Trevor Francis led the club to five appearances at Wembley including League and FA Cup finals. But the general feeling was Trevor was too soft and out he went.
He was replaced by David Pleat, who in my opinion is the least impressive manager I have worked with. To me he lacked structure, complicated the game and confused the players.
It was the beginning of the end for Wednesday and the biggest club in Sheffield are currently maintaining a mid-table presence in the Championship.
My point is, maybe fans need to be more realistic with their ambitions. I think we all agree the 'Big Four' of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are virtually impregnable.
Attempting to break that monopoly are Manchester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton. City fans quite rightly expect to be watching Champions League football next season after Mark Hughes' huge spending spree of around £116million this summer.
Last year, while nowhere in City's league, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill spent big to try to break the top four and finished sixth.
Shouldn't fans, as much as they hate it, just say, we're a mid-table team and as long as we stay in the Premier League we'll be happy, but we must throw everything at the League and FA Cups?
Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, Wigan, Fulham, West Ham, Portsmouth and Hull are all in danger of relegation sooner or later, while Birmingham look to have won the Lottery but we'll have to wait and see.
The reason I believe this is because, along with the promoted teams, all the above cannot afford a bad season but the bigger clubs can have a bad season and still survive.
But the aforementioned teams need only look at Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and West Brom. Not to mention Luton, Coventry and Middlesbrough.
Fans should be careful what they ask for, because change isn't always for the good.
www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/article.html?Football_fans_must_be_more_realistic&in_article_id=765596&in_page_id=43
