So now David Moyes knows the extent of the job he has taken on.
Ten out of ten for bravery and we can only hope that he can supply the same sort of recipe as Sam Allardyce did at Palace last season.
But remember it took the old relegation fighting expert a month to sort out the issues at Selhurst Park. The trouble is Moyes may not have that amount of timr with the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal (twice – once in the Cup) on their agenda.
So much is hanging on Friday night against Leicester and the following game at the manager’s former club it’s become scary and the atmosphere inside Vicarage Road was toxic.
David Moyes mentioned it and claimed it really isn’t helping the team and of course he’s right although we all get the frustration and anger from the “sack the board” or “sell up” lobby.
However, there’s a flaw in the thinking because even were the board to bow to such demands, there’s nobody lining up to take over and with the club in freefall there’s even less likelihood of there being anyone ready to do so.
Football is such however, that an easy scapegoat is always required and if the board are chosen by some that’s their call. What isn’t is that a dreadful atmosphere is created at games which can do nothing but harm the team.
A ClaretandHugh Facebook member put it much more brutally this morning when he declared: “Guys who quickly repainted their “super Slav army” banners into “sack the board” should be reminded of their personal responsibility.
‘If not for them we’d have Silva/Benitez/Dyche in charge with some dead wood already sold and replaced. So please, have some self respect and stop that nonsense. We are not going back to Upton Park but with your “support” we will easily go back to championship.’
We are all in this together – board, manager, players, fans. Blame who you will but it will make no difference. Scapegoats are always wanted in football – it’s the name of the game.
But the simple fact is that a supporter’s job is to support during the 90 minutes – say and do what you like beyond that anywhere you like …it’s your right.
But on Friday night when the Foxes come to town can we please support the team 100 per cent however bad things are – it’s what we do and in my humble view, nothing else will do!
The only people who really benefit from protests during the game is the media who are having a field day at oir wonderful club’s expense.
Good words from that FB poster, I would say the other ones that benefit from the negativity are any team we face. Every manager is going to try and score an early goal against us, their first target will be to turn the crowd and it hasn’t needed much recently, be patient with Moyes there are a lot of really poor teams in the league this season and some very good ones who will beat most of them so this relegation scrap is likely to be a long running affair even if we lose all our games before Newcastle if we can improve something each game we will be in with a chance in the long run to the end of the season COYI !!!
Actually I think it took until into Jan before CP began to recover. Allardyce himself says the signings were the key for them. Gold got very sniffy last week about buying in-apparently everybody had agreed in August that we had a brilliant squad. I don’t remember much agreement on that on the part of Hammers fans & I heard several pundits accurately predict the problems we are now experiencing.
I’m not into protests and I laugh when they sing ‘sack the board’ as they obviously haven’t grasped that the board own the club….but I am getting really cheesed off with the current deflection of responsibility for this debacle on the fans and not the inept ‘previous’ management team and players. Whether it’s AC saying we should stay till the end, yeah right, three nil down at home to Brighton and I’m gonna stay and then get in that bloody queue for Stratford Tube, or Moyes and Noble saying we all need to stick together and now even C&H having a dig. It’s not the fans that have got us into a dead cert for relegation this season, it’s the unholy crap of players who could not give a flying f&*k for this club. Sometimes I do think, as a fan, one tends to be hyper critical of your own club and maybe other fans don’t see it as bad as you do….my very good friend who lives in Manchester and is a mad Citeh ST holder sent me a note on Sunday night, ‘just watched that crock of ****e, never have I seen such a passionless performance from a set of players, your team has lost all credibility’ ….so maybe not, maybe I aint seeing it too bad, it really is too bad and the neutrals are seeing it too. The last three games I have seen live, Brighton, Liverpoool and Watford 9 -1 against, But I will be there on Friday, I will bash out Bubbles and I am, sadly, sure that by about 8.30 I’ll be despondent…again. But it’s all my fault, as a fan, my support isn’t good enough, yeah right!
No one is having a dig and I think it says protests are fine….merely saying not during the game.I think there’s a big clue in the headline isn’t there?
I will be there also my in-laws are all Watford supporters and they said somethiing similar to your Citeh mate, I told them that was one of our better performances this season which when you look at ground covered it was, they can’t get it into their heads but hey ho, like you I will be there Friday and sing my heart out and cheer the team on with the hope that they will find some confidence score some goals and defend better COYI !!!
“But the simple fact is that a supporter’s job is to support during the 90 minutes – say and do what you like beyond that anywhere you like …it’s your right.”
What a crock . If I see players who earn more in a week than I do in a year giving up, not giving their all, looking uncommitted and not fighting for the cause – then I reserve my right to “protest” during that 90 minutes. I’ve taken time out of my life to travel to follow the team, paid good money to go in…I’ll show my displeasure at the performance, the management or the ownership of the club whenever I so please.
The fact is supporters will always support until they think the team couldn’t care less. How dare anyone tell CUSTOMERS paying good money what or when to do during games.
You have the right to do what you want
It’s just that doing *certain* things does not really help the very core concept that you are so passionate about.
But do as you wish, of course.
Carry on – sure they will find it helpful.
Protests against the board are justified but there’s a time and place and fans need to back the team in the game.. Hugh- you make noble the bloody scapegoat every week..Yet he wasn’t to blame for yesterday..so you’re not helping most weeks with your comments either…
WHAT? I haven’t mentioned Noble for weeks and if you are talking about ratings I didn’t do them nor did I write the piece which suggested he and Carroll are a problem.
The problem is the supporters have no other means of protesting against Sullivan.
Fans don’t have a regular column in the Sun like Brady.
Sullivan has brought this on himself with his awful attempts at Public Relations and his micro management style have made us a joke. Don’t blame the media heaping attention on the situation and attacking our club. When Sullivan courts the media at every turn
Come on Hugh it’s been one blunder after another by Sullivan for the last 24 months from a public relations perspective. You of all people must admit that. At least Gold behaves with modicum of dignity.
Here’s the thing tho Oldsoak. I have written in a previous blog that DS needs to step back from the director of football thing and bring in a proper football person.
I think in fairness it’s DG who courts the media with Twitter and Brady who does the same with the Sun. I can only recall one interview from Sullivan and that followed the Moyes appointment. In reality he has been very quiet as has his son.
There have been blunders I guess but I’d appreciate it if you could show me the “one after another” suggestion. The stuff about buying £25 million striker was unrequired and the hype surrounding the new stadium – next level etc – came back to bite them but one blunder after another? Not sure about that – enlighten me mate.
Where do you want to start
The fact that he thinks he is the director of Football. Yes you wrote an article about this. But this is whats at the heart of the issue. Sullivans Ego
Ok let’s start with the move to the stadium
the 25 million pound striker.
Sullivan whole approach to transfers in public
The fact he allows Brady to keep her Sun column which undermined the players and the manager.
The awful krays film which was an embarrassment to cinema. That he pimped through the club
The constant undermining of the manager through briefings to selected journalists and twitter correspondents.
The whole sporting Lisbon affair and the embrassing emails which made Sullivan look like a joke. The threat of legal action which everyone knew would never occur.
The behaviour of his son on social media which let’s be honest wasn’t all Sullivan jnr
How many other chairman behave like this? Oyston maybe but no one that can be taken seriously.
I ll ask you again do you think Sullivan is operating a coherent public relations strategy. Because what little credibility Sullivan has ebbs away everytime his ego gets in the way and he opens his mouth.
I will also ask again when and where can fans express their displeasure at the way that Sullivan is running the club.
It might be contentious but i have no real issue with Gold.Yeah he aint perfect but he seems to be largely on the periphery these days as he winds down…its that Sullivan i never want to see or hear from again..what a piece of work he is!!
Some was deleted for legal reasons on advice of our briefs
Yeah lets not say it how it is eh!!
No , let’s say it in a way which is civilised, non libelous and unlikely to land me in court OK!!!!!
I think Sullivan is a extremely unlikable person who struggles with his personality and wallet
Which give such excruciating displeasure to some ! OK a lot ,of fans that we wish he would go away and convalesce in a monastery to confess all of his promises made in a fashion that even billy liar would have been extremely proud of ! To say some supporters wish him I’ll is probably a understatement in the highest esteem ! But truth has it that vibrating machines are not allowed in a monastery as it gives the impression that OM is being chanted continually !! and with the aid of Duracell batteries it has become to bearable for some and have since been banned !!! So it will be business as usual then ? Open season lads ! Send letters !!! we can’t put basil in the frame ! Can we 😎 😂😂