| I don't know about anyone else but all things aside 08:40 - Apr 22 with 468 views | homer_123 |
this is very much what football is about.
We can debate the rights and wrongs of being where we are, we can be equally annoyed, frustrated or happy with the season so far.
Either way, it's not dull. This is what football is about. This is what we want as fans isn't it? Four games to go, two in hand on our rivals, all to play for. Tough games but winnable games to come. It's going to the wire and from a fan and enjoyment perspective, what more do we want?
I've said from the outset, this journey we are on, I am going to enjoy the ride, whatever it brings. For those that are long standing Town fans, we don't do things easy - we never have. So, it really doesn't come as a surprise that things are tight and it might go one way or the other. For newer Town fans, don't be disheartened - this is what being a Town fan is about.
It's part of our identity and fabric and makes us who we are. As frustrating as it can be at times - I wouldn't change it.
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| I don't know about anyone else but all things aside on 08:46 - Apr 22 with 431 views | portmanking |
Oh god, as frustrated as I am with our inconsistency, I'd be devastated to return as a mid-table club whose season is over by early April.
It's in our hands. Let's show Millwall and the rest what we're made of tonight. |  | | |
| I don't know about anyone else but all things aside on 08:49 - Apr 22 with 418 views | SitfcB |
Every home game as the teams walk out I look round PR and it does take me aback, compared to all those years of mediocrity, a half empty stadium and nothing to play for for the last month or so.
On Sunday against Boro when the teams walked out I thought yeah, this is what it’s all about - second to last home game, a big meaningful game and we’re fighting for automatic promotion, got to be happy with that.
Whatever the outcome, I’m happy where we are and what we’re doing these days. |  |
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| I don't know about anyone else but all things aside on 09:08 - Apr 22 with 325 views | bsw72 |
I've enjoyed the season, found parts of it frustrating, but seeing a new squad built, seeing how the style has evolved has been great.
The Championship for some has been "poorer" but I think that it shows the power of the parachute clubs is not as great as it was considering that private investment is now dropping into the Champ and League 1 teams - Coventry, Wrexham, Birmingham, Swansea etc all have owners willing to invest, maybe not ot the same level as parachute clubs have, but certainly narrowing the gap.
I think it has been far more challenging as a result of the last 3 years, teams know what to expect and have been far more cagey against us, which has meant our style has had to evolve and change - sometimes we have done it well, sometimes not. The expectation carried as a result of higher transfer fees and squad values has also meant that some see anything outside of promotion as failure - think that is harsh, turning a collection of talented individuals into a team takes time.
One of the things for me was just change of squad, the fact that vs 'Boro on Sunday, I was considering how many of the match day squad did Sarmiento play alongside just 2 years ago - by my calculations out of the 20, it was just 4; Walton, Davis, Taylor and Hirst. That is some squad upheaval in 2 years.
Compare that to Coventry where about half the Coventry squad have been there since 2024, and to a lesser extent Millwall and Boro who approx a quarter to a third of their squad has longer than an 18 month tenure at their clubs.
Southampton have been on a similar journey, it has taken more time to gel and a new manager, but they have got it together now.
To me this shows how disruptive promotion and subsequent relegation to the PL can be on a playing squad, forcing rapid change in the squad as a result of needing to compete at that level, and then losing a subset of those players, having to build a new team while recovering from the mental scars that relegation can leave, and having to adjust to the different pressures the Championship brings - being one of the relegation fodder to being a favourite.
The thing in all of this for me is not about promotion or relegation, that's a by-product, the enjoyment for me comes in the days out at Portman Road, the crowd, the atmosphere, the enjoyment of those moments like McAteer's goal on Sunday, or the frustatrion of those 15-20 min spells we have had against the likes of Charlton, Stoke or Pompey.
Having gone through 10+ years of stagnation, the fact that in April we are still playing for something more than pride is great, and even better considering it has now been like this for the last few years.
I for one am thorouhgly enjoying the ride, whatever it brings . . . I just want the club to continue to build and develop this squad as even if we miss out this year it's almost certain next year the Championship will be even more exciting with bigger teams and games to look forward to.
People need to enjoy "the journey" more and not think about the destination until we get to where we are heading . . . . [Post edited 22 Apr 9:10]
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| I don't know about anyone else but all things aside on 09:17 - Apr 22 with 273 views | Marshalls_Mullet |
Its a really odd season, as we cant really complain too much about league position.
But unlike the Burley promotion, or KM's last promotion, we don't seem to have such a defined style of play.
Also, based on the last promotion, the PL is quite a daunting 'prize'. Our recruitment was found wanting and we failed to compete. Hopefully lessons have been learned and we will do better next time.
In a weird way, I guess what I am saying is that I'm not that excited about potential promotion, which takes some of the fun away. |  |
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