Quote Originally Posted by AucklandRover View Post
Champs - we're all different. When I was following Rovers to some of the bleakest spots in English football, it never occurred to me to stop going. For a long time, there were far more lows than highs, but I just wasn't bothered. It was Saturday, so I went to the game.
I don't think I ever had the emotional commitment that you show. I just didn't want to miss anything.
In the same way, even at the lowest point of the Venky's trough, I wouldn't have boycotted.
I'm still not sure why you are so bothered about us being mediocre. My brother-in-law follows Northampton and Peterborough. He thinks of us as high-flyers!
Does it really matter whether we're eighth or 18th in the Championship? There isn't much difference between teams in those positions, anyway. (At the moment, it's eight points). We belong somewhere in there. Cold fact - and what's wrong with that?
You see this bad run as showing some serious decline within the team's attitude and ability in the last month. I just don't buy that. Why would it happen so suddenly? To me this is just football. A number of things can combine to set a club off on a good run or a bad one. Nearly always, providing most of the teams are on a level playing field, talent-wise, it changes again.
I think fans spend too much time analysing the causes of a particular outcome. In fact, it is almost never as simple as "The manager got it right or wrong." Just think about it: a cross into the area gets accidentally deflected; it falls to an attacker and he scores; it falls to a defender and he clears. No amount of analysis, planning, team-organisation, individual ability (etc) can take account of such random events.
Of course there are patterns, and any manager will pay the price if the pattern goes on too long, but you are never going to sell me the idea that Mowbray has turned from a "good" manager into a "bad" one in five weeks.
Incidentally, one area where I strongly disagree with you is on your judgement about Mowbray's own comments. I still find him far more honest, open and realistic than almost any other manager I have ever heard.
I'm a drama queen. Auks, I can't afford it these days. I'm going without so I can go to footy. And it's taking up all my spare time. It's a 3 hour round trip to home games. I can't just turn off, no matter what I say. And believe me, I'm still blue & white. I'm becoming a little disillusioned by football in general. And struggling financially. What's been going on of late has hastened my decision. But it's not isolated to just a few bad losses. I'm not getting much enjoyment from it. And it's killing my financially. I'm a bit angry at both situations. But you just need to keep plodding along.