When Peter Taylor came into our football club he quickly destroyed what Martin O’Neill had carefully built. We went into administration and became a club in decline. We became accepting of our mediocrity, our financial limitations and of the fact that a return to the Premier division in the foreseeable future was highly unlikely. It took a Serb of dubious integrity to rescue us, but the decline could not be halted. We went into the third tier for the first and only time in our history.
Then something happened. The bust finally came to an end and the boom started. Nigel Pearson restored some pride with promotion back to the Championship. We were bought out by ambitious owners from the Far East. An ex-England manager was employed to take us back to the Promised Land. Money was spent in large quantities on: “two good players for every position" who were rewarded with generous contracts. Our expectation rocketed out of all proportion.
I can’t help thinking that despite the wasted years since O’Neill that we did, indeed, have delusions of grandeur. We actually thought that Sven had assembled a squad of players who only had to turn up to win. Success was guaranteed and it was only a matter of time.
This season has seen us return to a more pragmatic approach with a sensible manager who doesn’t court the press and builds slowly and methodically with players with a team ethnic. It’s more sustainable, more stable, with more financial security and with more investment in youth and potential payment in the long term. It’s all of these things, but it’s still less exciting. It hasn’t captured our imagination: Nigel is dour and hasn’t got the charisma of Sven; Nigel is signing players we’ve not heard of rather than courting the likes of Beckham, Owen and Hargreaves; the cash isn’t being splashed; attendances are down; interest is lower; the phone lines ring hotter with protests about how we’ve thrown it all away again; the owners are rumoured to be tearing up plan B and reverting back to plan A.
Despite the excitement about project Sven: the players, the money and the ambition – the project didn’t work! We never even got into a play-off position during the whole of this period. Isn’t it about time that we forgot our delusions of grandeur and remembered where we were before Milan? Isn’t it about time we remembered how difficult a division this is to get out of? Isn’t about time we remembered about Financial Fair Play and that we are competing against clubs with massive parachute payments? Isn’t it about time we returned to watch in numbers and supported the team, rather than booing at half time (Burnley game) when we actually hadn’t been playing that badly? Isn’t it about time we showed our support for the manager at least until the end of this season when his tenure can be truly judged?
Personally I think it is.
Delusions of Grandeur
posted on 4/10/12
'It’s more sustainable, more stable, with more financial security and with more investment in youth and potential payment in the long term. It’s all of these things, but it’s still less exciting.'
Well that wholly depends on who you talk to. I'm excited. I'm well excited. This is the most promising team in 10 years. And I didn't even have the pleasure of being at Huddersfield.
We're playing positive, attractive football and are 2nd in the league. To the proper fans, that is far more exciting than having a big name manager.
Sure, driving up the M69 14 months ago having beaten local rivals at he start of what was surely going to be a promotion season, I was buzzing. But that optimism soon dried up. Your day trippers and people who take a passing interest in City might be more enamored with Sven Goran-Eriksson and £5m signings, but your regular City fan just wants to see us playing like this.
I think everyone's starting to be won over, even those who have consistently slated him and have hastily called for his head. I think you'll see a real display of support for our manager on Saturday, it's not always been forthcoming, but those that have been happy to give him time might be about to be rewarded.
Crowds are lower because prices are higher. And if we're honest, we did get off to an average start and many of us were thinking 'here we go again' with regards to our inconsistency. But if we continue in the same vein crowds will eventually return. But it's not just all about results, many people, including myself, just can't afford to go regularly. It's also the simple fact that we've been underachieving for so long, eventually people start giving up hope. They'll want to see up and around where we are now for a bit longer. It was inevitable crowds would drop at some point, they've been good for many years in the face of mediocrity and worse. But that can only go on for so long.
Hopefully times are changing, on pitch success will bring back the spirit to the stands. But it's not the only factor, and you can't just expect 25K to turn up all of a sudden just because we've hit 2nd briefly. We need to sustain this form and style of play.
It is a difficult league to get out of, but at this point even that excuse is irrelevant. Delusions of grandeur aside (by the way I haven't heard that in a while, some of last season's phrases will live long in the memory - 'need time to gel' was a personal favourite) Nigel is doing the job expected of him. No excuses needed, we're going a long just fine and Pearson should have our full support.
posted on 4/10/12
Emilio,
Thanks fo the reply. Great post.
posted on 4/10/12
One of the best posts I've read, followed by one of te best responses.
I have nothing to add other than I hope the promise the management and team are showing turns in to a successful season.
Sources suggest our owners DID meet Redknapp. This worries me hugely as they strike me as kids inna sweet shop sometimes.
My hope is that Pearson, a man of high integrity, is not forced out of our club for a second time.
The owners should meet him, tell him that they were making sure there were options if things turned sour but weren't looking to make a change unless it did. They should tell Pearson they were naive and apologise if their poor actions offended him. Hopefully Pearson will take it on the chin and we all move on.
The fans made it very clear they are behind Pearson at the Hudd game and we should do so again on Saturday.
But, I'm left with a sour taste. Why on earth would our owners put in place a sensible, long term strategy behind Pearson, and then even be tempted to consider other options so soon?
It's the first time I've been angry at our owners. I forgive them Sven, because twy had done so much good, but I think that this has left a bitter taste. I'm very disappointed and I don't understand it. But then again, I guess it's not my money is it.
posted on 4/10/12
All very valid posts, having said which I still stand by the fact that "Plan A" was never executed properly as it was aborted far too early in to the season for it to really start taking effect.
Sven only had a year left on his contract and he should have seen the season out with the squad he assembled, having risen from rock bottom after 9 games the season before, to finally finish 10th (I think) after a fantastic run, flirting with the play offs before finally running out of steam, using mainly loanees.
I still believe he should've seen the season out with the squad he assembled and that, if a team is not in danger of being relegated, and is serious about gaining promotion, sacking a manager during the season is one of the most harmful things to do. (Reading stuck with McDermott after a horrible start. It isn't how you start, it's how you finish)
The worrying aspect is that you (Joby) highlight the point that the owners are rumoured to be reverting back to Plan A, which would once again go against what I have referred to in the above paragraph about it doing more damage than good.
Taking into account how strong our performances have been and our league position it seems like absolute stupidity to even have rumours regarding the managerial position, and hopefully it is just based on a meeting between owners and Redknapp before the Burnley game as things weren't so rosy (If true, still very worrying that thai's haven't learned their lesson btw, but still the best explanation, from what is a completely logic-less situation)
NP and his scouting staff have moulded together a very promoising group of players and has got them playing some really good stuff.
I was at Huddersfield and for the first time in a long time I am genuinely brimming with excitement to see what our next performance will hold.
It's a great time to be a foxes fan
posted on 4/10/12
"I still stand by the fact that "Plan A" was never executed properly as it was aborted far too early in to the season for it to really start taking effect."
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I agree with that entirely. Sacking Sven so early after supporting him with so many bags full of cash seemed ridiculously premature at the time.
The only explanation I could give at the time was that the owners were spending far too much of their money, panicked, and got rid before it did them too much personal damage. Making the decision to instead go towards a longer term, more risk averse, solution.
It the owners got rid of Pearson now it would not only be far too soon, but it would also remove any credible explanation as to why they got rid of Sven in the first place. In other words we would have owners who don't know what they're doing.
posted on 4/10/12
I agree with you article completely, Joby.
But tell fans that they're suffering from delusions of grandeur and they get upset for some reason...