I posted this comment as a reply on another thread, but thought it maybe worthy of its own post, to perhaps invite thoughts from other clubs??
Why there is so much discontent among Leeds fans, whilst currently top of the league?
Is it that many teams don't taste success. Success is shared among a low percentage of teams. For us, do the legacy memories of our successful years, be it Revie, Wilkinson, San Siro or Bielsa, amplify the demands and expectations of fans today?
Do these tastes of success in the past clash/couple with the 'want it now' culture/expectancy of today?
And those expectations are forever growing ...
....we're top of the league. "Not good enough. We should have more points"
... we're 6 point clear... "we should be confirmed by now" (March!)
...we get promoted, we'll want mid table, 1st season
...we're mid-table, next year it's top 6, then Europe and champions league within a year or two.
Fans of teams who haven't tasted the success that we have perhaps just don't think like us? And do fans of teams who have feel the same?
Our expectations crush us, and each of us to different levels. You can see it with the range of posters on here, from the despair of Lowfield/Donns.... right through to the 'happy clappers (love that expression 😊). And both ends of that spectrum are probably wrong - there's only a few who say 'enjoy the ride, wherever it may take us. Maybe we should all be like that, but we know we can't be...cos we are Leeds .. the emotional, the loyal and steadfast, the demanding, the expectant..... but not, perhaps, the most patient!
Why so much discontent?
posted 8 hours, 12 minutes ago
Good article. I think Leeds fans are not too different from most fans though.
Leicester fans were calling for their managers head last year while they were cruising the league. Look how that worked, Chelsea seem happy with him.
Enjoy the ride are some very wise words.
I am because winning is great. The step up to the PL is immense so the one thing we as fans will have to be is patient.
A manager like Bielsa is not available every year. What he accomplished was phenomenal. Ninth place and some of the most entertaining football in the league.
One thing for sure I'm going to be more realistic if, I mean when we go up because I do think we have the ownership to build a steady pl club once again.
posted 3 hours, 27 minutes ago
Think some fans, myself included are concerned that season might be bottle job season 3. Those people felt that we stood still in January for both Bielsa and Farke in there first season's as we saw Norwich/Sheff Utd/Villa and Leicester/Ipswich/Saints all fob us off despite arguably being team in both of those season's.
We are top but its solely down to our home form. Away from home we are susceptible to dropping points which not only are avoidable points, but detrimental to our promotion push as Sheff Utd AND Burnley are keeping pace.
The football is boring but effective, which doesn't matter so long as we get promoted. It just feels like deja Vu a little bit with Burnley and Sunderland playing the panto villian roles against us and with talks about a quiet January window once again, its hard to not feel a little concerned that we'll get found out again.
posted 2 hours, 44 minutes ago
Yep, I think it’s probably an age issue too. The older fans on here (the majority of JA606ers is my guess) remember the past glories whereas I can understand if the younger contributors among us hold the club to different standards.
I often refer to Huddersfield Town FC in comparison to us … they won the League 3 times, runners-up 3 times, FA Cup winners and runners-up 4 times - all a very long time ago, but 30 years ago, their fans were probably in the same place, emotionally, as many of our older fans are now. I still genuinely think we (Leeds) have got a chance of future success in the form of a domestic cup win and qualifying for Europe, and that should be our realistic goal over, say, the next 5 years.
posted 1 hour, 29 minutes ago
I think people are just concerned at seeing us mess up again, like we’ve seen Leeds do so many times. So they are projecting their fears onto the team - how Farke is terrible etc because they’re worried he’ll fail so have decided he already isn’t good enough.
Part of it is that we’ve seen Leeds at the top end of the championship the last 4 seasons we’ve been at this level so the novelty of winning games that was in Bielsa’s first season has gone
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
I think its simply because the club is so far behind where its baseline should be. Appreciate that no club has a divine right to be in a certain place and as fans we must understand that are hopes simply lie in a handful of people at the club who steer the ship.
But
this is a one city club and a huge city at that.
we have a history of been in far better places
it hurts so bad that we had so much from the Revie and Sgt Wilko periods and gave it all away
We SHOULD be in the top 10 of the premier league season in, season out with hopes of challenging higher at times. Until we get there the expectations are so much higher at Leeds than at other "big" clubs. There are no bigger clubs below us in the football pyramid and there hasnt been for 20 years.
"The shirt weighs heavy".
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Totally agree kebab.. spot on that
posted 8 minutes ago
Completely agree kebab.
And i’ve been thinking about stuff today.
Personally, I think squad is miles better than anything else in League. And without any signings, should walk it.
And whilst I think January transfers are fraught with danger, I’ve come round to the thinking, lets flex our huge muscles and get someone top in.
A player who is a number 10, but can play upfront if needed.
Wont be easy but lets not feck about