A big difference this year is it is a week before a cup final against our hated rivals so the season will be very much alive. FOCs like me might remember the last game of the 1972 season against eventual champions Derby County. We won 2 0 I think and Maine Rd was absolutely bouncing, in spite of the fact we had no chance of the title, we finished fourth the reception we gave the team was amazing. Different ground different times, we had blown a five point lead to finish a point behind Derby but far from sulking we celebrated a fantastic season. Wish we could lose the sense of entitlement which infects many of our fan base.
I was at that game as a teenager, Lee and Marsh scored, Rodney's a bit of a solo effort if my fading memory serves me well. It was I've just found the coverage. We really should have won the league that year, we were a superb side. Bloody Gordon Banks killed us over Easter with one of the best goalkeeping displays I've ever seen and we lost 2-1.
I wouldn't say it's a sense of entitlement at all. Times have changed. There was no internet back then or saturation coverage. If you weren't there you missed it unless the highlights were on MOTD or Sunday. It's definitely changed the mentality though this constant 24 hour coverage, YouTube, Twitter etcetera. People seem to feel the pressure more and therefore the disappointment of failure seems to bite harder.
Anyway here's the footage.