People are paying way too much attention to what "fans" of other clubs are saying about us, it's just a stick to try and beat us with. These people aren't ever going to give us any credit, so it is pointless arguing with them, or letting yourself get bothered by it.
Was talking to a young lad at the game on Wednesday and he was telling me how angry he gets at empty seats, so I asked why, pointed out it was a rearranged game (my father-in-law who never misses a game and plans his holidays around our fixtures was abroad for example) and that we are still mainly a working class club, we don't have thousands of Scandinavian businessmen to pick up the slack etc. He admitted it was because it is all he ever hears about from other fans on social media and at college, along with the other City bingo classics.
These people aren't ever going to say anything positive about us though, if we sell out we all used to be Chelsea fans, if we win a trophy it is bought, we have no history even though all it takes is a google search to prove otherwise. So ignore them, they aren't worth the steam off your piss, and enjoy the ride. I won him round in the end, and as others have said, now is when we should stick together.