The Pearce era seems to get,(quite rightly to a degree) a lot of mentions on this thread,so I guess the age factor comes into play,but that was a walk in the park compared to some of the shit that went before,believe me,ask your parents if you didn't already know !
The Pearce era seems to get,(quite rightly to a degree) a lot of mentions on this thread,so I guess the age factor comes into play,but that was a walk in the park compared to some of the shit that went before,believe me,ask your parents if you didn't already know !
See Im not sure I agree with that. The Pearce era was horrendous because as well as City fans were also football fans and there was zero enjoyment of attending those matches. Season 1998/99, for example, was full of excitement with the play off final, semi-finals and plenty of victories and goals and a promotion campaign.
The only time comparable for me with Pearce was the year (1997/98) when we were in the first division and swapping managers left right and centre as we slowly fell towards relegation to the 2nd division.
There was a reason for all the previous stuff & usually a point to it.
There was no good reason or real point to that second season under Pearce. We weren't planning anything or really fighting for any futue, we were already there, just existing for the point of being there, nothing else.
There was a reason for all the previous stuff & usually a point to it.
There was no good reason or real point to that second season under Pearce. We weren't planning anything or really fighting for any futue, we were already there, just existing for the point of being there, nothing else.
Again,because we were being ran awfully as a club,but nothing new there at City,used to it,it is only since this takeover that we have come back to the big boys table,cause remember we were there in the 70's,but now we have the clientele on the pitch to provide us with joy
This post is correct. I was there throughout all the dark days and although on the whole they were depressing we were always fighting for something, whether it was promotion or to avoid relegation. My depressing moment of clarity of our reality came in a 0-0 draw against Sheffield United. It was a bitterly cold day and an awful game. At half time I questioned my sanity for being there and considered going home, but I didn't. At full time I wished I had. On the way home I reflected that the was it for us and it was an awful sobering moment. The gap between the top four was huge due to the champions league money and was almost impossible to breach. My future following City was going to be watching second rate footballers playing boring mid table football and maybe qualifying for the Europa league if we were lucky. Winning a trophy was never going to happen. Thank God the takeover was coming!
I don't think our fan's are anymore negative than any others. When the rags used to win everything I remember them moaning like fuck after a couple of negative results, I think it is in a football fans nature.For us our expectations have risen due to the investment that is all and the internet gives everyone a platform to vent.
Everything you have said about the Pearce era is bang on.Most seasons I've been supporting City, we were either fighting for titles & cups, rebuilding, planning, trying to do that, or fighting to stay up or fighting to go up. And mostly, playing attacking football whilst doing it.
Under Pearce, we were doing just enough, to float along, doing fuck all & playing the worst football, ever. Simply playing in order to stay where we were & be able to pay the players.
I can't remember another season like that in our history, not since I started going.
wasn’t his name Peter Swalesout?If there had been internet back in the day, every topic would have been Swales.
Most seasons I've been supporting City, we were either fighting for titles & cups, rebuilding, planning, trying to do that, or fighting to stay up or fighting to go up. And mostly, playing attacking football whilst doing it.
Under Pearce, we were doing just enough, to float along, doing fuck all & playing the worst football, ever. Simply playing in order to stay where we were & be able to pay the players.
I can't remember another season like that in our history, not since I started going.
wasn’t his name Peter Swalesout?
His tenure, not just at City but being involved with selecting England managers, was remarkable when you look back at it.
To the OP's points...
Along with big investment comes big expectation. City fans rightly expect our club to do very, very well. We have one of the strongest sides in world football, and IMO easily the best side in the P/L - so we should expect to win the P/L and advance far into the C/L. Too, we should expect some silverware. If we fail to do any of this, criticism is almost certainly warranted, barring multiple injuries/massive bad luck.
But this is the same at other clubs - even more so. In Italy, for example, players having bad performances - or so I've heard - receive death threats and cannot go out in public for fear of attack.
In Spain, expectations for Barca/Real are always sky high - failure to win the league and at least get 2nd in the C/L - is met with derision.
It's fair to say, that on the continent, fans are much more demanding - failure is met with far more dissatisfaction.
So no... I don't think at all that City have a negative fan base - rather we have an excellent squad, and our fan base expects corresponding success.
As for lack of criticism of Mou at United - just wait for Mou's melt-down 3rd season - the season where he completely loses the dressing room and attacks fans/players/management. Anti-Mou sentiment will be plentiful.
Disagree. We have done nothing more than any other set of fans to 'deserve' this. I was there in 98-99 at Wrexham (not York sadly!), but I don't feel I am any more of a supporter than Rochdale fans or the poor bastards at Coventry.
We won the lottery, we now are watching arguably the best City team of all time and for about £100 a year more than when we watched Pearce's team fail to score a league goal at home for 4 months.
As fans we need perspective. At least 5 other sets of fans think their side should win the league. Only one side can. And when we were bang average were we happy to let the big sides just roll us over and pump us because they had better players and more money? No. We expected them to dig in and do a job (e.g. v Chelsea in 04/05).
I'm not saying sit at the games with a big vacant smile on your face like a Stepford Wife. But we are supporters...we should support the team win lose or draw. Criticise after the game. And if City do score late on (as we often do), we supporters can feel we helped them. Rather than the team have done it in spite of us.