In hindsight starting this season without an established Premier League goal scorer and picking up 11 points so far against the established Big 6, I for one am very happy.

In my view you should have waited before posting your masterpiece of denial Nick. I don't think that there are any genuine supporters who don't want success for the club but to say that what we have witnessed this season is irrelevant takes your blind faith too far. Furthermore, starting with a clean sheet and giving everyone a chance is a fairly ludicrous statement when it is obvious to most of us that certain individuals aren't capable of playing at the top level. By that I don't mean that we can realistically challenge the wealthy elite for Champions League places next season but competing and getting points from matches against the next level of clubs should be the aspiration.
Agreed it has been a mixed bag of results for many teams this year and supporters of Wolves, Leicester, Villa, Palace, Brighton amongst others will be wishing for more consistency but our form in recent weeks has been relegation level and there's no point in denying it. Whatever plans the new owners have, anything less than a mid table finish next year should be looked upon as a failure and just avoiding relegation should never be a reason for complacency. The certainty is that whatever they do or don't do the fan base will be divided until such time as we don't feel cheated by lack of effort, poor defending, ineffective attacking, lack of leadership, coaching failures et al.
Onwards and upwards, hopefully, but fine tuning the current set up is not going to be sufficient to turn results around.

I agree that we need to sing from the same hymn sheet to the extent that when criticism is required we don't pretend that things are fine.

We've got two games left so lets enjoy them without any pressure and hope the players do their bit as well. They have fed us a lot of nonsense this season and we have been patient before finally voicing are displeasure last weekend.

COYRs

That’s a glass half full article if I ever saw one.

What better incentive do the SFC players need than to go out tomorrow night and stop the Scouse interest in snatching the title away from City.
We owe them that at least after having our side stripped of talent down through the years, Mane, VDV, Lallana, Clyne, Ox, Lovren & Sir Rickie.
It would be sweet justice if we could at least hold them to a draw and wipe the smile off the mugs of Klopp, Carragher, Souness & Co.

Ralph got us through again whereas the calibre of manager we could attract probably couldn’t but I must agree with the many posts saying RH desperately needs a very capable no2 , I don’t think iv ever seen RH consult anyone in our dugout & this is what’s stopping Ralph’s own progression in the game . He’s putting too much pressure on himself & a Sammy Lee type beside him would be good for him & us . Ralph’s got the job done again & his loyalty commitment looks unquestionable so hopefully we can build again …. And bring Ings home

Whether you are a 'glass half full' or 'half empty' or totally full or totally empty and all points in between you can only go on what you view on the pitch over 40+ games in a season. I enjoyed the 'highs' (win at Spuds being the highlight) but have to say there were too many 'lows'. If we had lost that home game to Arsenal we would now be in the thick of it. It is not over-pessimistic to say that if we lurch along like we have been the roller-coaster will end up with relegation rather than Europe.

Right up to Chris Nicholl's departure in 1991 we were a club that stuck with our managers and I think it is quite refreshing that we have given Ralph time. The reaction at Brentford shows that the fans feel that we are now at the stage where he has had enough time. If he stays we need to be getting a strong idea of where we are going SOON. I am in the camp whose patience has nearly run out. Puel was sacked for being boring but it was a 'boring' that got 48 points and a cup final despite losing Fonte and Van Dick half-way through. By the autumn Ralph will have had THREE more years than Puel...A vital summer ahead methinks.

Nick, posting continually that everything at S F C is fine and dandy and telling everybody to rally to the call is simply beginning to make you appear somewhat detached from reality.

Sensible fans can see that problems exist in regard to both investment and management and by highlighting them they hope for change. Trying to sweep such problems under the carpet and suggesting by implication that the culprits are in fact the fan base doesn’t help at all. Nothing ever changed in the past by accepting the status quo and the same token applies to the future.

I agree with highfield 49 that this season has shown us the height of inconsistency.
We get draws against both Manchester sides home and away, get wins away at Leeds AND Tottenham and after sitting a comfortable 9th in the table, beat West Ham in the FA Cup and then- it all goes pear-shaped. Explanations for the home defeats v. Newcastle, Watford and Palace were indefenceable, as our defence fell apart and the striker force was firing blanks, and but for the" freak win " against Arsenal , we might be staring down the table into the drop zone.

The squad needs a total overhaul, starting with the goalkeeping staff. We must hold our breath until Livramento gets back to match fitness in the New Year, and almost certainly say goodbye to Broja, who will move onto greener pastures. Redmond never fulfilled his early promise, and Djenepo is in the same vein. We must hope for a better season from Stuart Armstrong, who has had a wretched season racked with injuries.
Hopefully JWP will be the centerpiece of a new structured midfield as there are very few suitable replacements sitting on the bench. Roll on August. !

'ok we won’t be spending big money, but we can survive and prosper and move forward by fine tuning what we have done well for the past 10 years.'

The same lack of ambition we've been showing over the last 10 years? Can't wait for more seasons of self imposed relegation scraps then...

We are mathematically safe saying we are mathematically safe.
We are mathematically safe saying we are mathematically safe.

We are mathematically safe saying we are mathematically safe.
We are mathematically safe saying we are mathematically safe.

😆

I Agree with Nick but probably becoming a dwindling minority that think like this.
I'd love our fan base to be like the noisy Palace lot that really get behind their team.
Unfortunately that's not likely to happen so at best I'd be happy to see Ralph get half of next season with an significantly improved squad because I really can't see another manager getting much more out this lot.

Could it be the fact the fanbase has lost total patience with the whole set up? Semmers can say what he likes.....fact remains Ralph has to pull rabbits out of the hat every year and he knows, without proper investment, it will get harder and harder. Our whole management/coaching set up would not get a look in at any other Premiership outfit, it is not fit for purpose. Next summer will answer a lot of questions. Will the new owners have the funds to invest in decent players and if so, will they want to? Will Ralph have the motivation to continue should he not be backed properly? Are the club willing to invest in proper coaches etc?
Sunderland are a good example of what happens if you don't invest and hover round the bottom six for a few seasons. That trap door will open up eventually.
I'm afraid blind optimism and an inability to look facts in the face will not change the big, bib calls the club is going to have to make.
Fans are perfectly entitled to voice their displeasure if they feel short changed.

Problem with football is that it is now a business and as fans, we pay a lot of money to watch he team who we all love and support. However football has moved on now since the end of the 80’s and treats the paying fan with a certain amount of disdain and complacency. So when we turn up and witness the last the 9 games, which have been p**s poor to say the least. Don’t you think it’s not entirely unreasonable for someone who has paid through the nose, had the fixtures moved around to suit the armchair supporter to show at least a bit of negativity towards the club. I feel it’s totally justified. Until football changes it’s a attitude towards the paying fan, I don’t see some views changing.

Nick
Mr Blue sky thinking
What an awful colour

Unfortunately the performances this season are relevant. Very relevant. And it is difficult to accept this rosy view, especially from a guy who is actually surprised that beer is expensive in London!