I had hoped my post was more about considering what our fans wanted from the club and the consequences of their actions rather than it being a moan about any social media criticism.
I think, maybe, you are expecting a little too much from us, at least en masse.
I suspect we are much better at indicating what we are not happy with (which is so much easier to do) than postulating on what we want. It is so much easier to shout from the cabin that you don't like the view, than it is to steer the ship, let alone pre-determine the direction and stops that a ship is going to take and fund and organise the itinerary in advance to give the Captain the best opportunity to reach the destination.
I for one, am very happy with the direction and ethos that the club is embracing. The club at the heart of the community is what started me on this journey, when Graham Taylor and John Ward made tours of my school and Scout Hut in the 1970's. The intelligent out-reach to recruit from Ireland, Wales and Scotland in the face of the closure of European doorway to talent. The emphasis on developing a younger squad with more potential and the ultimate desire to move toward less reliance on the loan market for talent are all to be applauded. The gradual expansion of the LNER and emphasis on improved facilities for the fans along with the development of other revenue streams, including sustainable investment from individuals. All of these are joined up, strategic goals to be applauded.
The inherent downside to the strategy (and possibly to growing anything long-term and sustainable) is that it is very rarely a linear progression, so unless the passengers are fully bought-in to the journey and can keep an eye on the context of both the destination and the value of the stops along the way, they can be distracted by the storm that is making them sea-sick.
The complaints seem to me to be mainly about the storm, whether the crew could be stronger and what they should be doing to steer clear of the storm. They are not about the ship, the itinerary, the scheduled stops along the way or the desired ultimate direction. They are about not wanting to make an unscheduled stop on the rocks.
Personally, I am bought into the strategic direction of the ship and the stops we need to make and am willing to give it several years to reach our destination. I am also fully supportive of the crew that is steering the ship, even if we are currently in a storm. I am willing to give the crew the opportunity to steer the ship away from the rocks and continue the journey. My only concern is the storm itself, what is causing it, how long will it last, when will we start seeing ourselves push past it?
So what do I want?
More of the same with some clear improvements in results.
I'm afraid that isn't particularly insightful, but the reality is that, for me at least, it is getting points and climbing the table that is the pressing issue. I am hopeful that the storm (in the form of injuries, Covid, confidence, luck) will pass with some judicious steering from the Captain (in the terms of selection, tactics, motivation) and that there isn't some hidden rudder problem that we are not aware of.
I am happy and confident about the Cruise, even if I am feeling a little queasy from it at the moment.
