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It's something I was thinking about on the throne this morning.
Over the last couple of seasons I've seen more City fans thinking we could make the playoffs than I can ever recall back 20 years or so ago after we finally got back to this tier in the league. Granted that this board was far busier back then, but even under the reign of Dave Jones, most were reluctant to suggest we could win promotion or predict a playoff place, until we'd been established as a top half side and had just missed out. Even then, some wondered if we would ever finish in the top 6 after we'd blown a few good chances to finish there.
Nowadays, we only have to win a couple of games and it seems that some will predict the playoffs are back on again, regardless of how we've done over a longer period of time or where we are in the league.
Perhaps it's a change in society?
Maybe back then we couldn’t even imagine such heady heights. You would have been in your 60s if you could remember a top flight season and had just come out of a dismal few decades. It’s been an incredible 20 odd years, well beyond my own expectations.Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
Very few fans I know were predicting the play offs.
This season or last.
When Dave Jones had Bothroyd Chops Whitts etc I think the majority thought we'd make the play offs.
I think Malkys 2nd season there were big expectations of actual promotion.
08/09 - 7th
09/10 - 4th
10/11 - 4th
11/12 - 6th
12/13 - 1st
-
15/16 - 8th
-
17/18 - 2nd
-
19/20 - 5th
20/21 - 8th
A decade+ of success/near misses and parachute payments here and there has definitely raised our expectations yes but only in a natural way.
It's difficult to separate our level of optimism for City specifically from our optimism for life in general twenty years later.
I think the growth in 24 hour sports news, saturation of social media with football “experts” and other factors have put every game under the spotlight - especially in the premier league, and consequently further down. Every game then becomes highly important- win and all is great and lose and the end is nigh. I know I’m exaggerating. Back in the 70s and 80s there was so little coverage on tv, and then via the press leading to much less of a microscopic focus.
that's east to explain, especially on here
we put a run of a couple of wins together and the negative posters ( you know who you are ) will be quick to jump up and post " Well this is the weakest championship for years "
So maybe optimism rises as each and every year the championship gets weaker and weaker ?
I'd argue that we've seen one or two performances this season which suggest we could finish in the top six, but, clearly, there's been more where we looked like a relegation side and not just that, a side that was destined to finish bottom of the league. It's in the nature of football fans to cling to the good performances when assessing where their side will finish rather than the worst ones.
Speaking for myself, I can't think of a single performance from City in 21/22, 22/23 or 23/24 which suggested we could be a Play Off team, Plymouth, Portsmouth and a portion of the wurzels game have had me thinking that this season. Will we finish in the top six? Almost certainly not. Does this team have the capability of playing football that is a distinct upgrade on the dross we've had to watch for too long? Yes, they've already done so.
It's something I was thinking about on the throne this morning.
After that opening statement, all I could think of was “what colour tiles have you got in the bathroom”
With the comparative success the club has achieved in the last 20 years, of course optimism levels are higher than they used to be, or perhaps that should be self-belief. When you reach two major cup finals and gain two promotions to the PL, it's not as if it's an unattainable dream to be challenging for promotion again. Been there, seen it, done it etc. In fact I would say it's almost expected.
What will vary of course is when seasons don't quite turn out as expected, there will be a drop in optimism due to disappointing results. But this applies to almost every club in the land at some point.
Having been an active City supporter since 1978 I have witnessed all of the possible highs and lows (i.e. from the old 4th division to the Premiership) with our club. Hence my attitude remains: expect nothing and you won't be disappointed!
I go into every season believing we can get promoted. In twenty years, I have got it right twice but, on the downside, I was wrong eighteen times!
I consider that a reasonable return for a club our size especially if we make it a third time out of twenty one
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