Quote Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY View Post
Considering we have been in a league with a lot of big clubs , clubs bigger than us , the expectation on the team to be pushing for a top six finish has been ridiculous .
Is there an expectation on the team to be pushing for a top six finish? I haven't been aware of one. I think the general hope among City fans that I know and those I read on here is that we don't play as much long ball stuff and build for the future.

As for being in a league with a lot of clubs bigger than us, I think it might be worth considering the following - since 2003, our last season in the bottom two tiers, this is how often we have finished above certain 'big' clubs in 19 seasons:

Leeds - 13
Forest - 17
Wednesday - 15
Sheff U - 10
Derby - 12

We've finished above Middlesbrough and Leicester 9 times, despite both having long spells in the Premier League during the period.

If you took an average of every league club's placings since 2003 we'd be 26th. If you look at it over the last 10 seasons we'd be 23rd, above the likes of Wolves, Boro, Leeds, QPR, Sunderland, Derby, Reading, Blackburn, Forest, Birmingham, both Sheffield clubs, Ipswich, Bolton etc.

Traditionally smaller clubs like Watford, Bournemouth, Swansea, Brighton, perhaps even Fulham have done better than us over the last decade.

This is why I don't buy into this 'big' club bollocks. Smaller teams can thrive if managed and run in the correct way. What is wrong with looking at how smaller clubs have got success and asking why that couldn't be us? Why do you think that we should be glad we're doing ok because that it is better than some 'big' clubs are doing?