SOL era home crowd...

[Father Jack Hackett]

Not true .

That every crowd isn't like that? I've heard boos at plenty of grounds in games I've watched on telly this year.

 

[KittenMittens]

You need a team big enough to deal with it, comes with experience...

...

Not that I can claim to be a die hard, but I gave up my ST after the PL relegation because of 2 things. One was that I have a job that requires nigh on 24/7 dedication and the other was because a lot of our fans are arseholes who shout nonsense at the players and turn on a misplaced pass. Yes, every club has them, but it's become toxic on a level that is a poor reflection on the club. It's hard because I have sensible, passionate mates who do go and don't shout utterly banal shite, but they're drowned out by people screaming at our players to GET OUT MAN or SOMEONE GET A FOOT IN YOU USELESS FUCKERS. That's before the mindless abuse kicks in.

Part of the problem is the quoted post. At some point we all started to believe that the size of the club demands a certain type of player. The inference is that they're not playing to our level. Well, we have a bigger wage bill than any club in the division, just signed the most expensive striker in league one history and still they're not big enough to play for us in the eyes of some. It's also compounding a decline. Fans of 'smaller' clubs get behind their team and know they aren't special or different, so they accept the rough with the smooth largely.

At some point, maybe around 2011 or so, we stopped welcoming players and started treating them with suspicion and scepticism from day one. We decided the only solution was to sack managers, and we had an owner who listened. Look at how people reacted to Donald and co. They're trying to pre-empt a failure.

It's not all the fault of the fans - That's a strawman - but our fans do contribute directly to the poor performances of players. One of the solutions proposed in this thread sums up why we'll be like this until people get their head out of the 'we're a massive club' mindset;

'If they won the league our fans would come round'

 

[errant]

When you mentioned Watford I thought you were gonna say the year before at the start of the season after we lost the play off final.

Was that the game where Taylor complained the ref knew all out players by their first names?

I’d forgotten that game till you mentioned it, even in a record winning season the sol can get nervous...

 

[PtangYang kiperbang]

I disagree with the first part. The pressure put on team by the SOL home crowd has been the topic of too many articles in too many publications for it to be normal.

It's a terrible place to play unless we're winning. Grigg has scored goals for fun but the pressure here seems to be getting to him....cant be a fluke surely.

Because he’s scores goals at Wigan and piss pot little clubs. Same goes for all of the guys we signed in the summer. They’re too fragile of character to play in front of a massive crowd where they are expected to win. And so they should be expected to win. It’s Accrington Stanley not Man City.

Defoe didn’t seem to struggle to score goals when he was here, because he was a big game player, used to big crowds and pressure.

I know we can’t sign those type of players anymore, but we need to be thinking long and hard if the players we are signing can cope with the pressure mentally. Too many of our lot hide instead of standing up to be counted.

It’s all well and good walking round the empty stadium the day you sign saying what an amazing place it is etc, but guess what, you are at a massive club for this league, so yes, we do expect you to be able to beat Accrington f***ing Stanley at home, and yes, you will get shouted at if you don’t, and rightly so. If the poor bairns can’t cope, they can fuck off back to Wycombe or Wigan or wherever and play in front of 2000 fans where draws at home to shit teams will be tolerated.

It’s not the odd match, we’ve drawn as many as we’ve won at home this season, and in this league with the players and resources we have at our disposal compares to pretty much the whole division, is quite frankly pathetic.

 

[Its Him Again]

That every crowd isn't like that? I've heard boos at plenty of grounds in games I've watched on telly this year.

Done 75 grounds our fans become angry very easily

 

[Deleted member 35145]

I'll never forget that 4-0 home defeat to Villa under Poyet. Half the crowd had gone before half time. Bad as it was we were well outside the relegation zone at that point. The support was atrocious beyond belief.

In contrast, Leicester were adrift at the bottom at the same time. But their fans decided to get themselves organised and created an atmosphere. Plastic clacker things aren't my cup of tea, but its better than what our supporters bring. Alot of our fans all took the piss out of them on here anyway.

They went shooting up the league and won it the following season. It was another relegation battle for us though, followed by 2 relegations after that. You can't say the fans don't make a difference.

Leicester's fans had been on a much rougher ride than our fans at that point - they'd been down in the third flight as well. They contributed something much more positive than our fans did, and it paid off.

 

[KittenMittens]

Because he’s scores goals at Wigan and piss pot little clubs. Same goes for all of the guys we signed in the summer. They’re too fragile of character to play in front of a massive crowd where they are expected to win. And so they should be expected to win. It’s Accrington Stanley not Man City.

Defoe didn’t seem to struggle to score goals when he was here, because he was a big game player, used to big crowds and pressure.

I know we can’t sign those type of players anymore, but we need to be thinking long and hard if the players we are signing can cope with the pressure mentally. Too many of our lot hide instead of standing up to be counted.

It’s all well and good walking round the empty stadium the day you sign saying what an amazing place it is etc, but guess what, you are at a massive club for this league, so yes, we do expect you to be able to beat Accrington f***ing Stanley at home, and yes, you will get shouted at if you don’t, and rightly so. If the poor bairns can’t cope, they can fuck off back to Wycombe or Wigan or wherever and play in front of 2000 fans where draws at home to shit teams will be tolerated.

It’s not the odd match, we’ve drawn as many as we’ve won at home this season, and in this league with the players and resources we have at our disposal compares to pretty much the whole division, is quite frankly pathetic.

Who is it you think should be signed instead? And how do you really know until they turn up and get booed by 30,000 people?

And presumably you're ignoring that the pool of players who we can sign is getting smaller and smaller. There are no Defoes out there for us, in fact there barely ever was. We were lucky to get him in the first place. Who else has thrived under that atmosphere and how many more need to fail before we collectively realise that it's a contributing factor?

 

[Father Jack Hackett]

I'll never forget that 4-0 home defeat to Villa under Poyet. Half the crowd had gone before half time. Bad as it was we were well outside the relegation zone at that point. The support was atrocious beyond belief.

In contrast, Leicester were adrift at the bottom at the same time. But their fans decided to get themselves organised and created an atmosphere. Plastic clacker things aren't my cup of tea, but its better than what our supporters bring. Alot of our fans all took the piss out of them on here anyway.

They went shooting up the league and won it the following season. It was another relegation battle for us though, followed by 2 relegations after that. You can't say the fans don't make a difference.

Leicester's fans had been on a much rougher ride than our fans at that point - they'd been down in the third flight as well. They contributed something much more positive than our fans did, and it paid off.

Leicester were back in the top flight for the first season in years. Our fans were exactly the same under Keane in our first back.

 

[Deleted User 18963]

...is a massive factor in why we will never kick on.

It's been evident since the first home game where things didn't go out way. Norwich game in 1997, berating the team even though they were creating bucket loads of chances, because we weren't winning. A few weeks later Quinn was being stretchered off to a huge cheer. You're not allowed to mention these things now because they offend the ego of the "best support in the world" brigade.

We need to stick with the team through adversity, which seems to be beyond our home crowd. The pressure on the team first half was massive and palpable from 4,000 miles away. Groans, boos, sarcastic cheers. Unbelievable.

Results are disappointing, no question. The home crowd however have to take a look at themselves and their role in making the SOL a difficult place to play for the home team.

Tin hat off because it's true even though people will kick off. 20 years of getting on our own players backs is evidence enough, away team love coming here and have for years.

Fuck off. This is a league one. The players and manager have to set the team up to excite the crowd who are paying to watch absolute dross.

This is absolutely not the fans fault.

 

[Mr RAWhite]

That home crowds don’t get on players back? It happens at the emirates, old Trafford, anfield, the Etihad for starters. It happens at Wembley for spurs, Stamford bridge, and all over the joint. Barcelona out come the hankies and a manager is sacked

Of course home crowds get on teams backs, if not winning

I honestly don't think there is a crowd in the land that gets on their own teams back like ours did last night until we got a goal back. Every one of our players looked shot scared to do anything. Then the goal came and the atmosphere changed completely and the team responded in kind..

 

[KittenMittens]

I think the crux of this is the chicken and egg scenario. 'If they played well we wouldn't get on their backs' vs 'if they didn't get on our backs we'd play well'.

Every team has bad games. Every team has fuck ups and go 1 or 2 down. The atmosphere at the SOL is notably angrier at those moments than with other clubs.

Also, patience is something else missing. Our players are afraid to play it around at the back and draw the opposition out because they fear the HAWAY MAN PASS IT FORWARD! stuff. Seen that for years, when the entire game has more or less become reliant on having defenders start again and keep possession rather than the aimless hoofs we got last night.

 

[PtangYang kiperbang]

Who is it you think should be signed instead? And how do you really know until they turn up and get booed by 30,000 people?

And presumably you're ignoring that the pool of players who we can sign is getting smaller and smaller. There are no Defoes out there for us, in fact there barely ever was. We were lucky to get him in the first place. Who else has thrived under that atmosphere and how many more need to fail before we collectively realise that it's a contributing factor?

I’ve literally said I know we can’t sign the likes of Defoe? Did you read that bit?

Did you read the bit where I said we need to make sure the players have the right mentality to play for a club of our size?

That’s who I’m suggesting we sign. Strong characters who have played at a reasonable level under some sort of pressure. And I’m not talking premier league international players before you start twisting my words to try to prove a “point” again.

We don’t know if they can handle it till they get booed?

That’s like saying we don’t know they’re shit till they play, which to be fair, looks a lot like the problem our current scouts have.

They’ve already bottled it by the time the fans are on their case. They’re not walking out on their debut to a cacophony of booing ffs.

 

[KittenMittens]

I’ve literally said I know we can’t sign the likes of Defoe? Did you read that bit?

Did you read the bit where I said we need to make sure the players have the right mentality to play for a club of our size?

That’s who I’m suggesting we sign. Strong characters who have played at a reasonable level under some sort of pressure. And I’m not talking premier league international players before you start twisting my words to try to prove a “point” again.

We don’t know if they can handle it till they get booed?

That’s like saying we don’t know they’re shit till they play, which to be fair, looks a lot like the problem our current scouts have.

They’ve already bottled it by the time the fans are on their case. They’re not walking out on their debut to a cacophony of booing ffs.

Well some of them have I was at the Hartlepool pre-season game and it was pretty disgraceful. Some of them were clearly wondering what they'd let themselves in for.

But again, who can we sign that is proven to be able to handle it? We can't buy a team of Griggs, it's cost too much and even he has his doubters already after only 5 minutes and (I thought) a half decent performance last night. Most of these players have done it at this level, Power has 2 promotions from L1, for example.

I'm not sure who it is you think needs replacing and who you'd replace them with, nor how you'd avoid the same problems again. Like I said, at some point it's got to be that they feel able to make mistakes without being singled out or made a scapegoat.

 

[PtangYang kiperbang]

Well some of them have I was at the Hartlepool pre-season game and it was pretty disgraceful. Some of them were clearly wondering what they'd let themselves in for.

But again, who can we sign that is proven to be able to handle it? We can't buy a team of Griggs, it's cost too much and even he has his doubters already after only 5 minutes and (I thought) a half decent performance last night. Most of these players have done it at this level, Power has 2 promotions from L1, for example.

I'm not sure who it is you think needs replacing and who you'd replace them with, nor how you'd avoid the same problems again. Like I said, at some point it's got to be that they feel able to make mistakes without being singled out or made a scapegoat.

You need a manager to instill the confidence in the players. That first season under Keane, he had them believing they could beat anyone. A manger should be to make a group of players greater than the sum of its parts. Somehow, this bunch is way less than the sum of its. Some of that is down to the players, some of it is down to the manager. There is no motivation and fire in that team. None. So flat every single week.

He’s got the best players in the league on paper, the strongest squad, the most money, the biggest stadium, the best facilities, the biggest crowds, he and the players are failing massively. They are bottling every game every week, and that’s why the fans are reacting and rightly so. We want them to stand up and be counted and they’re quite happily letting the season slip by. Another year in this league will be catastrophic, there’ll be no-one left, we’ll lose a generation of fans, the financial implication will be huge. But aye, let’s stick with it.

 

[0321safc]

You need a manager to instill the confidence in the players. That first season under Keane, he had them believing they could beat anyone. A manger should be to make a group of players greater than the sum of its parts. Somehow, this bunch is way less than the sum of its. Some of that is down to the players, some of it is down to the manager. There is no motivation and fire in that team. None. So flat every single week.

He’s got the best players in the league on paper, the strongest squad, the most money, the biggest stadium, the best facilities, the biggest crowds, he and the players are failing massively. They are bottling every game every week, and that’s why the fans are reacting and rightly so. We want them to stand up and be counted and they’re quite happily letting the season slip by. Another year in this league will be catastrophic, there’ll be no-one left, we’ll lose a generation of fans, the financial implication will be huge. But aye, let’s stick with it.

I have a bad feeling some of my match going friends that are aged 60+ will call it a day if we don’t go up like, particularly if we don’t play well from now till the end of the season and it looks like we have no hope for the future.

 

[Cartysafc]

Because he’s scores goals at Wigan and piss pot little clubs. Same goes for all of the guys we signed in the summer. They’re too fragile of character to play in front of a massive crowd where they are expected to win. And so they should be expected to win. It’s Accrington Stanley not Man City.

Defoe didn’t seem to struggle to score goals when he was here, because he was a big game player, used to big crowds and pressure.

I know we can’t sign those type of players anymore, but we need to be thinking long and hard if the players we are signing can cope with the pressure mentally. Too many of our lot hide instead of standing up to be counted.

It’s all well and good walking round the empty stadium the day you sign saying what an amazing place it is etc, but guess what, you are at a massive club for this league, so yes, we do expect you to be able to beat Accrington f***ing Stanley at home, and yes, you will get shouted at if you don’t, and rightly so. If the poor bairns can’t cope, they can fuck off back to Wycombe or Wigan or wherever and play in front of 2000 fans where draws at home to shit teams will be tolerated.

It’s not the odd match, we’ve drawn as many as we’ve won at home this season, and in this league with the players and resources we have at our disposal compares to pretty much the whole division, is quite frankly pathetic.

Agree with it all but will booing and berating anybody make them better?

 

[PtangYang kiperbang]

Agree with it all but will booing and berating anybody make them better?

I’m not saying it will.

I’m saying I understand why people are and I don’t think everyone who isn’t happy with drawing games against shit teams being called “bed wetters” and “idiots”

I have a bad feeling some of my match going friends that are aged 60+ will call it a day if we don’t go up like, particularly if we don’t play well from now till the end of the season and it looks like we have no hope for the future.

And the happy clappers will say “fuck them, we don’t need their support” it’s a joke.



It’s blindly follow or get lambasted at the minute.

 

[Jack Torrance]

The booing is embarrassing mind

 

[Fact Hunt]

The crowd just react to what'd going on the pitch.
The first half it was a shambles, both the players and manager should hang their heads in shame for that
Second half we upped the tempo and the manager made a shrewd switch, the performance improved and the crowd really got behind the team.
I think it's like this at most clubs.

 

[hank williams]

...is a massive factor in why we will never kick on.

It's been evident since the first home game where things didn't go out way. Norwich game in 1997, berating the team even though they were creating bucket loads of chances, because we weren't winning. A few weeks later Quinn was being stretchered off to a huge cheer. You're not allowed to mention these things now because they offend the ego of the "best support in the world" brigade.

We need to stick with the team through adversity, which seems to be beyond our home crowd. The pressure on the team first half was massive and palpable from 4,000 miles away. Groans, boos, sarcastic cheers. Unbelievable.

Results are disappointing, no question. The home crowd however have to take a look at themselves and their role in making the SOL a difficult place to play for the home team.

Tin hat off because it's true even though people will kick off. 20 years of getting on our own players backs is evidence enough, away team love coming here and have for years.

Aye blame the fans