james rule

Quote: Mrs Barista "I've been completely in your camp for the last 2 seasons and have been accused of being a club apologist on here more than once. I'm getting bored with Groundhog Day as an FC fan now.

The club has done a brilliant PR job in the last 12 months, promising a big season (without declaring specific goals and targets) and putting our 3 big signings up on a pedestal. It worked and the fans responded by buying season passes and merchandise in unprecedented numbers.

James Rule also said in the off season that it's a results business and Agar would have to deliver now that he had his squad. Barely 6 weeks into the season, a mixed bag of results and performances despite a relatively good position on injuries, and the club sees fit to commit to Agar until the start of 2013. The comment by Rule in the offseason and the actions of the board are at odds with each other. Subsequent results, including the Harlequins one and getting smashed for nearly 100 points in 2 games by Leeds, have hardly been a ringing endorsement of their decision. Had they not taken the decision to extend Agar's extension, I wouldn't be feeling so disillusioned - would be a case of seeing out this season, expecting performances with a lack of team structure, no runners, stood too flat, poor linespeed in defence, little apparent motivation (derbies excepted) and a gameplan that consists of "give it to Manu and watch as he makes a break with no support", I know this, as you can generally use the past to predict the future when there are no changes in approach, and this is what we are used to. At least there would be hope for the rest of the season, though, hope that we would at some point start to hear rumours of a new coach. That hope was extinguished on 1 April.

So, as fans of the club, our options are 2 fold.
a) Keep supporting the team on the pitch as if nothing's happened. They don't go out with the intention of dismal performances and we might make a small difference in some closer games. Plus there's always the pub pre/post game, the fact that Friday passes more quickly at work etc - other bits of the matchday experience that cushion the blow of weekly disappointment on the pitch.

b) Withold support for the team in the hope that the board does something about it, and for most people that means recognising that Agar's re-appointment was a mistake. Might have some influence if enough people did it. There has to be a tipping point past which the board would take action (eg if we dropped below 10k for a big game when we've been there for the last 50 games). Problem with this is getting it organised.

I suspect that many, like me, will actually now be in a third group, which is just picking and choosing our games. I missed very few games in 2008/9 but am now of the view that there's no hope of seeing entertaining rugby nor of seeing a team deliver its "on paper" potential under the current regime. Results are immaterial now anyway. With decisions taken by us and other clubs over the last few season, Wigan, Warrington and Saints are absolutely miles ahead of us on the pitch, but it's the fact that we have such obvious underperformances from individuals and collectively that's the issue for me. The fans deserve better.'"

Good post, they have worn me down to the point I don't even want to go and I would never have thought I would say that.