Feeling apathetic

[king canary 7,609]

Is anyone else finding the overwhelming emotion towards this season to be apathy?

I don't get to many games any more which obviously diminishes the excitement somewhat but the last few seasons I've been really excited about opening day. This weekend though I've not bothered to seek out the highlights, not felt the urge to post on here (lucky you guys I guess) and rather than being disappointed or frustrated by the result and performance yesterday I'm just kind of shrugging my shoulders.

I think the combination of feeling no great attachment to this squad, manager or sporting director and knowing that not going up will be failure but going up likely means another season of humiliation means I'm just not fussed. 

Maybe if we get going and we're top 2 and winning games come October I'll be back on the bandwagon with enthusiasm but I'm not sure I see it.

[Midlands Yellow 3,995]

6 minutes ago, king canary said:

Is anyone else finding the overwhelming emotion towards this season to be apathy?

I don't get to many games any more which obviously diminishes the excitement somewhat but the last few seasons I've been really excited about opening day. This weekend though I've not bothered to seek out the highlights, not felt the urge to post on here (lucky you guys I guess) and rather than being disappointed or frustrated by the result and performance yesterday I'm just kind of shrugging my shoulders.

I think the combination of feeling no great attachment to this squad, manager or sporting director and knowing that not going up will be failure but going up likely means another season of humiliation means I'm just not fussed. 

Maybe if we get going and we're top 2 and winning games come October I'll be back on the bandwagon with enthusiasm but I'm not sure I see it.

I’d imagine most fans think like this privately if they’re honest. A second no show at staying in the top league is the major factor. 

[lake district canary 4,537]

Certainly feeling a bit uninspired by it all at the moment, but that can change. What we need to see is something positive on the pitch - Idah living up to his potential once he is fully fit, Rashica looking like a decent player, Sargent showing he can score goals and influence games more, Cantwell showing he is more than a show pony, the defence to look assured and effective, the midfield to look strong, the new boys to hit the ground running and turn this season into one we can all get up for, the defence to look assured and effective, the midfield to look strong.

So we all need a bit of inspiration - players too.  Not all on Smith, but he is the manager - it is his responsibility to get everyone motivated in the right way.

 

[Bomber 48]

100% agree with you King Canary - am losing more faith after every game and am the same as you where I don’t really care - got more things going on in my life than keep worrying about this lot 

[Gibbo 131]

Don't worry, I'm going to put a 5er on Wigan to win this weekend, so prepare yourselves for a thumping Norwich victory 🙂

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,419]

Negative. That is how I'm feeling and not about the football so much.

I'm trying this in with @Pugins Social Media post. 

It seems that the negative vibes are prevalent on this boards these days, there are plenty of positive posters, but they can only kick against the **** so much.

*Pr.icks

Edited August 1, 2022 by Wings of a Sparrow

[BarclayWazza 91]

47 minutes ago, king canary said:

Is anyone else finding the overwhelming emotion towards this season to be apathy?

I don't get to many games any more which obviously diminishes the excitement somewhat but the last few seasons I've been really excited about opening day. This weekend though I've not bothered to seek out the highlights, not felt the urge to post on here (lucky you guys I guess) and rather than being disappointed or frustrated by the result and performance yesterday I'm just kind of shrugging my shoulders.

I think the combination of feeling no great attachment to this squad, manager or sporting director and knowing that not going up will be failure but going up likely means another season of humiliation means I'm just not fussed. 

Maybe if we get going and we're top 2 and winning games come October I'll be back on the bandwagon with enthusiasm but I'm not sure I see it.

Tbh I had that emotion for the last EFL season. Obviously excited about the first Farke promotion but after there was next to no spending on the squad it kinda cemented the level of ambition we had and what we could expect from future attempts.

Before we get into "oh but we spent money 2nd time round" net spend was still close to zero taking into account that 2 of the signings were loan to buy to replace Godfrey and Lewis (£40m of sales replaced with about £15m) and we replaced players that were fantastic for us with lots of dross.

To be honest, I haven't the first idea who, when or where our next game is and for something that used to be a huge passion, I just can't get excited about going to games any more (so I don't...) and I'm angry at those at the club that have allowed it to get to this point.  

Edited August 1, 2022 by BarclayWazza

[The Real Buh 3,445]

The fanbase is desperate for anything. A goal, a draw, a win (🤣) a quite good throw in would do at this point!

just give us something, anything to be happy about. Anything!

[Greavsy 2,415]

2 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

just give us something, anything to be happy about. Anything!

I think anyone would struggle achieving that with you.......ever. 

[hogesar 9,690]

Can't wait for the first home game. Well, the first home game I can make, which unfortunately isn't this weekend. I don't need to feel particular attachment to a Sporting Director, by the way 😄

We're definitely missing the Farke factor but nothing we can do about it right now.

[Greavsy 2,415]

2 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Can't wait for the first home game. Well, the first home game I can make, which unfortunately isn't this weekend. I don't need to feel particular attachment to a Sporting Director, by the way 😄

We're definitely missing the Farke factor but nothing we can do about it right now.

Plastic! Expected more commitment from you Hoggy. Dissappointed in you! 😃 

[hogesar 9,690]

5 minutes ago, Greavsy said:

Plastic! Expected more commitment from you Hoggy. Dissappointed in you! 😃 

I'll be in Italy yet genuinely slightly gutted at missing the match!

[Ken Hairy 3,773]

31 minutes ago, Gibbo said:

Don't worry, I'm going to put a 5er on Wigan to win this weekend, so prepare yourselves for a thumping Norwich victory 🙂

I'll stick a fiver on Norwich, that'll guarantee a 0-0 draw 😁

[Greavsy 2,415]

Just now, hogesar said:

I'll be in Italy yet genuinely slightly gutted at missing the match!

Doubt you'll miss any ncfc goals! 

Have a good one. 

[pete 319]

Exacytly put bt the OP, but the disinterest is heightened by the blind faith trotted out by the happy clappers concerning our current malaise.  A situation that looks more remote as each game passes.  Just hope the South Americans can give some welcome impetus and promise for the furure.  But that seems a forlorn hope based on Webber's recent record on new signings.  Smith has not done himself any favours in what he brings tio the team but hamstrung by Webbers ineptitude. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I have never felt so underwhelmed this weekend. My first game since lockdown and really up for it. Son and a Grandson with me, leaving the rain in Cornwall, few pints at Canton RFC and into the ground and the smell of a new season.

Then treated to 90 minutes of an apology for football from us. Yes we were probably the better team, the stats said so but what a let down.

Cardiff were neat but that is all. They had no threat and were happy to let Hanley and AO have the ball. But it was obvious after 15 minutes that Sarge wasn't up to it. Whether has was out of position or just not good enough is questionable. All in the crowd were mumbling that with 5 subs, we could afford to take him off, change shape and tactics because Cardiff were no threat. Get Onel on was the favourite opinion.

But we were treated to just more of the same. No threat from Cardiff but none from us. Then the obvious happened and it was panic stations. Why? It was obvious half an hour earlier Deano. Not since Plymouth away many years ago had I seen a City team just plodding on regardless.

Afterwards in the Rugby Club, the opinion was, from our fans that we needed a kick up the arris and Cardiff fans that they had probably got away with one and lets just talk about the rubbish ref.

So rather than the fans being apathetic, are we going to have the coaching staff and players apathetically believing it is going to be easy because the bookies said so? The ridiculous situation that we may well be going into the second game of the season with none of our new signings playing just amplifies what I suspect.The club thinks everything will be as per the last four years. Well I have news for you. Just as the Lionesses showed us , you have to have no fear, no arrogance and work hard. It isn't given to you anymore.

[TIL 1010 4,751]

When you read that Lakey is uninspired and cannot find one of his usual Monday morning tub thumping positive threads you just know things are not good.

[king canary 7,609]

1 hour ago, hogesar said:

Can't wait for the first home game. Well, the first home game I can make, which unfortunately isn't this weekend. I don't need to feel particular attachment to a Sporting Director, by the way 😄

We're definitely missing the Farke factor but nothing we can do about it right now.

I do think I'd feel differently if I still had my season ticket to be fair- the whole ritual of going to the game is much missed.

I know what you mean about Sporting Director but I think my general point is there is nobody person in the club, top to bottom, outside of Pukki that I feel any great attachment to. If they all left and were replaced tomorrow I'd not feel particularly sad. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

I was feeling apathetic for the final couple of months of last season, but I still believe we'll be challenging near the top of the season this time round so I'm still feeling excited for the new season. Maybe the fact I've managed to get a season ticket for this season has boosted that feeling. 

 

1 hour ago, hogesar said:

I'll be in Italy yet genuinely slightly gutted at missing the match!

I'll be missing Huddersfield and Millwall for the same reason. Whereabouts in Italy?

[hogesar 9,690]

2 minutes ago, king canary said:

I do think I'd feel differently if I still had my season ticket to be fair- the whole ritual of going to the game is much missed.

I know what you mean about Sporting Director but I think my general point is there is nobody person in the club, top to bottom, outside of Pukki that I feel any great attachment to. If they all left and were replaced tomorrow I'd not feel particularly sad. 

Yep, there's a couple more players than Pukki I have a bit of 'attachment' too in that they've been involved in two title wins with us; Krul, Aarons, Hanley and Mclean.

But one of those title wins were behind closed doors too which is partially why I think fans felt such a lack of attachment even going into the Prem season last. Dowell for example was excellent at that tail end of the championship season but I have no affinity to him, despite number 10's typicaly being my favourite type of player to watch, because I wasn't there for most of it.

[hogesar 9,690]

Just now, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

I was feeling apathetic for the final couple of months of last season, but I still believe we'll be challenging near the top of the season this time round so I'm still feeling excited for the new season. Maybe the fact I've managed to get a season ticket for this season has boosted that feeling. 

 

I'll be missing Huddersfield and Millwall for the same reason. Whereabouts in Italy?

Sorrento 🙂

Yourself?

[king canary 7,609]

3 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Sorrento 🙂

Yourself?

Oh Sorrento is lovely- did you got to Capri?

Edited August 1, 2022 by king canary

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

2 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Sorrento 🙂

Yourself?

Puglia.

And fair play, it's always nice to see British people venture into the southern half of the country because most of them don't seem to realise it exists.

[hogesar 9,690]

Just now, king canary said:

Oh Sorrento is lovely- did you got to Capri?

Don't leave until Friday hence missing the first home game but Capri is on the list! 🙂

Just now, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Puglia.

And fair play, it's always nice to see British people venture into the southern half of the country because most of them don't seem to realise it exists.

I wasn't given much choice, one of my friends is Italian and has lived in the UK for 8 years now, and when I said we wanted to go to Italy he was keen on making sure we went southern!

 

[Jim Smith 2,322]

I was hugely p**sed off at our performance on saturday which i think shows I am not apathetic but I think the club does have a problem/risk which flows from the whole "what is the point" conundrum after the last 2 attempts to stay in the premier league.

It is a big danger for the club as once fans start to drift away it can take quite some time to win them back. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

3 minutes ago, hogesar said:

I wasn't given much choice, one of my friends is Italian and has lived in the UK for 8 years now, and when I said we wanted to go to Italy he was keen on making sure we went southern!

 

Good on him. I spent five years living in Puglia and will always advocate the south. 

[king canary 7,609]

2 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Good on him. I spent five years living in Puglia and will always advocate the south. 

Did my honeymoon in Italy and started south travelling upwards. 

The south was lovely, apart from Naples which was a bit of a hell hole. Also holy **** the tourist guides scare you about the public transportation there. 

[king canary 7,609]

4 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

I was hugely p**sed off at our performance on saturday which i think shows I am not apathetic but I think the club does have a problem/risk which flows from the whole "what is the point" conundrum after the last 2 attempts to stay in the premier league.

It is a big danger for the club as once fans start to drift away it can take quite some time to win them back. 

Yeah, I think what bothered me is I didn't feel angry or upset just meh.

I don't think it is a negative vs positive thing as some have said above. There are a couple of guys I follow on twitter who would definitely get classed as moaners on here but as soon as the new season rolled around they were booking tickets for games, travelling to Scotland for pre season etc etc. They may not be the most positive but you can't doubt they care, which is largely where you sit. I'm just not that bothered now. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

I feel the same and think its understandable, after last season we are drifting without a paddle somewhat, having slowly built up for that 'breakout' season for around 5 years. I accepted the relegation in 19/20 on the basis we would come back stronger, even though I didn't really like it at the time I still saw the logic. But now it looks like our best bet would've been to bolster the squad - although the CB issue would've still probably ruined us - at least we'd have had a proper go.

I wonder if Webber's rhetoric will change around other clubs when he cites them bursting up and then straight back down again (think Sheff United, Huddersfield) because they don't build sustainably towards the PL - like we apparently were / are(?). I just can't fathom how last season was part of the long-term building process and a poor season this year sets us near back to square 1 (yes I know the training ground is better now)... It was 3 steps back in one season having made a small step forwards in each of the previous 3 seasons. 

Our only destination after this season is to bounce back to the prem or fail and stay in the championship. If we go up we would need to do a hell of a lot of transfer business which we can't afford without selling off our best players / prospects (arguably we would need to do a 19/20 and just take the money again in order to reset and go once more after another relegation and promotion - joy), if we fail to get promoted then we inch closer to the loss of parachute payments and our financial security.

What are you most looking forwards to the prospect of? 

Our best hope is that the additions of Hayden, Sara and hopefully Nunez totally revamp the capabilities of this team, leaving us with a more PL-ready looking side when we go up (give or a take a left back, centre back, attacking midfielder or two and striker...). I am definitely looking forward to seeing some new faces. 

Overall though a few seasons in the championship might do us some good, flush out the current squad of PL failures (no offence), sell off players like Rashica and Sargent and do our best to get the majority of our money back, bring in some young prospects for cheaper / through the academy, reset everyone's minds after the previous PL failings and take away that deep-rooted premier league mentality we clearly have, reconnect the club with the fans, and then hopefully bounce back in a few seasons as a totally new-look side.

[paddycanary 539]

20 hours ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Good on him. I spent five years living in Puglia and will always advocate the south. 

Puglia has been on my hitlist for years. I met a couple years ago and (if memory serves) they told me about a mid-August festival where they build straw effigies/characters on the beaches and light them at dusk followed by a party all night. Sounds like my cup of tea! If that's correct, should be coming up soon.