Sometimes I Get Angry

[stawey]

i read this forum on a daily basis and often i wonder if i am on a city fans forum.

having been born a city fan nearly 70 years ago and can say ive seen most things to do with bcfc. sometimes i am appalled by so called fans comments.

the trade-it action and topic must be the bottom of the barrel.

so much slagging off must really help a newish team find its feet and comfidence and the constant

belittling of a single player is a not the action of a true fan. debate is good but first and foremost

people on this site should be city though and through.

moan but think before you destroy confidence.it really doesnt help.

so i suggest the constant moaners try supporting your team this season and you might just make a difference.

[BUTOR]

I agree, but sadly, some won't listen and demand constant success, it's always been the same.

[CiderHider]

People get mad when we lose, I don't know what else to say. I agree though some fans do almost take pride in their attacks of players after a drubbing.

Never saw Lee Johnson take the stick Fonts has taken recently...., propper anger towards him, I genuinely hope he does not visit this site

. But its only a forum and we all love every City player deep down, we just don't like to lose.

[M_Porter]

I will never slate a player as has been gone with Fonts.

That being said I found the Trade-It post very funny indeed.

I also respect the views of all forum users, it may not be something i would do or even agree with but a forum is just that a forum, where people are open to let their views known and debated on.

Also the fact is that Fonts is shit at present and has been for a while, us/you the fans have the power and influance to adjust things, we saw that Sunday with coventry and their attendance the owners must now sit up and do something.

I would like to see fonts out of the team, perhaps not permanant but for a while for sure, I shant go as far as buying the fontsout.com name.

But even you must admit he needs to be dropped, and if a which hunt gets that done then so be it, although that will be done without me.

He has been poor for season hence the anger with the fans

Cheers

Mark

[glynriley]

Sometimes I get so angry with the simple life they lead

And the shepherd's smile seems to confirm my fears

They've never questioned anything, never disagreed

Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears

And when you see a cane I see a crook

And when you see a crowd I see a flock

It's sheep we're up against

It's sheep we're up against

[ROSEBUD RED]

It's all very piss poor - been reading this forum for years to keep up to date.

Will have a rest for a while now

[Major Isewater]

Sometimes I get so angry with the simple life they lead

And the shepherd's smile seems to confirm my fears

They've never questioned anything, never disagreed

Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears

And when you see a cane I see a crook

And when you see a crowd I see a flock

It's sheep we're up against

It's sheep we're up against

God damn those wiley sheep

[glynriley]

God damn those wiley sheep

wooly, surely?

[allyolly]

What a superb original post.

I can't help thinking there is quite a big gap between what SOD keeps saying and what a lot of fans' expectations are. I don't know if SOD is deliberately managing down expectations but he has constantly stated that we are at a transitional stage, must accept that mistakes will be made and patience will be required. There doesn't seem to be much of that on here at the moment.

For what it's worth I think there will be a fair few ups and downs in the next couple of months but we will be up there come the end of the season.

[glynriley]

What a superb original post.

I can't help thinking there is quite a big gap between what SOD keeps saying and what a lot of fans' expectations are. I don't know if SOD is deliberately managing down expectations but he has constantly stated that we are at a transitional stage, must accept that mistakes will be made and patience will be required. There doesn't seem to be much of that on here at the moment.

For what it's worth I think there will be a fair few ups and downs in the next couple of months but we will be up there come the end of the season.

I must admit, I'm surprised at how many posters are saying they think we'll be up there at the end. You're right about it being a transitional season and I can't see us finishing much higher than 10th.

It's all about next season for me as we're still carrying too much deadwood.

[marksy]

think before you destroy confidence.it really doesnt help.

I don't know if any players confidence has been damaged, but any more of the performances I've witnessed over the past few years and my confidence will be totally destroyed. It time for the players to earn the very good money they earn !

[Worthingexile]

What a superb original post.

I can't help thinking there is quite a big gap between what SOD keeps saying and what a lot of fans' expectations are. I don't know if SOD is deliberately managing down expectations but he has constantly stated that we are at a transitional stage, must accept that mistakes will be made and patience will be required. There doesn't seem to be much of that on here at the moment.

For what it's worth I think there will be a fair few ups and downs in the next couple of months but we will be up there come the end of the season.

Excellent post!

Every fan across the country is optimistic as a new season starts- we all want to win and play Barcelona football, but this is not immediately possible. Most sensible fans acknowledge that this is a building and transition phase; it will take time for this new team to bed in, and given the inexperience of many players there will be some naive mistakes along the way.

I didn't go to Cov, but from what I saw at the Bradford game, there is a lot of promise, and when this team gel, we will surprise a lot of people and I have no doubt, someone will be on the wrong side of a drubbing at our hands, yes it will be win one, lose one, draw one stuff this year. But the key is development and improvement.

I used to work with an older fan of Brighton, and he said the trouble with the top clubs is that their fans don't know how to accept defeat- and if you look at the big 4 in the Prem you can see this; their fans expect instant success, if a player does not hit his straps quickly, they are replaced and money rules. Sadly this intolerant attitude seems to have cascaded down the leagues.

I grew up during the 1982 support city now or never campaign and we had tasted total disaster over that period and the years before and we were grateful and tolerant to watch TC rebuild. Sadly many of our supporters have grown up during the Premier years and under the Billionaire Lansdown stewardship and the ability to accept defeat and victory in the same manner has disappeared.

I sat in front of a youngish city fan in the Dolman who gave most foul outburst at JET in the first 10 minutes demanding him to be subbed and later on praised him for being the best thing since sliced bread! It reminded me of a character in the the thick of it describing Malcolm Tuckers attitude towards people being "I love you or you're F-ing useless!" Clearly there is something between!

Be patient mes amis, we are in good hands and with tolerance and understanding things will come good in the end.

[tiz]

I too find it hard also at times to believe we are all fans of the same team. We do need to get behind the team. I have been guitly of making one tongue in cheek jokey comment about Fonts, but it was in jest. You are right, great post

[Loco Rojo]

It's refreshing to come across a post like this every so often. It restores my faith that there are sensible realistic City fans out there that aren't completely misguided by unrealistic expectations of a new team of youngsters that have never played together. This change will take time but is a move in the right direction and I fully support SOD and the team.

Its a shame not all City fans are willing to put the passion they demonstrate on here to get fully behind the team instead of slating the team/manager/each other/anything else that moves on here.

Great post.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

I get angry when people defend the indefensible.

No one has a divine right to my support, it has to be earnt. Certain individuals have been taking the piss for too long and deserve all the criticism they get. Lets remember they're not volunteers.

Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough.

[Tauntons Finest]

Every player needs to earn the respect and the fans support, that's by being up to the task ( being good enough and giving it all in every game ) LF is not good enough and IMO doesn't give 110% every game that Iv witnessed, **** him and any other player that is in the same bracket that gets paid silly money to represent city, I for one will slate any player, on here or at a game I feel is not worthy of wearing the shirt.

[RedZoneJim]

I get angry when people defend the indefensible.

No one has a divine right to my support, it has to be earnt. Certain individuals have been taking the piss for too long and deserve all the criticism they get. Lets remember they're not volunteers.

Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough.

Oh Christ. "Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough." Breath is wasted on some people. If only life was that simple.......

If you didn't see that Football's Suicide Secret programme a month or so ago find it online and watch it then try telling people like Robert Enke that he just needed to try harder and that his lack of confidence was a 'ball bag of an excuse'. Or sorry you can't can you because he killed himself because of the depression caused by the pressure and anxiety of playing.

Read this and then say it's a 'ball bag of an excuse' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8792439/Tragedy-of-goalkeeper-Robert-Enkes-secret-struggle.html

There are some people who look like they don't give a crap and there are others you can see are struggling with confidence. Grow up.

[WTFiGO!?!]

i read this forum on a daily basis and often i wonder if i am on a city fans forum.having been born a city fan nearly 70 years ago and can say ive seen most things to do with bcfc. sometimes i am appalled by so called fans comments.the trade-it action and topic must be the bottom of the barrel.so much slagging off must really help a newish team find its feet and comfidence and the constantbelittling of a single player is a not the action of a true fan. debate is good but first and foremostpeople on this site should be city though and through.moan but think before you destroy confidence.it really doesnt help.so i suggest the constant moaners try supporting your team this season and you might just make a difference.

Respect for your integrity and outspokenness (and your 70 years!) but for the first time in 16 years I do not own a season ticket such was my utter disgust at what I witnessed on the pitch last season. Not the defeats, not the relegation but the collection of strangers who showed no respect for Bristol City Football Club and no respect for it's supporters.

A certain individuals 'confidence' has been shot for two years or more, this storm now can not do it any more harm. It is a symptom of his inability to overcome it, not a cause of it.

He hasn't had this level of abuse for two years or more, infact I've given him my support for much of that time.

[Tauntons Finest]

And if SOD starts him against Wolves il be slating SOD,I'm there to support the team of course but if SOD can't see LF is a liability then he will have gone down in my estimation as a manager ( which he did on Sunday btw when it took him 45 min and 3 goals down to change the teams approach when it was apparent it wasn't working, feel he's a tad stubborn)

Going back to LF, he's been failed by the previous 2 managers who should of got rid along time ago, if my opinions offend or hurt the feelings of LF and any other player I feel is not good enough then I'd suggest they "grow some" for too long now there's been players taking the piss out of its supporters and the club.

Don't get me wrong I'm not one of these supporters that expect instant glory and I'm happy with what SOD has said about many aspects of his vision for the club ( be happy with top 8 this season ) but if he can't see what the majority of fans see regarding LF then **** him aswell

[WolfOfWestStreet]

Oh Christ. "Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough." Breath is wasted on some people. If only life was that simple.......

If you didn't see that Football's Suicide Secret programme a month or so ago find it online and watch it then try telling people like Robert Enke that he just needed to try harder. Or sorry you can't can you because he killed himself because of the depression caused by the pressure of playing.

I did watch that show and I'm fully aware of Robert Enke's tragic story. However as far as I am aware Liam Fontaine doesn't have a mental health problem and from what I have witnessed first hand for the last THREE season has been nothing short of atrocious.

Lack of ability I can a accept if a player is putting his all in, but do you genuinely believe he and others are giving 100%? bollocks.

Breath is wasted on happy clappers trying to mother these overpaid wasters. They don't deserve your sympathy. IMO of course.

[RedZoneJim]

I did watch that show and I'm fully aware of Robert Enke's tragic story. However as far as I am aware Liam Fontaine doesn't have a mental health problem and from what I have witnessed first hand for the last THREE season has been nothing short of atrocious.

Lack of ability I can a accept if a player is putting his all in, but do you genuinely believe he and others are giving 100%? bollocks.

Breath is wasted on happy clappers trying to mother these overpaid wasters. They don't deserve your sympathy. IMO of course.

You or me or anyone else has no idea what any player past or present may or may not have had to go through in their personal lives. We haven't got a clue what goes on every day. To just put everything down to not trying hard enough is bullshit. Life ain't that straightforward.

[RedZoneJim]

And if SOD starts him against Wolves il be slating SOD,I'm there to support the team of course but if SOD can't see LF is a liability then he will have gone down in my estimation as a manager ( which he did on Sunday btw when it took him 45 min and 3 goals down to change the teams approach when it was apparent it wasn't working, feel he's a tad stubborn)

Going back to LF, he's been failed by the previous 2 managers who should of got rid along time ago, if my opinions offend or hurt the feelings of LF and any other player I feel is not good enough then I'd suggest they "grow some" for too long now there's been players taking the piss out of its supporters and the club.

Don't get me wrong I'm not one of these supporters that expect instant glory and I'm happy with what SOD has said about many aspects of his vision for the club ( be happy with top 8 this season ) but if he can't see what the majority of fans see regarding LF then **** him aswell

So you would've changed things before the penalty then, when it was 0-0 and we had very good chances to score ourselves. Penalty came in the 27th minute. So you would've changed things before that would you?

[Tauntons Finest]

Oh Christ. "Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough." Breath is wasted on some people. If only life was that simple.......

If you didn't see that Football's Suicide Secret programme a month or so ago find it online and watch it then try telling people like Robert Enke that he just needed to try harder and that his lack of confidence was a 'ball bag of an excuse'. Or sorry you can't can you because he killed himself because of the depression caused by the pressure and anxiety of playing.

Read this and then say it's a 'ball bag of an excuse' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8792439/Tragedy-of-goalkeeper-Robert-Enkes-secret-struggle.html

There are some people who look like they don't give a crap and there are others you can see are struggling with confidence. Grow up.

Re the above then its a players/person responsibility as well as friends family and the football club to recognise the warning signs of someone who has suicidal feelings and try and deal with it.

With some people will show no signs of this and will attempt/carry out suicide. Sad as it maybe it happens,wether its a footballer or a "normal person"

Going back to LF, again its his and SOD responsibility to deal with his "lack of confidence" one way or another, to protect him from criticism/abuse he gets for not being good enough.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

You or me or anyone else has no idea what any player past or present may or may not have had to go through in their personal lives.

Totally agree, but are you suggesting this is a reason for a certain individuals poor form? If LF has a mental health problem that is undiagnosed then that is a completely different issue.

He's had "confidence issues" for some time. If he cannot cope with the pressure of professional sport someone needs to identify this for the good of his long term health.

[RedZoneJim]

Totally agree, but are you suggesting this is a reason for a certain individuals poor form? If LF has a mental health problem that is undiagnosed then that is a completely different issue.

He's had "confidence issues" for some time. If he cannot cope with the pressure of professional sport someone needs to identify this for the good of his long term health.

No, you said 'Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough' as if everything was that black and white. It ain't always.

Whether its confidence, concentration, ability, or whatever with Fontaine I don't believe he doesn't care.

[Tauntons Finest]

So you would've changed things before the penalty then, when it was 0-0 and we had very good chances to score ourselves. Penalty came in the 27th minute. So you would've changed things before that would you?

as I didn't go and am basing my opinion on what I heard on the radio and have read I would of yes,We were getting hurt from out wide and even tho we had chances to score it wasn't working, Defending (especially away from home should be a teams main priority, regardless)

[WolfOfWestStreet]

No, you said 'Lack of confidence is a ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough' as if everything was that black and white. It ain't always.

I think people are using confidence as an excuse, in this case. When reality is. He ain't good enough and hasnt been for some time.

Edit. I didn't say he didn't care. I'm sure he does. Why doesn't he come out and say, "I've been poor but I'm desperate to turn things around, been busting a gut to stop the errors in training, give me a chance to show what I can do"

Think most reasonable supporters would accept this and get behind him. Instead the silence seems like arrogance.

[RedZoneJim]

I think people are using confidence as an excuse, in this case. When reality is. He ain't good enough and hasnt been for some time.

That's very different to confidence being a 'ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough'.

[WolfOfWestStreet]

That's very different to confidence being a 'ball bag excuse for not trying hard enough'.

Ok I accept the phrasing of my point was childish. I am going to stick my neck out and say he's not trying hard enough though, he doesn't even seem to achknowledged these errors.

[bearded_red]

If the Fontaine situation wasn't firstly so infuriating and secondly so sad to see (I'm actually able to remember how good a player he used to be for us) it would actually be quite interesting to what has actually happened with him? This isn't someone who showed some good form for a while then reverted to rubbish or even someone who's weaknesses have been found out and therefore exposed by the opposition. Fontaine up until last season was a solid, reliable and composed Championship centre half. Since a few games into last season he has become a disaster area. A walking mistake waiting to happen.

Last season at various stages I thought he may have suffered the same fate as many sportsmen before him and got the yips. So I was interested to see that there was an article in the excellent Bountyhunter a couple of weeks ago that seemed to think along the same lines. I won't copy it all out, but here are a few extracts;

"It's variously known as The Yips, Dartitis or in America as Steve Blass Disease. The strange phenomenon of a sportsmen suddenly finding their natural ability mysteriously blocked off to them. Not for any obvious physical reason, lack of effort or desire. It's as if the previously innate skills that were accessed as easily as a multinational company locates a low tax haven, just upped and left. Last season at Ashton Gate we may have witnessed our own version when a previous crowd favourite turned from hero to villain."

"We've all seen plenty of players at the Gate whose appearance in a professional football match is a mystery. Players that lack basic co-ordination, are two footed only is as much as both feet are equally inept at retaining a friendship with the small round thing which so unexpectedly arrives in front of them. Most of these were young and could be excused their optimistic but misguided adventure into the world of the overpaid sportsman and his indiscretions. Yes, yes- I know what you are thinking and I'm not going to dwell on the tricky subject of Nicky Hunt here. At some point in his career he may have had a good game but if he did, I didn't see it. In my mind he didn't lose form- he simply never had it in the first place. Fonts though, Fonts in his pomp is a joy to watch. Notice that I said 'is' there rather than 'was'."

"Now some fans were happy to yell abuse at Fonts last year accusing him of a lack of effort or desire. A sign of all what was wrong with the modern day, extravagantly remunerated footballer. I may be wrong but I didn't get that impression. What I saw was a man constrained and confused by his failings of a previously reliable brain and body."

"Not the sort of defender to fling himself into the sort of last ditch tackles that had you leaping to applaud. Fonts was assured, calm and blessed with great timing in the tackle and an ability to read the game that rendered last ditch tackles redundant. Maybe he wasn't playing at the very top level of his chosen sport like the others I have mentioned (People such as Eric Bristow, Stephen Hendry, Steve Blass and Phil Edmonds who are all thought to have suffered from the yips) but he was a popular figure, playing in one of the top divisions of Football in Europe. So why had it all gone so wrong"

Talking about ex City player Gus Caesar- Gus had figured prominently for Arsenal in the disastrous 1988 League Cup final against Luton Town. He gifted a late equaliser for, of all people Danny Wilson before Luton went on to grab an even later winner. Gus never recovered form that and during his time with us he constantly looked as nervous as a driving instructor giving a blind man lessons. It can't always have been like that- for 20 years he would have been in the top 1% of footballers in the country. As Nick Hornby pointed out in Fever Pitch, he was more talented than nearly everyone in his generation and yet ultimately that talent was rendered useless, once he lost his self-belief."

"Can Fonts avoid that fate? Despite the welcome addition of some defensive cover by the club in the summer, I for one hope he can do so. Maybe he actually needs to think less and just play his natural game, a game that served both him and Bristol City very well in the past."

One example I will add is Scott Boswell who most Cricket fans and certainly all Somerset fans on here will know. In the C&G final of 2001 between Somerset and Leicestershire Boswell was playing for Leicestershire and went into the final on the back of superb performance in the semi's. Like so many before him Boswell struggled with the Lord's slope and ended up bowling a ridiculous amount of wides in his two overs. After that performance he played once more before retiring from Cricket at the age of 26. One shocking performance had led to him calling Cricket a day.

As someone who gets extremely irritated by some of the bonehead comments directed at Fontaine over the least year, that article summed up a lot of what I've felt, but was luckily written in a much more eloquent manner than I could manage myself.

I would be lying if I said I remained confident that Fontaine can turn this all around (at any club let alone City where so much has happened) to once again become the composed defender he used to be and it would be almost criminal for him to keep his place for Saturday, but I just wanted to express the other side of the argument to the simpleton view of him simply not trying or caring. He isn't playing terribly because he wants to.. God knows how Liam Fontaine could have possibly enjoyed last season. Endlessly being hopeless at something he has spent his entire life being good at and having to take endless criticism from people that used to support him.

We seem to live in a world nowadays where some feel they qualify as supporters by sitting at home on the internet on a Saturday afternoon stating they hate our players and I may be naïve for not thinking that players that either don't care or don't try are the reason behind all my team's inadequacies, but I struggle to believe that Fontaine hasn't been trying his best to end this rotten spell and I also struggle with the vitriol that some seem to enjoy giving him. You wont find me arguing with many of the negative assessments of his performances, but some of the things people have said either on here or at the ground have been frankly disgraceful to someone who, as much as you might not like it, is still a City player.