[CruisingBlues]

I have never written about our fans before, but after this weekend, I feel like I have to. I am no expert, just a regular fan frustrated by some of the negativity in our fanbase.

The constant moaning about the team needs to stop. If you only care when we are winning, do not bother coming at all, go support Liverpool. We have suffered through the Saunders and Caldwell years, and I would take yesterday?s game over anything from that miserable era.

Sure, we are not in great form right now, but lets not ignore context: we have been hit hard by injuries and lost two of our best attacking players. That is not exactly shocking, but it is tough.

On the positives:
- Fadz was excellent, clever, composed, and showing why he has played at a higher level.
- Sparkes was promising (17 crosses!) and unlucky due to a resilient vale defence. Grigg would have thrived on those deliveries.
- Pepple is already being written off unfairly. His hold-up play and work rate are impressive, and his goals will come.
- Donacien was a surprise starter but solid at RB, his positioning saving us from a couple of scares before his departure.

Overall I thought the defensive signings gave us the solidity we have been craving, we were top heavy at the start of the season and now we are building from the back. It was a silly goal we conceded but giving the BOD due to early debut nerves.

At the start of the season, our realistic goal was to solidify our place in the EFL, with anything else a bonus. All it takes is a good run and we?re still on track for play-offs (look at Donny last season), and even if it does not happen this season, we will be set up for a strong play-off push next year.

Cook does not get everything right, who does?, but he has had us playing the best football I have seen at this club and is not done yet. We are currently watching a team led by a man that will be celebrated as a club legend in many years to come, enjoy the moment.

Finally, I know it is a touchy subject, but our home support needs to step up. Last season, our atmosphere was electric at times - Barnet springs to mind, and we sucked the ball into the net when we needed it. Yesterday, Vale were there for the taking, but the lads got no lift from the stands. Even Dobras kiss of the badge barely got a reaction, I think we would have got more than a draw in games earlier on in the season (bar Walsall) if the fans got behind the team as much as they did against Grimsby when we had 10. Basically, poor home support has cost us points this season. We are as much to blame as the players at times, it is a collective effort.

This is not meant to start arguments, just a plea: stop the negativity and get behind the lads. We are a fantastic club with so much potential - enjoy the ride as this is just the start!

This post has been edited by CruisingBlues: 26 January 2025 - 12:34 PM

[Tha Knows...]

A negative view of our fantastic support!

[HoneyTrippa]

Get your frustration to some degree, but once again over 9,000 at a League 2 game. Our fanbase is incredible for this level. Its only a very small minority % that create negativity and to be fair they would still have something to moan about even if we were top of the League.

[Spireiteranger]

CruisingBlues, on 26 January 2025 - 12:27 PM, said:

I have never written about our fans before, but after this weekend, I feel like I have to. I am no expert, just a regular fan frustrated by some of the negativity in our fanbase.

The constant moaning about the team needs to stop. If you only care when we are winning, do not bother coming at all, go support Liverpool. We have suffered through the Saunders and Caldwell years, and I would take yesterday?s game over anything from that miserable era.

Sure, we are not in great form right now, but lets not ignore context: we have been hit hard by injuries and lost two of our best attacking players. That is not exactly shocking, but it is tough.

On the positives:
- Fadz was excellent, clever, composed, and showing why he has played at a higher level.
- Sparkes was promising (17 crosses!) and unlucky due to a resilient vale defence. Grigg would have thrived on those deliveries.
- Pepple is already being written off unfairly. His hold-up play and work rate are impressive, and his goals will come.
- Donacien was a surprise starter but solid at RB, his positioning saving us from a couple of scares before his departure.

Overall I thought the defensive signings gave us the solidity we have been craving, we were top heavy at the start of the season and now we are building from the back. It was a silly goal we conceded but giving the BOD due to early debut nerves.

At the start of the season, our realistic goal was to solidify our place in the EFL, with anything else a bonus. All it takes is a good run and we?re still on track for play-offs (look at Donny last season), and even if it does not happen this season, we will be set up for a strong play-off push next year.

Cook does not get everything right, who does?, but he has had us playing the best football I have seen at this club and is not done yet. We are currently watching a team led by a man that will be celebrated as a club legend in many years to come, enjoy the moment.

Finally, I know it is a touchy subject, but our home support needs to step up. Last season, our atmosphere was electric at times - Barnet springs to mind, and we sucked the ball into the net when we needed it. Yesterday, Vale were there for the taking, but the lads got no lift from the stands. Even Dobras kiss of the badge barely got a reaction, I think we would have got more than a draw in games earlier on in the season (bar Walsall) if the fans got behind the team as much as they did against Grimsby when we had 10. Basically, poor home support has cost us points this season. We are as much to blame as the players at times, it is a collective effort.

This is not meant to start arguments, just a plea: stop the negativity and get behind the lads. We are a fantastic club with so much potential - enjoy the ride as this is just the start!

Agree with all of this

[SpireRam]

Agree with everything you say but just to add to the home support.

It is one of the worst I?ve ever known it from an atmosphere standpoint. From a pure numbers standpoint it?s phenomenal and I have to scratch my eyes sometimes when the attendance is announced and it?s become the ?norm? that we?re above 8K.

If you?re going to make an effort to get a ticket at the back of the kop I don?t get why you?re not at it from minute one. Even the drum barely gets going.

This post has been edited by SpireRam: 26 January 2025 - 01:56 PM

[Bluekent]

SpireRam, on 26 January 2025 - 01:56 PM, said:

Agree with everything you say but just to add to the home support.

It is one of the worst I?ve ever known it from an atmosphere standpoint. From a pure numbers standpoint it?s phenomenal and I have to scratch my eyes sometimes when the attendance is announced and it?s become the ?norm? that we?re above 8K.

If you?re going to make an effort to get a ticket at the back of the kop I don?t get why you?re not at it from minute one. Even the drum barely gets going.

Yeah it?s a shame we have so many quiet periods during games because when Paul cooks barmy rings round all 4 stands it does sound fantastic. We all need to be louder tho , not just the kop. It should?ve been electric last 10 minutes yesterday pushing for a winner but it felt flat.

[spireitetoo]

HoneyTrippa, on 26 January 2025 - 01:08 PM, said:

Get your frustration to some degree, but once again over 9,000 at a League 2 game. Our fanbase is incredible for this level. Its only a very small minority % that create negativity and to be fair they would still have something to moan about even if we were top of the League.

He's not talking about the numbers,more the noise it generates, I agree with him, for as much as some try getting things going, nobody is joining in with them, even pepple threw his arms up to the stands yesterday trying to get a lift from the crowd, which he did get, but not for long enough...
As a fanbase we have not been vocal enough at home this season,we now play football in a library (from the away fans)lotto, yesterday it took 14 mins, it's been as low as 7mins at time this season

[warfey is a spireite]

We need to get rid of some one legged players to Cheshire homes if they need to sell ,we are not a selling club anymore,but wait?

[Westbars Spireite]

Fans have cost us points? That?s a weird take and of course completely barmy.

[Blue5]

CruisingBlues, on 26 January 2025 - 12:27 PM, said:

I have never written about our fans before, but after this weekend, I feel like I have to. I am no expert, just a regular fan frustrated by some of the negativity in our fanbase.

The constant moaning about the team needs to stop. If you only care when we are winning, do not bother coming at all, go support Liverpool. We have suffered through the Saunders and Caldwell years, and I would take yesterday?s game over anything from that miserable era.

Sure, we are not in great form right now, but lets not ignore context: we have been hit hard by injuries and lost two of our best attacking players. That is not exactly shocking, but it is tough.

On the positives:
- Fadz was excellent, clever, composed, and showing why he has played at a higher level.
- Sparkes was promising (17 crosses!) and unlucky due to a resilient vale defence. Grigg would have thrived on those deliveries.
- Pepple is already being written off unfairly. His hold-up play and work rate are impressive, and his goals will come.
- Donacien was a surprise starter but solid at RB, his positioning saving us from a couple of scares before his departure.

Overall I thought the defensive signings gave us the solidity we have been craving, we were top heavy at the start of the season and now we are building from the back. It was a silly goal we conceded but giving the BOD due to early debut nerves.

At the start of the season, our realistic goal was to solidify our place in the EFL, with anything else a bonus. All it takes is a good run and we?re still on track for play-offs (look at Donny last season), and even if it does not happen this season, we will be set up for a strong play-off push next year.

Cook does not get everything right, who does?, but he has had us playing the best football I have seen at this club and is not done yet. We are currently watching a team led by a man that will be celebrated as a club legend in many years to come, enjoy the moment.

Finally, I know it is a touchy subject, but our home support needs to step up. Last season, our atmosphere was electric at times - Barnet springs to mind, and we sucked the ball into the net when we needed it. Yesterday, Vale were there for the taking, but the lads got no lift from the stands. Even Dobras kiss of the badge barely got a reaction, I think we would have got more than a draw in games earlier on in the season (bar Walsall) if the fans got behind the team as much as they did against Grimsby when we had 10. Basically, poor home support has cost us points this season. We are as much to blame as the players at times, it is a collective effort.

This is not meant to start arguments, just a plea: stop the negativity and get behind the lads. We are a fantastic club with so much potential - enjoy the ride as this is just the start!

A fair opening post.

I agree with your penultimate paragraph and it's a topic I raised last week too. Some games are there for the taking and it appears we need it handing to us on a plate.

After Cookie set our stall out in his pre-match press conference, I had hoped that it would prove to be the catalyst for players and fans to leave it all out there but I think we failed yesterday. I felt extremely disappointed leaving the ground because we should and could have taken the three points.

Criticising and analysing individual players doesn't sit well with me, especially after last season but two players really disappointed me yesterday. I'm a massive fan of Coco's and for me, he starts every game but after yesterday, he wouldn't make my matchday squad on Tuesday. The second player is DJ. I've made no secret that despite his good start to the season, he was the one player who I would sacrifice in my starting 11 and yesterday his performance demonstrated why. He just doesn't do enough, he barely does enough to get by.

If we are to get anything out of this season, some players and fans need to step up a level or in certain cases, two.

[HaslandBlue58]

warfey is a spireite, on 26 January 2025 - 02:07 PM, said:

We need to get rid of some one legged players to Cheshire homes if they need to sell ,we are not a selling club anymore,but wait?

Head in hands time,long shake....... and here we go again...

[Spireiteranger]

Westbars Spireite, on 26 January 2025 - 02:19 PM, said:

Fans have cost us points? That?s a weird take and of course completely barmy.

It doesn?t say that at all tho?.i suggest a re read

[Westbars Spireite]

Spireiteranger, on 26 January 2025 - 02:37 PM, said:

It doesn?t say that at all tho?.i suggest a re read

You go first.

- Basically, poor home support has cost us points this season.

This post has been edited by Westbars Spireite: 26 January 2025 - 02:47 PM

[warfey is a spireite]

HaslandBlue58, on 26 January 2025 - 02:23 PM, said:

Head in hands time,long shake....... and here we go again...

But it's true

[Mr Mercury]

warfey is a spireite, on 26 January 2025 - 02:46 PM, said:

But it's true

What?s true?

[peakblue]

CruisingBlues, on 26 January 2025 - 12:27 PM, said:

I have never written about our fans before, but after this weekend, I feel like I have to. I am no expert, just a regular fan frustrated by some of the negativity in our fanbase.

The constant moaning about the team needs to stop. If you only care when we are winning, do not bother coming at all, go support Liverpool. We have suffered through the Saunders and Caldwell years, and I would take yesterday?s game over anything from that miserable era.

Sure, we are not in great form right now, but lets not ignore context: we have been hit hard by injuries and lost two of our best attacking players. That is not exactly shocking, but it is tough.

On the positives:
- Fadz was excellent, clever, composed, and showing why he has played at a higher level.
- Sparkes was promising (17 crosses!) and unlucky due to a resilient vale defence. Grigg would have thrived on those deliveries.
- Pepple is already being written off unfairly. His hold-up play and work rate are impressive, and his goals will come.
- Donacien was a surprise starter but solid at RB, his positioning saving us from a couple of scares before his departure.

Overall I thought the defensive signings gave us the solidity we have been craving, we were top heavy at the start of the season and now we are building from the back. It was a silly goal we conceded but giving the BOD due to early debut nerves.

At the start of the season, our realistic goal was to solidify our place in the EFL, with anything else a bonus. All it takes is a good run and we?re still on track for play-offs (look at Donny last season), and even if it does not happen this season, we will be set up for a strong play-off push next year.

Cook does not get everything right, who does?, but he has had us playing the best football I have seen at this club and is not done yet. We are currently watching a team led by a man that will be celebrated as a club legend in many years to come, enjoy the moment.

Finally, I know it is a touchy subject, but our home support needs to step up. Last season, our atmosphere was electric at times - Barnet springs to mind, and we sucked the ball into the net when we needed it. Yesterday, Vale were there for the taking, but the lads got no lift from the stands. Even Dobras kiss of the badge barely got a reaction, I think we would have got more than a draw in games earlier on in the season (bar Walsall) if the fans got behind the team as much as they did against Grimsby when we had 10. Basically, poor home support has cost us points this season. We are as much to blame as the players at times, it is a collective effort.

This is not meant to start arguments, just a plea: stop the negativity and get behind the lads. We are a fantastic club with so much potential - enjoy the ride as this is just the start!

We had this at saltergate,yet we were the noisiest bunch of fans on the road,still the same today
Went to vale park early on in the season and it was like a morgue,we were the loudest by far,until they scored

[warfey is a spireite]

Were told were not going to be a selling club anymore we've had those days,years ago ,if dobs goes that's 3 players all up front 27 goals between them,I remember days when we couldn't give Matlock 5000 for Bradshaw,this is a good opportunity to get out don't you think Merc ?

[Tha Knows...]

spireitetoo, on 26 January 2025 - 02:04 PM, said:

He's not talking about the numbers,more the noise it generates, I agree with him, for as much as some try getting things going, nobody is joining in with them, even pepple threw his arms up to the stands yesterday trying to get a lift from the crowd, which he did get, but not for long enough...
As a fanbase we have not been vocal enough at home this season,we now play football in a library (from the away fans)lotto, yesterday it took 14 mins, it's been as low as 7mins at time this season

The song, which is pretty cr ap imo, is sung by all fans regardless of reality

[Spireite-Karl]

I was really impressed at Stockport (the game were Kingy cost us with his red card when were coasting) with their loud home vocals and was very envious. I wish we could try to lift the players like this even when we're not playing our best. I think a lot of the sideways and backwards football is partly to blame for this and when we're are expressive the crowd does respond. We need to try more forward passes and have willing runners. Also overload the box when we do get the chance; this would get the crowd going.

[DIFH]

warfey is a spireite, on 26 January 2025 - 03:05 PM, said:

Were told were not going to be a selling club anymore we've had those days,years ago ,if dobs goes that's 3 players all up front 27 goals between them,I remember days when we couldn't give Matlock 5000 for Bradshaw,this is a good opportunity to get out don't you think Merc ?

We are exactly a selling club, when a bid comes in that invariably turns a players head and we all know eventually that means a deal is done.

This post has been edited by DIFH: 26 January 2025 - 03:44 PM