Every single transfer window, Newcastle fans are told news that is already known, and accepted. We can't compete with the elite for players and we can't keep a hold of a player if a huge bid comes in. Sensible fans know this, so it is hard to understand why we must constantly be reminded of this. The perpetual reminders are defeatists. Not only do they constantly dampen the mood, but they also convey a message of acceptance, almost inviting clubs to take our best players, or to tell the fans not to bother dreaming. Instead, accept the minumum.
Comments can be empty, and while they're unfuriating to hear over and over again, they are just words. Unfortunately, this attitude can be seen through out the club. Every single season we go out of the League Cup and FA Cup in the early rounds, and yet no one at the club seems overly concerned. Alan Pardew loves to remind the fans of his "affinity" to the FA Cup before subsequently playing kids in the cup. People will say his hand was forced, and maybe so, but do you honestly believe that Cisse and Coloccini picked up knocks so suddenly on the eve of the Brighton disaster? Especially when they were completely ft for the Premier League game the following match? The league is financially important, there is no doubting that, but the fact that no one at the club seems concerned or even actively rectifiying the cup disasters just adds to the evidence that the club are more than happy to accept a half decent Premier League finish.
Reasonable fans are not demanding an instant return to challenging for the title. They would quite happily see the club do it's best to pursue a trophy, for the sake of a few league places. It is hard to believe that the club are trying to pursue success, when the board and manager constantly throw cup competitions and remind us of how we're not as good as the others at the top.
Some will turn a blind eye to this, and mention last season's 5th place, and the Europa League quarter final of this season. Valid points, but not without concerns. After finishing 5th, Newcastle had its best chance to build and try to close the gap on the top four, or even to stay in the upper echelons of the league. So the club's decisions to throw this chance away by not investing, is inexcusable and worrying. The Europa League was a good run, but it was completely mistreated until the later stages. The reason the Europa League was suddenly taken seriously was because it detracted from the utter failure of the season in all other departments.
The reason this attitude is so infuriating is because it would be so easily fixed. It doesn't require a sugar daddy, or a huge overhaul of staff. The problem merely requires a change of attitude. Consdering how poor the season was from everyone involved in the club, the easiest way to win the people back over would be play to a strong side as soon as the League Cup starts. While we're talking of winning back the fans, it would be beneficial for all at the club to say nothing, rather than tell us how we can't compete.