The state of the entitled ‘fan base’ we have on here is just embarrassing.
Your self-entitlement as to what we are as a club is incredible
Entitled?
Entitled???
I never had the pleasure of watching us in the top flight, nor do I expect to in my lifetime.
I did, however, get to enjoy multiple seasons in the 2nd tier throughout the 90's - and I don't think it is unreasonable to hope for this again.
There is a significant portion of our support (judging by this place) that are more than content to never play at that level again. I'm not saying they don't want it - but they are distinctly content where they are. Being reserved is ok in real life, football should allow us to dream, to wish for more. It doesn't mean you can't appreciate what KR has achieved or that 'things could be worse' - but it recognises that life is short and progress is our aim.
Of course it's not KR's fault that we've not played in the 2nd tier for 23 years (nearly a quarter of a century) - but after 4.5 years if he is not best placed to get us there then surely we move on?
This isn't entitlement - it's ambition. Entitled are Wigan fans thinking they should be top flight because Dave Whelan got them punching above their weight or Reading fans thinking their natural place is in the 2nd tier because they've overspent for years.
I am simply wanting OUFC to play in the 2nd tier - a level far from beyond us and hardly delusions of grandeur.
For the record, the following clubs (all smaller than us IMHO) have played tier 2 football (or in some cases top flight) since we last did in 1999:
Tranmere
Stockport
Crewe
Grimsby
Walsall
Port Vale
Gillingham
Wimbledon
Rotherham
Wigan
Southend
Scunthorpe
Colchester
Blackpool
Doncaster Rovers
Peterborough
Yeovil
Bournemouth
Brentford
MK Dons
Burton Albion
Wycombe
And that doesn't even touch on clubs of a similar size (Reading, Plymouth, Luton, Swansea etc). In fact, I can't think of a bigger club than us that has gone as long without playing in the 2nd tier (there's probably one or two of a similar size (Bristol Rovers for example) who have gone a bit longer - but no-one undeniably bigger).
As identified by other posters - this could be the best chance we have of not only getting to that level but establishing ourselves there. We need to move - and move quick - the clock is ticking. Off the pitch - and on it.