So as the transfer window closes, I just wanted to throw my 2 cents into the ring, as someone who generally refrains from posting on speculative threads like this. I have my own reservations on certain aspects of the transfer window for sure, like every fan. But I have a generally positive view on the process, and on the management of the club, and have no interest in thinking I know better than them when it comes to recruitment, formation, tactics and the rest of it. Come the end of the season, if our general upward trajectory as a club appears to have reversed, only then I might change my mind, but until then what I see is progress with squad building (new Brannagan contract amongst others, quality permanent signings of generally Championship quality instead of loans, youth players starting to shine, young diamonds in the rough like McGinty recruited), progress with the stadium situation, progress with the training facilities, academy and women's set-up, progress with community engagement and certain marketing aspects (not all), and a group of wealthy, ambitious individuals at the helm who appear to be serious and competent with their ambition. Of course there are things I would like to see done differently, but I'm not an expert in the running of a football club and also understand not everything can ever be perfect. At the end of the day we're a small, community-focused club (as aspect that made me fall in love with OUFC in the first place I should say), and just to be talking about Top 30 and PL ambitions is nothing short of a dream - when much of my youth was spent watching us struggle to beat the likes of Altrincham and Hayes and Yeading in a 2/3rds empty stadium.
But what I have seen on social media, and on here, in the last few days has made me rather concerned about the way the club's hierarchy and staff view the fanbase in general. These extreme views of a small spattering of individuals are of course allowed, everyone should be allowed to have their say, however they carry a huge amount of weight and I do not think they in any way represent the views of the thousands of Oxford fans who do not post every few minutes, the vast majority of whom don't use this forum, Twitter, or other channels. And I really really hope the club know this and do not think that these views speak for all Oxford fans - they certainly don't represent mine. Particularly some of the comments regarding our own players, home-growns like Sam Long and Stevens and new signings that haven't even had a chance to show their worth like Wildschut and Jones, are bordering on repulsive. These are our players, in the case of Long and Stevens players that have come through our ranks and at times been absolute heroes in yellow and blue, and deserve to have their names chanted by the fans, not insults thrown at them by a couple of keyboard warriors. I may be wrong, but I don't think these views have anything to do with the fanbase in general, and are completely at odds with the views I hear from fellow fans I know or when I'm at matches.
Anyway sorry for the long post, I just thought I'd like to point that out, as I think others already have, and I really hope that the views of the dozen or so individuals posting 100 times a day on an internet forum and twitter don't become viewed as the benchmark for the opinion of the fanbase in general, either by other fans, or by those working at the club.