Why?

[tigerburnie]

We are coming to the sharp end of the season and we are in the playoffs again, one game to go and then the chance of another visit to Twickenham.
So why the negativity on here, why is there a post congratulating the team on pulling us up by the bootlaces and achieving something that looked near impossible? Over a thousand people have read the thread and only six joined in to congratulate the team. Why?
Another thread is hi-jacked to have yet another go at the coaching squad for not using all the academy players, why?
We have a team that is the single most successful, ten years in a row in the playoffs, always getting to the final and still some think the management and coaches are doing it wrong, why?
Is this the price we pay for success, trophy hunting hangers on demanding the impossible, Harlem Globetrotters style win every game and the opposition humiliated for public entertainment, is that what is expected of a rugby team?
We own the best club rugby ground, pay our own way, have the single most successful club in the league. We have a team littered with Internationals and British and Irish Lions. We have young players coming through destined for further international honours. We have three academy lads playing for England at under 20's level, so looking forwards to the future. We have players nominated for player of the season, try of the season, we have our DOR nominated for an award and still people refuse to congratulate the side, the club, without a moan or a back handed swipe. WHY?
So how about we act like supporters, keep the dissection until after the final game and get 100% behind the side and be positive. They say players don't read this forum, I would be surprised if someone from the club is not aware of what is posted on here. Send a positive message to the club that we are behind them.
If we don't come up to expectations, then we have all summer long to debate the various ideas we have before getting behind the side next season.
Every year we have this small group of negative posters, even last year when we ended up champions again.

[chris4xy]

Well said, fully agree

[Rykard]

+1, I thought we were dead and buried when the injuries started to mount up.

[AliB]

It would be a pretty boring forum if everyone just agreed with each other and just made positive comments all the time - I think if people wanted to read that sort of stuff they would need to add a fourth bullet point to the main forum menu:

1. Fans Forum
2. Welford Road Chit Chat
3. Technical Forum
4. Special Fans Forum - Only Nice Comments here please!

There is always room for improvement hence criticism constructive or otherwise should always be able to be discussed and debated in a forum such as this.

I take your point on the "Well done to the Tigers Post" I would have expected more people to chip in here as we have done very well this season..... and on that note I will post something nice there now

[tigerburnie]

The point is that we don't get constructive criticism we can debate, what we get is negativity that seems to be designed to drag down the forum and the team spirit. We win, we get to the playoffs and not one of the negative posters congratulate the side. So again I ask why?
When we were going through a tough spell there were calls for players to be dropped, then the same players are winning us games and we did get a bit of praise for their efforts, I'm thinking Jordon Crane here in particular. But on the whole the same people only seem to want to be negative, even when we are winning. Comments like " yes we won, but we wouldn't beat the Saints at their place" and when we did just that in a fantastic display, still some of those negative posters did not congratulate the team. Makes you wonder, some seem to just come on here to be negative, as if with an ulterior motive.

[Phil B]

Yes, we have done well to reach the play offs, and I say that to myself, often. I don't need to apologise for not saying it publicly on this forum.

The reality (1) is that reaching the semi-finals is the job only half done. No one congratulates losers - for professionals it's almost insulting, in my book. Ask Mark Cavendish what he thinks about coming second.

The reality (2) is that we have been poor for most of the season, and I have seen most of the matches. Why would I have any optimism for us beating Saracens, the best side in the league, by far, if we, and they, get to the final? (Other than blind faith)

The day we start congratulating Tigers for coming 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, is a very sad day indeed.

So I will congratulate Tigers when the time is right, and not before.

[ourla]

I've only been on forum a short time and haven't found it overly negative. People want to debate or state an opinion rather than cheerlead.

So why the negativity on here, why is there a post congratulating the team on pulling us up by the bootlaces and achieving something that looked near impossible?

Steady on. It was never "near impossible". It was a challenge, quite tough at times but it was always not just possible but probable.

Over a thousand people have read the thread and only six joined in to congratulate the team. Why?

Can't speak for others but personally I don't feel a massive need to have dozens of messages saying the same thing. Plus for me, I like to see if they can go further. If they win the darn thing I'm sure we can muster up a few more congratulations

Anyway bottom line is don't fuel the fire. If someone is being overly negative chill out and ignore or ridicule them. They'll soon learn

[tigerburnie]

Yes, we have done well to reach the play offs, and I say that to myself, often. I don't need to apologise for not saying it publicly on this forum.

The reality (1) is that reaching the semi-finals is the job only half done. No one congratulates losers - for professionals it's almost insulting, in my book. Ask Mark Cavendish what he thinks about coming second.

The reality (2) is that we have been poor for most of the season, and I have seen most of the matches. Why would I have any optimism for us beating Saracens, the best side in the league, by far, if we, and they, get to the final? (Other than blind faith)

The day we start congratulating Tigers for coming 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, is a very sad day indeed.

So I will congratulate Tigers when the time is right, and not before.

Should we get to Twickenham this year and we come up against the Sorries, you will be sat there saying, "well we are not going to win". Should that actually be the case and we play valiantly but we lose, you will not congratulate the team on their efforts, even if they happen to be beaten(as you would have us believe) by the better team on the day? Only winning silverware is good enough? Not taking into account the way our players put their bodies on the line for us?

[Noddy555]

If we get to play Saints in the semis then given our record against them both home and away, I would be positive about going to Twickenham again, if we have to play a full strength Saracens team in the Semi final then I think I'll have to find something else to do on the last Saturday in May.

[tigerburnie]

Ourla, this kind of thing has gone on for years on here, many a regular poster has long since got fed up and left. I try to add something contrary and to ask questions to open up the debate. One liners don't really offer much to a debate, so occasionally I resort to war & peace. I have been labelled a happy clapper with tinted glasses in the past. Fact is anything I say is unlikely to change anything, on here or on the field of play but as I enjoy debating things rugby I ask why people feel the way they do. In the past we have had a debate, on occasion it nearly came to me and a fellow "combatant " nearly being banned as it got quite heated. We both are civil to each other and we both support the club passionately, just maybe in a different way. If I can do two things, get some constructive debate going and secondly get the fans behind the team, then I will feel it's been worth while commenting.

[jgriffin]

It is the 'get the fans behind the team' that gets horribly up the nose of many of us. It is persistently deployed as if anyone who voices a question is 'not behind the team'. I consider that sentiment to be ignorant and insulting.

I go to Tigers and have done for a while, and I cheer for them. In my book my attendance and hoarse shouting (alas not as frequent recently due to Mrs G being unwell)is me getting behind the team.

Yet I spent several seasons (as ST holder) being traduced just because I criticised MOC - a position I still hold.

[tigerburnie]

It is the 'get the fans behind the team' that gets horribly up the nose of many of us. It is persistently deployed as if anyone who voices a question is 'not behind the team'. I consider that sentiment to be ignorant and insulting.

I go to Tigers and have done for a while, and I cheer for them. In my book my attendance and hoarse shouting (alas not as frequent recently due to Mrs G being unwell)is me getting behind the team.

Yet I spent several seasons (as ST holder) being traduced just because I criticised MOC - a position I still hold.

Jg I think you know what I mean here and to be honest as MOC hasn't had a bad season with Leinster in his first year, you could just have been mistaken in your opinion of him, we did after all win last year when he was with us.

[Phil B]

Yes, we have done well to reach the play offs, and I say that to myself, often. I don't need to apologise for not saying it publicly on this forum.

The reality (1) is that reaching the semi-finals is the job only half done. No one congratulates losers - for professionals it's almost insulting, in my book. Ask Mark Cavendish what he thinks about coming second.

The reality (2) is that we have been poor for most of the season, and I have seen most of the matches. Why would I have any optimism for us beating Saracens, the best side in the league, by far, if we, and they, get to the final? (Other than blind faith)

The day we start congratulating Tigers for coming 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, is a very sad day indeed.

So I will congratulate Tigers when the time is right, and not before.

Should we get to Twickenham this year and we come up against the Sorries, you will be sat there saying, "well we are not going to win". Should that actually be the case and we play valiantly but we lose, you will not congratulate the team on their efforts, even if they happen to be beaten(as you would have us believe) by the better team on the day? Only winning silverware is good enough? Not taking into account the way our players put their bodies on the line for us?

I was proud of the Tigers when we lost away to Clermont, really proud. Great display, lots of courage and grit.

If we get to HQ, and if we beat Saracens, I will be immensely proud.

If we get beaten, but have put up a great fight, then I will be really proud of the team.

But I will not be going up to the likes of Deacon, Cockerill, etc and saying well done. They will not be happy, and why should they be?

But if we get there and lose, then when the dust has settled, we would be able to look at a campaign that was difficult, and take a lot from it, which is what we should do.

[tigerburnie]

I was proud of the Tigers when we lost away to Clermont, really proud. Great display, lots of courage and grit.

If we get to HQ, and if we beat Saracens, I will be immensely proud.

If we get beaten, but have put up a great fight, then I will be really proud of the team.

But I will not be going up to the likes of Deacon, Cockerill, etc and saying well done. They will not be happy, and why should they be?

But if we get there and lose, then when the dust has settled, we would be able to look at a campaign that was difficult, and take a lot from it, which is what we should do.

Yep, I can go with all of that, don't think I am happy when we lose, I'm not a good loser at all, just maybe less angry than I used to be.

[Nailsworthstiger]

I tend to agree with you on most things TB although I don't often post on here to confirm my opinions. What I will say is I think a lot of posters are hot headed and lambast the team when we play badly. Sometimes it may be with good reason, but to call for heads to roll on the wake of a defeat is IMO out of order.

A fact of life is in sport good teams will always loose sometimes. We cannot win everything all the time and it would be pretty boring if we did.
Take the Safa's last year in the semi final. They lost to the Saints on home plastic... and who is to say the same won't happen again this year. It certainly isn't 100% certain that they will be at the final.

As for us, we do it most years when we start slowly (like last year when we were 2nd from bottom), we get crippled with injuries, but come the business end of the year we get to HQ to play in the final. Some we win, some we loose... another fact of life and it hurts when we loose especially if we don't perform to our potential ie vs Quins 2 years ago. And when we don't perform, its another way of life. I still play cricket in the Over 50's championship and on occasions I get it all wrong, but I would hate to hear people tell me I should give up because of a bad game.