In complete agreement with you there Wullie.
Somewhere along the line the press as a whole had their teeth pulled, probably goes back to Wapping.
They should reflect the locals concerns, they should ask the tough questions of the club. If they get banned from the ground they buy tickets and they escalate (or at least continue) their tough line. They'd sell more papers that way for a start.
Tugging their proverbial forelocks at the first sound of displeasure emanating from the St James' boardroom makes them spineless toadies.