Was just thinking this morning about how I feel like i'm becoming spoiled as a fan. I woke up and instead of basking in the afterglow of an easy and impressive away win, I was already thinking and fretting about Sunday's game and it got me thinking about being a fan, how things have evolved in the last 3 years and how I don't like feeling this way. Decided to check the stats and see how many "routine" away wins we've had under Eddie in that time and picked most of them out:
2022/23
Fulham - 4-1, absolutely spanked them, one of the easiest away wins i've witnessed as a fan
Southampton - 4-1, rarely was a win in doubt
Leicester 3-0 - game won by half time
West Ham - 5-1. Five fucking one man, could only really recall winning 5-1 away in the league at West Brom in 89 off the top of my head. Also, Coventry under Gullitt in a freakish game around 98 or 99.
Everton - 4-1. Finally a comfy win at this place, one of my favorites under Eddie
2023/24
Sheff Utd - 8-0. Howay man.
Man Utd - 3-0. Ok, bit of a cheat, league cup game but still magnificent
Mackems - 3-0. Another cup game but still, one to savor
Villa - 3-1. Played them off the park, except for the last 15 or so. 3 up and should have scored more.
Burnley - 4-1. Probably in second gear or might have hit double figures.
Brentford - 4-2. Not routine as such, but 4 away goals is top
2024/25
Forest - 3-1. Had to come from behind but great win, another 3 goals on the road
Ipswich - 4-0. Could have been another Sheff Utd.
Man Utd - 2-0. Only 2 but howay, a comfy win at Old Trafford? Only happened once before in my lifetime
Southampton - 3-1. As routine as it gets
Leicester - 3-0. Another one and it prompted my thoughts on this.
These are just the away wins, didn't even delve into the times we spanked someone at home, loads of them.
I count 16 comfortable, basically "routine" away wins just in the last 3 years. I suppose the point of this ramble, I need to enjoy this NOW, and I think more of us should than actually do, these are halcyon days man. I wouldn't want to paint everyone with the same brush but in the match thread last night, I saw loads of comments like "this is crap", "this is boring", "why aren't we trying to score more" etc etc. I count myself in that, I was aggravated with the second half. Then I calmed down and realized what we had just done. We just won an away league game inside 11 fucking minutes.
I would say that a 3-0 away win, if it had happened in the second half of the 80s when I was first going, would have been talked about for weeks. It just didn't really happen. Even in the KK years, away wins tended to come with jeopardy, a daft goal conceded to make it closer than it should have been. The Ashley years, don't make me laugh.
We are now coached and run in such a professional and brilliant way, easily the best in my lifetime, we can win away games in first gear within 11 minutes. Let that sink in, the next time you want to send some vitriol this man's way.
TLDR: This is a class time to be a fan, best in over 50 years
Edit - add Brentford (2-0) and Norwich (3-0) from the second half of 22 to the list. Had completely forgotten about them.