Seems to be a significant enough proportion of the support due to belonging and tribalism will just defend anything that wears b&w stripes and seahorses on it. Cognitive dissonance at the futility of the situation making stats and truths more palletable. Compare what you like - Rafa when he left was in ascendency in terms of his project and although he’s faltered in China, he’s done it time and again elsewhere. We’ve reached the Bruce plateau. There is nowhere to go beyond this cycle of okay/iffy winning performances and hammerings. Ashley 17th + dreamland and it’s the source of my utter ambivalence.