I blame Bill Archer. If he hadn't been such a **** and sold the ground for a third of its market value and sent us into exile for 2 years thereby landing us with a never ending planning permission problem and no pot to piss in, we'd probably have dabbled with the play-offs by now given the string of top notch managers and players who have come and gone who might otherwise have stayed.
I really think - because of the Sky Digital fallout acting as a leveller - that promotion last season was there for the taking for a quality manager with a competent squad with a smattering of outstanding individuals. And if we were filling a 25k stadium each week, could you see Sidwell leaving to go to little old Reading? Would we have kept hold of Zamora? Would Coppell/Adams/Taylor have signed a 3 year deal by now?
It's Archer's fault that people like Coppell and Adams are having their dignity and honour called into question.