It’s been a slow news week.

Well, it has if you’re already bored of reading about how Blues fans shouldn’t worry, how players are going to put it right and how McLeish expects an improved performance next week. Yet again, I’ve been forced to take an interest in matters a bit closer to my new home.

Should Ricky carry on as captain? Will that bloke who got hit by a tram ever play for Richmond again? Should Ben Cousins get a second shot? Should Andrew Symonds get a recall to the national team? Will Qantas ever fly another plane that doesn’t suffer some sort of mid-flight crisis? And my personal favourite – who would win in a scrap between Dorothy The Dinosaur and Barney? As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my niece and nephews-in-law lately.

In my defence, it’s not like I haven’t made some sort of effort to find interesting Blues-related articles. I’ve been dialled up for over two hours now and spent the majority of time trawling for news. The best I’ve managed is a 51 second long video clip of Blues fans singing Keep Right On on YouTube (and that’s hardly ‘news’.) Do you have any idea how long it takes to load a 51 second video on YouTube when you only connect at about 50k? About the same time it takes Radhi Jaidi to run the 800 metres.

I thought the best solution to a lack of bloggage and news would be to start a poll and see if my views match up with those of people back home – especially the people who go to games. I thought up some obvious stuff:

- Is McLeish the right man for the job?
- What is Cameron Jerome’s best position?
- Should Quincy be getting more pitch time?
- Will Damien Johnson solve all our problems upon his return?

Too early to tell, through the middle, yes and yes respectively (okay, maybe not.)

But there’s nothing there that really grabs the attention and sparks debate. The Quincy not coming on versus Forest was one potential discussion point but Tatts gave a full explanation of why Jerome was preferred to Quincy at his blog (which for my money by the way, is the best blog out there) earlier today. A lot of Blues fans seem to agree on most things these days and even my overly optimistic approach to football this season is wearing thin, with myself as much as those around me.

The truth is that getting up at 3 AM and listening to an abject performance (and I must do an update on the service of Blues World at some point) and hearing and reading more comments of what we’ve seen / heard for what feels like the last forever is no fun. I daresay that travelling 50 odd miles up the road being packed in like sheep and treated like criminals – and paying for the privilege – is no fun either. Especially considering the performance, or lack thereof.

I’ve gone with the not-so-original “Where do you think Blues will finish?” poll line. You can vote on the right hand sidebar now. I’ve gone with it because at the beginning of the season, I saw a lot of positivity saying that the Championship trophy had already been decorated with blue and white ribbons and that room had already been made in the Blues trophy case (plenty of room, yes, yes, har-har move it along, you simpleton) for it.

However, the last three results have seen a curious fan base turn into a downright depressed one. Before, there was wonderment about what McLeish could achieve, when we’d finally click and play well for ninety-minutes and when the best strike force in the division could finally find its shooting boots. The last three results and performances seem to have dampened that and now I find that a lot of Blues fans simply do not believe that any of this will happen.

It’s funny because I feel like a year off from Premiership scrapping was a thing to be welcomed. Not that I was pleased that we were relegated, obviously. But I saw the positives and a number of Blues fans felt like a season in the Championship had done us the world of good before and maybe it would again. A few goals, a few good wins, even the odd star performer and preferential treatment. Dare I say it, even the luck went with us. Football was fun again.

I think this year, we all expected more – especially under McLeish. We – I? – expected more. Maybe more of a season whereby we would play better football and dare I say it, rampage through the division like Reading did last time they were promoted. I don’t think it’s down to the board and the finances that were available, either. We have a good squad – the best in the division in the eyes of most experts.

Regardless of that fact, it isn’t clicking and if it continues to not click, the top two looks a distant dream and despite the reassurances from those at the club, it won’t just ‘be okay’. Actions speak louder than words and when we put together a run of GOOD – not necessarily sparkling – ninety minutes’, maybe Blues fans will start to believe but until then, this cloud of uncertainty and lack of trust in the messages that come out of the club will continue.