wasn't! Just look at where we were in the late 80?s and early 90?s. I well remember the watching dross like Rob McDonald, Mark Stimson and the like, ankle deep in pish from a delapidated Gallowgate end and then suddenly having one of the best grounds in Europe with fantastic football! The 90?s was a failure in terms of trophys won but was a huge success in my oppinion as far as how far that decade brought us back!!! Yes we fell away with wasted opportunities and a huge dept to boot but I was pleased with the 90?s era! Today has some way to go before the 90?s can be deemed a failure!!! As for today we have great potential, we just need patience to realise it! Good craic marra! NewExPat...We've had some differences on here, but I must say your post @47 was spot on. Respect. Jesper....You still about? I still think for the money, Shane Long wouldn't have been a bad option for us at the time. I don't know much about Hooper, so any assessment on my part would be guess work. Tbh, with the difference between the leagues anybodies assessment on him would be guess work. I think the 90?s point that is trying to be made is that people seem to judge Ashley perhaps harsher than the management structure of the 90?s. Is ground work to take the club further being done? It would seem so (and I think you agree). Patience is needed