Cardiff City interim manager Aaron Ramsey shares a similar feeling to the fans after a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion confined the club to the third tier of football for the first time in two decades.
Before the game had even started, there was an air of desperation around the stadium following Luton’s dramatic late victory in the lunchtime kick off.
Cardiff not only needed to win, but required a small miracle in the process in order to keep their Championship status next season.
But despite an afternoon of noisy enthusiasm, silent agonies and multiple attempts, they now have to prepare for life in League One.
“This club means everything to me, I’m a fan as well,” Ramsey said with genuine emotion.
“I really feel for the fans, I know how they’re feeling,”
“ButtThe reality is over the course of the season we haven’t been good enough.
“Everyone has to have a look in the mirror and realise they haven’t been good enough,”
Despite a first League One campaign since 2003 bookmarked to start in August, Ramsey remains positive about the effort put in and the potential the side has.
“I’m proud of the last couple of performances,” Ramsey said.
“I think if the right structure is in place, these players will give you everything.
“If the club can give them the opportunities they deserve, then of course they are capable of coming straight back up.
“This club has got so much potential; it’s just about getting it right.”
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That message gives more than a slight nudge to the Cardiff board, who did not escape the fury of Bluebirds supporters at the full-time whistle.
They voiced chants of "Vincent Tan - get out of our club", which followed the organised protest of last week.
“Usually, you have a director of football, someone who oversees everything day to day,” Ramsey reminded his current employers.
“It’s about having someone in who has the team’s best interest at heart.
“That’s half the battle and the rest should take care of itself.
"At the end of the day, everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror and we have to be big enough to accept that.
"t's so, so important, because this club has got so much potential, it's just about getting that right and it's about responding to this and getting back quickly."
In the game itself, the visitors had the best chance of the first half, as Adam Armstrong ran into space on the right-hand side and cut the ball back to the on-rushing Tom Fellows whose scuffed shot hit the foot of the far post, fooling the travelling fans who thought they had taken the lead.
Cardiff did have the ball in the back of the net on 45 minutes as Calum Chambers headed in from a free kick, but the flag was raised cutting the celebrations short.
At half time, news filtered through that Plymouth had taken the lead away at Preston, meaning Cardiff were rock bottom of the championship, with a win now more imperative than ever.
A moment of utter frenzy and frustration occurred on the hour mark, as Alex Robertson, Yousef Salech and Calum Chambers were all thwarted by Josh Griffiths as well as the post in Salech’s case.
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Soon after there was a moment of jeopardy, as championship veteran Armstrong ran through on goal for Albion in a moment which would have sealed Cardiff’s relegation, but he took too long and was closed down by Horvath.
“You would have put your house on him to bury that,” Baggies interim James Morrison said.
“We worked all week learning how to get in behind the centre backs, and that’s when we did,”
“It’s probably my fault, I put my hand up expecting the net to bulge but it wasn’t to be.”
Despite late attempts from Joe Ralls and Will Alves both going agonisingly close, Cardiff were unable to find the goal to save their skins.
Now, they have to prepare for a first campaign in League One since the days of former manager Lennie Lawrence, and hope that Ramsey’s optimism can be rightly fulfilled next season.
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