History earns a club respect. What happens on the pitch decides how long that respect lasts.
There’s a point where talking about a club’s history stops explaining the present. A famous badge carries expectation, but it doesn’t press the ball, defend a cross or create a chance.
Spending matters. So do recruitment, coaching and the balance of a squad. Fans are entitled to discuss all of that. But a team also has to make something of the players it already has.
The most useful question is what the side is actually trying to do. Can you see a plan? Are players improving? Does the team respond when a match starts going against it?
Those are fair demands at any level. Supporters can accept a difficult spell more easily when there’s purpose behind it. Reputation gets attention. Performances give people a reason to believe.