I didn't Chaz!
I honestly didn't realise that's what clubs do.
So if we ever did a mass boycott protest one day (we never would), where no-one turned up, the attendance afterwards would still show 56/57k?!

Why bother giving an attendance figure at all if it's not based on reality? Just say "more or less the same as the last home league match". Quicker to put 5 numbers obvs.
Tomorrow I'm going to say that I nearly won the lottery last night but I was only 6 numbers out.
Re: long ball game or no long ball game.
To me it's all relative.
Yes, of course it's not as attractive but it is just one aspect of football.
I'm not a fan per se but I would prefer we avoided relegation by playing the long ball than get relegated whilst playing attractive football. Of course I would PREFER avoiding relegation by playing attractive footy.
Monday night was just about getting 3 points. But then aren't all games about that?
Constantly playing the long ball means you've a) got a big target man in your team &/or b) you haven't got skillful enough players to get goals by passing/dribbling past players.
An interesting point last season was in a Chelsea game the oppositions (not us) long ball game turned the mighty N'golo Kante into a little boy lost, chasing shadows. Took him out of the game completely. So it can be very effective on occasions.