Since the opening game of this season, Mets fans have gotten habituated with the players being booed off the field after every game, and manager Carlos Mendoza looking clueless. And every time the fans demanded accountability, they were served with Mendoza’s templated response. After Wednesday’s blowout loss against the Nationals, it’s again no different.

The Mets’ 2-14 loss against the Nationals on Wednesday was rough to watch. Pitching staff plummeted, and the offense faltered. But the worst part was Mendoza’s wake-up call to the clubhouse, which sounds very familiar, leaving the Mets nation hopeless.

“We have to be better. There are no excuses. It’s been a long period of time here where we’re not playing well. Gotta fix it,” Mendoza said after Wednesday’s loss.

Surely, it’s been a long time since the Mets were seen as dominant. They looked dominant in the first game against the Nationals, where, apart from Francisco Alvarez and Tyrone Taylor, all other players scored runs. The pitching staff also looked dominant, giving up no runs. But the Mets’ dominance was limited to one game only. Last year was no different. The Mets won in the middle but couldn’t make it a streak.

However, while Mendoza was right in offering a reality check to the clubhouse, his hope of fixing it soon was what made the fans go berserk.

Every time the team loses, Mendoza comes up with an optimistic view. For instance, last year, when Kodai Senga was struggling, Mendoza said, “We are in the process of figuring things out, where we are going to give him those live looks.” Nothing improved this year, and after Senga struggles against the A’s, Mendoza said, “Kodai Senga remains in the rotation for now. They’ll continue to look at film. We’ve got to help him.”

You are not wrong if you find familiarity in Mendoza’s responses.

This time also, while Mendoza is optimistic about fixing the issues, fans wonder whether that is even possible, especially after Wednesday’s show. David Peterson started the game for the Mets and gave up 7 runs in his 3.2 innings. Sean Manaea took over and allowed another 6 runs! The Nationals totaled 14 runs, but the Mets could manage only 2.

Juan Soto and Bo Bichette scored one run each, and that’s the end of the game.

Hence, despite Mendoza trying to wake up the Mets clubhouse, fans seem to be giving up hope on the team.

The Mets fans are left hopeless

The problems with the Mets are so deep that the fans are convinced that it’s not going to get fixed. “Can’t fix this. It’s a group of mostly below-average players, a couple of washed-up veterans, and a terrible GM and a poor manager,” one fan said.

Mendoza is not the one who is facing the heat, but the Mets GM David Stearns also is. The Mets’ offseason could have been much better considering their deep pocket, but instead they let go of their core, comprising Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, and Pete Alonso. In comparison, the new inductees like Bichette and Jorge Polanco are batting .237 and .179, respectively.

Polanco batted .267 last year, while Bichette batted .311. And the worst was that veterans like Francisco Lindor are batting .226. So, just when the entire lineup is faltering, and the manager can’t turn the fortune, fans wonder if any fix is possible. “Fix what? It’s the same day in and day out,” another fan added.

A few fans wonder how Mendoza could repeat the same script after every loss. “How Mendy?? You keep saying that. How??” One user remarked. “He just says ‘see last interview’. Same answers every day,” another added.

Last July, amid the Mets’ struggle, Mendoza said, “You look at the past few days, you go in with a game plan, and we haven’t been able to adjust… The last few weeks, we’ve been unable to do that.” Now compare what he said on Wednesday and identify the differences. So, it’s always the hope to do better, which the Mets fans are tired of hearing. Solution? “You’ve been saying the same crap since last summer,” one fan agrees.

So, the Mets fans are clear that it’s time for some real action and changes in the team. Enough of hopes and optimism, but fans want accountability. And after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora, the heat is also on the Mets’ front office to prove themselves to the fans.