Krafty
Well-Known Member
- May 26, 2004
- 4,781
- 2,108
Modern footballers are generally overpaid, precious little things that lack leadership. It’s not something that is unique to our team, but perhaps it is most prevalent. When Harry says his missus could have scored that goal the papers cry out that it must not be doing Bent's confidence any good. What is he, an 8 year old kid being shouted at by his father on the touchline??
I do not like the modern footballer, mainly because they are not men. They are little boys throwing tantrums when things don’t go their way. They will not take responsibility and enjoy blaming anyone else (especially refs) when ever they make a mistake. I sympathise when they misplace a pass, or slice a clearance. No one is perfect and mistakes do happen, and it annoys me when some uneducated muppet gives them abuse from the stands, but it’s how you react to those mistakes that show your real character. If you do not run back to help the team to recover the ball, if you do not risk making a forward run because you might need to get back into the position if the play falters, if you do not get off your ass and get back into the game, instead throwing your arms up in the air and shouting at the ref, then you get none of my sympathy. Too many of our players hide away, curling up into a little ball and pleading with the opposition not to show them up. 'Do what you want to my team mates, just do not hurt me' you can imagine them saying. As long as they are never responsible for anything that goes wrong, the result doesn’t matter.
Where is the pride of being a winner? The pride of wearing the shirt? The pride of being a professional? The pride of just being a man and not wanting to get beat??? Pride becomes a fall, they say, and it seems our players want to avoid falling at all costs, no matter what it might cost the team.
I do not think some of Harry’s comments have exactly helped, but this is not the time to pussy foot around the matter. He came in and did the arm-around-the-shoulder thing, and it worked for a bit, but then it’s up to the players. They should not need to have their egos massaged every five minutes.
Yesterday’s game was horrible, and not because of the score line or the general ineffectiveness of our play. What shocked me was the number of times players stood still, watching someone else do the hard work. Take the second goal for example, Gunter gets turned inside out and its poor defending. But if Bentley busts a nut to get back Gunter does not have to worry about Blake cutting inside, he knows Bentley is there and Blake will have to cut inside him as well, which is a long way round to go and will probably lead to him facing another player to beat. Gunter can concentrate on showing him down the line and getting a block in. Same with their goal at the Lane, Bentley again doesn’t help his full back out.
There was a moment in the first half last night when a Burnley playing got the ball and dribbled across our penalty box. Zokora, apparently a DM although no conclusive proof can confirm this, stood five yards further out and just watched Modric trying to press the player, instead of helping him out. And the number of times a Burnley midfielder had the ball and our midfield stood off him, knowing that if they did not confront the player then they could not get beat, it was appalling. These are some examples but I don’t think anyone, save the two centre backs, covered themselves in glory.
It may be a fear of failure. It may be egotism. It may be a result of our policy of buying young talent in, and failing to develop that mentality that Ferguson seems to install in his players, but I think it comes down to the team in general being made up of boys, and few real men. I’ll excuse the likes of Gunter and Taarabt, and even Alnwick to a certain extent, as they are the youngsters and will be looking to others to lead the way. Apart from Woodgate and Dawson last night, we played like a bunch of kids. Two men out of eleven is not enough.
I do not like the modern footballer, mainly because they are not men. They are little boys throwing tantrums when things don’t go their way. They will not take responsibility and enjoy blaming anyone else (especially refs) when ever they make a mistake. I sympathise when they misplace a pass, or slice a clearance. No one is perfect and mistakes do happen, and it annoys me when some uneducated muppet gives them abuse from the stands, but it’s how you react to those mistakes that show your real character. If you do not run back to help the team to recover the ball, if you do not risk making a forward run because you might need to get back into the position if the play falters, if you do not get off your ass and get back into the game, instead throwing your arms up in the air and shouting at the ref, then you get none of my sympathy. Too many of our players hide away, curling up into a little ball and pleading with the opposition not to show them up. 'Do what you want to my team mates, just do not hurt me' you can imagine them saying. As long as they are never responsible for anything that goes wrong, the result doesn’t matter.
Where is the pride of being a winner? The pride of wearing the shirt? The pride of being a professional? The pride of just being a man and not wanting to get beat??? Pride becomes a fall, they say, and it seems our players want to avoid falling at all costs, no matter what it might cost the team.
I do not think some of Harry’s comments have exactly helped, but this is not the time to pussy foot around the matter. He came in and did the arm-around-the-shoulder thing, and it worked for a bit, but then it’s up to the players. They should not need to have their egos massaged every five minutes.
Yesterday’s game was horrible, and not because of the score line or the general ineffectiveness of our play. What shocked me was the number of times players stood still, watching someone else do the hard work. Take the second goal for example, Gunter gets turned inside out and its poor defending. But if Bentley busts a nut to get back Gunter does not have to worry about Blake cutting inside, he knows Bentley is there and Blake will have to cut inside him as well, which is a long way round to go and will probably lead to him facing another player to beat. Gunter can concentrate on showing him down the line and getting a block in. Same with their goal at the Lane, Bentley again doesn’t help his full back out.
There was a moment in the first half last night when a Burnley playing got the ball and dribbled across our penalty box. Zokora, apparently a DM although no conclusive proof can confirm this, stood five yards further out and just watched Modric trying to press the player, instead of helping him out. And the number of times a Burnley midfielder had the ball and our midfield stood off him, knowing that if they did not confront the player then they could not get beat, it was appalling. These are some examples but I don’t think anyone, save the two centre backs, covered themselves in glory.
It may be a fear of failure. It may be egotism. It may be a result of our policy of buying young talent in, and failing to develop that mentality that Ferguson seems to install in his players, but I think it comes down to the team in general being made up of boys, and few real men. I’ll excuse the likes of Gunter and Taarabt, and even Alnwick to a certain extent, as they are the youngsters and will be looking to others to lead the way. Apart from Woodgate and Dawson last night, we played like a bunch of kids. Two men out of eleven is not enough.
