AuthorJeffEyesRimmer Football is a crazy circus, I think most of us realise this and just allow it to continue, watching the spectacular, the crazy and the clowns bumbling when it occurs. But there's one aspect to football that is illogical. It's the fans passion for their football team, it's ingrained in you, and you can't help but care about your football club. So for me as a Cardiff fan I find it bemusing when I see other fans of more successful sides jumping on bandwagons, hyperbole bandwagons at that and especially negative ones. I'm not knocking those fans, you can support your team however you wish, I think I find it odd more than anything else. I watch interviews with fans, read comments on various social media with curiosity. I even read below the comment line on more respectable football sites articles (bad idea really).
I suppose what confuses me most about it all is the immediate hyperbolic reaction to poor results. I actually read a #pepout article last week when Manchester City had lost three games in a row, crazy. This past week then I read the Pep was the greatest manager ever (he’s categorically not) after Manchester City won the EPL, the hyperbole train at full throttle there. As a long suffering Cardiff fan I have had to endure League 1 and 2, countless seasons in the Championship, some god awful managers (Solskjær I'm looking at you), colour changes, badges changes, a poor single EPL season and Peter Ridsdale! For those not familiar with Ridsdales work I suggest you chat with a Leeds fan too. So putting this in perspective I'm just happy I have a club now that's doing fine in the Championship, every win is a blessing and we haven't had a call from the taxman about winding up orders in a while either. That in itself is a bonus for me, not wondering if my club will actually exist come morning, ask Parma, Chester or older Wimbledon fans. So I find it odd when there are calls for Wenger out and complaining about the style of play Jose uses. As a lower league fan I find it odd to complain about being 4th in the EPL, routinely in the UCL, with no threat of relegation or bankruptcy. Currently Arsenal are 6th and still in the hunt for a European trophy and while I do think Wenger is now past his best it's a little crazy some of the fans reactions when Arsenal are beaten (Arsenal TV everyone). Similarly at United, Jose is accused of playing awful stuff and I agree but it's successful. They are 2nd in the EPL, still in with a chance at a trophy (FA Cup) and they won three pieces of silverware last season. Yet there are complaints. I would love my club to be in that position! Ask any Coventry fan what they would prefer, just above relegation in the EPL or what they have now. I think you can guess and if you're not familiar with Coventry’s plight I suggest you check it out. It's a cautionary tale and I hope that club gets back up. I think the Manchester City example above was the reason for me to stop and think about this. Not too long ago the Citizens were down in League 1, with Joe Royle as manager and Paul Dickov and Shaun Goater smashing in the goals, so I’m sure the older fans who remember those times cant contain their joy at where they are now. So I wonder if this is just how fans respond to football now, we have been conditioned, lurching from one over hyped situation to the next, ecstatic highs to painful lows and all encouraged by the narrative thrown at us from our TV. I suppose it's just being thankful for what you have, you could lose it at any time and it seems perspective is sometimes lost. So next time you think about jumping on the #pepout bandwagon maybe stop and just enjoy the ride. |
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June 2018
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