In a post-match press conference last Wednesday after
Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Middlesbrough, Chelsea’s ‘interim’ manager Rafa
Benitez declared “They are singing and wasting time, preparing banners, and
they are not making any favours to their club”
The former Liverpool managing mentioned the notion of
‘wasting time’ 6 times throughout his press conference along with the temporary
title ‘Interim’ tag that he is ‘temporarily’ labelled. The question is, are
these fans wasting their time? Are they simply creating a distraction for all
those involved within the club? Or are they achieving their target of forcing
Benitez out?
Rafa's full press conference- does he have a point?
Firstly, how strong is fan power? Well it depends who you’re
asking. Ask Steve Bruce at Sunderland and he’ll explain how a Geordie in
Sunderland is like a biscuit falling in a brew. But ask Steve Kean and he’ll
ignore you, no matter how loud you shout, or boo.
Personally, having been to many live sports events in my
time, a pet hate of mine is negativity against your own team. Boo’s do not help
and can impede on success. No matter how bad the player is, or how stupid the
manager is, he is a player and a manager of your team, and he’ll receive enough
stick off the opposition fans without you joining in.
Some will think otherwise, it’s merely a matter of debate,
but in seasons gone by, the running trend is that in the long-term, patience
within football teams is rewarded with success. The inclusion of Liverpool’s
Lucas Leiva in the first team is now a delight for Liverpool fans, but was once
met with anguish as he was regularly criticised for his performances when he
first came to Anfield.
Negativity is seen in every single football ground across
the country, whether it be Old Trafford or Meadow lane the boos the woos and
the moans and groans will be sounded out for everyone to hear by sections of
fans if things aren’t going according to plan. But ask any player and they’ll
say they’d rather hear stick from the fans they are playing against rather than
the ones that are wearing the same shirt as them.
Surely there’s no one in the world naïve enough to think in
all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26 years in management that every single minute of
that regime has been rosy. The banner below elegantly written in 1990 pretty
much sums up the years in which Ferguson describes as the “darkest period he
had ever suffered in his career,” 23 patient years on and under Ferguson
Manchester United are one of the most dominant forces in Europe.
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| Roman may well listen what Chelsea fans say but... |
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| It's a good job not all banners are listened too (Directed towards Ferguson during Fergusons not so successful days at United |
Courtesy of The BBC website, an article featuring the rise
of Gareth Bale notes how one Journalist criticised Bale in his early days in
2008 by stating "One glance at the score and any Spurs fan will tell you without
looking at the line-up that Gareth Bale must have played."
Unfortunately for Mr Sheehan of the Sun, four years on that same player is
being linked with a move to Real Madrid.
I’m not saying that Spurs fans got on the back of Gareth
Bale when he first arrived as I simply wasn’t there to tell you. But what I do
know is, is that a little patience and that player or of course manager that you’re
giving stick too could be the next Gareth Bale or Alex Ferguson. You may be
singing and dreaming about his left foot or cherishing fragments of chewing gum
from him now but he’ll remember the days when you compared him to your dear old
Grandmother.
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