Ugly
Seems there are efforts to rationalise the Kyle Walker abuse by suggesting the player should man up and accept supporters will get upset. Some will always want to share their frustrations because social media allows such communication to play out impulsively very publicly for everyone to see after the fact (comments are frozen in time for all to see and refer back to). It's anti-social media at the best of times. There is nothing to rationalise here, just some harsh realities to accept as the ugly side of following football rears its head once again.
The below quotes are from Tottenham supporters.
I was at the game and was unbelievably frustrated by what walker did in the build up to the 4th goal and I think his defensive performances this season have been disappointing. If a player makes a crucial error like that then of course supporters are going to have a moan at the time.
But once it's done you have a duty, in my opinion, to get behind the guy and let him know that there's a way back from a spell of poor form.
You don't go on twitter calling him a c**t, or whatever it is people did.
I can understand the frustration and the moaning, but some of it gets quite vitriolic and aggressive. Why act like that towards your own player. I think a lot of people have trouble in understanding that these people are humans.
Bottom of Park Lane were on him like hounds on a limping fox yesterday after the fourth went in, almost as bad as they gave to Ashley Cole. Pretty dangerous for the team if you start abusing your own players worse than the opposition's. Some of the fans during the last couple of years have really done their best to hack off the fans that will support the team no matter what and no matter who they are.
Atmosphere only perked up when we went 2-1 up, I can't put my finger on why. I thought the atmosphere would be malevolent but it was tame, might have been a bit more intense had JT played.
This goes beyond one player's loss of confidence.
You might argue that Kyle should not have removed his Twitter account. He should have simply logged off and taken a sabbatical. Either way it's just a Twitter account. It's completely his prerogative whether he wants to remove it or not. Much like you and I are free to do the same. And let's be honest, most footballers post irreverent stuff about Nandos or just re-tweet shout outs - but it's also their prerogative to use it as they see fit. See BAE and Adebayor for examples on how they entertain us and themselves. There is nothing to stipulate how you should go about micro-blogging. So it shouldn't be a big deal either way but the fact he did remove it suggests he's hardly chuffed scrolling through the colourful messages left for him. Walker has today said it wasn't Spurs fans criticising him but rather people trolling and he's thankful for the support shown since Saturday.
The actual problem away from the social media aspect is pretty much illustrated in the quotes shared above. Our fans are still behaving erratically whether it's at the ground or elsewhere. Kyle Walker along with other footballers simply need to be prepared for the fact that some will always respond in this manner. You've got to be thick-skinned. We've always had an element of fickle and easily frustrated fans for as long as I can remember. We like to scapegoat. Just suck it up as best you can and try not to laugh at the irony that the same fans probably cheered you on when your form was solid and you were being lauded with awards and will cheer you on again when you regain that missing confidence and self belief.
The concerning trend is that the element of fickle and easily frustrated supporters is festering into a far nastier element and for what reason exactly? Are we a club in turmoil? Are we in crisis? Are we destined for mid-table mediocrity? Do we genuinely have nothing to smile about? Are the players out of form so bad, so beyond repair that the way to deal with them is to abuse them? Why do we possess a defeatist attitude before a ball is even kicked? Are we under that much pressure as supporters?
What? I can hear you. I'm back with this same agenda. I can only be reflective with what is currently happening so look closer to home if you're bored of this argument.
Walker's feet probably haven't touched the ground since his hedonistic rise. There's probably been plenty of hype to help him on his way, disguising some of the weakness that need development. The Chelsea performance will hopefully be a catalyst to some soul searching for the player and man-management from Villas-Boas and his coaching team.
Yes, things get said in the heat of the moment, some supporters react without thinking because the heart consumes the mind and it's all reactive and sometimes regretful but always because of the love we have for the club. Makes us do crazy things. Some players will rise above it, others won't.
I've said it before and I've been told much like it's Walker's prerogative to do what he wants, supporters have a right to support the team in the manner they wish to. There's something unnerving and unattractive with the attitude of a fair few of us that think a culture of blame is the way forward. That trend has been ever present this season. Some of our faithful still find it easier to heckle than support, they find it easier to scapegoat and ignore compassion and objectivity. Other's only find their voice when we're winning.
It's an emotive experience, always, supporting Tottenham. At the moment, the despondent trend is one of a minority but it persists in making plenty of noise.
That's done. Back to the football. Which is that thing that happens on the green field that is meant to bring us so much joy. Chelsea aftermath chit chat on the way.
