25 Apr 2022 12:34:47
So last night I had a few drinks down the pub with some friends and conversation turned to whether football fans should boo players or not. One friend was arguing that we don't know what is happening in that players personal life that might be affecting their performance.

My other friend said this and I think it's a great way to look at it.

He said "if you go out to a restaurant and the waiter takes 20 minutes to come over and take your order. When they do they are short with you bordering on rude. They then take 40 minutes to bring you out your food, they've messed up some of the order and some people have the wrong food. When you mention that the order is wrong they are again rude, telling you it would be best just to eat what you've been served. Then you eat the food and it's terrible, cold, bland, over or under cooked, just horrible verging on inedible"

Would you complain?

You've paid good money for terrible goods and service.

Maybe the waiter and/ or the chef is having a bad day, maybe one of their parents just passed away, or they split up with their partner, or their kid is sick.

Could be multiple factors that provide a context for why they are performing poorly at work.

Yet you still paid for a meal that was terrible along with awful service.

Surely you'd complain.

Then why shouldn't fans boo footballers who are equally performing poorly regardless of the context behind why they might be. Those fans have paid a lot of money to be entertained, if the players aren't playing well, particularly if they are perceived to be lacking in effort, then why shouldn't fans be able to complain just like you would if you got poor service in a restaurant?

I thought it summed it up really well. We are living in a society where there is a genuine question about whether you can complain about receiving poor goods and services based on what the person providing them is going through.

In reality we all go through things from time to time. We will all suffer deaths in our family, we will all suffer heart break, we all suffer stress and anxiety at work and in our personal lives, we all get ill from time to time, or have loved ones battling serious sicknesses.

Yet we are all still expected to perform in our jobs and if we don't we have the boss and/ or clients complaining to us and about us.

Footballers probably suffer many things we don't appreciate, the fame and the intensity of public opinion that comes with it cannot be easy to live with. Millions of people judging without knowing or understanding. It comes with the territory I'm afraid. However, the fact that footballers are becoming increasingly detached from the rest of society almost certainly makes that harder.

We can cope with the trials and tribulations we face because we are part of a society, we aren't isolated like footballers are. I think they are to an extent victims of their own success and they would probably find dealing with the issues they face much easier if they were closer to the society that judges them.

However, while that might be the case, if you as a paying match going fan are unhappy with the level of performance or effort our players are putting in then you are obviously allowed to voice that displeasure.

While if the players have a responsibility to themselves to perform as best they can and if they can't then they are responsible for finding a solution to enable them to get back to where they should be.

1.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 13:12:24
I always complain! There's no benefit to either the customer or the business by pretending that shoddy work is good enough. Complaints lead to change. or at least might. and if it doesn't then the natural process of competition will take its toll. Unless of course the business has moved on line in which case you will be very lucky if there's any avenue to complain left open to you. "Your call is very important to us however all our (not enough by design) operators are helping other customers, so please call back later. "

2.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 15:28:11
I don't get this obsession within society for the need to debate this site of thing or the need to conform.
If you want to boo do it if you don't then don't do it. There is no right or wrong. Each customer has the right to complain or not and as long as their method of complaining is legal who gives a toss about whether other customers agree with you or not.
It's subjective and personal to each customer.
Players have themselves to blame if they are not performing. If they are not in the right state to perform due to personal issues they should take themselves out and explain to their employer that they can't perform so don't consider them for selection.
There is no debate it's an individual choice and should not be an issue for anybody other than the individual.
Everybody has their own views and opinions and should be allowed voice them as they see fit without fear of the PC brigade taking offence.

3.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 15:47:01
Ken it’s same on here someone as a differing opinion all hell breaks lose, god forbid if you don’t agree with the regular posters even some of the Ed’s are as bad (not all but 1 or 2). Society we now live in I am afraid no one likes anyone with an opinion that differs from there own, it’s very very sad!

4.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 15:53:06
Fans are not booing because of poor performances but lack of effort.

People died representing this football Club, young lives lost, cut short in their prime, pioneers, expanding the game to foreign lands for the love of the game. In spite of such tragedy the Club rose to the pinnacle of the game in an immortal tribute to those lost at Munich.

These charlatans earn millions and refuse to run around for 90 minutes. They need a lesson in humility and reminding of what a miraculous Club they represent. If a few boos hurt their feelings there are others Clubs out there that might tolerate such cowardly behaviour.

This booing isn’t toxic or abusive merely a reminder to the players of the history and standards of this football Club and whilst bad performances are forgivable a lack of effort is not.

5.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 16:07:16
If someone wants to boo…. boo…. you paid your money you make your choice…. I’m not sure I agree with everyone at the club as now become useless and unprofessional and don’t care over night, I think that’s a bit immature thinking IMO… ok they not been busting a gut but there is other reasons for that…. There is some strange logic applied by some posters on here that’s for sure.

6.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 16:31:09
I'm all for booing this set of chancers. It will be better fun than the dross/ football they've been serving up.

7.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 16:40:00
Have to disagree Dlib, fans booing McGuire because he not good enough, I don’t think it’s lack of effort from him at all, I don’t think AWB is lack of effort just not good enough, Mc T and Fred the same……. you all seem to have jumped on this bandwagon of no one is trying, which is really a bit stupid.

8.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 17:19:19
Juicer, I'm not sure that's true. I like Ken even though we regularly disagree.

I have nothing against any posters on here, even the occasional fan/ troll I seem to regularly attract. Maybe my skin is thicker than most, my head probably is. No point getting your knickers in a twist over what someone said on the internet.

Ken, I think debate is vital for society. While debating things everyone agrees on just doesn't make sense. We don't have to agree but debate enables us to at least understand what someone's view is and why. Debate only works though where it is respectful, and where people are genuinely prepared to listen and not just get on their soapbox.

I agree each to their own and it's silly to get upset or offended on other people's behalf. Do as you see fit as long as it is acceptable within the bounds of society.

9.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 17:24:58
DLIB I agree. The standards at the club have been let slip to back to 80s standards before fergie.
No leadership no desire to win players not dedicating themselves to the only thing that should matter.
But the last 3 years post Jose we have sunk to new levels on the playing side.
On the bright side we have a new coach coming in and a new recruitment policy which are 2 big steps forward.
I think a few of our players will be a lot better under eth and a few will surprise people imo.
I see this as a new chapter I'm full of hope and optimism and I don't get all the doom and gloom.
This season was a write off before a ball was kicked. Ole was always going to be sacked mid season because he had to run out of luck eventually. He was a replica of the tinder swindler.
As it turns out we got an equally poor coach in to hold the reins until the end of the season. But putting him in there was the smartest move ever imo despite the crap results it's exposed some of our players for what they are.
Can't wait for the epl to kick off next season and starting the journey under eth. He will create a proper working environment full of challenges for the players.
Eth has the opportunity of a lifetime.

10.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 17:35:33
Shappy I'm not against debate at all. I encourage debate. But not pointless debate.
You don't need to understand everybody's actions. If tj actions are legal and they do things different to me I don't need to understand it I just need to respect their right to feel and act differently to me. So need need to debate, just mind my own bloody business and respect others rights.

11.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 17:53:25
Ken, I disagree, Rangnick is a far superior coach but he was always on a hiding to nothing after 3 years of hugs.

These players don't well to hard work and being told home truths.

12.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 18:38:11
Angel what do you base that statement on? As anyone improved? Or they all useless and not worth a bean? Does RR not have the worst win rate at 40% then anyone had with the same players there is a argument he got better players then Ole had with last years additions!

Shappy I agree debate is good but I don’t agree when posters come on here they get abuse for having a different opinion, that never changes.

13.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 18:39:05
Ken, that's fair. I suppose it's down to the individual as to what they personally feel is worth debating or attempting to understand.

14.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 19:16:23
Juicer, basing it on his career overall mainly.

Also, everywhere he has gone he has been lauded by various coaches and people who have forgotten more about football than we will ever know.

Are you saying that Ole is a superior coach? Lol.

15.) 25 Apr 2022
25 Apr 2022 19:31:35
Angel…what you mean wherever he been he been nowhere won nothing, please don’t quote Klopp and Tuchel said he was great! WAS being the operative word in a lowly league at a small club, he managed 2 years out of last 10 that tells you all you need to know!

If he had such a great career why was he not snapped up by Barcelona by Bayern by real by Liverpool by city oh wait he was in Russia!

I never said Ole was a better coach, but ole won more games then he as! Also if he such a great coach should not be beyond the realms of possibility that out of a team he should have improved 2 or 3 players, NAME them?

16.) 26 Apr 2022
26 Apr 2022 01:01:31
Juicer reminds me of somebody ?.