He used a phrase “You cannot compartmentalise your support”. What he meant by this was that players pick up on atmospheres in the ground and respond to it. It does not matter whether the negativity is anti-Rafa or whatever, the players are affected by it.
Now we don’t have a problem at the moment with bad atmospheres at St James’ Park. Though watch this space. However, I have been reflecting upon that phrase recently. We all support NUFC and this blog is one of the most positive in it’s outlook. That’s why I post here. So I’m not criticising any individuals out there.
I really want to explore the boundary between support and criticism. We all like to think we know best and when things go wrong we all like to express our views on why they have gone wrong and what we should do about it. However, that can tip into dark side negativity which ceases to be helpful.
I know that for me people have to earn my respect before I pay any attention to them. When I used to race motorcycles only those who could ride as well as me, not many, would be listened to. I imagine the players and manager are the same. Now when I said this badly in a post a few weeks back it came across that I was saying that in order to criticise our manager you need to have managed a team in some shape or form. This is nonsense as we have all suffered from bad managers and been helped by good ones so we all know the difference.
So can we compartmentalise our support. We all support NUFC, that’s a given. Do we support the owner. Well probably a lot more now than a few years back. Still a minority want shot of him and many more don’t trust him. On the plus side he has brought financial stability and a vision, or at least a working model, for the business that we all understand.
What about our manager? Despite the respect he gets from his peers, like last years awards, and the respect he has had in working with the new players it seems that he is apparently tactically inept and producing the worst football and results in many a long year. The players also come in for stick, individually and collectively. Williamson has kept the most clean sheets of any defender this season, but he’s still rubbish. etc. There always appears to be a scapegoat in every game. Collectively they don’t have the passion, don’t understand the club etc, however, Yohan Cabaye seems happy to recommend us to Mathieu Debuchy, who was best man at his wedding.
So there must be people out there who support NUFC; but not the owner, manager or players. So what do they support? A concept of what we should be?
Not that I suppose it matters so long as the atmosphere at SJP keeps encouraging the players to perform to their best. And if they don’t, why not? Players, manager, fans? So what is that we support, and whilst in the good times it’s easy to support all aspects of the club, can we do the same when things are not so good. Should we even try to? Does it impact on performances?
So which bits do you support? And does it matter if you don’t support the rest?
Sharpy
Def needs a watch, thought the guy from the first series played such a good part it took me a while to get used to the new one but eventually thought he played the role well. Crixus is still my brother and my favourite character, some of his lines are brilliant.
Andymag(Quote)
Andy I really liked Agron and I came to like Crassus in the end odd as it might seem ,I think cause he was a worthy adversary to Spartacus ,and there is nothing to beat a good baddie .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Tell you what ,if the Toon battle like them rebel slaves did tommorow we’ll be fine :).
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim – I started reading it then realized, so please don’t be offended but I didn’t read on. 1st of your posts I’ve ignored but with good reason 😉
Andy – Gannicus was/is my favourite mate, good in a fight and a bit of a ladies man – he’s joining Geordie Shore next week 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Obertan just scored after three minutes
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
who’s Spartacus
Big Dave(Quote)
Kim
Hope not as they’ll die (be relegated) 😆 . Agron was good but had nothing on crixus, who died at the hands of that little *** 😡 . I actually liked Crassus more at the start and enjoyed the fact I’d heard of many of the generals/senators that they talked about reading a lot of roman his/fiction.
Sharpy
Gannicus is pretty beast and made season 2 bearable with it just being a prequel to waste time.
Back to football 😆
See Marv and toto are out of tomorrow, limits are creativity somewhat. Hopefully Benny will start, but will be back to full fitness as it was clear he wasn’t on Sunday.
Andymag(Quote)
Dave
I’m Spartacus 😎 😆
Andymag(Quote)
I’m with Sharpy Gannicus is the best in the whole show! Is it just me who felt a little sorry for Battiatus?
I like Game of Thrones better though.
Santii(Quote)
TLR – he’s playing at a level equal to his ability mate 😉
Dave – 😆 he plays for Bordeaux and is available on a free in the summer – another one of Carrs gems 😛
Sharpy17(Quote)
Santii
Battiatus, the guy who screwed over everyone (sometimes literally) and was thusly killed off?
G.O.T is beast though, I’ll give you that 😉
Andymag(Quote)
Interesting read Premand. I would think we compartmentalize our support for a reason. We can all love supporting the club but over the last 5 years there have been some huge ups and downs. So each of us begins to analyze and look for problems. It’s a fairly scientific, systematic way of doing things. I think the owner has focused attention on himself many times and at least half of what he has done has caused negative reactions. The same goes for Llambias. Lawsuits lost, drunken rants, lact of activity in windows, foolish antics at the ground, the list goes on and on. It’s a similar situation with the manager of the moment. Once a manager makes a statement to the press or a poor sub or no sub at all when one is needed it will be analyzed by the supporters and poorly thought out statements will be criticized. The players have to face criticism for poor performances as well as praise for good or great ones. This all goes in to being a supporter of the club, not just someone who praises everything the club do.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Many thanks for all your kind contributions to this article.
I was especially impressed by B&B @ 18 for the clarity and conciseness with which he expressed his concept. Hopefully this will set a precedent.
Not that owd gits like me pay any attention to young whipper-snappers like him as I hope I made clear in the article. 😆
premandup(Quote)
Santii – aye to be honest I liked Battiatus as well. 1st series was my favourite like, but Game of Thrones is a good watch as well – especially the dragon lady.
Andy – do we know how long Marv and Tiote are out for mate?. Think Pards has to go with Benny tomorrow now like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
As frustrating as he may be, thank flock Cisse is like the bionic man, is seldomnly injured, and played in almost ALL our games over the last months. We would be in deep **** without his goals, and that the club allowed us to get into that position is quite pathetic really. What a grave risk to take, and it’s still not yet over.
Munich Mag(Quote)
@MM
Don’t bloody jinx it mate. Wait and see he will fall out of bed and break his wrist now 😀
I’m already getting nervous for tomorrow.
Santii(Quote)
I have to say overall I think the owner has tried since the last relegation to improve the playing side of the club. This season has been a real setback but last season was brilliant to watch. The owner is part of the group that is responsible for both seasons. It’s rare to see a team slide so wildly up and down the table though. It makes for wild swings in supporters hopes and attitudes and you see it on here as well as all the other related blogs. Unless and until we see a team that is consistently in the top 6 or 8 in the league and actually playing well in domestic cup games the criticism will continue and I would say rightly so. Ashley collects a huge amount of money from the club’s supporters every season and we all have an opinion about how to improve the team or at least how to avoid disasters and pitfalls. Long may it continue.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Santii ….I know mate…..don’t tempt fate and stuff I know…. 🙁
By the way, I’m still freaking jumping after our makkem defeat. Does anyone have any idea how long I’m likely to feel like this ? 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
See Jabba had a not bad year last year. Estimated wealth up by millions. 31st richest Britain
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
obertan with his second. Could he be our saviour
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Aye Toby@94, interesting stuff too it is…….
“In second place is Anita Zabludowicz, a well-known art collector and wife of the millionaire property tycoon Poju Zabludowicz.”…. (she’s really well known I would imagine …..who is she….?)….does she support the toon and does she have some spondoolicks to spend on our team ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
“What is a club in any case?
Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.
It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.
It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.
It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.”
Bobby Robson
This is what I support and when I feel people are not giving it their all or are not pulling their weight then I feel it is right to speak up about it. I agree booing isn’t right however in my opinion there is nothing wrong with commenting on things that you think would help the team. Supporters should be allowed to have an opinion. We all just want the club to do as well as possible. I think burying your head in the sand and pretending everything is rosey also has a negative effect on the team as they can become complacent. I think you can criticise aspects of the team and still not want it to fail.
lualua17(Quote)