| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague 18:33 - Feb 1 with 3347 views | jasondozzell |
"Seeing the video of Robert Sanchez telling the Chelsea fans to relax as it was only half time, made me want to talk about something that has been on my mind for a while: why football stadiums are becoming more impatient, more toxic and polarised.
The pandemic changed our routines and it accelerated a transformation that was already happening in society: overnight, our lives moved onto screens. We watched sport through devices, we debated online, we consumed information in fragments and, importantly for this point, we lived inside a constant stream of opinions.
And with that, something else grew stronger: extremisation.
We have become less able to accept what doesn’t match our own perception. The world has turned into a place where difference is a threat and disagreement feels personal.
Even when those opinions are built on incomplete information, we treat them as unquestionable truths. The most important voice is no longer the most informed one, but the loudest one, the strongest in the moment.
And football, as always, reflects society.
In stadiums now, we increasingly see impatience that would have been unthinkable years ago. Fans protesting a team even before half-time. Whistling after one mistake, even teams that are top of the table. Demanding changes immediately, as if football were a video game and not a complex sport shaped by confidence, form (both appearing in waves during a campaign), injuries, personalities, the limits of a squad or the finances.
We forget that coaches work every day with these players. That they know the realities behind the scenes. That progress is not always instant. But patience has become rare, because the modern world trains us to expect immediate solutions.
What’s worse is that creating a toxic atmosphere no longer feels like a problem for many supporters. The priority becomes: “I want what I want, and I want it now.” Even if it damages the team. Even if it poisons the environment. Even if it turns the stadium into a place of tension instead of support. I cannot think of anything worse than your own fans chanting, “you are going to be sacked in the morning.”
This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in England right now, where protests and frustration inside grounds are becoming more common. Perhaps it is less frequent in Spain, where there is still — sometimes — a different relationship with suffering, with time, with process, with football clubs and the role of fans. At Real Madrid, the whistling to the team lasted a game and it was a protest against the sacking of Xabi Alonso, or a message to the players. The following game, they had moved on. I feel that is legitimate. But the trend is spreading.
The truth is hardly any club lives in happiness anymore. And I feel it is not because football has changed dramatically, but surely because society has.
The modern fan experience is shaped by constant noise, constant judgement, constant outrage. And football, which used to be an escape, has become another space where people project frustration and impatience.
It’s not really about the manager. Or the player. Or even the result. What we are hearing is basically about the world we have become. Although I do feel there is another way.
I know none of this is new. But how about if we thought we might not be right. Someone else might be. Or changing an opinion. Or listening a bit more. Or considering we might not know everything. And respect our differences." |  | | |  |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:26 - Feb 1 with 479 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:12 - Feb 1 by Swansea_Blue |
Hirsty is an interesting case.
This season he’s got 6 in 25 appearances so far
Last time in this league in 23/24 he got 7 in 26
That’s not to ignore the fact that he’s missed more big chances this year and looks short of confidence. But his numbers around chances and goals is very similar to 23/24 when everyone thought he was great. We’re using him slightly different this season too, and he was much more involved in the buildups in 23/24 but this year Clarke and Philogene are far more likely to hold on to the ball. |
Hirst suffers from the fact weve spent so much on other areas.
Hirst as a back up would be acceptable and expected I think.
But when you've spent over what £70 mill on other forwards but dont improve your actual striker it makes every miss worse.
You'll always miss chances. You'll also miss headers. Lose a ball etc. But unfortuantelt with Hirst this season hes missed more chances already this season than he did in that sesson with 17 games to go.
If we can get that new striker and allow azon and Hirst to rotate as the sub that would help massively and take pressure off him too. |  |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:35 - Feb 1 with 448 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:26 - Feb 1 by FrimleyBlue |
Hirst suffers from the fact weve spent so much on other areas.
Hirst as a back up would be acceptable and expected I think.
But when you've spent over what £70 mill on other forwards but dont improve your actual striker it makes every miss worse.
You'll always miss chances. You'll also miss headers. Lose a ball etc. But unfortuantelt with Hirst this season hes missed more chances already this season than he did in that sesson with 17 games to go.
If we can get that new striker and allow azon and Hirst to rotate as the sub that would help massively and take pressure off him too. |
True. And part of it is also that he’s not Delap, I suspect. I’ve seen a few people questioning why we’ve stuck with Hirst and not gone out and got another Delap. As if the Championship is flush with people of Delap’s quality. |  |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:57 - Feb 1 with 423 views | Dubtractor |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 19:58 - Feb 1 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Personally I blame Thatcher. |
Ben? |  |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 21:03 - Feb 1 with 414 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:35 - Feb 1 by Swansea_Blue |
True. And part of it is also that he’s not Delap, I suspect. I’ve seen a few people questioning why we’ve stuck with Hirst and not gone out and got another Delap. As if the Championship is flush with people of Delap’s quality. |
It could be that we got a delap but hes currently playing out wide at the moment like drlap did when he played for hull.
Tomorrow will be interested. A scary name coming up on x right now but think its all rubbish fan stuff | |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 21:19 - Feb 1 with 394 views | Bigalhunter |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:35 - Feb 1 by Swansea_Blue |
True. And part of it is also that he’s not Delap, I suspect. I’ve seen a few people questioning why we’ve stuck with Hirst and not gone out and got another Delap. As if the Championship is flush with people of Delap’s quality. |
I’ll throw a controversial opinion in.
I think we got a freaky purple patch out of Liam Delap where everything he tried came off from Sept to Dec 2024, similar to that ridiculous streak that we got out of Macauley Bonne.
I don’t think Delap will get anywhere near those heights again, Chelsea will fleece someone for £30m+ to get rid sometime next year and he’ll float around for a while without ever reaching those heights again. |  |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 23:02 - Feb 1 with 350 views | waveneyblue |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 21:19 - Feb 1 by Bigalhunter |
I’ll throw a controversial opinion in.
I think we got a freaky purple patch out of Liam Delap where everything he tried came off from Sept to Dec 2024, similar to that ridiculous streak that we got out of Macauley Bonne.
I don’t think Delap will get anywhere near those heights again, Chelsea will fleece someone for £30m+ to get rid sometime next year and he’ll float around for a while without ever reaching those heights again. |
As you are well aware, me and thee dont often agree (to put it mildly), however....
I actually agree with you on this, the Delap beyond the end of 2024 was never quite the same and I cant see him ever hitting those heights again.
Anyway, Big Al let's try to not let it happen again.... it doesn't feel right. |  | | |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 03:48 - Feb 2 with 308 views | ernie |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:12 - Feb 1 by Swansea_Blue |
Hirsty is an interesting case.
This season he’s got 6 in 25 appearances so far
Last time in this league in 23/24 he got 7 in 26
That’s not to ignore the fact that he’s missed more big chances this year and looks short of confidence. But his numbers around chances and goals is very similar to 23/24 when everyone thought he was great. We’re using him slightly different this season too, and he was much more involved in the buildups in 23/24 but this year Clarke and Philogene are far more likely to hold on to the ball. |
You can’t make the same comparison re his stats. He was out injured for almost 4 months of that season. |  | | |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 04:41 - Feb 2 with 291 views | Benters |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 19:21 - Feb 1 by pointofblue |
Controversial, and will surely get down votes, but I think Royle and McCarthy did better jobs than McKenna over their entire spells, considering the budgetary constraints they were both under.
McKenna met expectations in 22/23 and exceeded them brilliantly in 23/24. We floundered last year, albeit not surprisingly but hardly exceeded expectations, and are struggling to look like a coherent unit, game in game out, this time around.
That's not to say I think he's an awful manager, he should be sacked, he isn't doing a good job. But I disagree with your comment that he's the best manager we've had in 25 years. |
I think Joe Royle was a excellent manager had some great days following town when he was in charge.
Mick Mac was good too,but his football style was boring,he’d take one point all day long rather than go for the win.
KM is excellent and has achieved great things with town,but as many have said before me he only has one system and seems often scared to switch things around.
So are we saying anything other than top two must be seen as a failure this season then? |  |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 07:23 - Feb 2 with 248 views | PioneerBlue |
I agree with a lot here but i dont believe the pandemic is responsible! People are responsible and its been going on a lot longer than 2019-2020. Ive led with the topic of fans and supporters for a long time. There are a lot of club fans out there but supporters really ultimately get labelled as happy clappers. In the end it’s people that decide to hate, to love, to be impatient, to be patient, to discourage or support.
The saying win as a team, lose as a team is apt, there are many people, fans, that like the win as a team bit but lose sight of how we lose and seem to make it all about their opinions of manager, players, tactics. Its an endless cycle football. | |
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| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 07:30 - Feb 2 with 239 views | ashtonscoffeecup |
Agree with part of this, but when we have a CEO/Chairman who constantly tells us of the ambitions of the owners/himself/the manager its's a little difficult to watch us scrap a 1-1 at home to PNE. We, the fans, turn up anywhere and everywhere weekly, we spend hours investing ourselves emotionally into ITFC. Sometimes there will be a few moans and groans, personally find it pretty childish to think if we sing in support for 90mins that will transpire into a Town win, as it doesn't work that way.
I'm pretty sure if Hirst had his hallway painted and the job he'd paid to be done was of poor quality he'd let the decorator know it wasn't good enough, why are football players protected/any different? Paid very very well, and this season its not been anywhere near fluid lovely football - we might go up so then does this season matter? personally I'd say it does, as there are 2/3 players that I'd want to see in a Town team in the PL, feels like we've gone backwards a bit. | | | |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 09:53 - Feb 2 with 195 views | HighgateBlue |
| Every Town fan could do with reading this from Guillem Balague on 20:12 - Feb 1 by Swansea_Blue |
Hirsty is an interesting case.
This season he’s got 6 in 25 appearances so far
Last time in this league in 23/24 he got 7 in 26
That’s not to ignore the fact that he’s missed more big chances this year and looks short of confidence. But his numbers around chances and goals is very similar to 23/24 when everyone thought he was great. We’re using him slightly different this season too, and he was much more involved in the buildups in 23/24 but this year Clarke and Philogene are far more likely to hold on to the ball. |
I think if Azon had banged in 4 or 5 goals, and we had a couple more wins as a result, there would be less grumbling about Hirst.
But the fact that number 9s and 10s have been missing too many big chances when compared with other teams, resulting in us losing ground on the top 2 means that inevitably our first choice number 9 is going to get it in the neck. (As I've said on another thread, there are 13 teams in our division who have more "goals scored" than "big chances missed", and we are not one of those 13. That's more revealing to me than the headline stats that (a) we have missed more big chances than anyone, and (b) Hirst and Azon are 1st and 6th equal for big chances missed).
Hirst's miss against Preston was very bad optics, and again a Clarke pen had to save us. The travails of our front line are writ large at just the time when transfers are being obsessed about. |  | | |
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