Be Likeable

Do you know what makes a defeat easier to swallow? Players appreciating the supporters. Now, after a 2-0 defeat against Gillingham you don’t want to see a lap of honour, and there’s always going to be some backlash, but at least walking within thirty feet of the touchline applauding might be nice. If the players are likeable, a little humble and appreciative of the crowd, then it does go a long way. I’ve been critical of Chris Maguire this season, and I’ve praised his shithousery as well, but the one thing I cannot abide is bickering with supporters. Once, maybe, I can understand, the players are human, but twice? When we’ve been terrible, which we were this weekend, that’s not the time to get involved with supporters and it has shades of Ben Hutchinson in 2010/11.

Everyone in the stadium, even those I’ll happily argue with, have paid their money to watch the game and whilst personal abuse is not something I believe should be bandied about, it would be nice to see players who bond with the crowd. Let me tell you, we have some cracking characters in the squad, genuinely nice men like Cohen Bramall, Tom Hopper, TJ Eyoma, Anthony Scully, Regan Poole, Adam Jackson, Joe Walsh… the list goes on. Yes, I want to see them lead on the field, but keeping a football club up is also about what happens off the field. Supporters might not groan at a missed chance, or (unforgivably) boo a player onto the field if we saw a bit of humility from them.

What really pains me is the attitude of one or two reflects on the whole squad; if one player doesn’t run for the ball and we lose, the whole squad get tarnished by that. If one person walks into a sports shop in town and acts as if he doesn’t care whether we win or lose, it looks like it’s a problem in the wider squad, and that’s not the case. On and off the field, it’s time for the characters to emerge and make their positivity and their appreciation of the fans the takeaway, not one or two arguing and being belligerent.