Behind your team or its glorious past?
Would you still rally behind your team if it’s Norwich City, the team sitting at the bottom of the Premier League?
A few years ago I have come to realise how ridiculous it is for Liverpool’s fans to be mocked because of how long since they clinched the crown of the league. In fact they are still experiencing it. In tough times, some fans who are arguably older (who have supported the team for a long time), always made me see YNWA in a different light. They are always with their team and still taking the hit when getting beaten by their fiercest rivalry. It tells us so much about their collective identity.
Then I turned to my team and recognised how fresh the memory was, the Invincibles (2003–04) and you would have thought it was then The Arsenal gained a significant amount of fandom. What is the misery here compared to the Reds really?
And then I remember Akmal from The Basikal telling me the difference of being fanatic and enthusiastic. A fanatic supporter (generally coined a fan) has a single-minded and excessive zeal about something or someone, while an enthusiastic person shows interest, enjoyment and approval of something or someone. The single-mindedness kept me thinking for a while.
Do you love running so much that you want to excel and run yourself into injuries as you are so focused on achieving the time you want?
Do you want your team to win so much that anything or anyone that can’t stand time and failures have to be expelled?
Do you want to see the same glorious past that anything falling short of that is a blow to your pride of being a supporter of them?
I think I am feeling too exhausted of watching people complaining without reflecting what’s behind the problem, giving a piece of their mind without bases and considering the consequences. Xhaka and probably Mustafi are better off but the unnecessary chants and threats just make this game look so ugly. The need of “winning” has caused many players, coaches, referees and people of the game fall into a highly-stressed and depressed state. You wouldn’t want to go to know more about the state of mental health in athletes. The hooligans scene has moved from the stadium into social media. If you don’t enjoy watching the game play anymore, and there is no more identity you can relate to, then you could take a step back and watch others play.
Or do you not know what identity you’re looking for?
There is a reason why Wenger is called Le Professor. It’s also important for us to acknowledge Emery has won three Europa League trophies with Sevilla. It’s also a shame that many people out of desperation will choose Mourinho to come to the club because there are no other options now.
No other options? Do you mean “staying at the 2nd half of the table and playing 5 seasons without any European football” is not an option?
Not forgetting that changing a manager that has shaped your club identity for so long takes at least 5 years or more to rebuild again. So when you call for Wenger Out, Emery out, do stand in those shoes and ask how you are going to feel being discarded by your own supporters. Nobody wants to be booed and sacked in sports. He might have lost it, but sacking him (mixed with abusive taunts) probably doesn’t change much because you have a bunch of players who have a very “amicable” lifestyle, uncertain, out of focus on the pitch. Sometimes I just wonder if they have followed the tactics of the manager.
For me now I’m going back to watching relegation football, NBA and other teams play. As Arsenal and Warriors are both “disappointing” based on the general standard, I enjoy seeing young players taking their best chances to play their heart out. As they have nothing to lose, they have no fear of meeting your standard. As for me, I think it’s a great reset and meeting my team at the bottom. That’s where a great team starts to build.
That’s life, that’s what people say
You’re riding high in April
Shot down in May
But I know I’m gonna change that tune
When I’m back on top, back on top in June
The writer is just another scholar in sports trying to underline the importance of philosophy instead of feeling important about her comments being heard.
