It's become more and more apparent to me that there is a weird new culture with football fans. I've put Twitter in the title because I don't go to games so I don't know how prevalent it is there. But for me the football fanbase on Twitter and the internet in general is the most reactionary, socially vain and morally vacuous there has ever been.
The reaction to Van Dijk's errors yesterday have led me to make this thread. We live in a world now where there are stats for absolutely everything and they can be banded about to suit pretty much any agenda. I'm sure the majority of us are aware of the stat about VVD not being dribbled past for a long period of time. My issue is now with the reaction when players like this make a mistake, or when Nicolas Pepe eventually became the first to dribble past Van Dijk.
I know we all had a massive laugh at Gerrard's slip and his red card but those were big moments. A title deciding game and his final game against us, plus that was mainly from direct rivals as well. I've just noticed people reveling in any mistake players like Van Dijk, De Bruyne, Pogba, etc.. make. It feels like everyone from every other team is just waiting ready to pounce like vultures.
If you're on Twitter it's likely you'll have seen many accounts with the same style. PulisicSZN, AubaKing, etc.. basically accounts that usually shamelessly rep a player in their profile pic and the club in general. As soon as any player from a rival team does anything poorly it is giffed and straight on Twitter with a comment like "hook this to my veins" or something along those lines. I know a lot of this is done for comedic purposes and attempting to get more followers but it's created so many copycats that it is almost a weird culture in itself now and all incidents are remembered. Players are called frauds left right and centre, Rashford is compared to Bebe one week and Ronaldo the next, etc... Pep even spoke in his press conference that he was called Fraudiola in his first season. It's actually left the internet and reached the man himself which is bizarre.
People like Nicolas Pepe are getting all sorts online and he's being compared stats-wise to Dan James for example just 5 games in. Whatever happened to giving a player a season to settle? Especially if they've come from abroad. Can you imagine the abuse Vidic and Evra would have gotten if they had their respective Utd career starts now?
Personally I find it all a bit toxic and it's worrying that it will likely just get worse. Thoughts?
The reaction to Van Dijk's errors yesterday have led me to make this thread. We live in a world now where there are stats for absolutely everything and they can be banded about to suit pretty much any agenda. I'm sure the majority of us are aware of the stat about VVD not being dribbled past for a long period of time. My issue is now with the reaction when players like this make a mistake, or when Nicolas Pepe eventually became the first to dribble past Van Dijk.
I know we all had a massive laugh at Gerrard's slip and his red card but those were big moments. A title deciding game and his final game against us, plus that was mainly from direct rivals as well. I've just noticed people reveling in any mistake players like Van Dijk, De Bruyne, Pogba, etc.. make. It feels like everyone from every other team is just waiting ready to pounce like vultures.
If you're on Twitter it's likely you'll have seen many accounts with the same style. PulisicSZN, AubaKing, etc.. basically accounts that usually shamelessly rep a player in their profile pic and the club in general. As soon as any player from a rival team does anything poorly it is giffed and straight on Twitter with a comment like "hook this to my veins" or something along those lines. I know a lot of this is done for comedic purposes and attempting to get more followers but it's created so many copycats that it is almost a weird culture in itself now and all incidents are remembered. Players are called frauds left right and centre, Rashford is compared to Bebe one week and Ronaldo the next, etc... Pep even spoke in his press conference that he was called Fraudiola in his first season. It's actually left the internet and reached the man himself which is bizarre.
People like Nicolas Pepe are getting all sorts online and he's being compared stats-wise to Dan James for example just 5 games in. Whatever happened to giving a player a season to settle? Especially if they've come from abroad. Can you imagine the abuse Vidic and Evra would have gotten if they had their respective Utd career starts now?
Personally I find it all a bit toxic and it's worrying that it will likely just get worse. Thoughts?
