Let me use a real world analogy to explain my frustration with these players.....I've worked in Sales now for nearly ten years. That means targets. If you don't hit them, your job is on the line and usually missing by more than a few percent would see you out the door. However, it's not as simple as that. In reality, it's not the fact you DONT hit your target that gets you fired, its HOW you behave when your struggling.
A good salesman who has demonstrated the right behaviours previously will get more leeway. If that person continues to struggle but gets in early, leaves late, asks for more training, throws themselves into lead generation and generally keeps a positive attitude, chances are they will be going nowhere
If a person is struggling and they arrive on-time/late, leave early/on-time, sit around the office moping/complaining about how it's not their fault they don't get good leads etc...etc...and generally behave in a defeated or entitled manner, they will be for the chop!
Now see what I am saying?
These players HAVEN'T got any goodwill to survive on. Most were crap when they arrived, have been crap ever since and still will be next year.
Do they care enough? Well statistically we ran the least of all PL teams last season. Fact. If we were doing well, you wouldn't worry but we are doing terrible - so looks a bit damning, no?! Bit like how the guy smashing his targets might not need to make cold calls but the guy at the bottom of the table best be on the phone all day!
What about attitude? What's with all the hate for social media posts, fashion labels, promo work etc....? Well go back to the analogy. Imagine you are the boss and you see the same chap struggling to hit his targets. You approach his desk for a chat and you see him browsing Twitter. Later that day you find out that he had a 90 minute lunch down the pub. Before everyone leaves you see him entertaining the other staff by running around with a box on his head. As he leaves he shouts he will be working from home tomorrow as his kids are off school. Now what are you going to think about this guy? Should I stick by him despite pressure to fire him? Does he REALLY want to turn it around? More importantly than jusy SAYING that he does (we all want to be successful, correct?), do his BEHAVIOURS demonstrate this?
See my point? There is nothing "wrong" with setting up a clothing range, IF you are hitting your targets. Likewise, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with using social media or having a laugh at training. HOWEVER, the key to that is when you then go out on the pitch, you better at LEAST work your socks off and go down fighting even if you can't win every game.
Just to finish - we've had posters ask for evidence that this players don't care enough. Well even aside from all of the empirical evidence and the statistics on running during games (distance covered and sprints), why not take the word of our current and last manager? Two totally different personalities with different approaches have said that some of these players dont care enough. That I think is the nail in the coffin.The abuse, whilst sometimes going overboard, is because the fans are hurting and they want to lash out and see the players hurt too.
