Just today I was reading my favourite football gossip column (favourite because it is fun to read not because its accurate) and a story about David Villa’s supposed transfer preference got me wondering…
The typical complaint levelled at Man Utd fans and the like are that referees are bias towards them (especially at home) and that (in Man Utd’s case especially) the fans are mainly compromised of ‘glory hunters’ from anywhere but the “warehouse city”. Before we get onto such fan’s shortcomings in terms of being objective, I would like to address the aforementioned faux-pas.
On the subject of overly lenient referees: I believe that although not necessarily the “big team’s” fault – this is the case. Whether this is due to the media stature of players for such teams; or it is in fact the result of 70,000 fans chanting expletives, an extraordinary number of decisions go the way of the larger clubs. There is a distinct difference between such decisions and “good fortune”, of which I think the most successful teams make their own.
The matter of fans being from everywhere but Manchester is but an exaggerated half-truth. There are an obscene number of Manchester United fans everywhere in the country (and the World) but this is not the fault of those born and bred in the city. Such is the human nature; to follow those most successful and none have been able to match Man Utd over the past two decades in this respect. As infuriating as it is hearing a cockney lad tell how great “his team” are when citing Rooney’s prowess, it is sadly something which will not change any time soon.
Anyway, back to the point! The gossip extravaganza in question outlined the apparent reasons for David Villa preferring a move to Man Utd over Chelsea. The reason this caught my attention was not because I feel personally attached to either club, but instead because I was able to quickly asses the choice and make a rational decision as if from said Spaniard’s position. Now aside from boasting of my own analytical prowess, the reason for this being worthy of note is that I could not see the typical fan of Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal being quite so formulaic.
Such supporters are so caught up in the fanfare surrounding their club and the silverware steeplechase that they lose the ability to evaluate the real strengths of their team. Could you see a Liverpool fan noting that his team perform much better in a 4-2-3-1 formation and that despite the potential “Spanish connection up front”, Villa could be better suited to Arsenal’s style of play? Or a Chelsea fan denouncing his side’s playing style as too focused on the physical capabilities of the front two? And as such Villa would be more suited to the more passing-focussed footballing style of their Mancunian counterparts?
As a Charlton fan I have seen a brief period of the “good days” followed by extensive “bad days”, however this underprivileged position has stood me in good stead when assessing the merits of other teams. Granted I can savour the undercurrent of optimism which makes The Valley and Charlton special to me, but I still take great joy in reading and watching my club’s more illustrious counterparts in the premier division. Charlton have never been (and probably won’t ever) be in a position to sign David Villa. But it is due to this I can look at the big teams and assess them without being influenced by the hype which surrounds all such teams, enveloping their fans.
Besides it doesn’t really matter anyway because Villa will go to Madrid.
Tom Nash
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