He just said it was not what he’d been used to and it didn’t do any favours. Said two Swansea players he had ginned were surprised about how negative we were
I think that’s a general trend at Wigan when things aren’t going well in a game. Because our rise to the Premier League was sudden, on match day you can have two thirds of the people in the stadium who’ve never seen Wigan get relegated or fall into the doldrums. They’ve only seen success, and when things start going wrong in a game, there’s an audible groan, murmurs of discontent and then the inevitable Wigan Walk.
I even used to see it in the first season in the Premier League, where, if we went behind in the second half, a group sat in front of me quite often stood up, slammed their seats, and stormed out whilst throwing glares at Jewell and gesturing towards the pitch. And this was the first season of playing the likes of Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal – which I found difficult to comprehend.
So no, it’s not the reason why the team lost on Saturday, and it’s not the reason why the team are bottom of the league, but it definitely is counter-productive, and the club need supporters, not spectators.
No doubt someone will want to reply that the players and manager should give us something to support and cheer for – but that just reinforces the argument.[/quote]
I’d disagree with you there Standish because every single club in the land suffers with moans & groan from the crowd when things aren’t going well. From Old Trafford & the Emirates to Bradford Park Avenue where I was on Saturday. For the most part people who pay to go to football matches go to support & cheer but (IMO) it’s only natural if you see players misplace passes or slice shots into the crowd to grumble & groan.
In fact I would say that, for all people come on here & whinge and moan and deman his sacking, that Bobby (& his team) have had a relatively easy ride from the crowd within the stadium at matches. I don’t think at any other club in the top flight who had had similar results & performances over the last 3 seasons would you have seen so little open revolt against the manager – bloody hell just look at Blackburn & Steve Kean & they’ve only had to put up with it for just over 1 season. I think that is in the main because, again for the most part, people recognise that he is operating on a relative shoestring & does have a genuine affection for the club so they are prepared to cut him alot of slack.
From time to time however people’s frustrations will boil over and IMO far from it being a time when people say “we need supporters not spectators” for Bobby to have said what he did last night displays a certain arrogance that he should not get any public criticism despite quite clearly making numerous mistakes in his team selection & tactics. Mistakes that he’s made before numerous times & not learned his lessons from & mistakes which even lead the owner to publicly criticise him.
Its naive to think that people are goign to watch the drivel that was served up from start to finish on Saturday & do nothing but clap & cheer for 90 minutes, stay to the end & then applaud
