Today we welcome Phil Withall, an Aussie-based Canary who will be familiar to the #NCFC Twitter community. Phil eloquently offers a note of caution for when/if the P-word becomes a thing.
Enjoy…
It’s a Tuesday evening in Brisbane. I’ve just re-watched the Wigan match, City were fortunate and unlucky at the same time, but they are inching ever closer toward promotion.
It’s entirely feasible that, at 6.50 on Saturday morning the club I love will be in the Premier League next season. It will be a moment to celebrate what has been a surprising, uplifting season.
A season that has seen a collective unity combine with individual brilliance of players and the manager and a sustained effort from the supporters to create a team that has surprised so many. I know I should be overjoyed that, once again we’re (almost) back in the top flight but I’m struggling to really excited at the thought.
Please don’t get me wrong. This season has been a magnificent beast of a thing, the emergence of talent both new and old has been a revelation. Some of the football that has been on display has preposterously, jaw-droppingly good. Yet the thought of playing in the top- flight next season fills me with a feeling of dread.
Not because I don’t feel we’re capable of making a decent showing amongst the big boys, but because of everything that comes with playing in “the biggest league in the world” © every newspaper in England.
Everything is exaggerated in the Premier League. Its revenues are looked at as a thing for good, its television deals are supposed to make us gaze in awe, the transfer fees are supposed to make us excited, the narrative runs that being in the Premier League is the most vital, special and exclusive club to be a part of.
Yet, with such trappings come many negatives and the reason for my reticence about our imminent promotion.
For some supporters, the achievements of this season haven’t been enough. Some players are deemed to be below standard, sometimes for one mistake, sometimes for none.
They are chastised, both vocally and on various social media outlets by people who have never had a bad day at work, never made a mistake with a lifestyle choice, never been under constant scrutiny every time they step up at work.
Recently certain City players have been getting, in my opinion, totally unjustified abuse purely for falling short of some imagined standard. If (when) promotion is secured this will simply be magnified. People’s opinions, not necessarily regular City watchers, will be magnified.
A couple of misplaced passes at the Etihad will lead to a relentless cycle of abuse, a scuffed clearance will lead to calls for a player to be dropped. It’s part of being in under the spotlight, and to be honest there are parts I’m not looking forward to.
If a player gets dog’s abuse for not reaching an arbitrary standard at Wigan on a Sunday morning, what hope is there when the same players come up against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool? When every move is replayed and analysed to provide the unrelenting appetite of the news channels and the trolls are empowered by the opinions of a bored football pundit?
I’m not immune to, possibly, undeserved criticism of a player. I took an instant, probably unwarranted dislike to Kevin Bond as a child, one that has failed to diminish of the decades. Yet now such thoughts are amplified and more focused.
Social media and 24/7 coverage have made the targeting of players easier and unrelating and it gets depressing.
If Norwich are promoted this weekend, I’ll be drinking champagne in the early hours of a Saturday morning, celebrating this season but there will be a slightly bitter taste as I look forward to the next one.
Sobering stuff, but there’s a job to be done before we worry too much about that. Thanks to Phil for his thoughts. Look forward to hearing more from him.
It will also be more difficult to get live TV coverage which is a shame. However, we are not there yet! We have escaped with two poor performances which have been helped by our competitors also dropping points. We should do it, everyone says we will do it but I prefer to keep my powder dry until it is a fact.
I enjoyed your article though which highlights the down side of the PL.
Hi Phil
Like Cyprus above I enjoyed the read also.
I disagree with some of the things you say, but you would possibly be surprised how many other City supporters would totally and absolutely agree with you on all “topics” – both here on MFW and elsewhere.
There certainly is a downside to the PL but I think it’s better for us to have our snouts in the trough and see what transpires thereafter. We won’t be spending too much whilst there (lessons learned from Naismith et al) but I’m really happy with that approach. I’d rather be there than in the Championship.
If we’re a bit frugal, we could amass a fair old lump of cash and if the worst happens we would certainly be able to bounce back stronger.
A very good article and looking forward to another one!
Much easier to get live TV coverage here in Scotland. Currently it is next to impossible unless you subscribe to the Evil Empire (aka Sky).
A very good read and highlights most peoples thoughts
Today is a 24hours ban by footballers on social media site’s to highlight abuse and racial comments, I was told many years ago if you put yourself up as a target learn to take it or learn to kerp your head down.
Most people that abuse others wether it be on social media or within a crowd at a football matche basic cowards very few would do it face to face it’s like throw things at players the person is hoping not to be recognised.
City player’s will have to adapt to a more open life style once promotion is secured, every word on social media and the press will be scrutinised over and over again things will be read into every word people will see meanings that aren’t there but as before if you dream of being famous you have to live with what comes with it the good the bad and the extremely ugly side of the game.
Good article, my idea of heaven is to win promotion from the Championship every year ! The journey is much more enjoyable than the destination. The most important thing for our club is to remain part of and at one with the community, we have a huge advantage , in that we are a one club county relatively isolated . Probably only Carlisle Utd can match us on that score . But we need to keep working on it , Once promotion is confirmed it would be interesting to hear of our strategy from the Board and others .
I feel better about this season than I have ever felt in 59 years , let’s not throw it away .