Scapegoat

[Clampy]

I'm looking forward to seeing who the whinging bastard behind me picks on this year now Bannan's on his way.

I think Bannan was hard done by at times. He could lay the ball off three or four times, then if he gave it away the fifth time the groans would ring out.

[Yossarian]

Lionel Messi. I think Lambert will struggle to integrate him into our playing style. For the amount we are going to pay for him people will expect a goal a game but playing alongside Benteke and Weimann he is going to have to play a bit deeper than what he is used to at Barca.

[Chris Smith]

Scapegoat is probably the wrong word but there's no doubt that certain players are given a harder time than others. So, Player A who does fuck all for 80 minutes then goes close with a chance will get his name chanted, Player B works hard for 80 minutes then over hits a pass and gets the dogs abuse.

It's always been that way but the internet helps spread the message more quickly that Player B is currently out of favour and the more easily lead amongst us jump on the bandwagon.

[rob_bridge]

Scapegoat is probably the wrong word but there's no doubt that certain players are given a harder time than others. So, Player A who does fuck all for 80 minutes then goes close with a chance will get his name chanted, Player B works hard for 80 minutes then over hits a pass and gets the dogs abuse.

It's always been that way but the internet helps spread the message more quickly that Player B is currently out of favour and the more easily lead amongst us jump on the bandwagon.

I do believe Ray Houghton alluded this about Deano. If Deano and/or team was having a stinker he would go through a defender near the end of the game so as to show the fans the effort he puts in.

Never understood the dog abuse Alan Wright got the one season (97-98) as he had no cover in front of him. Unless you count Collymore. And I don't / didn't.
Petrov was never a scapegoat in my opinion. He was just plain shite for 18months before turning it around- which was his job.
Angel never got much abuse whereas Vassell got loads even though Angel was only good when Vassell was creating space for him.
Bannan doesn't help himself with the drink/driving stuff.
Ireland deserves all the crap he gets.

[Villadroid]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.





 

[eastie]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.





 

Thank you Leonard Sachs

[supertom]

I think generally we're okay with a player if they work hard and have a good attitude. Heskey did get a lot of flak, but almost in an expectant way. We knew he's not a great player. But many had a soft spot for big Emile because he's got a good attitude and worked hard. He was just shit.

The flipside to that is Stephen "Fucking" Ireland. Complete was of space. Some of the moaning and griping he had in his first season didn't help him. Under McLeish he seemed to just keep quiet and get on with it. He started working at least, showing a little more effort, but not enough product. Last season he was fucking dire most of the time. I think there's something to the talent-end product ratio that also contributes to how much flak a player gets. Wee Barry should be giving us far more. Ireland should be giving us a hell of a lot more. Charley Zog. Because they've got natural ability and a reputation for fancying themselves a bit, of course they've got stick when they've not delivered the goods.

In the case of Petrov and Angel in their tougher times, because they'ye top blokes, never had a bad word to say, and kept up the effort, we stood by them largely. They had some moaning but I wouldn't say too much vitriol. Though I remember Angel having a very good game against Newcastle in O Neill's first season. He started that season very well but clearly O Neills long term plan was to go 4-4-2 with pace and a big man, which meant Juan lost his place when we had Baros back and Chris Sutton in, before big John came in of course. Some guy a few rows back was moaning incessantly about JPA. Even despite him playing well, linking play nicely. The irony being that when Juan ended up scoring the fella moaning the most, then cheered the loudest.

[eastie]

The stick bannan gets is trivial compared to the flak given by those around me and including me at the likes of Simon stainrod and paul Elliott.

[Pete3206]

If there had been H&V in the early 80's, Tony Morley would have got loads on here.

[DrGonzo]

This season I are mostly going to be blaming Maxwell and the shadow of Thatcher.

[ktvillan]

The thing I find about the discussions of scapegoats on this site is that, more often than not, the people who drone on loudest on the subject don't really understand what the word means.

For starters, it doesn't just mean "person who gets slagged off", so criticising someone for not performing doesn't necessarily meant you're "scapegoating" them.

Exactly my reaction to this thread.  A Scapegoat is someone who get unmerited blame, not someone who gets deserved ciriticism.  Ireland, Bennett, Clark and Bannan all deserved their fair share of criticism last season by turning in frequent woeful performances .  For me Curtis Davies was and still is something of genuine scapegoat - yes he put in 4 or 5 terrible performances but his many decent and even very good performances are overlooked because of those, and even he often took the blame for collectively poor defending when other players like Knight, Cuellar and even occasionally Laursen, were equally culpable.   

[Toronto Villa]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.





 

Honestly, what the fuck are you on about?

[midnite]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.





 

Deep man. Real deep

[paul_e]

It is never nice when a player or other individual gets picked on but I think you have to accept that creating a scapegoat is a necessity for the proper function and cohesion of the tribe and the sustaining of its belief system.

Just as the scapegoat would serve the purpose of convincing a primitive tribe that the sun would rise in the spring and that next year's harvest would be better, so it goes with the football tribe.

Trying to somehow sustain the belief that things are not as bad as they seem requires a scapegoat, so the tribe can claim that everything would be great if it wasn't for X or Y, which avoids the actual reality and sustains hope in the face of disappointment.

It is ugly and it seems ignoble but the use of a scapegoat has to be seen as a necessary evil to serve a greater good: sustaining the belief which is necessary for the tribe to cohere.

In broader terms the role of scapegoat should be seen as an honourable one.

Ah ha, the fundamental basics of Tory policy, I'm not surprised that you support the concept.

[Des Little]

Ellis out!