Anwar El Ghazi - gone to PSV

[Risso]

Fair enough, not a biggie!

[kippaxvilla2]

'Mebbe's some of the dowters will stop dowtin' us now.  That's the championship for ya.  One week yarup against the Leeds', the next you have a horrible one against the Barnsley's.'

[dcdavecollett]

"...and it's getting a bit tickly..."

[eamonn]

Someone once said on here that Steve Bruce always interrupts the interviewer before he's finished the question. Can't stop waiting for it every time I see him on TV now and he still does it !

[eamonn]

Edit..wrong thread

[OCD]

Interesting article...

‘I’m sorry and ashamed’ – the Villa fans who chased El Ghazi off of Twitter

By Joey D'Urso and Gregg Evans Dec 14, 2020 25
“Good morning villains. I really hope all you who were berating and hounding El Ghazi enough to make him suspend his social media are in his DMs today apologising,” tweeted Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings following Saturday’s smash-and-grab win over Wolves. “A team game utilises a WHOLE squad and we need everyone. May your apology be as loud as the disrespect.”

Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi has been out of favour with manager Dean Smith this season but coolly converted an injury-time penalty against Wolves after coming on as a substitute.

Earlier this season following a poor performance in the League Cup, three Villa players — El Ghazi, Henri Lansbury and Kourtney Hause — suspended their social media accounts after receiving a torrent of abuse from fans after defeat to Stoke City.

The Athletic has tracked down a couple of the fans who abused El Ghazi on social media earlier this year, and asked them about Mings’ words. El Ghazi was left both saddened and frustrated by the criticism he received, especially knowing that his game time will be limited because of new midfield signings Ross Barkley and Bertrand Traore.

David, 38, works in a supermarket and lives in Redditch just south of Birmingham. He sent a tweet calling El Ghazi a “useless c***” after a crucial miss against Everton last season. He says he regrets his actions, and admits to not considering the human impact of a tweet made in haste while watching a vital game on TV rather than his usual vantage point in the stands of Villa Park.

“It’s not great, is it? I can understand why people say it’s wrong,” he told The Athletic. “People don’t really think (about their actions) online, it’s just a venting exercise. I think the world the way is right now, there’s a lot of negatives, football is a frustrating game. When things are going well, it’s easy to get behind people.”

Asked about the impact on players, he stands by his criticism of some of El Ghazi’s performances. “I understand where Mings is coming from, but at the end of the day if you’re going to be a professional footballer, you’ve got to be prepared to get criticism.”

Being a Premier League player brings big money and the potential of fame and glory, but also pressure and responsibility. Nobody thinks footballers should be above criticism.

At the time, El Ghazi’s miss against Everton felt like it might consign Villa to a return to the Championship after a disappointing first season in the Premier League. But a few days after that draw at Goodison Park, Villa beat Arsenal at home, then drew at West Ham to secure another season in the Premier League, which looked a remote prospect just a few weeks earlier.

Since the summer break, the club has seen an extraordinary improvement, winning six of their first 10 Premier League games including thumping wins over Liverpool and Arsenal, with new signings Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins making an instant impact.

Another fan, a man in his 20s living in Cambridgeshire, also sent an abusive tweet after the miss against Everton. “I feel like at the time it was a lot of pent-up aggression towards not just El Ghazi himself but to the situation with Villa,” he told The Athletic. “Unfortunately after that specific game, it fell to El Ghazi as a scapegoat, which I feel ashamed of.”

The fan is happy to apologise for his actions but insists on remaining completely anonymous. “My work would not be OK with it being put out there.”

This highlights how the power imbalance between fan and a player can cut both ways. On the one hand, a football fan can subject a player to scrutiny unheard of in almost any other job, hurling abuse from the stands or, via social media, from the sofa.

On the other, average fans have far less money than a professional footballer and have far more to lose if they get in trouble. “I suppose you don’t really see footballers as normal people because they live such a lavish lifestyle, they’re worlds apart,” says David.

The anonymous fan is very contrite about his actions.

“If I could speak to El Ghazi now I’d say that I’m sorry if it came across as hurtful, and that it was only meant in criticism. It was sad that Anwar felt the need to quit Twitter and in fact quite shameful that Villa fans prompted that reaction out of him.”

But there is something particularly personal about abuse on Twitter, which rather than simply tweeting about the player, incorporates their username so they see the tweet as a notification, which can feel like a personal message as they check their phone in the dressing room after a disappointing performance.

“I usually do speak to players directly, not because I want to shame them, but more in the fact I think, if I’m going to say something, I shouldn’t beat around the bush — I should just say it,” says the anonymous fan.

Like many clubs, Villa hire sports psychologists to help players manage the mental burden of playing at the top level. “You can tell when players are having bad days because you get to know them the longer you’re with them. They’re human beings and have emotions,” said Villa manager Dean Smith earlier this season. 

“They have sensitivities and sometimes some of them might need a quiet word and you get a good feel then if there is anything and, if you can’t deal with it yourself or your coaches can’t, you can tip off your sports psychologist. Then, you can see if they want to talk discreetly but they might not want to talk. I would never force my sports psychologist to go and speak to anybody.”

El Ghazi was one of the first signings by Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens who took over the club in the summer of 2018 and have helped engineer a remarkable turnaround. The Dutchman signed on loan from Lille at first and was known for being rather shy and quiet in the dressing room and training ground, but strong performances on the pitch, as well as a family member living in England, helped him settle in.

The undoubted highlight of his Villa career so far was a stooping header just before half-time in the 2019 play-off final at Wembley, helping Villa beat Frank Lampard’s Derby County 2-1 and win promotion back to the Premier League after three years of absence.

The player then signed on a permanent deal but didn’t quite hit the same heights in his first season in the Premier League, though did score six goals and demonstrated his versatility by playing up front during an injury crisis last winter, performing well in the two-legged League Cup semi-final win over Leicester City. He is said to be consistently excellent in training, skilful and an excellent finisher, hence club captain Jack Grealish’s surprising decision to hand him the ball to take the vital penalty against Wolves.

Notably, it was Mings who took a stand to support his team-mate this weekend.



The two men clashed (above) last September during a home draw with West Ham, when the Dutchman reacted furiously to the England international questioning his commitment to tracking back. El Ghazi is known for being a fiery character, which means he is more likely than many players to struggle with social media criticism, particularly when it crosses the line into outright abuse.

The El Ghazi incident has kicked off a wider debate in football, with Watford’s Troy Deeney saying on Talksport that players who are affected by social media abuse should log off. “Your world still spins without social media.”

Both fans who spoke to The Athletic maintain their right to criticise their team’s players — men who earn money beyond the fans’ wildest dreams to pull on the claret-and-blue shirt. But both also accept there is a clear line between criticism and targeted abuse, which is not acceptable.

As for El Ghazi, the road ahead is a tough one because Villa have made several signings since last season and have been performing far better as a result. “We’ve been able to keep a consistent team this season for the ten games we’ve played,” said Dean Smith after the win at Wolves. “It’s been very difficult for anybody else to break into the team.”

Injuries and suspensions, though, mean El Ghazi is likely to start against Burnley at Villa Park on Thursday.

“All the players here have got a future,” says Dean Smith.

The Dutchman has shut himself off from social media for the past couple of months. This means he has protected himself from seeing some nasty abuse. But over the past few days, it also means he has missed out on a wave of positivity from Villa fans on social media.

Perhaps in training this week one of his team-mates will load up the Twitter app and show him that El Ghazi has a lot of admirers among the Villa fanbase, who are willing him on to play well this season, and will never forget that magic moment at Wembley.

[SamTheMouse]

Nothing wrong with criticising players on here or similar forums after a game, within reason. Seeking out somebody's Twitter to abuse them so you know they will read it is cuntish behaviour though. I have no sympathy for trolls whatsoever. Fair play Tyrone.

This is spot on for me. Part of the fun of football is getting overly emotional about things, experiencing the highs and the lows. Going mental when your team does well, getting irate when they don't. Calling players names on an internet forum when they've made a mistake is part and parcel of the whole thing, and in the vast majority of cases I'm sure none of us really mean it at all. It's just an exercise in venting spleen.

But abusing someone directly is bullying, and the sort of things actual c**ts do.

[paul_e]

Even on forums I think some people take things too far. Saying a player isn't good enough or has had bad games or highlighting  faults in their game is all fine but too often posts move from that to "he just needs to fuck off", "he's not putting the effort in", "he's a coward", etc. I get people are frustrated but for me those sort of comments are pointless knee-jerk anger and not really anything worth discussing. What often happens is after a bad defeat there's a bunch of threads that just aren't worth visiting as it turns into an argument over whether a player is fucking shit or not. I know I've done it in the past, some of my posts about Bruce, Taylor and Lansbury are pretty embarrassing to read back. I don't follow any players on social media because it's just a swamp and people take things way too far almost every week.

[KevinGage]

Mings didn't seem to like the reaction of Villa fans either after the Leicester debacle just before the lockdown.

We all know the sort of phrases that are completely beyond the pale (particularly in the current climate) but fans calling him out for another sub standard defensive performance back then had every right to say it after paying their money and sitting through that muck.

He enjoys the praise (and he had plenty in his first 12 months + at the club) he can wear the criticism when it's merited. Same for AEG and anyone else.  I like El Ghazi, along with the 2017/18 team, the 18/19 team restored my enjoyment in watching Villa and that was due in no small part to him.

I also thought some of the things said after the Everton miss were way OTT. But his form had been ropey since the turn of the year and the way he carries himself at times doesn't help.  If form deserts you, the workrate shouldn't. If anything, you should be snapping into tackles and upping the workrate to turn the thing around.  I accept that's not a natural part of his game. But Villa fans (like most fans) will always warm to a trier over a show pony.

Trezeguet provides a decent example in that regard. Came to us as a winger with a reputation for mazy dribbling and hit and miss end product. Has turned himself into the reincarnation of Des Bremner.

With Jack operating predominately on the left now, there isn't a regular slot in his favoured position. He needs to force an opening elsewhere.

[paul_e]

He enjoys the praise (and he had plenty in his first 12 months + at the club) he can wear the criticism when it's merited.[/b} Same for AEG and anyone else.  I like El Ghazi, along with the 2017/18 team, the 18/19 team restored my enjoyment in watching Villa and that was due in no small part to him.

This is important bit but what constitutes 'criticism' is a key part of the discussion. Telling someone their performance wasn't good enough and they need to sort it out is fine, telling someone they're a c**t for missing a chance isn't and never will be. That's the line that gets crossed far too easily by football fans.

[Mister E]

AEG - the archetypal player of unfulfilled potential. He has shown great talent on the ball and has contributed goals and assists, but there's always a sense that there could be more.
Here's hoping.

[Lastfootstamper]

I felt he needed a break last season, he was clearly crumbling under the relentless backs-to-the-wall pressure. I hoped he'd pick up during restart, but still not. Here's hoping that now, if he gets his chance in a 'front foot' team, he can get back to that player of '18/19, because I love players that widen your eyes and quicken your pulse when they get on the ball, make you mutter the words "go on, son", and he certainly did that to me back then.

[OCD]

He enjoys the praise (and he had plenty in his first 12 months + at the club) he can wear the criticism when it's merited.[/b} Same for AEG and anyone else.  I like El Ghazi, along with the 2017/18 team, the 18/19 team restored my enjoyment in watching Villa and that was due in no small part to him.

I'm not on Twitter but I imagine posts on there go a lot further than calling someone a c*** for missing a big chance. Death threats and other disgusting things about family members etc. It's really for the lowest of the low.

This is important bit but what constitutes 'criticism' is a key part of the discussion. Telling someone their performance wasn't good enough and they need to sort it out is fine, telling someone they're a c**t for missing a chance isn't and never will be. That's the line that gets crossed far too easily by football fans.

[KevinGage]

I felt he needed a break last season, he was clearly crumbling under the relentless backs-to-the-wall pressure. I hoped he'd pick up during restart, but still not. Here's hoping that now, if he gets his chance in a 'front foot' team, he can get back to that player of '18/19, because I love players that widen your eyes and quicken your pulse when they get on the ball, make you mutter the words "go on, son", and he certainly did that to me back then.

Indeed.

Top marks for the Everton (at home) celebrations after the second goal as well.

[paul_e]

He enjoys the praise (and he had plenty in his first 12 months + at the club) he can wear the criticism when it's merited.[/b} Same for AEG and anyone else.  I like El Ghazi, along with the 2017/18 team, the 18/19 team restored my enjoyment in watching Villa and that was due in no small part to him.

This is important bit but what constitutes 'criticism' is a key part of the discussion. Telling someone their performance wasn't good enough and they need to sort it out is fine, telling someone they're a c**t for missing a chance isn't and never will be. That's the line that gets crossed far too easily by football fans.

I'm not on Twitter but I imagine posts on there go a lot further than calling someone a c*** for missing a big chance. Death threats and other disgusting things about family members etc. It's really for the lowest of the low.

I started at a point that was only just over the line on purpose but yes, threats of violence aren't particularly unusual on there.

Just look at some of the stuff targeted at Jack from the noses (and the inevitable consequence of someone thinking it was ok to run on the pitch and punch him).

Twitter for 'normal' people is pointless, for celebrities it's dangerous (mostly to their careers if they say anything that's controversial), you could easily remove 90% of the accounts on there and lose nothing of value, just keep James Blunt and Ryan Reynolds and I'd be happy.