Ben Foster on Everton fan negativity influencing opposition tactics

[4737carlin]

The correct answer, should have locked the thread

Truth hurts

 

[Leylo]

People who sit by me are always ready to moan why go ffs if they piss you off that much why go ffs .
It's got to stop

 

[Blue Roo]

12 times

2 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats

Pathetic innit - but he's not clutching at straws; he's reaching for the Premier narrative dividend

 

[Blue Roo]

Its ok for Roy Keane to get pissed off - 'its Man United, its unacceptable'
But when it comes from bleachers, outside of the golden ticket clubs, from a club just as historic, just as worthy of the shout, 'not on this ground'...well its unacceptable, innit.

 

[Blue Roo]

What they are scared of is when a truly good Everton side surfaces they won't be able to stop it. Because they know that the support is real, not manufactured.
The fact is the support is always there, just not the way they like it produced.

Pickford is more of a player/man than Foster ever will be, bc he's climbing mountains Foster can't fathom.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I don't know how the match going fans feel about this but from afar the atmosphere at the club feels very toxic and I can't imagine it not spilling over. It's why I don't really like how some of the posts in here about our struggling players go. It's one thing to be critical but it is often mean spirited.

 

[gazzaa2]

With the Benitez era yeah it was toxic and he shouldn't have been appointed. The fans will be fully behind Lampard though.

 

[gorgeousgeorgeEFC]

Wow, this revelation from the former England goalkeeper is really quite extraordinary.

I’ve been saying this about our fans for years - that the ire and aggression that we aim at our own players week after week helps our opponents. Some have tried to deny that and have tried to defend our fans, but here we have confirmation from an opposition player that the negativity of some fans at Goodison has been helping the opposition for years.

It’s not rocket science, though: did anyone seriously think that shouting abuse at your own players helps them play better?!

I remember it getting particularly bad under Martinez and it has never really improved. When we were struggling under Mike Walker the fans were brilliant, particularly on that final day of the season. Even Walker himself said we were like a 12th man that day.

I was at St James’ Park the other day (my first away match in years) and Newcastle started woefully and even went behind. They just weren’t at the races. However, their fans were constantly shouting words of encouragement to their players and it paid off.

 

[Gareth Gibson]

You have an opposition player saying that his team (and likely others) know that you can use Everton fan's reaction against their own team.

If that doesn't get you thinking about how your actions at the match can influence things, even in the smallest manner, then nothing will. It should provide some self awareness and reflection from parts of the fanbase rather than completely dismissing it.

This sums it all up.

 

[Gareth Gibson]

Foster is making out the fans just turn up and start giving the players crap from minute one every game.

That’s exactly what happens though!!

 

[Gareth Gibson]

I think I'd trust the opinion of an oppo player that's actually, you know, played at Goodison than some fan possibly causing the issue.

If you don't think a hostile environment puts off people like Keane then you've been in a coma.

Yup!

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

The Everton fans are the only group that have never changed. Players are softer now, I remember in the 99 season Marco Materrazi crying after being sent off, fans told him to [Poor language removed] grow up. I remember Michael Madar, spitting at Tony Adams, Dunc told Adams to 'crack him'. There was a time we had men playing for Everton like Mick Lyons, now we have mardarses. Stick and stones may break my bones, but toxic fans get you relegated. Sky sports news are outraged by Zouma and the cat, but quite happy at Russian, middle Eastern whitewashing and despotic regimes with horrendous human rights issues owning clubs but the real issue is Zouma and the toxic fans. Rant over.....

 

[Jeff Jones]

I have no idea what the support is like in the ground because I hardly ever get there and it's hard to tell on TV.

The trouble is, not many of our 35+ thousand supporters who go read this forum and those who yell out abuse won't have read
what Foster said and won't pull their heads in tomorrow.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

View attachment 155585

Ben shocked that the fans are a bit mad after the 5th goes in.

Yeah, coz that's exactly what he said.

Come on mate, we all know he's right.

He clearly talks about getting on top 'early doors'. And we've all heard the groans, grumbles and shouts at individual players after 10 minutes.

And no, of course it doesn't excuse the team or explain all the problems. He's not suggesting that. Nor is he suggesting that we should be happy clappers. However it's one thing to boo the team off at half time or full time and another to get on the players backs after the first misplaced pass.

 

[Quadvod]

I’ve been reflecting on these comments from foster and personally speaking I’ve definitely got more negative than I was say towards the back end of moyes reign.

Aside from the obvious paucity of what I’m watching on the field I think for the first time as an evertonian I feel a sense of embarrassment about my club.

We’ve become that sort of qpr boutique club who buy the over priced mercenaries who never seem vaguely happy to be here just continually phoning in performances. Appointing pereira (which I’m convinced moshiri would have done without the backlash) would have summed us up.joorabchin and his parasites just seeing us as a carcass to pick off. For us to have spent circa £500m and be in genuine danger of getting relegated is shameful.

I look at the players and don’t feel any connection- they’re the worst type as they’ve got some genuine ability but they just don’t want to put the hard yards in - I’ve seen people compare the situation to those relegation battles of the 90’s but those lads back then were just crap - the 97/98 team was the worst Everton side I’ve ever seen by a country mile. This lot are worse - they’re just not bothered - jumping out of 50/50’s in a relegation scrap for example. in the event of the unthinkable the decent ones know they’ll simply be playing in the PL for someone else whilst the dross will just be counting the pennies until their contract expires.

That said the team will get my full backing from here on in, if I feel the urge to be negative I’m going to keep my gob shut. I like lampard and the cut of his gib - I trust him to identify the blaggers in the dressing room and turf them out. I want to feel connected to my club once again starting with 3 pts today COYB.