Player Power and Influence

[Seathestars]

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I saw this article on Reddit this morning and it irked me somewhat. I recall hearing similar thoughts about Conte when he was manager of Chelsea, that he worked the players too hard and that the players weren’t happy with him, despite winning the league the year prior.

Having spent a little bit of time reading the thoughts of Spurs fans there’s a notion that the club has a problem with player influence. In short, the players seemingly don’t want a manager that is going to work them hard.

I’m fast losing interest in football. I see stories like this and it reminds me of the huge power and influence that players have in the game now. It’s all about them it seems. We see it frequently when players seemingly down tools or lose interest because they’re not being treated the way they want to be treated.

I think the Bosman rule could also do with a rework, as in its current form it gives players all the power.

Me too mate, in fact I’m beginning to loathe it as each day passes and stories like this come to the fore.
Who do these overpaid millionaires think they are

 

[the sniderman]

@TheBigIguana please text back.

 

[the sniderman]

@TheBigIguana please text back.

with calculator buddy.

 

[Seathestars]

It is all about them though. Harry Kane has a lot of power because there are maybe 10 people on Earth who come close to being able to do what he does. Top players have a lot of power because they really are irreplaceable in a lot of cases. Football requires enough of a squad to not be the NBA but the power of the top level forwards/midfielders isn’t that far away because they are that special.

It’s not all about them though, it’s all about the fans, the sooner you and your ilk realise this the sooner the game will return to the fans. Stop Americanising everything.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Agree to disagree on that I'm afraid.

It's fine. I put the players don't care in the same category as the players aren't fit enough. Simple solutions for a deeper problem.

 

[TheBigIguana]

It’s not all about them though, it’s all about the fans, the sooner you and your ilk realise this the sooner the game will return to the fans. Stop Americanising everything.

The players are not your enemy in this. In fact turning on the players only serves to empower the people actively stealing the game from the fans.

 

[the sniderman]

The players are not your enemy in this. In fact turning on the players only serves to empower the people actively stealing the game from the fans.

buddy calculator?? i know a cool trick.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Football is for the fans, is it not? This is exactly what I mean. People give players far too much respect at times

Especially considering I think a lot of players couldn't give a shiny one about the fans

Players and supporters used to have a closer connection. These days players just live in a completely different world to the point that few of them really understand what it is to be a regular person these days

 

[wandyr79]

The players are not your enemy in this. In fact turning on the players only serves to empower the people actively stealing the game from the fans.

Well, actually, on this very subject, if true, the players are very much the 'enemy'.

It doesn't matter how much they are getting paid they have to do their job. I suppose in a way it brings up the thought processes of whether football can be seen as any other job/business. If I was sat here and knew that a manager was coming over, who I knew to be a hard taskmaster, I would quickly realise the people paying my wages have the power to decide what they want. I could offer my concerns in a professional manner, of course, but at the end of the day if they were to be my manager I would get on with it and do my job to the best of my ability or look for a new job. If my position became unworkable because of the manager then a complaints process could probably begin and again it would be up to the people who paid my wages to decide, etc. etc.

To simply 'down tools' (again, if true) before the manager comes in is petty and childish and why are they doing it, because he may work them harder than the previous manager? I am sorry but that is spitting in every fans face, those fans who are, more than likely, working hard to get the money to be able to watch them play football.

As the post above states, there used to be a closer connection. That is what we want in this country, we are not customers of a franchise. Football is about passion, we expect players (rightly so) to also want this and do what they can to make it worthwhile for us to spend our money. This is not a new complaint and I am sure there are many more examples from since football became a professional sport but it is certainly never been so disconnected and never been so commonplace, for players to be seen not caring and not caring that they are seen in this manner, than it is today.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Well, actually, on this very subject, if true, the players are very much the 'enemy'.

It doesn't matter how much they are getting paid they have to do their job. I suppose in a way it brings up the thought processes of whether football can be seen as any other job/business. If I was sat here and knew that a manager was coming over, who I knew to be a hard taskmaster, I would quickly realise the people paying my wages have the power to decide what they want. I could offer my concerns in a professional manner, of course, but at the end of the day if they were to be my manager I would get on with it and do my job to the best of my ability or look for a new job. If my position became unworkable because of the manager then a complaints process could probably begin and again it would be up to the people who paid my wages to decide, etc. etc.

To simply 'down tools' (again, if true) before the manager comes in is petty and childish and why are they doing it, because he may work them harder than the previous manager? I am sorry but that is spitting in every fans face, those fans who are, more than likely, working hard to get the money to be able to watch them play football.

As the post above states, there used to be a closer connection. That is what we want in this country, we are not customers of a franchise. Football is about passion, we expect players (rightly so) to also want this and do what they can to make it worthwhile for us to spend our money. This is not a new complaint and I am sure there are many more examples from since football became a professional sport but it is certainly never been so disconnected and never been so commonplace, for players to be seen not caring and not caring that they are seen in this manner, than it is today.

What I was saying is the owners of clubs are the ones turning the sport into a money machine. Those are the people who are taking it from fans.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Especially considering I think a lot of players couldn't give a shiny one about the fans

Players and supporters used to have a closer connection. These days players just live in a completely different world to the point that few of them really understand what it is to be a regular person these days

The fact that player’s wages have grown exponentially and every day jobs have essentially gone backwards due to the rising cost of living doesn’t help either. When average players are earning £100k a week and not putting shifts in it starts to upset people.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

The fact that player’s wages have grown exponentially and every day jobs have essentially gone backwards due to the rising cost of living doesn’t help either. When average players are earning £100k a week and not putting shifts in it starts to upset people.

That's definitely part of it as well yeah

You can barely kick a ball at a top club and be set for life regardless

The bubble will burst one day. This current model is not sustainable

 

[Baines' left foot]

That's definitely part of it as well yeah

You can barely kick a ball at a top club and be set for life regardless

The bubble will burst one day. This current model is not sustainable

The cracks are beginning to show. I can’t find a clear answer on Google but UEFA are pressing ahead with their Champions League reform, which will create a closed shop for the top clubs and all but ensure their progression to the latter rounds. People don’t want more football. They want better football if anything.

It will destroy what’s left of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and weaken the league too.

Fans really need to start voting with their feet/TV subscriptions.

 

[wandyr79]

What I was saying is the owners of clubs are the ones turning the sport into a money machine. Those are the people who are taking it from fans.

Yes, they are taking it from the fans but this is not what the thread is about. It is about player power and how they are using that to influence decisions because they do not like the idea of a manager coming in and telling them what to do, in essence.

As I said, it does not matter how much they are being paid. I believe in this country all we generally ask for is that players care, players put a shift in, everything else is a bonus. That is why past players that I generally look on favourably are ones that you could see cared about the game, the club, the fans. Players like Cahill, Carsley, Coleman, Kilbane, Horne, Stuart, Unsworth, etc.

Maybe I am too old school or lower league in my thinking and I need to get with the fact that football is basically an Americanised franchise but either way it is very disappointing to hear stories of players acting this way.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Yes, they are taking it from the fans but this is not what the thread is about. It is about player power and how they are using that to influence decisions because they do not like the idea of a manager coming in and telling them what to do, in essence.

As I said, it does not matter how much they are being paid. I believe in this country all we generally ask for is that players care, players put a shift in, everything else is a bonus. That is why past players that I generally look on favourably are ones that you could see cared about the game, the club, the fans. Players like Cahill, Carsley, Coleman, Kilbane, Horne, Stuart, Unsworth, etc.

Maybe I am too old school or lower league in my thinking and I need to get with the fact that football is basically an Americanised franchise but either way it is very disappointing to hear stories of players acting this way.

What I'm saying is you either accept player power and deal with the things it brings or you de facto side with the owners and they are the ones doing the real damage. Maybe you don't like either, but I think one group is preferable.

I also don't go along with this idea that players don't work hard or care. They didn't just wake up one day as professional footballers.