The most extreme optimist in me anticipated making an apology to you this weekend. I had a few invites to Old Trafford for the Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers match, but I chose one that didn't include any of you. I chose instead to go with a mate in an executive box, have a few drinks, have a chinwag and had all the best intentions of witnessing a good match. So, in the back of my mind I had that pang of guilt that you might miss out on the one game when Rovers sprung a surprise. Fat chance.
In life we all have choices. I hope you feel you have had the choice of football team to support. Three of you have followed my preference with great enthusiasm. One of you isn't bothered at all and one of you has bravely chosen to support another team entirely. In doing so that declaration comes with baggage. In this case, you support a team that has been battered by the team that most of your mates at school support. Because of that choice you will have to face all manner of jibes at school on Monday. Sorry.
I hope I've always been honest and realistic about what Rovers means to me and what it can mean to you too. A "small town in Europe" has been as good as it's got for us in your lifetimes. And some semi-finals. Brave, plucky, occasionally surprising, but always dogged and honest. I see some of that in the way the two keenest Rovers fans amongst you play football. Never fear anyone, stand up to bullies and give all you've got.
Oh dear. The Rovers performance at Old Trafford had none of that. Instead it was awestruck, gutless, leaderless, incompetent, weak, defeated, pitiful and humiliating. Sorry.
All I can say is that it's the worst I've ever seen. I first saw Rovers in 1975. I've been going regularly since 1977. The previous worst result was a 6-0 defeat at Manchester City in 1983, but that was a one-off, we had a good season that year and finished sixth in Division 2. I can't promise a bright future, but it will get better. Stick with it.
3 comments:
I was in a great mood this past week with the takeover and I was hoping it would last quite a while.
Well Rovers certainly put an end to that yesterday.
The new owners are owed an apology from the players and management for that. They deserve better than to see such a cowardly "performance" so soon after the takeover.
The fans should get a public apology though for me personally it won't diminish my anger. I'm not sure a public horsewhipping would be good enough to make up for this.
As I've stated in the past no game means more to me than the ones against Man United do. I was upset after that loss at Chelsea last season but that game did not mean half as much to me as yesterdays did.
Its inexcusable. The form has been good recently and confidence should be high with that and the takeover.
Jack must be turning in his grave. When I started supporting this club players like Hendry were still in the team who would have shed blood to beat Man United. This fixture means everything to me and the players looked like they couldn't care less. I can't believe at times this is the same club that beat them to a league title in 1995.
I could come up with all kinds of negative words to describe that performance but none would be adequate.
The players need to forget about it as soon as possible simply because it would damage form to dwell on it. Personally however it will take a long time for me to forgive what I endured yesterday. I've never witnessed such rubbish in 13 years of support and to say you haven't seen worse in over 30 years speaks volumes for how bad it was. A quadrupled refund wouldn't make up for it.
This "small town in europe" mentality needs to be discarded especially with the new international marketing being planned. There couldn't have been a worse advertisement to potential Indian based fans and possible sponsors than that display yesterday though.
If the owners weren't going to make any hasty decisions the pink slips may be coming out a lot faster now.
Fair points Vinjay.
The upsetting thing is to hear Allardyce saying we're far beyond the big teams. That's such a losing mental attitude.
I have to agree what a toothless display by a bunch of over paid prima donnas and after that display Pascal chimbonda should donate his wage to charity and offer his head on a chopping block he was by far the worst player on show. While I was watching the game on footy first on sky I was telling some relatives who were over I would rather Sam have played a half fit/half ill givet than that French Numpty even he would have given a better display in every respect I wish he had agreed terms with WHU last time out then he would not be our problem I said all along to keep Jacobsen sell Chimbo and before I hear another person say he is a legend for scoring against the dingles so did Franco Di santo and look at where he has ended up!
Rant Over!
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