A message to the toxic side of Manchester United’s fanbase
For some, football is that beautiful escape. It’s the breakaway from reality, a 90-minute festival where nothing else matters other than the hush of the crowd, the ping of the ball and the jubilation, or even despair, of the result.
For others, it’s an excuse to be the horrible people they are in their day-to-day lives, hiding behind the guise of being a “true fan.”
Being toxic doesn’t help anybody. It is difficult to understand why some Manchester United fans have not yet fully grasped this concept. Given that United has one of the largest fan bases in the world, it is inevitable that among those hundreds of millions of supporters, there will be a few individuals who do not behave like typical football fans.
Manchester United’s Footballers are better than you think
The role of a footballer is difficult in many ways. People see the dollar signs in the pay cheques and decide that makes human beings free real estate to be ruthlessly abused in whatever manner they see fit. Men, by and large, within the football sphere, spew vitriol and aggressive threats at footballers they do not know, will never meet, and would say nothing to face-to-face and hide behind the banner of “supporting the club” and loving it.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting better from the football club you support. Normal fans will do this in a manner that doesn’t delve into the dark depths of fandom while still maintaining a level of support for those that take the pitch in the colours of United on a weekly basis. The truth is, unless a player disrespects the badge, why would you continuously publish countless tweets on social media of pure negativity towards them? First and foremost, what does that really make you? How does posting 20 or 30 tweets a day about a footballer make you a better person? How does it add to your life? What does it even do for these fans? Does it make them feel positive about themselves? Is it done because they hate themselves and need a target for what they feel inside?
This appears to be the situation as it stands. People are launching hate campaigns towards a manager who obviously only wants what’s best for this football club and is falling victim to the hamster wheel that has killed so many hamsters before him and, unless he’s allowed to end his cycle on this hamster wheel, will kill many after him too.
Back the manager, support the players
Ruben Amorim is a beast of a coach. Those back in Portugal maintain the belief, give Ruben his players, and United win a title. It’s that simple. Those who have studied him closely know his ceiling, and they believe it’s a ceiling that will allow league titles to be won at Manchester United. I’d take the opinion of those unbiased, level-headed people over some of the chancers on social media trying to inflate their ego.
Manuel Ugarte fell victim to this last week. A mistake was made against West Ham, and all of a sudden fans who made their minds up on him before he even signed for the club were caressing their egos by launching hateful tweets towards the player suggesting they were right to ever doubt him. This is a Uruguayan who worked tooth and nail to become the player he is today and reach the level he is currently at. He dedicated himself to double training sessions, with his father dropping him off and on, in order to sacrifice and reach the top level, without letting anything stand in his way. Pure dedication. That’s someone to be admirable of, even if you don’t believe he’s the type of player to bring United forward from a starting position. Would you not get behind him while he’s in the shirt? Worse players have been part of Manchester United squads that have comfortably won league titles at the club; why on earth are we trying to rewrite history and pretend that someone like an international-level defensive midfielder cannot be a key part of a resurgence at the club in the next couple of seasons in at least some capacity?
He didn’t do all he did to make it as a footballer to be told he’s not good enough by “PogbaEra” on Twitter. Slating these players absolutely affects them, which is counterproductive for those who are criticising them. You suggest they’re not good enough and yet continuously target them and push hateful messages towards them. Is that supposed to improve them? Is your hate supposed to benefit the football club? The fanbase is the problem. Social media gave too many people with the wrong messages voices, and unfortunately, they’ve developed armies to push dogwater agendas on a weekly and daily basis.
Top 1%
Players like Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Patrick Dorgu are in the top 1% of footballers on the planet. They’ve achieved something. They have made a significant impact on their lives. Set their families up for life and then some. How about some of you stop trying to make them look bad on social media and instead head out to find a job? Why don’t some of you try and emulate them and show us you can do better on the pitch instead of hiding behind Avi’s of Sergio Romero?
Support the club by all means. Complain about us being sixteenth. It’s sad. It’s unfortunate. Players need to leave. Some may not be up to it, and some may have to come in to improve the situation, but surely leave it at that? Stop being so toxic as a fan base. Everyone else is laughing at Manchester United, but yet the players’ biggest enemies are some of the toxic idiots online and in person.
Joshua Zirkzee was hugely upset following the boos he received during the Newcastle game, and that’s not something he should forget in the coming months. The Dutchman remained unflinching, diligently honed his skills to become the player that every football enthusiast recognised, and concluded the season as a hero among the club’s devoted supporters. But he showed his frustration towards the ones who didn’t stick by him after the Lyon game, calling out the fans who left the ground when United were losing, and rightfully so. You never, as a fan base, boo your player, unless they absolutely disrespect the badge they’re wearing. Zirkzee was plain and simply adjusting to a league he never played in at such a young age. He needed support, and a certain group of toxic folks decided he didn’t deserve it. That’s not a fan in the slightest, no matter how much they claim they are.
The issue with a lot of these toxic fans is that they simply do not understand football. Every footballer who has ever played for this club is a good player. Rasmus Hojlund would dogwalk 99% of people on the planet if they played in his position for Manchester United. Antony Dos Santos is a seriously talented footballer who, for whatever reason, could not perform at Old Trafford, and yet people tried to paint this image that he was a Sunday League talent while they sit at home, heating up last night’s Domino’s, watching re-runs of 07 Ronaldo.
Put your time and energy into bettering yourselves as human beings instead of devoting a life you only get to live once to insulting human beings who do not know you exist.
It’s time that United fans actually BECAME UNITED. Us against the world, not the rest of the world, including us, against each other.
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