Move over Sky Sports, there's a new bunch of Premier League apologists in town: the players themselves.
This weekend saw a slew of red cards in high profile games. What was new, or felt new anyway, was the sight of players being presented to supporters via social media channels to atone for their mistakes. This is football in the social media age: as if it's not humiliating enough to be sent off in a massive derby for a moronic late lunge, players feel required to beg the forgiveness of the millions of fans they've infuriated.
Francis Coquelin got the apologies rolling after Arsenal drew with Spurs Saturday afternoons. Coquelin recorded a video for fans who pay for premium content on their website, but his explanation was later posted as quotes on the Arsenal website:
I'm really sorry to all the fans for the red card, I think with 11 against 11 we could have won the game as we were playing really well. This red card changed the game. I’m really sorry to the club, to the team and all the fans.
“I actually thought I could get the ball when I slide tackled [Harry Kane] - that is why I went for it. I touched him and [the referee] gave me the second yellow.
in many occasions, we see more serious fouls that are not penalised in such a way, but at the same time I could have avoided them and I take responsibility. It also leaves me with a bad taste for the supporters who travelled to the stadium, and for those who were watching the game from home.
Then yesterday, after his clanger helped a 10-man Liverpool launch an unlikely comeback and beat Palace 2-1, Alex McCarthy took to Twitter to say sorry.
Football is a game of high and lows, I'm sorry to all you palace fans but I didn't mean to slip! Great support as always! 🔴🔵
— Alex McCarthy (@Alex_Macca23) March 6, 2016
Hours later at the Hawthornes, Juan Mata was sent off for the first time in his career. Manchester United were in indifferent form against West Brom yesterday, and Mata's sending off surely didn't help matters. Following the match, Mata took to his blog to say sorry.
in many occasions, we see more serious fouls that are not penalised in such a way, but at the same time I could have avoided them and I take responsibility. It also leaves me with a bad taste for the supporters who travelled to the stadium, and for those who were watching the game from home.
Such was the extent of his downbeat demeanour, he didn't end the post with the regular 'Hugs'. One fan even predicted his apology.
Worse than Coquelin that in terms of stupidity. It's OK though, we'll get an apology and "hugs" on his blog to make up for it #MUFC
— Ed Tyler (@EdTyler94) March 6, 2016
Also this weekend, Shane Duffy felt obliged to say sorry after giving away a penalty that helped Burnley beat Blackburn.
Can only apologise for the penalty mistake, we were the better team once again but no points, it's a tough one to take @OneRovers
— Shane Duffy (@shaneduffy) March 5, 2016
These apologies show how much social media is changing the relationship between footballers and supporters. If being booed by 20,000 supporters for a idiotic red card hurts, imagine turning on your phone in the dressing room and seeing thousands more messages wishing you death and worse on social media. This spike in apologies seems a clear indication of the growing influence of the social media department at football clubs. Football clubs, who are hyperaware of the extent to which they are fleecing their supporters, want their players to seem repentant and caring. Saying sorry is the best they can come with when confronted by the tidal wave of social media abuse.
But apologising is a waste of breath. It might placate some faceless blowhards with 90 followers on Twitter but it changes nothing in the grander scheme. Rather than sheepishly apologising to fans, try not getting sent off.
We have to presume the clubs are pushing this. These apologies prove that clubs fundamentally misunderstand the relationship between footballers and supporters. These men are not our friends or family. They're overpaid athletes who provide us with endless amounts of entertainment. We make massive emotional investments in their performance but we don't expect an apology when they fuck up. We expect them not to fuck up. What happens after the next cock-up? Another apology? The relationship between a fan and a player is not like real life. We're stuck with them. Apologising just makes it worse.
Apologise to the teammates and coaches who you've let down behind closed doors. We presume you're gutted over that act of stupidity.
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