Anger

Comments (3)

Judging by my own reaction, and the tone of many of the responses to posts on yesterday's game, anger really seemed to be the order of the day. I have felt disappointment, depression and God knows frustration over the last couple of seasons after games but yesterday's result made me really really angry. Once I had calmed down a litle I tried to figure out why anger, instead of the usual negative emotions.

Expectations have been raised several times over the last few seasons, be it through new signings, a couple of good results based on playing style or a good league finish. The new signings haven't always worked, we return to hoofball after one good performance or we finish in the bottom five the following season after a good finish. But the team, and Moyes, always seemed to learn something from this.

As fans, we tried to stay positive too and would try to see that something had been learned, that there was an overall improvement. And in general, there has been an improvement of some description in the team by a season's end. There has been something that balances out the frustration and justifies our positivity.

This season, there were the usual expectations coming into the first game. Two of the new signings, in Jagielka and Baines, had established track records in the Premier League. The best players from last season were still at the club. Moyes had learned from the Spurs game last season and we could expect a better style of play, a better selection of players for each game.

After the first two games, while not completely happy, the new expectations seemed somewhat justified. Pienaar and Jagielka were getting some game-time, we were playing well enough and were scoring goals into the bargain.

Then came yesterday's game, and the worst of our complaints from the last couple of seasons were there for all to see. An insipid display, poor tactics, ridiculous substitions. A decent team, but one that we more than had the quality to beat, was still able to take all three points off us. And this for me is the reason for my anger.

The positives are there for people to see, we all know that, but unfortunately so are serious negatives that should long be gone. And that is the reason for anger. A very simple obvious reason but one that is very serious nonetheless.

Now, before you say it, I am not asking for Moyes's head; I am not predicting relegation and ruin. In a perverse way, my level of expectation for the season is still high, seeing as we are only three games in. But the negatives could well negate so much of the good work we do over the season that I fear genuine progress, serious progress that is within touching distance, will not be made. And this, in my mind is the source of the anger yesterday.
Kieran Fitzgerald, Dublin     Posted 19/08/2007 at 08:13:48

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