Booing your own players
There has been a growing trend amongst England’s supporters to let their feelings be known to certain players. Peter Crouch, Owen Hargreaves and now Frank Lampard have all felt the wrath of irate supporters. But why Lampard? And is it acceptable to boo your own players?
Over the past four games, England’s qualifying campaign has finally gathered some momentum. McClaren’s recent back to basics attitude has seen England win, while playing well within themselves. Initially, England’s boss had sought to stamp his authority on the team through grandiose gestures- aimed at distancing himself from the era of Sven Goran Eriksson- such as the controversial dropping of David Beckham. It is only now he realises there are only minor tweaks to be made, that results are more favourable. Perhaps the biggest difference in recent games, has been the switch in central midfield, opting for a complimentary pairing as opposed to the two Best Midfielders In The Country.
Yet this decision was taken out of McClaren’s hands. After an uninspiring win against Andorra in March (which had fans booing the entire team at half time), the new England boss was under serious pressure. His selection was being questioned, and the general feeling was that he would have to choose between Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard in the heart of the England midfield. This could have been the most dangerous decision of his career, yet an injury to Lampard ahead of the vital game against Israel (along with injuries to Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves), meant that his hand was forced into recalling Aston Villa captain, Gareth Barry. His performance was one of the highlights of a solid win, which put England back on track for Austria and Switzerland. His inclusion freed Steven Gerrard to take up a more creative midfield role, a role he so often adopts for Liverpool. Since this point, it seems that Steve McLaren has found his preferred eleven. This has, however, raised a question over the International future of Frank Lampard. Not least because he has recently been the targets of boos from the fans, when he played against Germany and when he came onto the pitch to replace Michael Owen in the recent win over Estonia.
18 months ago, Lampard was the most important player in the England team. It was his 80th minute winner against Poland that had secured qualification for the 2006 World Cup, his 5th goal in the qualifying tournament. He had just been voted as the 2nd best player in the World (behind Ronaldinho). His importance was such that Steven Gerrard was shoehorned into the England side, often finding himself wide on the right or left wing. Even a lacklustre World Cup performance failed to raise too many questions about his position within the team. After injury forced him out of the game against Israel, there has been a snowballing theory that dropping him was definitely the Right Thing To Do, culminating in his inclusion in the Boo Boys Club on Saturday. There are two questions to answer here- Why have fans rounded on Lampard? And Are fans entitled to such vitriolic booing of players?
The first question is arguably the more difficult. Lampard has always come across as a likable professional, who may not have the range of abilities of someone like Steven Gerrard, but has consistently provided goals. In interviews he seems understated, intelligent and relatively modest (by Premiership footballer standards anyway). One theory suggests that he is resented by fans because he is a Chelsea player (who have overtaken Manchester United as the most hated team in England) and symbolic of the overspending at Stamford Bridge. Yet, if this were true, surely Wembley would echo with a chorus of boos whenever Joe Cole collected the ball. Another theory suggests it is that he is symbolic of the lavish lifestyle of the Premiership footballer, for which he is resented, especially by supporters of lower league clubs. But why should Ashley Cole be excused if this is the case (pop star wife, expensive cars, high profile contract dispute)? Alex Ferguson may have the most accurate theory; that it has become fashionable to boo players. Previous targets (especially Peter Crouch and Owen Hargreaves) have shown themselves to be more than capable players when given the chance, but Lampard looks like he will have to do more than this, as he has already proven himself. What more can he do?
There is a school of thought that suggests that it is acceptable to boo your “own” players, because “you pays your money” to watch players perform at their best. If you went to the theatre, or went to see a band, and were not impressed with their performance, you would have the right to let the performers know of your displeasure. A game of International football can cost significantly more than this, and so there is no reason why the rules should be any different. It is difficult to sympathise with players who are paid large sums of money to be able to take criticism and respond to it.
The difference with Lampard’s case, is that he was booed before he even kicked a ball. It is in these cases that the criticism is counter-productive and malicious. Fans have every right to let players know how they feel about their performance, but the players must be allowed an opportunity to perform. The past year may have shown some of Lampard’s shortcomings, but a fit and keen Lampard is an asset to any squad (if not starting XI). If there were an injury to Gerrard, would most fans not want Lampard playing alongside Barry/Hargreaves/Carrick in the centre of midfield? It is a worrying situation for England, that sections of the support seem to prefer taking their frustrations out on certain players, than supporting the side. The England side is far from problem free (Paul Robinson has been looking more and more shaky in recent games; Owen and Rooney don’t seem to work together; is Joe Cole the long term prospect on the left wing?), but they have started to look like they have a solid base to build on. The last thing McClaren needs, are problems being created out of nothing.
