Some considerable time ago, I was invited to a players’ Christmas party. It was a fancy dress job.
I and the captain of the club, an international, were members of the SAS because, for some now-forgotten reason, they were in the news at the time. It was a matter of alcohol, but it passed without incident until our way home. , we stopped at a gas station for some late-night snacks.
Unfortunately, we had forgotten to take off our hoods, and before we knew it, old Bill appeared on the scene. It took some explanation from the captain to keep us out of the way.
It was a minor incident compared to some of the shenanigans that used to take place at the annual footballers’ parties. And in fact, we would possibly never see the famous Liverpool Jamborees again.
Do you do that? Nowadays, players are asked to enjoy a quiet meal, in a personal place and, above all, not to draw attention to themselves. But for a few decades, Liverpool players donned suits and painted the city red.
There were some cookies in 1990. Ian Rush as Beefeater, Bruce Grobbelaar as the Joker, John Barnes as a bandit, but it’s best not to mention David Burrows as Adolf Hitler. In 2007, Jamie Carragher became Rhydian from X- Again, it’s best not to mention the character who will emulate Osama bin Laden.
Should Chelsea’s stars have left after their defeat to Everton? Share your opinion below
As far as we know, none of the Chelsea players who went to a restaurant and a London nightclub after the defeat to Everton on Sunday were in fancy dress … although nowadays, it is hard to tell. Still, their night-out caused a stir in some social media quarters.
Presumably, this is why the party line – pardon the pun – is that this is not a Merry Christmas birthday party, but an exercise in “team cohesion”. Is that where we were delivered?
On Sunday at Goodison Park, where Chelsea did not lose because they lacked effort and commitment; They lost because they had no idea in the final third and conceded some sloppy goals. Happens.
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What were the players supposed to do? Go home, wearing a sackcloth, post a picture of themselves on Instagram and ask for forgiveness?
To be honest, only one unhappy gambler, possibly posing as a Chelsea fan, got angry when players laughed after losing. But even if it was a minority that opposed the post-defeat parties, it was symptomatic of a malaise in fashion. Football that pushes players to feel compelled to behave safely after setbacks on the pitch.
Players who publicly apologise for being beaten, players who are reprimanded for smiling on the bench even though things are going perfectly on the pitch, players who are reprimanded for swapping shirts at half-time. Basically, players are criticized for seeming happy, regardless of whether a specific game has gone their way or is going their way.
Chelsea’s players were right to come up with a planned night out, even if they were beaten, just as many other players will be right to let it go, regardless of its effects on the coming days. Criticism is great, but this time of year, twice before vilifying a player who just had a bad day at the office. We’ve all had one.
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