Animosity towards former players for leaving the club

HangTime · 13 Jan 2019 at 22:55

While watching the game yesterday and Nasri getting booed it brought to mind a general feeling I've had for a while. Personally I don't really bear former players any ill will for having left unless they did something out of the ordinary to annoy me. So looking at Arsenal, I typically hear the following players getting stick

-RvP: No issue from me, just seemed a sensible transfer all round, Arsenal got an OK fee for a player with a year left on the contract, he got the chance to win honours, and MU got the premiership hotshot to fire them to the title.
-Fabregas: Doesn't get quite so much stick as others, but people don't seem to like the fact he went to Chelsea. I thought he was a great player for Arsenal and would applaud him regardless of who he played for. So he joined Chelsea because Arsenal didn't execute their first option, big wow? It wasn't Spurs.
-Nasri: Snuck off to Man City HOWEVER I remember us playing Liverpool iirc in August immediately before he left and he gave a great performance. Basically him and Fabregas had had enough by that point, they wanted to go and win some silverware by joining Barca and MC two of the top teams in the world, what's wrong with ambition?

Of course there are the odd ex-players who were bang out of order, Anelka is a disgrace and while I wasn't devastated by the manner of his departure, Adebayor behaved poorly. But in general I don't have an issue with first team players leaving providing they put a shift in when picked to play.

How do you feel about this at your club?

BaZ87 · 13 Jan 2019 at 23:42

Supporters are typically always loyal to their club and in the case of most high profile transfers there's usually a PR war between the club and the player leaving.

I remember the Nasri/Fabregas transfers and the game vs Liverpool that you mention. I commented at the time that it was crazy how Nasri was getting such a hard time where as Fabregas was let off pretty much scot free when Nasri had stayed professional right up until the day he left, playing in that game you mention, where as Fabregas had a mystery injury that cleared up the day he left.

Psycho Sonny · 14 Jan 2019 at 00:32

It depends on the manner they leave the club.

They are paid a lot of money and have signed a legal contract.

To force a move is not right. They shouldn't have signed the contract if they didn't want to play for the club.

Our best player left us at the last minute and forced through a move. We were unable to secure a replacement. Up until that point he was a hero. He is now a nobody as far as we are concerned. Another player then tried to do the same thing.

Martynt74 · 14 Jan 2019 at 10:33

I still find it amusing how my mate absolutely loathes Michael Own for his "signing for a big club" comment.

I don't understand it much either. It's no different to any other industry and if you want to move somewhere to better yourself then so be it. The signed contracts arguement is pointless too. Do clubs honour contracts or do they sell players mid way through. Why sign someone for 5 years if you're only going to sell them after 2?

The Running Man · 14 Jan 2019 at 16:17

Probably because Nasri was a grade A *** ****

explicit4u · 14 Jan 2019 at 18:34

As big of a **** as Adebayor was when he left, the City goal he scored against us where he celebrated by running the length of the pitch to knee slide in front of the travelling Arsenal fans was an epic moment.

Personally I’ve never had any animosity towards Cesc or RvP, Nasri is a little **** so I can understand the stick.

Kenai · 14 Jan 2019 at 18:44

All depends on the manner of departure...

Lallana and Lambert both left Southampton in the same window to go to Liverpool.

Lambert is still loved at Southampton, Lallana is hated.

robfosters · 17 Jan 2019 at 22:32

Ashley Cole was another one who got stick, but he deserved everything he got, he behaved terribly to get his move.

Fabregas wanted to go back to his boyhood club and one of the biggest clubs in the world, and RVP knew full well what a shambles we were becoming and he would never win the premier league with us.

Adebayor was just a nutcase, you never knew what he’d do next.

drunkenmaster · 19 Jan 2019 at 17:29

BaZ87 said:
Supporters are typically always loyal to their club and in the case of most high profile transfers there's usually a PR war between the club and the player leaving.

I remember the Nasri/Fabregas transfers and the game vs Liverpool that you mention. I commented at the time that it was crazy how Nasri was getting such a hard time where as Fabregas was let off pretty much scot free when Nasri had stayed professional right up until the day he left, playing in that game you mention, where as Fabregas had a mystery injury that cleared up the day he left.

Fabregas agreed to stay another year with Arsenal in one of the well known meetings where wenger begs his best player to stay for another year on the back of lots of promises and being let go easily the next year if they want to. Henry, Vieira, RVP, Fabregas at the very least all got this treatment, all had significant interest the year before but stayed pretty much last second and then went for much cheaper the next year. We were being offered iirc like 30-35mil for Vieira, he stays another year and leaves for 16mil was it.

Fabregas wasn't being unprofessional, his manager told him he'd make it easy for him to leave, as with all deals these days it dragged on and on as other deals got done by Barca and Arsenal so he was left in limbo. The deal could and should have been wrapped up in May but for whatever reason wasn't.

Couldn't care less about players leaving in general, Adebayour peeved me off because he threatened to leave to Milan iirc, Wenger caved and gave him a huge wage increase he didn't deserve then he immediately started acting a **** and trying to force another move out of the club almost from the day he signed the new deal. He basically saw the higher wage as just a method to get City to offer even higher wages. He acted unprofessionally on the pitch, punched Bendtner and put in multiple terrible performances.

I think he's a **** of a person rather than bitter about him leaving Arsenal, he screwed City and Spurs by getting big deals then not bothering to perform.

Happy Fabregas did well, didn't care he went to Chelsea, in as much as I'd have loved him back at Arsenal and didn't want him at Chelsea, but I don't begrudge him going to the best club available to him.

For me it's the same way I can't possibly see a reason to hate Spurs, or Chelsea(if Mourinho isn't managing them), or Utd (if mourinho isn't managing them), or Liverpool (if Gerrard isn't diving for them). They are clubs, I like to watch entertaining football, if a club is entertaining I'll enjoy watching them. The mentality of having to hate other clubs because I support Arsenal, or hating players who leave, I have no idea how anyone does it. hating other teams doesn't make me enjoy Arsenal games more, it would just make me enjoy other games less and I see no reason for that.

nicktay2605 · 19 Jan 2019 at 19:17

I understand the ones where players behave poorly before leaving (players such as Payet), or go to a rival club (Tevez going from United to City for example), but players getting stick just because they've decided to move on is ridiculous, particularly if that player has gone to a much bigger club. As long as the player has continued to work hard for the team he leaves up until departure, there shouldn't be any ill will. I love football, but sometimes the tribalism of it can be really boring and childish.

BaZ87 · 19 Jan 2019 at 19:24

I don't think ridiculous is the best word to use. Supporters will always be loyal to their club and as supporters who'd do anything to play for their side, it can be hard for them to understand why a player would ever want to leave. Usually once they start thinking with their head, rather than their heart they settle down.

And DM, there's not a chance that Wenger/Arsenal would have promised to make it easy for Fabregas to leave. They may have said he could leave providing Barca make a reasonable offer but they would never just say he could go because, as Barca did, Barca could make a stupidly low offer for him. In the end Arsenal accepted a near ****take offer because of Fabregas' antics.

robfosters · 19 Jan 2019 at 21:55

BaZ87 said:
I don't think ridiculous is the best word to use. Supporters will always be loyal to their club and as supporters who'd do anything to play for their side, it can be hard for them to understand why a player would ever want to leave. Usually once they start thinking with their head, rather than their heart they settle down.

And DM, there's not a chance that Wenger/Arsenal would have promised to make it easy for Fabregas to leave. They may have said he could leave providing Barca make a reasonable offer but they would never just say he could go because, as Barca did, Barca could make a stupidly low offer for him. In the end Arsenal accepted a near ****take offer because of Fabregas' antics.

Just interested, how would you have felt towards Suarez if he had managed to force his move to Arsenal?

nicktay2605 · 19 Jan 2019 at 21:59

BaZ87 said:
I don't think ridiculous is the best word to use. Supporters will always be loyal to their club and as supporters who'd do anything to play for their side, it can be hard for them to understand why a player would ever want to leave.

Personally I struggle to understand that. First and foremost I'm a fan of football, of the sport itself, then second to that I'm a United fan. That means I can sit down and enjoy watching any team that plays good football, even if it's a rival such as City or Liverpool. Sure, I'm angry and frustrated if one of those rivals beats United in a match, but I'm not so focused on United that I can't appreciate decent football, and I'll happily sit down and have a chat with a fan of another team about their team, without feeling like I have to abuse them for supporting that team or constantly bringing the conversation back to United.

I don't like football fans who are so blinded by the love of their team that they can't appreciate another team, or fans who hate a particular team so much that they simply can't bring themselves to say a nice word about them. I used to work with a Leeds fan back when SAF was still in charge and he hated United so much that he couldn't admit that we were (at the time) the best team in England, all he could do was find any and every opportunity to criticise and abuse United.

I don't think I've ever felt any animosity at all towards a player who left United, even Tevez for going to City. Sure, I was a bit gutted when Ronaldo left, that was probably the most upset I was about a player leaving, but I didn't dislike him for doing it because I appreciated he dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, and I certainly would never have booed him had I seen him live.

BaZ87 · 19 Jan 2019 at 22:13

robfosters said:
Just interested, how would you have felt towards Suarez if he had managed to force his move to Arsenal?

A lot worse than I do towards him leaving for Barca. Liverpool had done a lot for him and at best he would have been making a minor step forward, as it happens Liverpool leepfrogged Arsenal that following season. The Barca move was more understandable - South American players often grow up dreaming of playing for Real or Barca, his wife's family lived there, the climate and culture would be more suitable to him, he would earn far more money and of course he was joining the strongest side in club football.

nicktay2605 said:
Personally I struggle to understand that. First and foremost I'm a fan of football, of the sport itself, then second to that I'm a United fan. That means I can sit down and enjoy watching any team that plays good football, even if it's a rival such as City or Liverpool. Sure, I'm angry and frustrated if one of those rivals beats United in a match, but I'm not so focused on United that I can't appreciate decent football, and I'll happily sit down and have a chat with a fan of another team about their team, without feeling like I have to abuse them for supporting that team or constantly bringing the conversation back to United.

I don't like football fans who are so blinded by the love of their team that they can't appreciate another team, or fans who hate a particular team so much that they simply can't bring themselves to say a nice word about them. I used to work with a Leeds fan back when SAF was still in charge and he hated United so much that he couldn't admit that we were (at the time) the best team in England, all he could do was find any and every opportunity to criticise and abuse United.

I don't think I've ever felt any animosity at all towards a player who left United, even Tevez for going to City. Sure, I was a bit gutted when Ronaldo left, that was probably the most upset I was about a player leaving, but I didn't dislike him for doing it because I appreciated he dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, and I certainly would never have booed him had I seen him live.

I'm not disagreeing with your fundamental point but you've got to accept that supporters can and will get emotionally involved in their clubs and be irrational at times, particularly when you'll have their club briefing the press against them. To say they're being ridiculous imo is harsh, they're just emotionally involved but will usually be more reasonable when things have settled down.

Obviously if a player leaves for a rival club or on bad terms, they're not going to get a great reception but it's usually more pantomime like with a bit of mob mentality thrown in than real hatred. Take Torres as an example, he got boo'd when he came back to Anfield with Chelsea but there was no real hatred there as shown by the reaction he received when he played in Gerrard's testimonial game the other year - he got a great reception with supporters singing his song.