Remember that start of season feeling from just under two weeks ago? It is a unique time when all teams are briefly equal, their hopes and dreams still intact. It is an emotion cultivated by journalists and broadcasters to sell the return of the Premier League. But from now until the end of the campaign most clubs will oscillate between elation and misery, with most teams never far away from disaster. Even those stuck in mid-table mediocrity can be annoyed and dismayed that they are not challenging for a European place. Regardless of a club’s size or standing large swathes of the media cannot resist couching their analyses in hyperbolic terms. This provides a stark contrast to the dullness of FootballSpeak but what are the implications for fans and their conceptions of success and failure?
This hyped media culture pervades football in other countries but seems to annually intensify in the PL. Ian Holloway whose Blackpool side have already been treated to the full spectrum of dramatic headlines said, “it’s the maddest world I’ve ever known.” Within a week the plucky seasiders experienced the transitory nature of success. Having thumped Wigan 4-0 away from home they were on the receiving end, shipping six at Arsenal on Saturday. After a passing appearance at the top of the table on the opening day of the season, it was a tough lesson in what it takes survive in the PL. The Blackpool fans did not seem to mind, creating a joyous atmosphere at the Emirates way beyond the final whistle.
Press speculation has been rampant at Upton Park too as the Hammers remain pointless in the league. Loose at the back and shaky up front, they have already been associated with another exhaustive relegation battle. Nevertheless West Ham outplayed Bolton in the first half of their weekend encounter and could have easily been 3-0 up at half-time. The situation is similarly ominous at the DW Stadium where Roberto Martinez’s future is under intense speculation. His Wigan side have conceded ten without reply so far and inevitably he heads the PL sack race, ahead of Avram Grant.
Those expected to be at the opposite end of the table are not immune from dire warnings and predictions either. Roberto Mancini’s defensive tactics at White Hart Lane were widely derided as was the star studded side’s lack of coherence and team spirit. Fast forward a week and Manchester City’s comfortable home win over Liverpool prompted many to argue that there was a confidence and quality to match their brash spending programme. They comprehensively overcame a team who were supposedly on an upward trajectory under the calming influence of the experienced Roy Hodgson. Newcastle and Aston Villa have also experienced the football merry-go-round in recent weeks.
The highly changeable and inconsistent nature of football coverage is not lost on some. However its exaggerated nature has intensified since the inception of the PL and within this context it can distort the expectations of fans. Roberto Martinez has blamed the transfer window for his woes but fans still view the relentless recruitment of new players as the best remedy to underachievement. Media outlets have bred a chronic short-termism towards players and managers over the requirement for planning, experience and stable progression. For a club such as Blackburn who finished 10th last season, what is the best way to compete? Seemingly it would be through placing their trust in billionaire financiers and tycoons like Ashan Ali Syed who wax lyrical about a longstanding love of the English game, faith in ‘Big Sam’ and a £100 million transfer kitty. Comparably Liverpool fans were pinning their hopes on the generosity of Chinese bidder Kenny Huang who declared an interest in acquiring the club.
Football is a knee-jerk business as dour rationalism simply does not sell. The views of fans will be swayed by these examples of embellished stories to varying degrees. Yet the game remains a results business as that elusive win or succession of good results is the only tonic to adversity, until a game is lost and the whole process can start again.
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