Imagine the situation. The team you manage have just won at home, not a great victory, but a victory nonetheless, and the three points gained take the side back to the top of the table, with a points total higher than any other side in the 4 divisions of the level you are in. You sit to answer questions after the game, and one particular journalist makes an affirmation, not really a question...."Real Murcia are at their worst moment".
Why the ultra critical policy? Is this what the readers demand? How can we be at our worst moment when we return to the top of the league? Is this a clear editorial line to try, for whatever obscure reason, to torpedo our promotion push? Or is the hackette in question watching too much of Guardiola's Barcelona, is dazzled by it, and can no longer discern that Real Murcia are in segunda B?
Iñaki Alonso was dignified, and didn't tell her to "sex and travel". Instead he just admitted it wasn't our best performance, that the most important thing was the three points, that we now have 35 points and couldn't imagine what they would be saying if we only had 25, that football is complicated, and that Real Madrid weren't able to beat us when we put up a defensive position, and that he thought that some criticisms were a bit of a joke given our position.
The lady in question didn't wait too long to respond.....and the very next day went to print with this.....
"Patience has a limit. The whistles, for the first time this season, sounded strongly in the last few minutes of the first half and when the players were going off at half time. Iñaki Alonso should recommend his pupils to use earplugs so that those small negative reactions from the fans don't effect their delicate sensibility. And to continue with the recommendations. Iñaki Alonso, who has made public his lack of desire to lose weight, should have a bowl of kellogg's All Bran for dinner to maintain his waistline, better digest criticism, and lose the animosity he transmits to those who don't agree with him"
Firstly....the whistles were limited, 4 or 5 Madrid clad numpties. Secondly the team reacted well, scoring twice. Thirdly....who the hell is this bimbo to start making personal comment about someone's appearance? Fourthly....giving lessons on accepting criticism whilst clearly reacting in a terribly undignified manner to a very small criticism to yourself? Pot? Kettle? Black?
Unfortunately the school of sports journalism in Murcia teaches ultracriticism of Real Murcia at every possible opportunity (the "teacher" of this school, Juan Ignacio Ibarra, even had a street named after him, despite selling himself out to the defunct Murcia City and open support for arch rivals Cartagena. The street, without any irony, is called Calle Maestro Ibarra). And they are missing a point here....the fanbase has changed. The rancid older generation are gone or going...there is a new, younger, inconditional crowd, crying out of a more pro-murcia stance, that is completely absent from the local press. The hacks and editors are missing a trick, but are far too far stuck up their own opinionated arses and busy watching fantasy football to notice.
Photo : Ronaldo and Messi. On another planet but....are they good for the rest of football in Spain?
very interesting and very sad summary. Journalists too full of their own power. They could do so much to promote support for their local team. No doubt when we get back to the top flight, they will jump back on the bandwagon. Its not just in Murcia that you get this, sadly. the booing and whistling just cos your team havent won 6-0 again is just pathetic at premier league clubs in England. As a chelsea fan since the 70's I'm just waiting to see how quickly the tourists turn if they dont win anything this year. As far as top flight football goes, Qatar was the last straw. Its Gloucester and Murcia for me! PETE
ReplyDeleteYes Pete, strange seeing Chelsea booed off when they aren't winning, but that's gloryhunters for you. If you have been with Chelsea since the 70's.....todays team is a dream, even if they lose a few games now and then. In the 80's I remember Arsenal not playing Chelsea too often, mostly because they weren't in the same division.
ReplyDeleteSadly our hacks don't jump on the bandwagon when the side is doing well. Their idea of jornalistic independence and credibility nearly always means a predisposition to criticise, their attempts at irony are just spiteful mockery. Just in December 2007 we were 9th in primera.....and although not entirely to blame they were part of the undercurrent demanding "better play".....for flips sake....Real Murcia 9th in primera, and they still weren't happy. Coach Lucas Alcaraz felt the pressure, changed formation and tactics, and the rest is history....a slump that was impossible to get out of, the sack, and the disastrous year with Javier Clemente. And the crux, and what I bang on about, is that 95% of Spain support Real Madrid and Barcelona (local hacks included), where they can demand great play from great players.....they forget that they can't demand from their local lot in the same way. And if the team play well....it's the quality of the halftime sandwiches, or the traffic jam after the game, or the state of the pitch.....I've heard some really bizarre stuff (and the aforementioned are in fact true examples). It's like they feel that they have to be negative, otherwise people will say they are serving the club. Is it so hard just to report?
Today in "La Opinion" who's hackette made the stoopid comment about Real Murcia being at their worst moment, and had been laying into Iñaki Alonso, tactics.....how boring it is, how we dont score enough goals.....they had the front to run an article blaming the cold weather for the lack of ticket sales to Real Murcia fans for the game in Jumilla tomorrow....this without the mearest trace of irony!