Hold on a minute, I know fans are supposed to back their players but they pay good money to watch their team and they have the right to offer their opinion.
Who does Ferdinand think he is? This is a man who was banned from international football for not attending a doping test because he 'forgot'.
Just because he now does a bit for charity and was wearing the armband at Wembley last night, doesn't mean he is now some sort of mater.
And let's face it, Ashley Cole hasn't done himself many favours recently, what with the Arsenal-Chelsea transfer saga and then cheating on his wife, not to mention a certain incident with a mobile phone.Forgetful Rio seems to forget that if it wasn't for the man in the street paying ever increasing amounts to go and watch their team and line the pockets of the players, football would not be the cash cow it is today.
Let's look at the facts: England were playing against a team ranked 131 in the world, at home, in front of just shy of 90,000 people, and off the back of a morale boosting 4-1 win over Croatia.
Having taken the lead through an own goal, Cole gaffed for Kazakhstan to equalise. To their credit the visitors excelled themselves, knocking the ball around nicely whereas England, midfield in particular, played like strangers.
Ferdinand apart, England didn't defend with the concentration you would expect from a top-class group of professionals representing their nation.
The fact they scored five goals was not enough to pave over the cracks of what was, Zagreb aside, another inept England performance that we have come accustomed to.
'Immature' maybe, 'ignorant' most certainly not. 'Entitled' would be more like it.
Engage brain before speaking from the heart Rio, that will gain you more fans than foes at a time when Team England is still quickly running out of enthusiastic interest despite topping their group with three wins out of three.
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3 comments:
Mixed opinions on this one actually. I think Ashley Cole has made himself vulnerable to a bit of stick by displaying all the most hateful traits attched to modern Footballers so I think the booing has to be viewed in that context.
Having said that, and as I pointed out in my comment on the Eboue blog, I don't really like people booing players in their own team. If you've paid good money to see your team, as these England fans had done, you have a right to criticise however, booing never helps.
I think in this instance most people were just looking for a reason too boo Cashley and I can't really argue with that I'm afraid.
Agree with you on that one, booing doesn't help, unless you want the chairman to know that you want the manager out.
For Ferdinand to label the fans that booed as 'immature' is a bit rich coming from him though.
He should have kept quiet, Cole is capable of coping with the boos himself without Rio having to come to his defence.
Personally, I think it was the hardcore England supporters that were booing. England have some of the best away supporters in World football and when high profile players like Cashley and Lampard play in that kind of nonchalant way, these supporters get a bit peeved.
If you look at the Wembley crowds these days, they are usually mainly made up of plastic, nouveau fans who are there for the spectacle and a day out. It's all kids, women and families. I don't think they were booing. I think it's been boiling underneath for some time and that lazy pass was the straw that broke the camel's back.
In my opinion, when you pay huge amounts of money to follow your team home and away you have the right to boo your own players if they aren't repaying your support. Sticks and stones and all that. He's a big boy, he can deal with it. It's not like people are running on the pitch and decking him (more's the pity).
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