Premier League Betting: Why do fans boo the boarding school blue?

Premier League / Tareq Quiroz / 09 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

From the talentless to the downright dislikeable, some players are booed at every ground in the country... Tareq Quiroz takes a close look at the men sure to provoke fans' ire.

It is truly amazing how different the end of the season is compared to the start of it some seven months ago.

In August there was optimism, smiles and plans to improve the game but now, at the start of March, there is relative chaos, several managers gone and plans to clean up the game on hold for another year.

Fans make this great game of ours a fantastic spectacle. Most support their team through thick and thin. When things are going well life as a fan is good but if fortunes change fans vent their frustration at the team. The manager is often the first to get it in the neck and more often than not that spells the end for them.

Fans' fickleness is inevitable in a game built around results. David O'Leary once called Villa fans fickle in an interview and sure enough at the next home game there was a huge banner stating: 'We aren't fickle, we just don't like you'! Needless to say Mr. O'Leary's days were numbered.

Once a player becomes a target of the boo boys it is very difficult for him to shake them off. But what makes a boo boy target? Let's start with the obvious. Any player thought to be showing disrespect to the club may as well start looking for a new club as there is no way back.

The next level of target is the player fans loves to hate. These people do not help themselves with their on or off-field antics. A good example would be El Hadj Diouf, a clearly talented player who seemingly gets into bother wherever he goes. He has several spitting allegations against him and does nothing to dispel the belief amongst fans that he is an dislikeable individual. He is now at relegation threatened Blackburn Rovers where fans will be hoping he does his talking by contributing to them beating the drop. At the moment things are looking good under Sam Allardyce and they are currently [5.4] in the relegation market.

Ashley Cole is another who is constantly booed but he must be at least a little grateful that he plays in the same side as everyone's favourite target Frank Lampard. This one is a total mystery to me. I was at a Chelsea match recently and he was the subject of plenty of abuse for no particular reason. He is one of the most talented players England has produced in the last ten years and surely without doubt is the main player behind Chelsea's success in recent years.

If the abuse Lampard has had to put up with is bad at club level then at times it has been even worse at International level. He has often been singled out as the reason why England were not playing well yet this abuse was never aimed at midfield partner Gerrard. His performances for England haven't always been great but in fairness he has still banged in the goals. Beckham has scored just one more International goal than Lampard and has played more than 40 games extra.

Some have suggested that his close association with Harry Redknapp annoyed fans and that maybe with his family connections he was given an unfair start. Even if that was the case you cannot argue how good a player he is and, while he isn't perfect off the pitch, he is hardly an ogre. Give the man a break and get off his back.

At thirty years of age, Lampard won't be around for much longer and it will be very interesting indeed to see how he is remembered when he has left the game. Let's hope he can leave the game on a massive high by taking England to World Cup glory. This is not out of the question as England are fourth favourites at odds of around [10.0].

A final word for the boo boys I feel most sorry for - the ones who are targeted as they are perceived as not performing well enough. If you are lazy and are not putting the work in then fine but why boo players who are going through a bad run of form? I was at a Fulham game recently and Bobby Zamora was getting heavily booed by a section of the crowd. Why? Because he isn't banging in the goals. If the lad isn't good enough at this level then the manager needs to address that and replace him.

I really can't see the point in booing a player who is trying their best but just isn't up to the job. I hope Zamora bangs one in for Fulham on Wednesday against Blackburn in a tight looking game where Fulham are just favourites at [2.36].

I go to watch Villa every week and Carlos Cuellar frustrates the hell out of me but I stop short of booing him. There can't be anyone out there who doesn't feel the same about some player. Who would you most like to boo but you don't because you are just too nice?!