For years, fans and the media portrayed La Liga as a boring championship, without any suspense as Real Madrid and Barcelona fought each year for the title. Teams such as Getafe and Cadiz popularized the use of so-called “deep blocks” that prevent fans from enjoying the game. As the Premier League gathered elite managers (Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Roberto de Zerbi, Mikel Arteta, Ange Postecoglou), whatever the League was doing, it was not evolving. The former manager of Villarreal Unai Emery also joined (and until today has been with Aston Villa), while Andoni Iraola (ex-Rayo Vallecano) also enjoys life in Bournemouth. But today, fans are complaining about another problem…
Before, there was no pleasure. Is there too much fun? Many complaints from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid fans claim that their team is not good enough, and unable to defend. Barcelona have really given up on their defensive record which saw Xavi lift his first Liga as a manager and indeed Carlo Ancelotti and Diego Simeone have given up on their defensive principles (for the most part). It teaches us a valuable lesson: the problem was never the style, it was the result.
The concept that “the customer is king” is widespread in today's industry, but football has shown that customers, sooner or later, prove to be unaware of their wishes. Sport is a never-ending cycle where trends come and go again, under the appropriate details. In the last Clasico, both teams seemed to despise pressing, instead preferring to go back and forth. The score (3-2) is a great reflection of the general trend of the game.
All this comes down to saying that what enthusiasts should be looking for is fun, rather than perfection. While it is natural for fans to look for perfection in their team, too much look into the details instead of having an afternoon of football. Most of the recent complaints (including during Sunday's Clasico, but not only) concern the team's methods out of possession (OOP), lacking intensity or structure. In any case, the fan first sees the game out of pleasure – football, as business-oriented it has become, remains an entertainment industry. When fans enter the stadium, they expect their team to have fun. When a bad OOP structure prevents fans from enjoying great football?
Younger fans tend to be the generation that (over)criticizes teams, often claiming it was a terrible game. But it entirely denies entertainment as a valuable quality. Previous generations never complained about the lack of compelling structure, and they watched thrillers. While it is normal that times change, and the nature of the game has made all phases more sophisticated, there are rarely comments that say “what a game”, despite the fact that the League has become higher on average compared to previous seasons.
This is not to say that intellectuals are destroying the game – but they have their place. Before picking holes in the goals, should not be enjoyed the cathartic explosion of noise, technique and emotions? Maybe it's a product of the increase in instant coverage, which never tells a fan in a stadium whether they loved a game or a goal?
Maybe the fans should reconsider their position when it comes to what matters most to them. Of course, anger when granted is normal, as long as it does not take a malicious form, especially online. All fans want the best for their teams – but that shouldn't stop fans from enjoying “the show”. Instead of worrying about the details, which can pop up all over the next day, pure passion should take its place. Intellectualising (especially on social media) is great after the game, everyone finds a discussion on those details that vary from savvy to shouting match, but there must be a time and place for this. During the game, instead of complaining about the imperfections, football fans should only worry about being entertained.
