What's loyalty got to do with it?

The recent developments at the FA, and the England camp in particular, has displayed an interesting paradox within the game — namely loyalty.

Sven's actions last week in listening to what certain Clubs have to offer him, before changing his mind and signing an extension to his current contract, has provoked outrage and disgust in the media (and, if the 606 phone-in was anything to go by, on the terraces as well).  All were calling Sven a mercenary, stating that he's just here to do a decent job, take the money, and wait until a better offer comes along (incidentally, did anyone else find it ironic that the England players were defending him?).  "Whatever happened to the word 'loyalty'?" they all cried indignantly.  Garth Crookes and Mark Lawrenson were stating that the contract extension will almost certainly have get-out clauses, so what's the point?

Frankly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The simple fact is that loyalty doesn't exist in everyday football — certainly not with players and their clubs, or the managers and their clubs.  But most importantly — and this is something that people hardly mention — fans are only loyal to their club in terms of their allegiance: not with any player or manager who happens to work there at any given point in time.

Look at us Evertonians, for instance.  When Walter Smith joined in 1998, we went into the season optimistic with a new (and recently successful) manager at the helm, and a collection of new signings that would potentially rejuvenate the team.  Then Peter Johnson went, and we all sided with the manager.  Fast-forward 14 months, we had just beaten Sunderland 5-0, Kenwright had bought the club, and most importantly Walter had signed an extension — brilliant.  Most Evertonians were delighted that he had signed, and thought "this is it", we had the manager, a new board, and the team was playing well.  Maybe there were to be no more relegation scraps.

And then things changed.  The team started to play badly, week after week.  Boyhood Evertonians like Michael Ball and Francis Jeffers were being pushed out of the Club amidst rumours of dressing room discontent.  The terraces were getting restless.  And then the 2001-02 season went from bad to worse.  Not even a cup run could save the manager — after the defeat to Middlesbrough, the unavoidable happened, and Walter walked.

So what happened to OUR loyalty when the team stopped performing?  At the first sign of problems, how quickly did most people turn on the manager, saying he wasn't good enough?  Look at other managers who, one minute, are the best thing since sliced bread, and the next are forced out — George Burley got Ipswich to 5th; the next year he was out.  Peter Reid did a storming job in revitalising Sunderland, but it all went wrong, and he was off.

And what about the players?  Unsworth has provided years of service, but we can't wait to get rid of him? Or there's the famous example of Sunderland fans actually booing Kilbane when he was on the pitch!

The fact is, how can we, as supporters, moan and whinge when players and managers leave the club when they are doing well, only to drive them out when things are going wrong?  Where's the loyalty there?

I'm not being naive, as I was one of those who was glad that Walter left, but by the very nature of football, players can make things worse by deliberately playing badly, so they can speed up the sack of a manager they don't like (as they know that, ultimately, the manager can be sacked because they are playing badly, but their own contracts are solid), and get someone else in.  I'm always disgusted when a new manager joins the club, and suddenly the players perform on a different level.  Aren't they paid per week, and not when they can be bothered?  Look at Everton last season compared to the one before — same players, different team.  Oh, and haven't there been some mutterings of Moyes not being good enough?

If we do really well at Euro 2004, and Sven heads for Real Madrid, good luck to him.  He's helped turn our national side from the Keegan era, into a decent side.  He's been paid to do it, he does a good job, and then he goes.  That's life, that's business, and that's how we all are.  How loyal would you be if another company rewards you for your current job by offering a better job, more money, and better prospects?

So let's forget all this nonsense about loyalty — it doesn't exist.  Not from people within the game, and certainly not from us.

As Gordon Strachan said on Sunday: "What's the problem?  If he loses the next two games, you're all going to be calling for his head anyway".

David Flynn


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