Playing for the shirt! Is it real?

[blueblueday]

I was talking to a young taxi driver fella yesterday. He was a blue so we had a good gab about Everton as good men do.

He told me he plays for a Sunday league team who are currently top of their league. He plays at a competitive level for the pure joy of it.

It upset me he seemed so down on supporting Everton and told me he had stopped watching or going to the match at all nowadays. He became angry as I pushed him further as to why he was so annoyed.

He then said, it's the players. They don't go for second balls or look out for each other as a team should. He said that in his team they show so much more passion than these wealthy young players it makes him sick.

At this point I changed the subject as it was clear he did not enjoy talking about it.

My question is to anyone who has played competively in a football side.

Is this a real phenomena? Please explain this supposed lack of passion from our players. I struggle to see it but then again I've never played competitively. To me they try as hard as they can but are just not good enough.

Was my taxi driver being bitter as he never made it as a pro perhaps?

Please someone shed some light on this if you can? Is it true that some of our players seek an easy ride because they can? Do they play safe to avoid injury? Can they be bothered running for second balls?

Surely with so much at stake as a pro footballer it is in your interest to please the manager and the fans by working your ass off.

MMaybe I'm being knaive. You tell me...

Cheers

 

[Gaffa]

If I was good enough or young enough I would love to play Sunday. The problem these days is, players change clubs that often, they have no affiliation to the Derby or to the shirt. On Sunday do, Keane and Zouma, Gana and Gomes, Rich, Iceland, Lookman, Theo actually care. Its a big game yes and I'm sure they are all up for it, but do they lose any sleep if we lose. Probably not. They get paid that's all

 

[sageyefc]

Our players are shithouses

 

[MikeH72]

Your taxi driver was correct.

 

[zzr45]

No it isn't.

The world and his dog thinks running round like a headless chicken is the hallmark of a truly great player. Look at Messi's movement on a pitch - doesn't actually do a lot of it. That's because he can read the game far better tactically than the lad in the stands can.

Chasing after that second ball could leave a team in the lurch because suddenly there's a gap thats opened up where he should be etc.

I'm always massively weary of people who compare their alehouse teams to that of professionals.

Also, don't forget that these are players coached to play without emotion. They don't want lads that let their emotions get the better of them. It can make them appear to be 'lacking passion.'

Take a look at this for a bit more on players being 'In The Zone' - https://exactsports.com/blog/how-great-athletes-find-the-zone-part-i/2011/05/04/ (Excitement doesn't mean it as we generally use it as such)

 

[Lanolin]

The key question I suppose would be does that taxi driver strive to be the absolute best he can be every time he gets in his car? Does he always get out and open the door for people, carry luggage, make good conversation/spot when people would rather be left alone and let them have some peace, go the quickest and cheapest way? My guess would be no, because it's a job. It's the same for footballers, they 'try' in the sense that they will give it their best shot, but they won't always go above and beyond, because at the end of the day, they're just doing a job.

 

[Lelouch]

The players aren't competitive, They have no drive inside them there is no comradery on the pitch, They are a bunch of individuals forced to play with each other because we offered them good money. I haven't seen a good team bond since the Moyes period and I think it goes a long way to being a good team.

 

[davids]

Playing for the shirt if your a local lad,born Blue.If not they'll be out doing the usual a couple of hours after the final whistle,(maybe after a quick call to their stockbroker)

 

[MikeH72]

The players aren't competitive, They have no drive inside them there is no comradery on the pitch, They are a bunch of individuals forced to play with each other because we offered them good money. I haven't seen a good team bond since the Moyes period and I think it goes a long way to being a good team.

The best summarisation of this team I’ve ever heard.

 

[Philw]

The key question I suppose would be does that taxi driver strive to be the absolute best he can be every time he gets in his car? Does he always get out and open the door for people, carry luggage, make good conversation/spot when people would rather be left alone and let them have some peace, go the quickest and cheapest way? My guess would be no, because it's a job. It's the same for footballers, they 'try' in the sense that they will give it their best shot, but they won't always go above and beyond, because at the end of the day, they're just doing a job.

This really. I'm sure most of them like playing football, and there will be plenty who love it, but at the same time there's plenty who just do it because they are good and have been doing it all their life. Then you have to factor in the fact that 80-90% of them would have had no affiliation or interest in Everton before they came here. We talk about "Once Everton has touched you", but that simply isn't going to be the case for every player, or else we'd have players lining up to come here. They might say and act like they love the club when they join/kiss the badge etc, but at the end it's effectively just a place you work for most of them, as such the amount of effort they put in is only going to be as much as their personality and the bond they have created with their teammates, manager and the fans dictates.

 

[The binman chronicles]

They would play for this shirt:

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Apathy with Everton is very real at the moment.

 

[ijjysmith]

Our players are shithouses

Definitely this.

Why would a player who has no connection to Everton earning £120k a week really give a shhh?

Especially when things are going badly.

 

[goodisonopheliac]

No, no it bloody isn't, and I wish people would stop going on about OMGTHESHIRT because most players do not give a tinker's toss about it. There is no loyalty in football nowadays.

Also, can someone please tell me what passion is, other than shouting a lot and acting like Duncan Ferguson? Maybe it's the autism, but I do not get why so many on here are obsessed with it. Do we want a team constantly throwing their toys out the pram and acting like babies and starting fights?

Playing for the shirt if your a local lad,born Blue.If not they'll be out doing the usual a couple of hours after the final whistle,(maybe after a quick call to their stockbroker)

Ross Barkley.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I don't think the apathy that exists is solely down to relatability to the players.

I think the fan base is almost hungover from the hope Moshiri brought, almost like a false dawn. Years of just existing, treading water. Midtable nobodies with no sign that's going to change. We don't ever get a big result, never mind compete for a trophy.

Sure, support the team - but there's nothing to get excited about is there?