Let’s be honest, it’s been a bit shit, hasn’t it?
I’m not just talking about the thoroughly disappointing season that Wolves have had this year after three of the best seasons in my thirty-odd years as a supporter—I’m talking about football in general. It’s just been a bit shit. From the lack of crowds to the burned-out players leading to a higher than usual injury rate, to the utterly abysmal way in which VAR seems to be getting worse, not better and the over-saturation of coverage of TV… It’s just been a bit shit.
The season started late—in mid-September—and yet most clubs still didn’t get decent pre-season preparations under their belt. This has led to some pretty freak results at times (Villa 7 – 2 Liverpool, anyone?) and what certainly feels like more players getting injured, particularly serious injuries, than in the previous few seasons. There is evidence that muscle injuries in particular are high this season.
The late start has also read to a condensed schedule, meaning the games have been packed more closely together, and with each and every Premier League game has been shown live on TV, there’s been something of an over-saturation of coverage. Some weeks there’s been games every day, leading, for me at least, to a sense of apathy about it all. Man U v Liverpool today? Oh, I’m not sure I could be bothered with another match this week.
That’s how I’ve been feeling about this season, at any rate, so I posted on Twitter last week asking if anyone else felt the same way.
I know a bloke on twitter with just over a thousand followers isn’t exactly a properly researched poll, but everyone that replied agreed that it’s not been the best of seasons.
And that’s before we get to the whole European Super League nonsense, which served to show just how much the “biggest” clubs in Europe hold their so-called (by them) “Legacy fans” in contempt. That may go down as one of the biggest own-goals by that group of clubs in some considerable time.
I think, ultimately, this season will go down as one that the whole of football will want to forget as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the Premier League season is over and done with next weekend, which really can’t come soon enough. Of course, we have the delayed Euros to come, which we could probably do without, but as that gets closer & the hype starts to build we will probably all start to get excited about it.
But, honestly, I’m looking forward to a close season of transfer speculation and no actual football. We need a break from it. We all do—supporters & players alike. Then maybe, just maybe when August rolls around, and crowds get back in stadiums to watch new signings wearing new kits, some of what makes football so special to so many of us, might just come back.
We can but hope.
