Manchester City thrashed Burton Albion during the week in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final and it was just plain wrong, says talkSPORT Drive host Adrian Durham.
At a time when we’re urging people to talk more about their emotions – men in particular, at a time when talkSPORT has an important show called On The Sporting Couch with the excellent Gary Bloom, and at a time when more sympathy and understanding is needed in this world we live in, it’s been sad to witness the testosterone-fuelled blood thirsty words of so many people since Manchester City beat Burton Albion on Wednesday night.
The reaction of so many, including a whole load of ex-pros, shows how far football is from holding compassion dear as a precious value.
Burton were thrashed 9-0 by City. If it was a league game then fine, goal difference could make a difference come the end of the season so to keep on going forward and scoring would be understandable – I get that.
But Burton – who have worked their way up the pyramid on a limited budget with no rich benefactor, literally did not deserve what City put them through on Wednesday. At 4-0, TV commentators were saying job done.
Did Burton deserve to be defeated by a record-breaking score? No, their run deserved a better finale. They knew they were probably going out, and that it would be a big scoreline. But 9-0 was not something they deserved.
So would it have been unprofessional of City to ease off? You could look at it that way of course. But you could also look at the other side of it, and say the main aim was to get through the tie. Once that’s achieved why humiliate Burton?
Imagine what that humiliation might actually do to an individual. Is it worth it? What good will come of it? It doesn’t enhance City’s reputation – we all know they’re brilliant, and we all know they can take apart lower division opposition. 9-0 in the semi-final – Nigel Clough now has that stigma, which will be remembered long after the brilliant victories in previous rounds have faded from memory. What a shame.
My idea was that some of the Development Squad who played in the Checkatrade Trophy victory over Rochdale on Tuesday night should have filled the bench, Phil Foden definitely should have started, and I’m sure there are other ideas Pep Guardiola could have had to ease the pain.
At 4-0 why not just hit long range shots rather than repeatedly pass through inferior opponents, opening them up and scoring at will. They were kicking someone when they were down. And it wasn’t good to see so many enjoying that.
I’ve been in contact with footballers over the years who have been affected by such results, and the criticism and laughter that followed: these are real people with human emotions, they deserve compassion.
Instead ex-professionals took to social media to show how right it was that the opposition were butchered to death. More significantly they took to social media to show the world they had absolutely no compassion in them whatsoever.
No wonder football is miles behind the rest of society when it comes to dealing with depression, homophobia and racism – sadly the sport is still over-populated by Neanderthals who think it’s wrong for men to have feelings.
Grow up lads, nobody is impressed anymore.
