Bad vibes: Henderson’s hypocrisy just one example of LGBT fans being failed…

The Mailbox features an insight from a transgender fan on how it’s getting harder to feel comfortable watching football. Also: Plenty more on Henderson and Southgate; a dispatch from Brussels; and Big Ange.

Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com…

Just a game
The fact that two football fans were killed yesterday for no other reason than supporting their national side, puts a lot of things in perspective. So much that surrounds football is just petty rivalry and minor controversy. And football itself really is one of the unimportant things in life.

No one wanted to play on after they found out at half-time what had happened before the game, and in my opinion this fixture should just stay 1-1 and be forgotten about.
Paul in Brussels

Bad vibes
I’ve been a sports fan my entire life, and it’s hard to imagine my life without it, especially football. I’m also transgender, which makes it a tricky world to navigate. Cuz there are so many great sports fans out there, but it’s also pretty hard to avoid those who would do us harm. And I’m not talking about armbands and pronouns, I’m talking about feeling increasingly less than physically safe while supporting my team in public with my kids because some lads got on twitter and bought into a conspiracy theory about all trans people being pedophiles.

You gotta rely on vibes a lot, and let me tell you these days? The vibes aren’t great. And you can’t help but feel that so much of the no place for hate “support” we’ve received from the pro sports world in recent years is only so much paper-thin PR-compliant bullsh*t that will be backtracked upon at the first sign of backlash.

We’ve seen this with even “OneLove” being too much for the World Cup. We’ve seen this in my native Canada, where the National Hockey League has responded to backlash by backing away from years of organizing “Pride Nights”, and have even gone so far as to ban individual players from using “pride tape” on their hockey sticks—meaning no rainbows in hockey, lads! To the best of my knowledge, no other color patterns on tape have been similarly banned. This is the kind of “support” I really would have rather they not bothered with to begin with, and it makes it pretty clear that I can’t actually trust these people to keep competitive sports safe for my family in the face of backlash.

I don’t particularly care about Jordan Henderson one way or the other. I have no desire to seek him out and boo him, or write abuse at him on social media, and on an individual level what he did isn’t even particularly egregious. It’s just another dull, predictable example in the growing body of evidence of what the “support” in pro sports is worth. And hey, whatever, he can go get his bag, I have larger fish to fry. But I feel compelled to respond to people writing things like “at least he did something.” No he didn’t. All he did was become a big high profile example of how little we can trust LGBT support in pro sports. And as someone trying to sus out the vibes, I promise you I far prefer a player who took Saudi money after a career of not giving a sh*t. At least there we know what we’re getting.
Lucy, North Coast Gooner

And it’s getting worse
John Nicholson missing both the mark and satire in his latest nonsense.

“Had he been a well-known homophobe, perhaps the reaction wouldn’t be so strong.”

So its better to actively hate gays and go and play in Saudi than to stand up for up them and go and play in Saudi? If Trippier says he hates gays that’s OK, but if he’s says he’s fine with them then he’s a massive Saudi paid hypocrite? Is that how it works?

Football is so far behind society that it’s actually disgusting and JN’s high horse only goes as far as to call out Southgate for not being happy with people booing an England player.

Where is football’s next LGBT champion? Where is the Premier League and FA’s root and branch review of why 10% of the gen z population can’t succeed at any level of football? Where is the call for a minutes silence for the 25th anniversary of Justin Fashnu’s suicide? Where is demanding that the UK government spell LGBT with a T?

How can a gay man ever come out in professional football in the UK if even being as clean cut and straight as it comes and saying you’re alright with homosexuality puts a massive target on your back?

How can England put a rainbow on a captains armband whilst picking players paid by Saudi? I tell you how, by people like JN pointing fingers at Southgate so that they don’t have to look anywhere else.

Remember John, homophobes are bad, but then if we booed all the homophobes in football, who would be left to cheer? Football is rotten to the core.
Alex, South London

Southgate is a hypocrite
Gareth Southgate has championed the importance of a new, values-led and morally upright England, asking fans to respect the player’s focus on social issues, and their support for equality, inclusivity and racial injustice. Very laudable and to be commended. Fans could once again feel proud to support the team, and have a genuine connection with them.

Yet when fans quite understandably take a moral stance on the conduct of one of those players – referring of course to the mild booing of Jordan Henderson – Southgate suddenly “can’t understand” a reaction that he himself has encouraged, by laying this moral framework.

Southgate has been a brilliant breath of fresh air as England manager but this is his first real misstep; he’s revealed himself to be a hypocrite who is content to pay lip service to social causes, but rejects them at the first sign of challenge.

More power to the England fans who booed.
Mike

Read more: Dear Gareth, England fans did not execute Jordan Henderson; all they did was boo

Gareth’s long game
Not going to lie, when I saw Waff Town Man refer to Jordan “Ally” Henderson, my brain didn’t think “friend/supporter”, it thought “McCoist”.

I can only presume Gab YNWA is on a wind up – the famous Scouse sense of humour perhaps – because there is no way someone could earnestly equate the racist abuse suffered by Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka after the European Championship final with the booing aimed at Jordan Henderson on Friday night. I don’t doubt for one second that it was an unpleasant experience for Henderson, but it is, in a broad sense, mass disagreement with a decision he took; had he taken a different decision when it came to leaving Liverpool, he might not have attracted such criticism. Also, let’s pretend for a moment that Henderson might care about playing football as much as he does about earning money; while very few clubs in Europe would be prepared to match his Liverpool salary, he would not have to take too much of a drop in pay in order to move to a club where he could be a regular (if not guaranteed) starter, would probably still get to play in continental competitions, and would leave with the best wishes of most Liverpool supporters.

While some have criticised Gareth Southgate for his defence of both Henderson and Harry Maguire in the face of fan opposition (for wildly different reasons, it shouldn’t need to be pointed out), he’s actually playing the long game. While I don’t particularly agree with him doing this, I can understand why he thinks it’s important for the manager to remain separate from such matters and to do what he thinks is best for the team, instead of being constantly swayed by fan opinions. It’s a difficult balance between maintaining a professional distance and being completely tin-eared as to what the supporters genuinely care about. As this was a regular feature of Roy Hodgson’s first spell in charge of Crystal Palace, is this the clearest hint yet that Southgate sees life after England beginning at Selhurst Park?
Ed Quoththeraven

…I think Gab YNWA has misunderstood something in this morning’s mailbox. It’s exactly because Henderson took a stand and was an ally to the LBGTQ+ community that he is getting booed for moving to the Saudi League. He chose to stand up for something until he got paid not to, making him the ultimate sellout. It’s not close to borderline hate at all — it’s holding someone responsible for their previous actions and opinions.

Henderson shouldn’t be anywhere near the national team. Not because of his dubious morals, but because anyone playing in the Saudi League aren’t playing at a high level week in week out. That’s another story though.
Kim, Copenhagen

…Comparing the stick Henderson is receiving for his deliberate move to and subsequent shilling for a state-backed project to actual racial abuse is…a choice.

I agree with the sentiment that anyone has a right to earn money, what I do not agree with is you leveraging that as a defence for anyone who has clearly thrown some morals away to be part of a state apparatus. I could care less if he had joined the Norwegian league (if Norway ever decide to channel their investment fund into image-washing), he has settled for becoming a big part of everything wrong with the game we love. he deserves stick for that.
Emma, Abuja

…There is one thing that puts the tin hat on Henderson and his choice to play in Saudi.

It is not as if he hadn’t a choice. There would have been plenty of clubs happy to pay him a load of dosh per week to add his experience to their team.

But not enough. No, he needed the huge pile of money, using the lame LIV excuse made by people who have already earned more in a year that the rest of us will in a lifetime.
Tim

Right to choose
Good job to everyone defending Henderson. He has a right to provide for his family, right? What a joke. Keep enabling the death of football as a sport and pushing for entertainment. A world cup in Saudi is what you deserve.

Does Henderson have the right to accept a contract offered to him? Of course. He does not have the right to everyone’s approval though. Southgate is an absolute coward, and is just too scared he won’t be able to get a job in the super league that’s been ready to go for a decade or so. In fact the only reason it has not got going yet is because there is still enough people that are loud enough with at least some moral compass. Exactly what some idiots seem to be complaining about. I am not sure what part of it is illegal to be yourself people don’t understand. Not looked down on. Illegal. Punishable by death. Anyone that is ok with that should move to North Korea, or find a time machine and move to Saudi Arabia um… today actually. Or how about just lose all your rights.

Read up on how life actually is for the normal folk in these countries, all the limitations and rules they have to follow and attempt it. Good luck. Unless that way of life is the one you already prefer, I don’t see how someone could be happy living it. I will try to simplify. Choice is taken away from you. Illegal.
Zdravko

Woke365
You would never agree with and support England fans booing their own players, especially after a win but now you do because one of the England players has offended your progressive sensibilities. You woke pillocks.
Dan, London

Vin Dijk defence
I think you’ve missed the mark with this one.

It’s not about being paid less, especially how that sounds to someone who’s first language isn’t English, but rather playing less. If they play less games they will get less match day pay. They won’t be paid less to play per match which I think is what Van Dyk is saying, they are at the top end of the sport and deserve their pay.

If we aren’t careful, we’ll see an increase in knee and other serious long term injuries (look at van Dyk) to the best stars and the “brand” will be worse off for it anyways

Honestly speaking, who needs a International break every bloody 6 weeks for goddamn friendlies!?

I think that is where the chop in games and travel (probably why they moan about more games) can come from.
Probably won’t cause FIFA can’t miss out on the cash cow everyone else is milking.

Someone else and quite a few PFMs said that everything is better now from physios, to number of subs and they should just get on with it. The old players saying the players are soft didn’t have to fly to Lagos or Bolivia or Ukraine every time FIFA or EUFA wanted to a cash injection. Smacks of ‘in my day we ‘ard and these are all just fannies’. Think they haven’t had a proper workout in years and view these players as little dots on the screen they can pundit about to get their own bit of green from the whole process. Maybe they are scared less games means less for the broadcasters and therefore less for them

To bring it closer to more people’s perspective, if your boss kept working you overtime but offered to reduce your wages per hour so you could work less would you take it? No. You’d say leave my wages alone but stop working me overtime
PA

Harry and Ange: same church, different pews
Interested to read the comparison between Big Ange and ‘Arry Redknapp by Tesha in the Weekend Mailbox. As a Spurs fan, and a big admirer of both gents, I wanted to throw in my two cents on where they’re alike, and where they’re different.

In terms of style and tactics, the biggest difference between the two; in my opinion, is their approach. Big Ange, in all his managerial stops so far, has been absolutely, resolutely (maybe dangerously?) married to a ‘total football’ attacking style of play. Be it against Manchester City, or Mansfield town, he wants his team playing the ball out from the back, retaining possession, hunting the opposition down in a high press and playing an exciting brand of football. The players will change, but the style will remain. It’s a very proactive approach

‘Arry, while also very attack minded, I would say is more reactive. ‘Arry is like a great amateur chef – he’s very capable, and almost excited to adapt his style or his dish to whatever he has in the cupboard. Yes, he does always bring a can of Niko Krancjar or a jar of Jermain Defoe with him wherever he goes, but generally, he adapts himself to the situation around him. Generally, it’s a pretty good fit for a short term stint – rather than a long term, Pep Style rebuild. IN many ways, this ‘player first’ style would’ve made him an excellent National team manager.

The critical similarity between ‘Arry and Ange is in their soft skills. Unlike the Conte’s and Mourinho’s, who are always the main man in the room, ‘Arry and Ange are brilliant at making the team about the group, and the players themselves. ‘Arry is famous for his ‘arm around the shoulder’ style of management – giving players confidence and a sense of belonging. ‘Ange is said to be a paternal style of manager – giving his players licence to take risks and play with confidence. Both managers are keen at instilling a sense of fun in their football.

Nice to be able to reminisce about a Spurs great, and to look forward to another hopefully starting on an even better Spurs journey.

COYS
Andy, Spurs, Eire

…Can agree with the Redknapp comparisons wholeheartedly.

However, is he really from the Pep school of football when Ange has been setting teams up this way since 1996 with South Melbourne, and that Pep first managed in 2007…..
Duncan, just enjoying fun football again.

Life at the top
To follow on from my previous mail and the responses to it, what prompted my thinking was two things.

Firstly, I heard about (but didn’t watch) the life of Aguero in the Man City All or Nothing. By the sounds of it, he pretty much had no mates when Otamendi left and just used to watch telly and play computer games.

Second was a quote I read regarding professional athletes rather than footballers specifically. Sadly didn’t screenshot it to quote it here, but the gist was that the margins are so fine at the highest level that the single minded, laser like levels of focus required to compete mean the athlete will invariably wind up as incredibly dull. Those anodyne sound bites are not just media training, they’re the lack of input from outside the game which renders them free of wit or imagination. There’s less characters in the game in large part for this reason and why the few there are standout all the more.

Personally, I’d rather be poor and interesting than rich and boring.
Lewis, Busby Way (for those questioning graft, I’m a farmer, so I’m well versed!)

Justice for Jacob
Scrolling down through the list of uncapped PL starters, I was impressed that F365 must have rightly had Jacob Ramsay but near the top, until I got there and realised he was nowhere to be seen. While he has been injured, he is most definitely a starter.
Paul (where is Conor Byrne?)

Arsenal heartburn
I love you but can you please stop channeling Michael ‘It’s up for grabs’ Thomas every damn week?!

Whether it’s the Men’s or Women’s teams – what’s wrong with a pleasant, routine 2-0 in the sunshine?
Graham Simons, (Still can’t believe we got Russo) Gooner, Norf London