Jose Mourinho’s recent sacking has shined a light on just how bad Manchester United have been in recent years. The football has been boring, the trophies have comparatively dried up and in general, nobody has been having a nice time.
However, it pales in comparison to the problems some clubs have to face. So today, we are inducting fans of big clubs who think they have had it bad in Room 433. As a fan of a club like Middlesbrough, I’m here to tell you Manchester United fans (and others) that things can be a whole lot worse.
Fans at bigger clubs expect more and in principle. I have no problem with that. Stature and spending bring with it more expectation.
Indeed, fans of a club like Manchester United should be disappointed with the current brand of football. However, it is not the end of the world. Some clubs further down the pyramid are constantly facing the end of the world, even a club the size of Bolton Wanderers in the Championship cannot even afford to pay their players on time.
These are real problems and maybe fans of big clubs don’t really understand that football clubs can often find their fates hanging by a thread.
Arsenal fans were fuming towards the end of the Wenger era. The club was underperforming, sure. But constant Champions League football was delivered until almost the end of the Frenchman’s time at the club – yet a viewing of Arsenal Fan TV would make you think that relegation was impending.
While again these fans have a right to be upset, perspective is very much needed here. Your football club is not dying, you are still doing relatively well and crucially there is actual light at the end of the tunnel, which for some clubs is not always the case.
Take a look at a club like Portsmouth that in the space of a few short years went from FA Cup winners to League Two. Or a club like Chesterfield who have a real prospect of facing triple, yes, triple relegation slipping from League One to potentially the National League North.
I’m not saying fans of big clubs can’t be disappointed. But not getting into the Champions League is not the be all end all. Just be thankful you’re not staring administration in the face.
That’s weeks induction into Room 433 a concept that is completely different to BBC’s Room 101. If you want something from football inducted in the room, like Jose Mourinho, get in touch.
