Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson became the latest footballer to come under fire for use of social networking site Twitter earlier this week. However, unlike other recent users it was not for making outlandish statements or in criticising his manager. Instead, Gibson was a victim of targeted abuse and even threats, much it seems by Manchester United fans, for his seemingly sub-par performances so far this season.
Within just over the length of a football match, Gibson’s account was closed down. It seems having been plugged by serial tweeter Rio Ferdinand, the Twitterati rushed to abuse the young Irishman. But was such a shocking and public slating justified?
Admittedly the 23-year old has not had the best of seasons. His only goal in 26 appearances came in the Carling Cup against Scunthorpe and his wonder strike against Bayern Munich just over a year ago seems a distant memory. A player with a fantastic ability to strike a ball, it seems like he has lost the ability to hit shots on target of late. Whereas once he would have been praised for testing the goalkeeper, now he is criticised for giving away possession and being greedy.
But his job at Manchester United was always going to be a difficult one. One of the greatest midfielders the Premiership has seen, Paul Scholes, is now 36 and in the twilight of his career. With no apparent heir rising through United’s ranks and with a fantastic ability to score from distance, it seems fans first looked at Gibson as a potential replacement. Obviously, with this label comes undeniable pressure and it is unfair to expect so much of the player at this early stage in his career. Gibson should instead be allowed to develop his own playing style.
Manchester United fans are entitled to their opinions, however, and there is clearly a reason why fans have grown to dislike him. But, it is worth remembering one of their most important players now, Darren Fletcher, was regularly chastised and the victim of many boos at a similar stage in his career. But, Sir Alex Ferguson clearly saw talent in Fletcher and you must feel he has spotted something similar in Gibson. Whilst Ferguson has, like most managers, made certain questionable signings in the past, he is one of the greatest managers the Premiership has seen and surely United fans can respect his judgement on this one.
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But being thick-skinned must come with the territory for most footballers. By spending so much time in the public eye it is only natural certain players get booed by tens of thousands of fans during games and most players learn to deal with it. In this case, however, it is the personal abuse from a small minority that could have done the damage.
Twitter and other mediums of social media have allowed greater accessibility to sportsmen and celebrities the World over and for that it should be commended. But, this has shown the darker side of it. Whilst most of the abuse was regarding his performances in a Manchester shirt, there were certain tweeters who made threatening remarks regarding his switching of allegiance to play for the Republic of Ireland despite playing youth football for Northern Ireland.
It is yet to be seen how many Manchester United fans actually agree with those who abused Gibson or whether it was a minority. Since his departure, a campaign to have the player reinstated on Twitter has gathered momentum and he clearly does have his fans. People realise he is a young player still learning his trade and working hard to make the grade at the current Premiership leaders. Whilst he does make mistakes on the pitch he is by no means a first team regular and this is likely to all be part of the learning process. But, come the close season, we will surely see whether Sir Alex Ferguson agrees with the apparent minority and feels Gibson’s future is best placed elsewhere.
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