Best football and squad we've had in years is why MR isn't getting any grief, not diverting attention to social media!

I think 1500 people giving it ffs in a stadium would have a more profound effect than 5 DM’s that I logged into 30 mins after the game telling me I’m a shit lazy footballer.

Our goak on Saturday was brilliant, we only need another 38 points

M.a.d, you were correct, joshua is a fighter not a boxer. Fury has been saying that since there 1st spar in 2007 I think. Plus he came in too light and he won't win the rematch. Oh shit is this a football forum

I got the impression (maybe wrongly) that these were messages the players had received from fans. I assume DM's on instagram or similar, rather than reading our message boards

MAD I'd honestly hope they don't go near it but I suspect some player's friends/family do.

RK totally agree with both your posts. "took" my son to football yesterday (away match) by train. Didn't see the point in burning petrol sitting in blocked roads. We've spent the last 25 years creating a very selfish society.

I have no interest in Facebook. But it’s pretty well know that ‘group’ exists and that it’s not a healthy place for a current footballer to log into and see. Are we now saying they are as capable as a moth continually being burnt by a hot light bulb 😂

If you're gonna say someone is doing shit, at least back it up with why.

It’s hardly a new issue either Kenty. All seems a bit control freaky. Stay out of the vacuum and your feelings won’t get hurt. Cause footballers never chat shit 😂

Kentish there's a big gap between commenting on someone making mistakes and looking for any excuse (including making them up) to make it a personal issue to attack certain players. There's some people on that FB group for example whose comments really show they've been waiting for their chance to be abusive and start rows over it.

Kentish - you abuse players on here but you don't condone direct personal abuse?

Agreed, MAD, it is a bit precious. I'm not condoning direct, personal abuse but if we're trying to ban criticism of players - e.g. NGW seems awfully shit at defending or our midget keeper is a joke - then I don't agree with that either.

Social media is, in theory, a great idea for communication and information sharing etc but it does amplify the worst and most unpleasant aspects of a minority of the population to make it a massive blight on our society - really for anyone in the public eye the only remedy must be just to ignore it and not look at it at all. I realise that that must be hard for young players but I think that it's similar to the way that they need to avoid drink/ unhealthy foods for their physical health - they need to swerve social media for their mental health.

Reading facebook I think some of the problem behind these posts is the younger element deliberately goad and seek to upset the whiter than white do-gooders. We do have that problem as a fanbase.

Dazzer - yeah I got all that. it's that you can't appeal to the better nature of someone who posts that stuff. Hartigan is arguably our most important player in this team so to abuse him exposes you as a thick idiot.

Sorry Robo that’s all a bit precious!

TF - I’m not sure the “whiney bunch of hypocrites” and “gives highly personal abuse to footballers” Venn diagrams overlap that much - although totally agree that they appear to both be results of the social-media instant gratification, echo chamber feedback loop. Working out how to properly manage/regulate social media has to be one of the biggest policy questions of our era. So much damage being done.

There's a bit of a herd mentality to how the abusers act, whether on social media or at the game. They seem to want to outdo either other, presumably to show how hard and knowledgable they are

agree Spit - also the abuse that Hartigan gets on FB is ludicrous

Lurks, indeed, I do wonder about the mentality of these people and let's be honest, it's probably the majority doing this. What would we be like in a proper emergency either climate based or military? I do have half a tank as it happens and will be rationing my trips, not that difficult as I'm shielding until end Oct anyway. I really don't want to queue (I'm extremely inpatient for one thing) and have to fight bare knuckle with a nutter

Slow - MR fully accepts that social media is here to stay , and that it is an integral part of the players lives - his real gripe is the personal shit & he was talking to the players about how to deal with it etc.

OI, I read about that. I really cannot comprehend what kind of human would send abuse to that kid.

I don't approve of but almost understand the people having a go at football professionals, it is those trolling people like that cerebral palsy kid from Fulham that are beyond my comprehension. [Link]

TF technically they are the most empowered - you don't get more empowered than having a say on everything, that everyone must listen to, without any comebacks and without being held accountable. (Ever watched the tantrums and older people are ruining our lives shit thrown at someone if they point out young people are doing something wrong?)