Scape goats over the years

The late David Burnside and Jimmy Melia were given a really rough time from my earliest memories. We have always had our scapegoats and little has changed over the years.

The thing about a 'scape goat' is that these are players who are being unfairly blamed or criticized for the nature of their performances. Looking back on it I must say that most of the players already named in this thread probably earned some/all of the stick they received to be honest.

To those who say; 'what good does criticizing a player ever do' I would reply; 'when did remaining silent about a players deficiencies ever improve one'. You could have had 32,000 Saints fans cheering Paul Wotton's or Guly do Prado's every touch, but it wouldn't have made them any better.

It seems to me if you find yourself in the fortunate position of making a bloody good living out of kicking a ball around then you either better do that job well ... or develop a thick skin.

Anthony Pulis and Tommy Forecast, not scape goats as neither played for us, more figures of fun/ridicule for the money they earned over the years whilst doing sod tout.

Anthony Pulis and Tommy Forecast, not scape goats as neither played for us, more figures of fun/ridicule for the money they earned over the years whilst doing sod tout.

Molyneaux was another. Jeez, whoever was 'head of recruitment' back then was shocking!!

Dont remember Burnside getting much stick he was always a favorite of mine as he scored the final goal in the great FA Cup fight back against Forest in 1963

Melia did because he did not look like a Footballer but he helped us get promotion in 1966 and played every game the following season and I think was a good buy.

Lew Chatterley was rubbish did not realise he was Lawrie Mac's brother in law.

These days people are too critical after a couple of poor games players are castigated even though they must be pretty good to be chosen to player in a PL team in the first place

i must admit I can't think of the last time I heard of saints fans actually obviously being vocally against one of our own during a game as certainly did happen in the 60s and 70s which has got to be a good thing. Can any one recall players names being booed during the reading out of the team over the tannoys. I am sure I can recall this happening but again not for a long time.

i must admit I can't think of the last time I heard of saints fans actually obviously being vocally against one of our own during a game as certainly did happen in the 60s and 70s which has got to be a good thing. Can any one recall players names being booed during the reading out of the team over the tannoys. I am sure I can recall this happening but again not for a long time.

Jason Euell used to get boo'd by sections of the crowd and amazingly so did Kelvin Davis at times, when he was announced as starting.

i must admit I can't think of the last time I heard of saints fans actually obviously being vocally against one of our own during a game as certainly did happen in the 60s and 70s which has got to be a good thing. Can any one recall players names being booed during the reading out of the team over the tannoys. I am sure I can recall this happening but again not for a long time.

You still get everyone groaning when a player misplaces a pass and individual fans shouting that they're carp and to get off the pitch.

I remember Puncheon being scared to show for a throw in because his confidence was affected by this

Lew Chatterley was rubbish did not realise he was Lawrie Mac's brother in law.

No, I didn’t know that either.

I remember Peter Osgood castigating Saints’ fans on the west stand terraces who were giving Chatterley some terrible stick. Ossie definitely wasn’t happy about it … but, then again, I can’t imagine too many players are happy to hear one of their team-mates being jeered by their own supporters.

If a scapegoat is a player that many see as having cost us a game on numerous occasions I'd say Gennoe/Wells, Benali, Paul Jones, Kelvin, and Fox all have good claims. Of those I'd say Fox and Benali were liabilities in the top flight and possibly Kelvin, but Leeds away, Leeds away!

Didn't Arsenal boo one of their players off the pitch not so long ago. I'd never boo one of our own, never! Especially during a game.

Id say currently scapegoat is Shane Long...

roger fry bob mccarthy gerry gurr eric martin steve baker the list is endless

Hughie Fisher, Bob McCarthy, Steve Baker, Terry Curran, David Puckett, Perry Groves and Paul Telfer all had their day plus Andy Townsend just for being Andy Townsend. Sadly Bobby Stokes used to get a fair share of stick too if I recall the pre 76 days correctly

I think the longest spell of consistent scapegoating in recent memory was for Paul Telfer and Rory Delap.

Have to say I wasn't really a fan of either of them: got irritated at Telfer's chronic difficulty at getting his corner kicks over the first defender; and must have watched hundreds of Delap's long throw-ins into the box. I think we scored from one of those. One out of 357 ain't bad, I suppose!

I can remember Curran getting plenty of stick. Another winger that could on occasions be sublime, but more often not that effective. Seem to remember him not having a great attitude??

Paul Telfer and Jermaine Wright were both honest utility players who did a good job for Saints. Anyone who says otherwise is forgetting it's a squad game.

 

Saints fans have two blind spots in my opinion; lack of appreciation of holding midfielders (Oakley is a good example) and an over appreciation of players that fist pump / clap the crowd / whose hair resembles Jesus (Ostlund and Prutton tick all of those boxes).

 

At the end of the day, the manager picks a player to play a role based on what he has available. As long as that player puts a shift in, I am generally happy. Those declaring that someone is **** / not fit for the shirt / like Ali Dia, are probably 22st couch potatos who couldn't do any better.

You are right in identifying a difference between giving people stick for poor performances (understandable) and scapegoating them by unending criticism when actually they often performed pretty well. The first one I remember was big John Page - he did a good job for us in Division Three but mainly seemed to get picked on because he was fat. Then there was Joe Kirkup a decent enough fullback whose only crime was to have been signed from Chelsea which was assumed to make him a big-time Charlie. More recently Telfer and Wright - who was totally committed and did a decent job in umpteen positions in a very very bad team - were as you say unfairly picked upon whilst Prutton probably the worst midfield player to ever play regularly for Saints was lionised because he ran about a bit.

I remember Chicken George used to get a sh#t amount of abuse, head down and off he went, didn't know what you would get from good old George !! ahh the good ole days !!

Rory Delap

Rory Delap

Sometimes he's good

usually Crap

You are right in identifying a difference between giving people stick for poor performances (understandable) and scapegoating them by unending criticism when actually they often performed pretty well. The first one I remember was big John Page - he did a good job for us in Division Three but mainly seemed to get picked on because he was fat. Then there was Joe Kirkup a decent enough fullback whose only crime was to have been signed from Chelsea which was assumed to make him a big-time Charlie. More recently Telfer and Wright - who was totally committed and did a decent job in umpteen positions in a very very bad team - were as you say unfairly picked upon whilst Prutton probably the worst midfield player to ever play regularly for Saints was lionised because he ran about a bit.

Prutton did play a nice 1-2 with Crouch once against Liverpool that led to a goal.

Mane was the current scapegoat, but his recent performances have elevated him....it was at Burnley I noticed lots of groans and moans and shouts towards him.

I think the longest spell of consistent scapegoating in recent memory was for Paul Telfer and Rory Delap.

 

Have to say I wasn't really a fan of either of them: got irritated at Telfer's chronic difficulty at getting his corner kicks over the first defender; and must have watched hundreds of Delap's long throw-ins into the box. I think we scored from one of those. One out of 357 ain't bad, I suppose!

 

Doesn't that say more about our strikers? Stoke scored shedloads from his long throws.