Something rotten at the heart of football culture

Eden Hazard.  Is that the name of a town in the Mid West of the USA?  Or a type of manoeuvre by a downhill mountain biker?  Or is it a knot used by ice climbers?  Well, it is of course, none of these.  It is the name of the person behind the collapse of a football club called Chelsea.

It was Mr Hazards behaviour on the pitch that was perhaps just the touch paper for all that has followed since culminating yesterday with the departure of manager Jose Mourinho.

The story goes like this.  Mr Hazard tackled.  Goes down like a sack of potatoes.  Writhes on the ground like he has been pole axed by Tyson Fury.  Referee thinks he’s not play acting, apparently with the player asking for support, and waves on medical support.  And of course, the moment a medical person steps on to the field, the player has to leave the field for treatment leaving Chelsea down to nine players for a moment.   

The Chelsea manager is not pleased a player has come off and takes it out on his medical staff for going on. 

But where does the real blame lie in this incident?  Well for me with Mr Hazard.  Did he think that by staying on the ground he could buy his team a few extra seconds.  Well, if he did, he miscalculated.  The referee, did he perceive the injury was not really an injury but a bit of play acting to gain advantage?  Well, if he did, he dealt with it well by having the player leave the pitch.

Sometimes you do wonder why these players get paid in one week what it takes a nurse 5 years to earn.  It’s the same with off side.  You see players waving their hands in the air to appeal.  On the vast majority of occasions they simply don’t understand the rules. Or are they trying to influence a decision in their favour even when they know it was the right decision that was taken in the first place?

Similarly when the ball goes out for a throw, you often see players gesticulating that it’s their throw when it clearly is not. Or are they trying to influence a decision in their favour even when they know it was the right decision that was taken in the first place?

Now with each of these things there really are only two ways to look at it. They attempting to cheat or they don’t know the rules of the game.  The interesting thing is you see the behaviour of these footballers being mimicked week after week on the playing fields across the UK as children copy such behaviour.  Just go watch and you will see. 

Trying to con the referee and failing to learn the rules (I am being charitable with my interpretation that they are uneducated and not cheats) is utterly unacceptable in players who some seek to laud as role models. 

Ultimately, it is not the Mr Hazards of the football world we should be pointing the finger at, though their behaviour, no matter how you look as it, is pretty distasteful.

In any organsation it is the culture that those who are at the top create that is to blame.  If you ever see a problem with culture, always look at the leader.