They get it.
You, Toronto FC fan, are frustrated. You’re sick of losing and, damn it, you deserve better. MLSE is evil, greedy and incompetent.
AND THE LEAFS SUCK, TOO.
Are you done now? Good.
Shut up.
Yes, it's time for us to shut up.
We’re right. The club is not very good and MLSE has serious flaws. People should probably lose their jobs. However, here’s the thing.
We, hyper-negative fans, are a big part of the problem too.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Not because we show up and therefore make it easy for MLSE to take us for granted. No, that idea is idiotic.
We’re a part of the problem because our constant negativity creates a culture of reactionary decisions rather than thoughtful ones. Precisely because we constantly threaten to pull our loyalty, MLSE has literally given us everything we’ve ever asked for, out of fear that we might actually do it one day.
We fans screamed for Ali Gerba, MLSE gave us Ali Gerba.
We fans screamed for Julian de Guzman, MLSE gave us Julian de Guzman.
We fans screamed for a MLS experienced coach that would play practical football, MLSE gave us Preki.
We fans screamed for Preki and Mo’s head, MLSE gave us their head.
We fans screamed for an experienced football mind to be brought in to help guide them, MLSE gave us Jürgen Klinsmann.
I could go on...And, this is just off the top of my head. There is a consistent trend of MLSE pandering to fans when making TFC decisions over the years. The supporter’s groups’ discussion boards might as well have been the team’s General Manager.
MLSE absolutely deserves to be criticised for operating in this fashion – they need their collective head’s examined, actually – but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the effect of fan toxicity. The self-centred Id – I WANT TO WIN NOW BECAUSE I DESERVE BETTER – of the TFC fan has, ironically, made this club a damn punchline.
Which brings us to now. One game into Paul Mariner’s coaching career – and, let’s remember, many of us were calling for MLSE to do something – the negativity is suffocating. Once again no one is thinking. Rather, they are reacting.
Attempts at evaluating Mariner’s first game are generally met with anger. How long is it before angry fans demand another change?
Hopefully MLSE has finally learned its lesson and will ignore us.
We clearly don’t know what the hell we are talking about.