This season, Farke’s self-proclaimed mandate was to collect 38 points, or one point per game, which has proven enough to retain top-flight status every season since 2011–12.
Until last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa, Farke was meeting that ratio, but he has faced a change in the direction of the wind among his fans. This is a moment that most managers will recognize having gone through this themselves.
The most worrying thing about this change is that for the first time – even though, in my opinion, his team was playing really well against Villa – a section of the crowd behaved very negatively towards him.
He openly expressed his feelings about his team’s selection and choices.
I’ve said in my previous column that the game I love is all about the players and its supporters, but I’ll make a distinction here.
If fans criticize a team, manager or club on social media sites, it resonates only in a minor way compared to the impact of criticism from supporters who buy season tickets and spend their hard-earned money and time home and away to watch and travel every season.
In my experience, many of these supporters have a very good understanding and knowledge of their team and players, and have a right to criticize. Their feedback has a far greater impact on any club’s decision makers.
So, if you hear criticism openly in your own stadium like Farke did on Sunday, it means you are in trouble and results should start changing very quickly, especially in the Premier League.
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