The Grand Stand: Nick Meredith, Muppet Extraordinaire

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Boris Gligorevic in Features // 1 Comment

Yesterday Nick Meredith, FFA writer, wrote a piece for the FFA website which I found extremely offensive. There is not another word that I can think of to describe such writing from a pessimistic human.

For those of you not in the loop, you can read his article here: http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/meredith-opinion-display/60–What-did-you-really-expect/75642

6:0, what did I expect, wrote Nick Meredith. Well, Nick Meredith, Muppet Extraordinaire, what did I expect? I expected some fight, some passion and some respectability. What I got was exactly what you wanted, it seems. A team of quitters, losers; players who played to lose.

I didn’t expect Australia to win, but I didn’t expect Australia to get thrashed. This game was meant to be a good test of where we’re at in world football. Truth be told, we got the lesson some of us have expected in recent times. But that’s not my point. That’s for a different story.

Ask any fan, pick anyone at random. Hell, pick Frank Lowy. Fans hate seeing their teams get belted, especially when they’ve not even turned up. You can get belted and tried your damn heart out and you’ll be respected. Or you can take the Nick Meredith approach, bend over and take it because that’s how the world works.

No, Nick Meredith. That’s not how it works.

You want me to quit and give up because Brazil is better, has a larger pool of players and because the country itself follows football as if it were bigger than religion? Ah, no thanks. That’s not for me.

You, Nick Meredith, want me as a fan, to lower my expectations when I watch the Socceroos? Because we don’t have 5,000 Harry Kewells? Because we don’t dominate the world in football like we do in cricket, rugby and AFL? Don’t even get me started on what is wrong with that statement. Because we only have 1 player who is a regular who also plays in one of the top 5 UEFA leagues? Ah, no Nick Meredith. That’s not going to happen.

Nick Meredith seems to have forgotten what Australia is about. I was born in Australia. I grew up in Australia. I was taught to fight hard, never quit and give everything I had. When it comes to football, I play to win. I don’t care if the opposition consisted of Fred, Jo, Luis Gustavo, Maicon, Dani Alves or Ramires. I play to win.

That’s what Mr. Meredith seems to forget. Fans will hurt if we lose 6:0. But fans are hurt more because of the manner in which we lost. There was no fight against Brazil. We did exactly what Nick Meredith wanted Australia to do: bend over and take it.

Well no, Nick Meredith. What do I expect? What I expect is that the players give their all. I don’t care who the opposition is. Fight for every ball. Fight for every chance. Make the opposition know we’re here. We’ll win some and we’ll lose some. But whatever happens, the opposition will know that we were there and made it hard, win, lose or draw.

That’s what I expect Nick Meredith. That’s what the fans expect.