That image of Mavropanos’s face being flattened by an Erling Haaland shot carries more than the weight of the ball. In the context of a resolute performance that temporarily lifted us out of the relegation zone, it carried connotations of heroism – Mavropanos the goalscorer, man of the match and now martyr all rolled into one.
Imagine, however, the same image had been taken at the Etihad in December – the same action of blocking (consciously or not) a goalbound effort with his classic Greek jawline in the 90th minute. At 3-0 down and the game long dead and buried, Mavropanos would more likely have been mocked than heralded a hero: “F***ing clown, always in the wrong place at the wrong time!”
Such are the vagaries of football. Same player, similar context, very different verdict.
The Power of the Terraces
Credit to Konstantinos for taking the blows aimed at him, because there have been barbs from the terraces that probably stung a lot more than a ball to the face. The criticism was not without justification, I should hasten to add, but if it’s true that football is a confidence sport then supporters should recognise their role in inflating or deflating their own players’ egos.
The form of Mavropanos has undoubtedly benefitted from playing alongside Disasi rather than Kilman. But they too are case studies in fluctuating fortunes. Both good enough to command transfer fees of £40m or close to, only one currently looks of any real value, and ironically enough it’s the one not wanted by his own club.
Tactics and the Confidence Spark
It’s a recurring theme. Earlier in the season, Summerville was derided by many as a headless chicken. But after a hot streak of seven goals in 10 games, he’s our saviour and a shoo-in for Hammer of the Year.
So what happened? Summerville has benefitted from Nuno’s counter-attacking tactics spotlighting rapid-fire wingers, but that crucial first goal also sparked something in him. Conversely, Adama Traoré was at his best under the same coach at Wolves but is yet to recapture anything like the form that took him back to Barcelona and earned him eight caps for Spain – he often looks like he’s carrying the same weight in his head as in those Hulk-like quads and biceps.
Youthful Struggles and Veteran Resolve
Elsewhere, midfielders Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa both look like they’re experiencing mini crises of confidence, hence the unnecessary lunge that got Potts sent off against Burton and a substitute appearance in which Magassa’s every touch seemed to go in favour of Brentford.
Thankfully, neither affected the result, and with confidence and form being even bigger factors in nascent careers, cup heroics in a later round could prove the making of either man.
They could do worse than learn from the player keeping them out of the team. Souček has taken more than his fair share of criticism in recent years but his head has never dropped; the big Czech will never look as silky as, say, Paquetá, but since forcing his way back into Nuno’s starting 11 he has been quietly proving his worth.
Staying United for Survival
The lesson for all of us? Win as a team, lose as a team. Players will have bad days, weeks and months, and fans should not be mindless cheerleaders, but ‘United’ is part of many club names for a reason: pulling together will usually have better outcomes.
A united front could prove essential to Premier League survival, but whichever way it goes it is on the club hierarchy to cultivate and properly harness good vibrations rather than take them for granted.
Sure, sometimes it’s easier to keep the faith than others, and certain players have more credit in the goodwill bank. But reversals of fortune happen all the time and the boot can quickly be on the other foot. Take, for instance, the frustration on Haaland’s face as Mavropanos was poleaxed. The record-breaking Norwegian has probably scored more goals at the London Stadium than our current strikeforce combined but in the second half of the season has hit an atypical dry patch in which he’s struggling to buy a goal.
Our Greek tragedy makes a physical comedy of the woes of the Premier League’s most prolific striker… who saw that one coming?! Such are the vagaries of football.
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