Sorry this one is a bit delayed, I didn’t get chance on Monday and in hindsight maybe that was a good thing and I was waylaid Tuesday so playing catch up I’ve only just got to this.
On Monday, Aston Villa’s social media team let everyone know that goalkeeper Orjan Nyland was celebrating his birthday.
The former Ingolstadt stopper turned 28-years-old this week and he arrived over the summer on a three-year deal.
Now, I’m not going to pretend he’s hit the ground running and he hasn’t been up to the levels we came to expect from Sam Johnstone. But note the use of the words ‘came to expect’ as Johnstone hardly hit the ground running with errors as he adjusted but Nyland’s critics seem to forget it took him some time to bed in and show his best.
Nyland has shown moments, and goalkeepers will always take the flak from a 4-1 defeat (Sheffield United) but how quickly some seem to have forgotten his performance against Reading.
Shot stopper. When does he start doing that then .??
— Kevin palmer (@Kevinpalmervill) September 10, 2018
Amen
— Jamie F'N Hand (@JamieHand101) September 11, 2018
Shot stopper is false advertising
— James (@gortavfc) September 10, 2018
Happy Birthday Orjan, take no notice of the boo boys, every club has them and sadly, we're no different.
— Steve Buet (@Godzvilla) September 11, 2018
This tweet has become Trollville.@OrjanHNyland1 Carry on, go again, you will prove that you are a decent signing no doubt.
— Will Chisholm (@Billy_Chisholm) September 11, 2018
Happy birthday! Don’t listen to the trolls????
— Connor Richards (@cgrichy) September 10, 2018
He ain’t no shot stopper.
— Jon shephard (@Jonshepy) September 10, 2018
How quickly some forget he’s settling into a new country, a new club, a new division and is hardly blessed at this moment in time with a fully functioning defence ahead of him and a misfiring frontline.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with the opinions – I know for a fact I’ve said worse and been harsher in the moment in the past, but when will some fans realise that tagging a player directly on social media probably isn’t the best way of motivating them?
Thankfully, plenty were willing to offset the balance as can be seen but if I ever reach the stage when I want to shout abuse through someone’s letterbox in effect, I’d be questioning my own life choices.
Not the performance and decisions of someone else.
I thank and appreciate those who made the effort.