Social media might be annoying at times but when it starts impacting real life, that’s when it pushes it.
You see it all the time. Personalities have to apologise because someone decided to take offence to a word they didn’t like and they have the platform to squeal to employers and sponsors who, whatever their true feelings, couldn’t be arsed with the hassle of it all.
People have to delete accounts because of abuse directed at them.
Pundits on television allude far too much to how their analysis is going down on Twitter – because they’re terrified of being judged in a place that is only there to judge. And because of this constant policing, sometimes the faux outrage and the incessantly extreme reactions by anonymous profiles who, for the most part, are just stirring the pot, society alters every day.
So James McClean comes out and speaks pure sense about the situation West Brom could find themselves in in two games time but, inevitably, he doesn’t get a reasoned response or at least a weighing up of what he said. To expect that sort of measured approach or that sort of time out in what is now the race to have the first reply or the top thread, you might as well be hoping for anyone on the internet to turn around and say, ‘good point actually, you’ve convinced me I was wrong’.
The Derry man gave an honest assessment of how players want to play in the Premier League and if West Brom are relegated, you will see players leaving because their priority is their families. It wasn’t exactly unheard of stuff – a club losing players after relegation – but sure when does that stop anyone?
So, inevitably, McClean has to address the reaction and clarify what he said.
On his Instagram Stories, he released that statement and reminded the public of what he actually said.
“I did not say me or any other player’s name,” he wrote whilst also clarifying that he was asked if Albion went down. If.
“Players will discuss what’s next… history shows this happens at every club in that position.”
Still, you get people overreacting on one side, pretending to be surprised and appalled. Then you have Celtic fans on the other getting completely carried away that James McClean is “coming home”.
To clarify, that’s their words, not mine. Some people have said it, not everyone. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t like playing for West Brom. I’d like to apologise for all the hurt caused.
