Watching the scenes unfold in Wigan on Monday night, it brought back an old thought, if only temporarily – it’s easy to be classy when you’re winning.
With all the arguments on the sidelines, the City fans allegedly throwing missiles at full time and the scuffles on the pitch, it just looked for all the world like it was a classic case of a team too used to winning and having everything their own way.
When someone suddenly came along and said ‘no’, when they finally felt a bit of injustice or helplessness, the high ground where its so easy to occupy when things go exactly to plan was quickly vacated.
It’s not as easy to be humble when you have something to be humble about.
But you can tell more about the character of someone by how they act in victory, not defeat.
“If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same…”
Went to the city match absolute disgrace behaviour from the fan on aguero @b1g5te yet all the tv are showing is aguero going for him. pic.twitter.com/9JclOUByKL
— Joanne Smith (@zabbajojo) February 19, 2018
In their finest hour, some of those filmed rushing the field weren’t looking to drink it in together, they just wanted to spike someone else’s drink.
Instead of running to their heroes – if staying in the stands wasn’t an option – instead of patting Wigan players on the back and lifting them high, it was more fun to provoke an opposition player and show nothing but contempt for one of the most respected footballers on the planet.
And Aguero took the bait. Sore loser? Give me that any day over a bad winner.
When this sort of thing has happened before, there’s a reason why we commend players for showing restraint. Because it’s damn hard to do that and it’s unnatural.
Aguero will get a ban now and he deserves it but all we were seeing was a human reaction from a man under very real peessure, pushed to the limit during a raw moment.
City will take stick but Wigan should be just as embarrassed. It’s supposed to be easier to stay classy when you’re winning.
