We need to talk about Sam Sherring...

We need to talk about Sam Sherring…

Yes, I can feel people reaching for their keyboards as I type as the mere mention of his name seems to rile up certain sections of the Rochdale fanbase, but hear me out…

Before I go any further, I should stress that this is NOT going to be an article in defence of what the defender has produced on the pitch since joining the club in the summer.

This may be hard to believe – particularly in Sherring’s case – but footballers are their own worst critics, and he will know he has not hit the heights he will have wanted to upon arriving at the club.

He hasn’t been without his good moments, by the way – upon coming back into the team at right-back against Swindon Town, he had a strong game and was doing well against Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday in his more familiar role of centre-half before going off injured just before half time.

Mostly, however, he hasn’t lived up to the promise most seemed to hold for him when he signed – yes, it was there, go back and check the social media posts if you don’t believe me.

And when that is the case, criticism naturally tends to follow.

Of course, it is the prerogative of anyone to vocally express their opinion about a player, manager or team – or indeed anything – in whatever way they wish, particularly when they give up time and money to be entertained by them. Far be it from me to ever judge or begrudge anybody for having any sort of view.

For Sherring, however, it has gone to another, more concerning level.

Until he came along, I can only recall one Rochdale player singled out for targeted booing from their own fans – Michael Simpkins.

I was only 11 or 12 and in my first year as a season-ticket holder when he was at the club so I can’t sit here and claim to have in-depth, tactical knowledge of why he is held in such low regard by Rochdale fans, but simply mentioning his name brings my Uncle, who took me to games back then, out in a cold sweat.

But what I do remember is one particular occasion in which he visibly reacted to being booed by the Pearl Street End and it being wholly unpleasant. Even at such a tender age, I remember thinking "this isn't what football fans do to their own players, is it?"

Now, Sherring has started to get similar treatment with his every touch being booed by supporters who went to Port Vale, while some of the social media comments about him are going further away from simply expressing dissatisfaction with his performances.

To me, that isn’t okay. It never has been.

Call me soft, blind or - as many now seem to use - "a snowflake" if you like, but I’ve always been one for giving my full support to anyone representing Rochdale Football Club while they do so because ultimately, we’re united by a common goal – seeing the club succeed.

That being said, I have absolutely no qualms with doling out criticism when it’s warranted – whether that’s to players, managers or others – and when things are going like they are doing at the moment, it absolutely is. Like pretty much all of you, I'm not happy with how things are and I'd like to think what I've written on this website reflects that but in a respectful, objective way.

However, said criticism cannot cross the line into becoming abusive and nobody can deny that more and more of it is doing that.

And it’s clearly got through to the dressing room as well – Ian Watson felt the need to bring it up when asked for an update on Sherring’s injury on Tuesday, saying that some of what had been seen and heard had “gone beyond football.”

It seems a shame to say it, but getting injured was the best thing that could have happened for Sherring in a crude way – I wrote after the Port Vale game that he probably needs to be taken out of the firing line for his own good, and this now looks like happening naturally.

Some of what is being aimed at Watson himself probably falls into the same “beyond football” bracket as well – again, he has to accept criticism as part and parcel of the current situation, but there is never any need for it to become as overtly personal as some of it has.

Even though it is clearly a minority that are crossing the line, it does not paint Rochdale supporters in a good light.

There will be those who respond to this by saying “well he wouldn’t be getting abused if he wasn’t so bad (or less kind words to that effect)” and to them, I would point back to the very crux of this argument – criticism is fine, abuse is not.

Ask yourself this – is this really how you’d treat someone who is just trying to do their job? Even if you think they’re doing it badly, there are more respectful ways of saying so.

People may see this as naïve or even patronising and that’s fine – it’s just an opinion at the end of the day – but I cannot say I’ve been entirely comfortable with some of what I am seeing and hearing beyond the pitch this season.

I wish Sam all the best with his recovery from injury and hope beyond all hope that he can have some happier times in a Rochdale shirt. Because after all, whether you think he should be or not, he is still wearing it.