David Wotherspoon

[Jack]

Speaking to a young lady yesterday who knows David quite well.

I'll declare an interest in that I like Spoony and it would be a real shame IMO if he went elsewhere.

I was saying this but how I was frustrated with his dips in form.

She told me that these dips are a direct result of the 'fans' getting on his back and giving him a hard time. The old confidence player chestnut.

Now, like I say, I get frustrated with him but we are supposed to be a support and players like Spoony need our positive support more than some of us seem to realise.

I'd go as far as suggesting we turn into vigilantes against these detractors but maybe that's too far!

Bottom line is if we want to get the best from our former regular Scotland U21 star we have to be nice to him :-)

I hope we sign him up again and if we do I'd like to see Hibs get one of those folk to work with him to get over his confidence thing. It can't do any harm and has the potential of giving us our star more regularly.

Even those folk who slag him must admit when he's on his game he's a joy to watch.

[Ken]

He's a good player when he's on his game, but far too inconsistent.

If his form dips because of football fans getting on his back, then he has no chance of making his career more successful, unless he overcomes this.

Apart from the season when he broke into the 1st team (playing right back) and earlier this season, I haven't been that impressed with him in anymore than a handful of games and because of this I wouldn't be that fussed if he didn't sign a new contract.

Would rather keep Claros!

P.s. I never get on player's backs, but can understand when supporters do.

[Niffy]

AYe , I'm afraid that's part of the game.

Like the folk that enter X-Factor and all that p1sh and blame a bad audition on nerves. If you canny hack it... maybe it's not your forte ?

[PeeJay]

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Speaking to a young lady yesterday who knows David quite well.

I'll declare an interest in that I like Spoony and it would be a real shame IMO if he went elsewhere.

I was saying this but how I was frustrated with his dips in form.

She told me that these dips are a direct result of the 'fans' getting on his back and giving him a hard time. The old confidence player chestnut.

Now, like I say, I get frustrated with him but we are supposed to be a support and players like Spoony need our positive support more than some of us seem to realise.

I'd go as far as suggesting we turn into vigilantes against these detractors but maybe that's too far!

Bottom line is if we want to get the best from our former regular Scotland U21 star we have to be nice to him :-)

I hope we sign him up again and if we do I'd like to see Hibs get one of those folk to work with him to get over his confidence thing. It can't do any harm and has the potential of giving us our star more regularly.

Even those folk who slag him must admit when he's on his game he's a joy to watch.

Wotherspoon has to realise that he plays at a club with fans that can easily boo a player vehemently when leaving the field even after scoring five goals FOR Hibs...(one for the oldies perhaps?)

... you make a good point I guess, but he was at ER himself as a fan wasn't he, so he must know what to do: battle the confidence thing and get the fans on his side by working hard and playing well - personally, I wouldn't want to see him go: think he has potential that we as a club should be able to nurture more...

[hibsbollah]

The argument that his problems are because of abuse from the stands dont stand up to scrutiny IMO. He gets his debut in 2009, plays most of that season as a RB looks like our best graduate from the ranks since 2005, everyone loves him.

Then he moves to RMid, and he doesnt really kick a ball for two seasons under Hughes and Calderwood. Its sometime then i heard folk grumbling or shouting stuff. He then has a good start to his fourth season, before falling away again.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

I fear you maybe p&&£ing into the wind on this one Jack ;)

"Getting on the players back" is something the opposition fans do.
If our future is youth then well be less likely to reap the benefits if getting on players backs is deemed acceptable.

i don't believe we have any sports psychologists on the site (incredible really) or certainly none wishing to comment on the impact on performance. Let's be 'aving you - it's what we paid out taxes for ;)

My thinking is all other things (fitness, strength, stamina, ability, football brain etc.) being equal confidence is the determining factor. So anything that is detrimental to confidence impacts performance. You expect abuse from opposition fans not your own. I use the term advisedly as its been described as such In other debates. Imagine going home to receive a warm hug from your mum then a repeated punch in the face :) next time your a bit more weary.

It got to a point where Yogi spoke out in protection of Nish. It's funny how we all say that the board should "back the manager" surely what then follows is fans backing the team. Not too sure where getting on the players' backs fits into that...

[Mr White]

Rankin and sproule both enjoyed upturns in form after leaving hibs and the somewhat less than encouraging words they could no doubt hear from the home stands at Easter road. But as for spoony- man the **** up you lazy basa- ****ing booooo.

[Beefster]

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The argument that his problems are because of abuse from the stands dont stand up to scrutiny IMO. He gets his debut in 2009, plays most of that season as a RB looks like our best graduate from the ranks since 2005, everyone loves him.

Then he moves to RMid, and he doesnt really kick a ball for two seasons under Hughes and Calderwood. Its sometime then i heard folk grumbling or shouting stuff. He then has a good start to his fourth season, before falling away again.

Agreed.

A player really needs to look closer to home when he's playing poorly rather than taking the easy option and blaming the support.

[marinello59]

I reckon our support has been much more tolerant this season when it comes to players making mistakes. Apart from the occasional 'FFS' due to frustration I don't think any player has received anything like sustained abuse from a large section of the crowd. Quite the opposite in fact, players getting hooked after a less than stellar performance are still getting a round of applause. We ain't that bad.

[Andy74]

Wotherspoon should focus on his own performance, not ours.

I'd be amazed if he was offered a new contract, if we are to move away from having dips in form as a team then we need to empty players who have more slides than Sea World.

[Speedway]

Chicken and egg. Play well consistently and no-one will be on your back.

[Steve20]

Spoony doesn't get that much stick at the games, tbh. Sounds like an excuse for many poor performances.

People need to realise there is a difference between getting on players backs at the game and on forums. Surely the idea of a football forum is that fans are allowed to give their opinions (positive or negative). I get the impression some folk think there shouldn't be opinions allowed unless they say everything at Hibs is great.

[Scouse Hibee]

This just sounds like a friend of his wishing fans would stop criticising him for his pish poor performances more than anything else.

[Heisenberg]

If he can't hack a bit of shouting directed at him then what is he doing playing football? He's not a wee laddie anymore, time for him to grow up and concentrate on producing more than 10 good games a season.

[Steve-O]

His inconsistency is probably more to do with all the cakes he gets from his mum's bakery.

[adhibs]

Not got the mentall attitude to make it at our level if thats the case.

[lord bunberry]

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Speaking to a young lady yesterday who knows David quite well.

I'll declare an interest in that I like Spoony and it would be a real shame IMO if he went elsewhere.

I was saying this but how I was frustrated with his dips in form.

She told me that these dips are a direct result of the 'fans' getting on his back and giving him a hard time. The old confidence player chestnut.

Now, like I say, I get frustrated with him but we are supposed to be a support and players like Spoony need our positive support more than some of us seem to realise.

I'd go as far as suggesting we turn into vigilantes against these detractors but maybe that's too far!

Bottom line is if we want to get the best from our former regular Scotland U21 star we have to be nice to him :-)

I hope we sign him up again and if we do I'd like to see Hibs get one of those folk to work with him to get over his confidence thing. It can't do any harm and has the potential of giving us our star more regularly.

Even those folk who slag him must admit when he's on his game he's a joy to watch.

I can't stand this sort of drivel, if he can't stand the heat he should stay out the kitchen. Far to many people come on here and want to blame our fans for the fact that the team is underperforming, when the reality is our fans are amongst the most tolerant supporters in the country. Can you imagine any other set of supporters who have stuck by their team as well as we have. If guys like spoony or anyone else can't handle a bit of stick from the stands then they should up their game or move on

[cabbageandribs1875]

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He's a good player when he's on his game, but far too inconsistent.

If his form dips because of football fans getting on his back, then he has no chance of making his career more successful, unless he overcomes this.

Apart from the season when he broke into the 1st team (playing right back) and earlier this season, I haven't been that impressed with him in anymore than a handful of games and because of this I wouldn't be that fussed if he didn't sign a new contract.

Would rather keep Claros!

P.s. I never get on player's backs, but can understand when supporters do.

indeed, always have a wee laugh when i see posters on here using the "he's a confidence" player crap to describe some of our players

[Mr White]

Whilst there's no doubt he's been frustratingly inconsistent this season he provided my favourite moment of the season so far with his goal and celebration in the derby cup game and also goal of the season that I've seen live with his peach against ICT.

[Notahappyhibee]

The down turn of Hibs fortunes lays solely on Celtic !!!! why you ask Celtic ?
They took John park from us look at the the youths coming through at Celtic now says it all.

[J-C]

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Wotherspoon has to realise that he plays at a club with fans that can easily boo a player vehemently when leaving the field even after scoring five goals FOR Hibs...(one for the oldies perhaps?)

... you make a good point I guess, but he was at ER himself as a fan wasn't he, so he must know what to do: battle the confidence thing and get the fans on his side by working hard and playing well - personally, I wouldn't want to see him go: think he has potential that we as a club should be able to nurture more...

Thought he was a St Johnstone fan but that's neither here nor there.

Unfortunately as a pro footballer, you will get criticism and if you have a weak mentality that Spoony seems to have, you'll struggle to make it wherever you play.
He needs to maybe see a sports psychologist or hypnotist to rid himself of these problems, best way to shut up supporters like that is to play at your best as often as possible, or even give that 100% every game, something he seems to be unable to do. When Sparky was getting it tight, what did he do, he scored a goal then gave the section of support hassling him the GIRUY sign, got him in trouble but should everyone he was a winner and he's not let the boo boys get to him.

[blackpoolhibs]

I must apologise for some of my posts over the years, some of the stick I have taken clearly affected my posting and clearly my form dipped. Early in the season my posts improved, but I feel I have suffered another dip in posting recently, it could be because nobody has given me a cuddle for a while?

[Mr White]

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I must apologise for some of my posts over the years, some of the stick I have taken clearly affected my posting and clearly my form dipped. Early in the season my posts improved, but I feel I have suffered another dip in posting recently, it could be because nobody has given me a cuddle for a while?

There's been a lot of question marks about your posts for a while bh

[Judas Iscariot]

Boo hoo

[PeeJay]

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Thought he was a St Johnstone fan but that's neither here nor there.

Unfortunately as a pro footballer, you will get criticism and if you have a weak mentality that Spoony seems to have, you'll struggle to make it wherever you play.
He needs to maybe see a sports psychologist or hypnotist to rid himself of these problems, best way to shut up supporters like that is to play at your best as often as possible, or even give that 100% every game, something he seems to be unable to do. When Sparky was getting it tight, what did he do, he scored a goal then gave the section of support hassling him the GIRUY sign, got him in trouble but should everyone he was a winner and he's not let the boo boys get to him.

Don't you think that this is the job of the club in the first instance to get issues such as this with its younger players sorted?

[Argylehibby]

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Chicken and egg. Play well consistently and no-one will be on your back.

OR

No-one gets on your back and you play well consistently. I can never understand why fans think that they don't play a part in a players performance. How many times have players mentioned the great support helping them during games? There is a thread on here just now about Kenny Shiells praising Hibs fans and suggesting Killie fans need a song sheet, again proving the point the team / players thrive on the possitive support and therefore surely by default will struggle with the negative stuff.

Some on this thread saying its an easy excuse but it's just as easy an excuse to say "what we say/ shout / do as fans shouldn't affect the players".

[lapsedhibee]

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Chicken and egg. Play well consistently and no-one will be on your back.

I've never fully understood this phrase. Why isn't it egg and chicken, rather than chicken and egg?

Nobody asks for a plate of chips and egg, is it?

[The Voice Of Reason]

What a hilarious thread !!!!!!

Given the consistently poor (I am being kind) performances from Wotherspoon, I happen to think that the fans have been more than fair with him.

He is 23 now (older than Griffiths!) and is no longer a wee boy. Could it be that he just isn't good enough to be even an average SPL player ?

We need better (far better).

[BEEJ]

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When Sparky was getting it tight, what did he do, he scored a goal then gave the section of support hassling him the GIRUY sign, got him in trouble but should everyone he was a winner and he's not let the boo boys get to him.

No, no, no!!

Do you not remember the furore on here when Leigh was going through that spell of reacting to comments from his own support. Some on here wanted him lynched.

I really don't think we should be putting that forward as a recommended solution for Hibs players in combating unwelcome abuse from their own fans.

[lucky]

This just confirms that he is weak. It's his poor performances that is the issue. Time for him to move on.