Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has responded to a question around how he shields his players, and himself, from social media abuse.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has responded to a question around how he shields his players, and himself, from social media abuse.
He was also commenting on this, on the back of criticism that’s come the way of striker Bernard Parker, for some time now.
The Englishman said he was aware that platforms like Twitter and Facebook are often used by football fans to “scapegoat” players and the technical team when results are negative, but are also quick to create euphoria where’s there’s a turnaround.
“I can’t shield players from social media. What you can do is try flag up for them the validity – in our world I wouldn’t dare criticise a brain surgeon on social media because I know nothing about it,” Baxter told the media.
“But social media, today, people are free to express their feelings whether they are qualified or not. And that tsunami that then develops, I am sure Bernard has experienced it. I have certainly experienced it. Steven Gerrard was talking about it the other day.”
Following Chiefs’ 2-1 victory over SuperSport United on Sunday, the Glamour Boys moved up the DStv Premiership table, but Baxter still warned that there’s work to do – and that, not the applauds on social media, is where the focus is.
Parker scored both goals.
“What you can do is hope that people can deal with it because we need to work and deal with what is actually happening now, not what social media says will happen if I am not successful or what they have said in making me a scapegoat,” the coach explained.
“I think you can only prepare them for that, you can’t shield them. Unless of course they have no social media, like me. It’s only what people tell you, and they are often very willing to you that you’ve been slaughtered on social media. Do you know that? No, I didn’t, but thanks for telling me.”
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