Kieran Trippier is a leader for Newcastle United, and he proved that once again on Saturday night.
The Magpies were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth on the south coast, producing a disappointing display that was inevitable given the club’s lengthy injury list.
After the game, Kieran Trippier was involved in an altercation on the touchline. He was seen having words with a Newcastle fan, who reacted angrily in the heat of the moment after witnessing his team produce an abject display.
Trippier did not take kindly to his words, and – in rather heated fashion – was quick to remind him how decimated the Newcastle squad is with injuries right now.
A lot has been said about the incident in the aftermath, but Trippier did not back down when questioned by his teammates. He was quick to remind them that they must never give the fans a chance to question their commitment.
However, some pundits have suggested that Trippier should not have got involved. That was the view of Simon Jordan, who suggested that the £12million man made a mistake in going over.
But former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand disagrees, and thinks what Trippier did is a good thing.
Rio Ferdinand agrees with what Kieran Trippier did after Newcastle defeat
Ferdinand addressed the Trippier incident on Vibe With Five on YouTube, and defended the 33-year-old.
“I like the way Kieran went over there, it’s good,” he said.
“It shows leadership. I love it. I said the other day I don’t mind Arteta coming out and shouting his head off, I don’t mind that.
“Just seeing that human side to these players who are so far removed from reality with the amount of wages they’re getting now, and I’m saying go out there and earn it boys. That’s the way to reconnect.
“No-one wants to be called out, there are other things in the mix which do affect a result. You can’t be sitting here and shouting out we lost this game when we’ve got a big injury list building up which is true, and actually our expectations are far further on than where any of us anticipated right now. Just calm it.”
Trippier is simply a leader
As always, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But Trippier is only human, and it was a human response to being questioned publicly after a defeat.
It just shows how much Trippier cares, not that we can question that. He has been so committed since moving to St James’ Park, and is viewed as the most important player at the club.
What he did at Bournemouth did not strengthen or hinder that claim. What happened became a storm in a teacup. It was a heat of the moment discussion, and should have been left as such – but that is not how the media works.
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