This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Leif Davis signed a new contract with Leeds United on Monday evening, much to the joy of many supporters.
Amongst the replies on social media reacting to Davis’ new deal there was an emerging trend.
Indeed, dozens and dozens of Leeds fans flocked to Twitter simply to say ‘very good Davis’.
At one point the phrase was actually trending on social media.
#verygooddavis is trending 😂 pic.twitter.com/R1QUN9RnuN
— Cat (@catbm74) November 11, 2019
For those out of the loop, this stems from Marcelo Bielsa’s tendency to shout that very phrase at the young left-back whenever he does something positive on the pitch.
🙌 Very good Davis! pic.twitter.com/ytiFW3GIzW
— Leeds United (@LUFC) November 11, 2019
However, the meme has now taken on a life of its own, and it’s become something of a running joke.
To be fair, it is funny, Bielsa is a great character and this little quirk of his is worth a laugh, but this trend could be dangerous.
Indeed, the teenager can’t really do anything these days without being showered with ‘very good Davis’ comments, and that may serve negatively for his development going forward.
Now, we’re not saying that one meme can ruin the 19-year-old’s career, but it’s certainly not going to be helping, especially if it ends up dominating his playing days.
In any job, positive reinforcement is quite important, and if fans are going to give this type of response every time he does something, regardless of it being ‘very good’, that could do one of two things.
It’ll either give him a massive ego and lead to complacency as he’s consistently being praised, or it’ll start to seem disingenuous and the plaudits he receives won’t have the positive impact that it should have.
Although that doesn’t seem like a huge thing, the feedback a footballer gets from supporters and their manager can have a real impact on their mind when they step onto the pitch.
Davis could end up being in a grey area where fans are praising him without it being warranted just for the sake of an online joke.
It may all be tongue in cheek, but a footballer is more than a meme. It’ll be down to him to prove so now he’s signed a new deal.
