Should we be handling the Bobby Duncan issue differently?

Liverpool has been rocked by the accusations levelled at it by youngster Bobby Duncan and his agent. But should we handle the issue differently?

The Reds have been accused of bullying, of not allowing Duncan to leave, of failing in their duty of care and the response – especially on social media – has been aggressive. But is it right?

Those are the loudest voices in the room, but where are the most grown-up? The most mature? The ones most concerned with the wellbeing of the player in question and his mental health?

We can do better than this.

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Across Twitter and most probably in people’s heads they have written off Duncan as a moaner or a disruptor or a bad person. But what if he’s just an 18-year-old boy who is struggling with his mental health, feels let down by the club and doesn’t know how to vent his anger?

The way he’s been treated, in that light, is awful. It’s unhelpful towards him and it’s unhelpful towards those who are suffering from mental health issues. As fans, we should be allowed to critique clubs and still love them at the same time. We don’t have to take their word for gospel.

The way his agent Saif Rubie raised the issue certainly wasn’t ideal- nor was Duncan’s method of endorsing it – but those are two separate issues. As are Rubie’s past tweets.

Even former Liverpool legends like Jamie Carragher seem more interesting in preserving the club’s name than looking after their players. He pushed back at the allegations via Twitter, but never once called them untrue or stated he had Duncan’s best interest at heart. That’s sad.

Instead of dismissing the serious points made in the statement and going for the jugular, we need to strip back all the noise and put the player’s best interest at heart. If he’s having mental health issues, he needs care, not anger and fire-spitting.