FROM hero to zero. Or at the very least an internet meme. Pictures of luckless Scotland keeper David Marshall trying vainly to keep Patrick Schick’s audacious lob from the halfway line out of the net during Scotland’s game with the Czech Republic have been the talk of the online world since Monday afternoon. The image of Marshall tangled up in the net has been tweaked for humorous purposes by every online Tom, Dick and Harry much to the amusement of the world, if not the Tartan Army.
Hold up a minute, I’m ancient. What is an internet meme exactly?
Very simply, a concept that spreads rapidly from person to person via the internet. They often involve cats.
Give me an example?
Apart from cats? Well, Donald Trump sparked loads of them. The image of the former President talking to a young boy who is mowing the White House lawn was hijacked by the President’s critics to offer sly takes on Trump’s politics.
But one of the most joyous internet memes of late was sparked by the appearance of actor Matt LeBlanc in the Friends reunion. LeBlanc, who played Joey in the series, was suddenly claimed by Irish Twitter en masse who all claimed he looked like a typical Irish dad (or their Irish uncle).
“Matt LeBlanc is Irish, I don’t want to see any other nation trying to claim him, he’s from Tullamore, he drinks milk with his dinner,” Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan exclaimed on Twitter, one of the many who joined in.
And now it’s the Scottish goalkeeper’s turn.
Poor David.
Poor David Marshall and Scotland 🤦🏼♀️ pic.twitter.com/n4sq2nW5yr
— Suze Sport (@SportySuz20) June 14, 2021
Well, perhaps. But the man whose penalty save ensured Scotland’s place in the current Euro 2020 tournament was out of position when Schick attempted his outrageous shot.
Oh, you’re a harsh critic. What kind of memes are out there then anyway?
Well, as mentioned, there are a lot that show Marshall tangled up in the goal net. In one the net has been turned into a web spun by Spider-Man. An image of Marshall in mid-air has also been adapted and inserted into everything from Scooby Doo to Father Ted, although the best one might be the meme that shows Marshall beating Usain Bolt in the 100 metres.
The one in which Marshall appears to be jumping across the giant balls in the BBC’s gameshow Total Wipeout may also make you smile.
Others just use the picture of Marshall trying to save the goal and add a funny line. “Boris Johnson trying to stop the second wave in January 2021,” suggested comedian Nish Kumar.
Actually, on reflection, maybe that’s not funny at all.
When will this all end?
The horrible fear is only when something else equally disastrous happens in the game against England at Wembley on Friday.
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