Are football ‘influencers’ ruining it?

SilentWitness

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I somehow managed to get through this whole video but it was fecking painful. Is the desperation to say shite for clicks ruining debate between people who actually know stuff about football and aren’t so entrenched in bias that they can discuss with some common sense?

I think what’s frustrating about it is that these are the people that youngsters will start to tune into and think are the new wave of punditry and expertise in the world of football. :nervous:
 
I don't know if they are feeding the fans or the fans are feeding them but it's a downward spiral nonetheless.
 
The Alex Joneses of football. I don't know who's worse, those that make them or those who consume them.
 
I think some of it is really good, and some of it’s pretty funny. Some awful too to be fair. The standard of punditry has always been shite anyway aside from a few standouts. So I don’t think that there was much to ruin to begin with.
 
As a grumpy old person, seeing these talentless nobodies turning up on actual proper televised football coverage is bewildering.

Obviously I get that kids and thickos enjoy watching them on YouTube so there's an obvious audience there.

The moment Gary Lineker utters the words "and we're going over to Chunks who is with Sir Alex Ferguson" is the moment football coverage has jumped the shark.
 
I have a near daily conversation with my 9 year old about 'news' on the Internet and how you need to understand the source and it's motivation. It's makes me a bit sad but worse would be to see him grow up thinking all this shit has any real value
 
duffer said:
As a grumpy old person, seeing these talentless nobodies turning up on actual proper televised football coverage is bewildering.

Obviously I get that kids and thickos enjoy watching them on YouTube so there's an obvious audience there.

The moment Gary Lineker utters the words "and we're going over to Chunks who is with Sir Alex Ferguson" is the moment football coverage has jumped the shark.
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:lol: Funny cos it’s true.
 
Isn't the issue more that so many people are essentially mindless sheep willing to form their opinions based on the rubbish spouted by idiots? The whole social media "influencer" thing in general is a sad reflection on the way humanity is heading. From what I can see many of these "influencers" are attention seeking morons
 
I'm a bit scared to watch it and admit within myself that there's now such a thing as a "football influencer".
What the feck are those? And how are they different from already existing and traditional shit pundits?

Are we talking about people like Rob (Robbie?) from Arse TV?
is he an influencer?
All these people who live-stream matches and have many people commenting on their comments of a game,
they're the ones we're talking about?

Seems like so many things around the world turn shit-er as time goes by.
 
The problem isn’t the influencers themselves, but their target audience, who are driving this sort of content - ie the global internet football fandom, who, let’s fact it, are mostly idiots who have very dumb ideas about football. The type of ‘fan’ who thinks that everything is about Messi vs Ronaldo, who support individual players rather than teams, and who have probably never even been to watch a football match in person.

Feck, I sound like a grumpy old man…
 
These panels seek to target an audience that consume a different type of media than has been the norm until 10~ years ago.

I dont believe any of these people fancy thesmevles pundits. Its "lads discussing football". It doesnt seek to even attempt to be factual, its a views game, and young football consumers enjoy banter, not civility.

Its a viewers game. Viewers is worth revenue, and these types of sitdowns is the easiest way for the channels to bring in a new audience.

Mark Goldbridge finds himself with one of the biggest audiences in European football, and still refers to himself as "Im just a fan with an opinion". Which may have been true when the United Stand was a new thing, not the giant it has become.

More likeable people like Ben Foster who has gone into YouTube also utilizes these type of "lads who talk ball" guests to fuel engagement and spice up the content to the target audience.

I honestly way, way prefer pundits with football background that has insight into the actual game from a footballers perspective to fill my TV screen, rather than influencers who for most parts at some point just lucked into the algorithm stream and here they are, being presented as someone I should listen to for their knowledge, when all it is is just a bunch of Redcafe posters with a spaghetti bowl of opinions that sometimes makes me wonder how they are able to operate a car.

Honestly, just give me Chris Kamara.
 
SilentWitness said:


I somehow managed to get through this whole video but it was fecking painful. Is the desperation to say shite for clicks ruining debate between people who actually know stuff about football and aren’t so entrenched in bias that they can discuss with some common sense?

I think what’s frustrating about it is that these are the people that youngsters will start to tune into and think are the new wave of punditry and expertise in the world of football. :nervous:
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The incredible irony at getting annoyed at watching a televised version of what is essentially what everyone discusses on this forum and in pubs / whatsapp groups around the world is the equivalent of old man getting yelling at a cloud.
 
Moby said:
Brexit boomers complaining about social media while being hopeless human beings in life. What else is new.
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I dont think wanting to discuss quality of content is the classic "Brexit boomer gotcha" you think it is.
 
Unfortunately when the alternative is to tune into Sky Sports or Talksport to listen to bitter pundits like Souness and Carragher spouting drivel about how Casemiro doesn't have a good range of passing, or Martinez is too small for the Premier League, then Youtubers like Jennings are going to be the preferred medium for youngsters to derive their views from.
 
Send in the clowns,
Those daffy laffy clowns,
Send in those soulful and doleful,
Shmaltz-by-the-bowlful clowns.
Send in... the clowns.
 
Eric_the_Red99 said:
The problem isn’t the influencers themselves, but their target audience, who are driving this sort of content - ie the global internet football fandom, who, let’s fact it, are mostly idiots who have very dumb ideas about football. The type of ‘fan’ who thinks that everything is about Messi vs Ronaldo, who support individual players rather than teams, and who have probably never even been to watch a football match in person.

Feck, I sound like a grumpy old man…
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Mate, you genuinely can’t say that attending a football match is an important part of the experience around here
 
webbthepostie said:
The difference is that those interactions are organic and led by the people having them.
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Forum: Poster asks a question people talk about it
Whatsapp Groups: Friend throws something out there people discuss it
Producer: Asks a question, panel discusses it.

Where's the difference.

The irony here is unmatched.
 
UnitedSofa said:
The incredible irony at getting annoyed at watching a televised version of what is essentially what everyone discusses on this forum and in pubs / whatsapp groups around the world is the equivalent of old man getting yelling at a cloud.
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I mean, this is just one example I'm using from something I saw this morning but on twitter there are clips multiple times a week where someone says something absolutely daft that is either a) Not their true thoughts about a topic but they want views or b) they're genuinely that stupid.

The difference between a whatsapp/pub group and this forum compared to mainstream tv and youtube is that these wankers are getting paid to talk absolute guff each week and if rumours are to be believed, in line to start getting more air time on tv. They have a massive influence on discourse in the football realm. Your mate down the pub doesn't. It's quite a clear and obvious difference.
 
UnitedSofa said:
Forum: Poster asks a question people talk about it
Whatsapp Groups: Friend throws something out there people discuss it
Producer: Asks a question, panel discusses it.

Where's the difference.

The irony here is unmatched.
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Cuz in the pub you don’t get rewarded for shitting into your hands and throwing it all over the pub.
 
Over the years I have noticed absolutely zero change in the standard of real-life conversations I have with people about football. Which were never particularly incisive to begin with.

And I can't help but feel a lot of the complaints would be addressed by people simply not watching things they don't like. The OP says he "somehow managed to get through this whole video but it was fecking painful". Why start watching the video in the first place, let alone stick with it? It's not like it's a surprise that it's shit. If ye're forcing these people upon yerselves then the blame is on ye.
 
SilentWitness said:
I mean, this is just one example I'm using from something I saw this morning but on twitter there are clips multiple times a week where someone says something absolutely daft that is either a) Not their true thoughts about a topic but they want views or b) they're genuinely that stupid.

The difference between a whatsapp/pub group and this forum compared to mainstream tv and youtube is that these wankers are getting paid to talk absolute guff each week and if rumours are to be believed, in line to start getting more air time on tv. They have a massive influence on discourse in the football realm. Your mate down the pub doesn't. It's quite a clear and obvious difference.
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How do you know this for sure?

They have little to no affect on what actually goes on in the football industry it's the same way pundits don't really affect anything either. No one in the actual football industry gives a feck.
 
UnitedSofa said:
How do you know this for sure?

They have little to no affect on what actually goes on in the football industry it's the same way pundits don't really affect anything either. No one in the actual football industry gives a feck.
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Yes, nobody gives a feck which is why this tv show has only been around for a few years and only has 'influencers' on and more tv shows and opportunities are popping up for these 'influencers'.
 
sullydnl said:
Over the years I have noticed absolutely zero change in the standard of real-life football conversations I have with people about football. Which were never particularly incisive to begin with.

And I can't help but feel a lot of the complaints would be addressed by people simply not watching things they don't like. The OP says he "somehow managed to get through this whole video but it was fecking painful". Why start watching the video in the first place, let alone stick with it? It's not like it's a surprise that it's shit. If ye're forcing these people upon yerselves then the blame is on ye.
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I like football content and I like to engage with multiple facets of it. Sometimes I think elements of tv shows like this are good (For example they have segments where they do interviews with players etc. which is an easy watch and sometimes quite fun). It was on tv this morning, I was having breakfast and decided to stick it on.

Also, the question isn't really about it impacting me personally, but if it's ruining wider discourse and the way football is discussed in future.
 
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I only watched the first two minutes, but that long-haired guy in the blue/green shirt was practically quoting the De Gea threads in this forum :lol: Almost spooky!
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Surely you can see how this makes you part of the problem?
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Wouldn't necessarily say that. People watch rubbish tv all the time but you can call it out, things can get cancelled and/or shut down. As with on this forum, people sometimes post rubbish and people call it out. Sometimes I will watch a video, see someone talk rubbish and call it out.

I wouldn't say I get influenced by what they're saying as for the majority of the discussion I disagree with what they were saying. I think that it's gotten to a whole new level of influence now that it's not really a case of people who dislike it or think it's rubbish switching off the tv or not watching it on YT. They're fully moulded into the market and people need to really just start calling it out or giving back to what they're saying to get them ousted.

I'm quite happy to admit I will dip into various forms of football media to understand what's going on as different people have different insights. Some are more stats influenced, some are click-baity and some are a mix. I think all forms can offer an insight but in the realms of what's worst, I think football influencers of this ilk are potentially ruining a lot of discourse. I don't think it's as simple as don't use twitter or youtube or social media either as that is our world now, there isn't really a way of escaping it.

Obviously football isn't my job, but if I were in the world of politics for example it would be silly if I only viewed left wing material and nothing else, you'd want to observe everything and give your piece. As football, aside from my work is my biggest passion (and if I chose another career it would be something to do with football), I think the same view sits with me in this.
 
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It's the incessant necessity to teir everything, or rate/under rate/over rate everyone.

The incessant need to state that such a player is better than player x y or z.
We've seen it in the Ronaldo thread for example.

Sky/talk sport and other media outlets are made for people to consume, and for consumption they need controversy, whacky opinions and to boil the piss of people who think they know better.
It's the nature of the beast.
 
SilentWitness said:
Wouldn't necessarily say that. People watch rubbish tv all the time but you can call it out, things can get cancelled and/or shut down. As with on this forum, people sometimes post rubbish and people call it out. Sometimes I will watch a video, see someone talk rubbish and call it out.

I wouldn't say I get influenced by what they're saying as for the majority of the discussion I disagree with what they were saying. I think that it's gotten to a whole new level of influence now that it's not really a case of people who dislike it or think it's rubbish switching off the tv or not watching it on YT. They're fully moulded into the market and people need to really just start calling it out or giving back to what they're saying to get them ousted.

I'm quite happy to admit I will dip into various forms of football media to understand what's going on as different people have different insights. Some are more stats influenced, some are click-baity and some are a mix. I think all forms can offer an insight but in the realms of what's worst, I think football influencers of this ilk are potentially ruining a lot of discourse. I don't think it's as simple as don't use twitter or youtube or social media either as that is our world now, there isn't really a way of escaping it.
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Anything you give your attention online benefits from that attention. Watching shit YouTube videos benefits shit YouTube videos. The more people watch this shit the more of this shit gets produced. The only thing any of us can do about all this shit content is to refuse to watch shit content.
 
sullydnl said:
And I can't help but feel a lot of the complaints would be addressed by people simply not watching things they don't like. The OP says he "somehow managed to get through this whole video but it was fecking painful". Why start watching the video in the first place, let alone stick with it? It's not like it's a surprise that it's shit. If ye're forcing these people upon yerselves then the blame is on ye.
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This is undoubtedly true. There's so much of this stuff about now that it makes it that much more difficult to identify people actually worth listening to.
 
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