No there's no point to any of this but I'd rather read optimistic posts, or the updates by jojo and the gifs by jeston and olly than read his dour posts.
Thiago Alcantara | Signed for Bayern Munich
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No there's no point to any of this but I'd rather read optimistic posts, or the updates by jojo and the gifs by jeston and olly than read his dour posts.
Don't read them then.
Voicing of alternate opinions is fine IMO. However, it seems that certain individuals take great pleasure in being deliberately negative. Almost WUMing even. 
Voicing of alternate opinions is fine IMO. However, it seems that certain individuals take great pleasure in being deliberately negative. Almost WUMing even.
I've yet to see anyone be wummingly negative in here. I've seen some who don't think it's going to happen voice that opinion. Which is fair.
It could just be perceptions i guess. This is transfer thread about a potentially brilliant player who would solve a lot of our midfield issues. If someone repeatedly comes in to say that this transfer wont happen, it is easy to perceive it as extremely annoying and even WUMming.
People are too easily annoyed then. Saying you don't believe it'll happen is no different than saying you think it will. Other than the fact that those who don't think it'll happen don't seem to be that bothered when others say they think it will.
Just saying.
How so? I'm not bothered that anyone thinks it'll happen. I hope it does.
Silly comment.
Sillier comment.
Or perhaps you're just taking it a bit too seriously.
Nope.
That's different than saying it flat out won't happen. If you want to criticise people for thinking it's happening but then come across as if you're absolutely sure it's not happening, I think it's fair to say you're going to get some stick. We see derivations of this in the Manchester United forum during the season. The function is the same. The form is slightly different.
Furthermore, it's safe to assume that no one has a clue what's going on but then you're criticising the very people who have spent a good part of their career building contacts and a reputation for reporting news. It doesn't mean they are 100% true but you can at least sense they have an idea of what's going on. I can see the view that no one knows what's going on but then you remove yourself from realising some people might actually have a clue. You can come across as narrow-minded even if you don't intend to be. It is clear very few people know what's going on at the club and we like to do our deals quietly. Nonetheless, people gossip. As we saw with SAF's retirement, a big story is difficult to keep quiet and once it was leaked, there was no going back.
Transfers by nature are quite volatile. That's primarily why it's easier to assume that no one really has a clue. In a sense it covers all bases, no matter what direction a transfer goes.
Read through the thread Plato (I refuse to use a silly name for you). It's full of ridiculous twitter sources by known bullshitters. Even those who are genuine cover every single eventuality so as not to be seen as being wrong. Twitter journalists are no better or no worse than those who write in the tabloids, and they make shit up constantly (see The Mirror/Messi). I get that people want to sign this kid, I do to, but allowing yourself to be sucked in every time some attention whore wants to get a follow, a re-tweet or just grab some attention gives nobody the high ground over the more cynical among us. For me, Twitter is the bane of the transfer window. It sends ordinarily sane people batshit mental, and it stuns me the kind of stuff people I'd thought would have known better end up buying into.
You, for example have surprised me with how full-blown Muppet you've gone
You, for example have surprised me with how full-blown Muppet you've gone
Right, I've been at Glastonbury since Wednesday and there's not a chance I'm reading 70 odd pages.
Someone give me the lowdown
Someone give me the lowdown
Glastonbury's for old middle-class people, you were at least 10 years too late.
The main thing is that he posted a pic of him and his bro, in a small swimming pool in Barcelona with 'I love Barcelona'. This was posted from him in tweeter and caused a massive muppet suicide.
Journos, radios and ITK still think that he's likely to join us though. Nothing else.
It will happen.
Rooney will stay.
Evra will be gone as will Vidic unfortunately
Garay and Baines will be here.
no idea if Strootman will be here though. perhaps that Celtic midfielder instead...
Rooney will stay.
Evra will be gone as will Vidic unfortunately
Garay and Baines will be here.
no idea if Strootman will be here though. perhaps that Celtic midfielder instead...
What radios? Other than the one that doesn't exist.
This poem doesn't even try to rhyme.
Read somewhere that the Spanish radios are still saying that he's coming to us. Dunno when I read it and if it's legit.
Apparantly Thiago wants the same clause he had in his Barca contract inserted into any contract with United... apparantly!
How so? I think Graham Hunter isn't a bullshitter as you seem to imply. Twitter itself isn't bad. It's a service. There are some who abuse it some who don't. I'm not speaking about Twitter journalists. I'm speaking about the ones who actually do it for a living. The two I have paid most attention to are Graham Hunter and Mr Ducker from the Times. Both have been candid and reasonable. There's a difference between reporting the facts and stating your opinion. For whatever reason, fans get muddled between those two.Read through the thread Plato (I refuse to use a silly name for you). It's full of ridiculous twitter sources by known bullshitters. Even those who are genuine cover every single eventuality so as not to be seen as being wrong. Twitter journalists are no better or no worse than those who write in the tabloids, and they make shit up constantly (see The Mirror/Messi). I get that people want to sign this kid, I do to, but allowing yourself to be sucked in every time some attention whore wants to get a follow, a re-tweet or just grab some attention gives nobody the high ground over the more cynical among us. For me, Twitter is the bane of the transfer window. It sends ordinarily sane people batshit mental, and it stuns me the kind of stuff people I'd thought would have known better end up buying into.
You, for example have surprised me with how full-blown Muppet you've gone
The real journalists report something when there's news. Until then, it's simply speculation and papers filling pages. At the same time, some of these papers, especially the ones in Spain have good contacts. I only get upset when people rubbish everything they see because the monster Twitter has blown up into. In my eyes, if you're going to follow the transfer window, then you need to be willing to accept the shades of grey. It's why no one should be 100% certain a transfer will happen. You never know until everything is signed. It doesn't mean the signs leading up to that potential deal all of the sudden become void because the deal fell through. There's more to transfers than we think. If more people read up on the FourFourTwo article about the Transfer Rumour Mill, we would save ourselves so much trouble.
I'm not sure how I've gone full-muppet. I am very new to Twitter and don't plan on using it further. I will admit I was caught unawares by some who posed to actually know something. It happens. Emotions get the better of you sometimes.
You have to understand why journalists try and cover every base. It's because they too realise the volatile nature of transfers. You want to criticise them for exploring the different possibilities a transfer may take? It's very hard to be absolutely certain with the vested interests of multiple parties. It is part of the reason why I dont understand fans laugh when they feel a journalist is "backtracking" where in some cases, I would say there arent. They can only report what they know. Everything after that is their opinion. At that point, they are in the same point we are. I usually don't pay attention to the transfer window but with Sir Alex leaving and a new era, it was difficult to resist.
Interestingly, The Neviller seems at his most balanced in this thread. Hmmm...
It's easy to make stories up, fill column inches and attract hits for your online news site or papers sales. They all do it, on or off Twitter. There is no way we've made any attempt to sign Messi, yet that was the back cover of The Mirror on Sunday. Possible transfer, or a journalist making up bollocks? We both know the answer.
Everyone knows transfer rumours sell papers and get website clicks, nobody moreso than the journalists peddling the stories. Look at who we've been linked with this summer alone, never mind every other summer. Are all those links genuine interest, or are some simply journalists taking a pop in the dark in the hope of grabbing a scoop and/or blatantly bullshitting?
Yes, transfers are difficult, and can switch one way or the other in the blink of an eye, but that's also an easy, convenient out for the bullshitter journalist. The whole "big story coming up, stay tuned" nonsense makes a farce of even the journalists who may be in the know somewhat. Graham Hunter had Isco at City the same weekend he had us signing Thiago. How reliable is his information? One of his colleagues, with similar La Liga links had us as making a down payment on Falcao. I hope we got a refund, like the one we must have gotten for Torres.
I'm balanced everywhere these days.
This is precisely what I mean though. We only seem to look at one side of the story. You conveniently left out the Zidane factor. Zidane called up Isco during the Euros and was a major factor in persuading the player to move to Madrid. There was a deal in principle agreed with Manchester City. However, Madrid's offer was better and they paid his father 10m euros. Does it mean Graham Hunter sources know nothing? I don't think so. It was just another example of a transfer move being turned on its head. In fact, it was very similar to what happened with us when we were set to sign Lucas Moura. Until the player signs the contract, there is always the possibility of a deal falling through. How you perceive this notion is entirely dependent on you.
Regarding Falcao, I don't know enough to comment but just to play devil's advocate consider this perspective. Stuart Mathieson, a journalist known to call up Fergie regularly for stories once stated that the gaffer told him to put in the papers that we were interested in a player which we really had no interest in getting. Apparently, it was simply a ploy used to distract fans but how would we ever know that? There is a lot said off the record which we don't know It is partly why I don't take what is said in public too seriously unless it's simply a confirmation.
I don't really buy into "big story coming up, stay tuned" either. I'm not sure why they do it unless they have absolute certainty it will be an exclusive. One Sky journalist did that earlier this summer and got burned for it. Perhaps it is the risk you take as a journalist. I try to be open to how these lads operate because even though I know a few who work in some capacity as a journalist, it pales in comparison to actually living that lifestyle.
We have to be open to the fact that journalists WILL be wrong on transfer stories. It doesn't mean they don't know anything. From what I have learned thus far, transfers are extremely complicated and with so many factors at play, I think it's easy to be wrong.
You make a fair point. For the bullshitter journalists, it is certainly an easy cop out. However, not every journalist is a bullshitter. I think too much skepticism has arisen because football fans let their emotions get the better of them and sometimes they see journalists as a source of blame for their disappointment. Some times it is warranted, other times it is not. I'm one of those people who think football fans sometimes forget to point the finger at themselves.
I don't disagree with what you're saying, but seriously, look at this thread. It's based on feck all of any substance. I'm happy to let those who believe a transfer is on or is possible to carry that hope, but, in my opinion, the same should be afforded to the more cynical among us, who have seen us linked with this player and that, and seen these "he's signing soon" stories, only to find out later there was feck all in it.
I don't doubt there is interest from our end, but I refuse to believe these updates from people posting on Twitter, should they be blokes from Leicester who know little, or guys making a living by stringing along people willing to buy their newspapers or increase their Twitter hits for advertising dollars. I'll believe something is on when I hear something official from the club. Until then, i'm a cynic, I'm afraid.
I understand Nev. I understand completely. It is annoying to see Twitter users bait people just because they want more followers. Indykaila is the epitome of that. The last time I checked, he/she has thousands upon thousands of followers. Journalists have sounded him out yet people still believe every word that person says. Propaganda inherently isn't bad in my opinion but when you exploit people and cause harm, then I think something needs to be said. On the other side of the coin, should people be smarter? Definitely but it seems to me some of them really do not know better which is astounding in some ways and not shocking in others.
I don't mind if you're a cynic. You're well within your right to do so. As I have stated before, I have allowed myself to become carried with this transfer because of my desperation for us to sign a quality CM. In my opinion, Thiago is perfect for us and the fact we're getting a player so talented for relatively cheap let alone from Barcelona is an exciting prospect.
It seems when most posters enter a transfer thread, it's more so to express their muppetism more than displaying a logical discussion of the move itself. Maybe that is why some posters reacted negatively towards posts that seemed overly pessimistic. I think whichever way you lean, it doesn't make sense to be absolutist in your statements.
I have no objection to Twitter.
Read up mate
For starters, if you have a subscription to the Times, I believe there's an article there from James Ducker summarising Man City losing out to Real Madrid.
Found this interesting. Three different viewpoints on why he should stay at Barcelona/come to United/go to Bayern. I find it really really hard to see how a United isn't the best option for him, but I suppose I'm biased!
I like this Xavier Munoz guy!
He makes a good point about our gay defenses.
From As.
Seems to suggest Barcelona want him to make his mind up but are happy to let him drag it out because every day gets closer to the release clause going back up. We are the most interesting but waiting to hear Guardiola's plans?
Come on Thiago!
I say feck him and let's go for Strootman!
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