Are football ‘influencers’ ruining it?

[ScholesyTheWise]

@Moby @UnitedSofa I don't understand how criticizing this phenomenon and posting on the Caf makes for such a huge irony.
Yes we all spout shite about football, and Matchday threads are filled with absolute dross because of heat-of-the-moment knee jerking;

But I, or any of us, don't profit from the attention that our opinions garner.
Well, you might say that if I were to create a thread and it got 1000 comments i'd feel better than a thread that would be ignored,
but surely it's not the same as earning off of ads in the middle of a podcast, merchandise etc?

Posters here get nothing if they keep being divisive with their opinions and spark controversy after controversy. they'll get banned eventually.
Youtubers who'll do the same will get money/fame/whatever is the incentive.

Oh, and I'd like to make it clear that the people on the video in the OP don't necessarily know less about football than me.
I don't think that I'll ever make a great pundit, and so won't most of us here.
most people's opinions about sports are not merely insightful.

I just take issue with the fact that arguing pays off much more than agreeing with whoever it is you're debating on those shows.
Same as normal TV. Sky pundits are surely instructed to not agree with one another.

 

[Revaulx]

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.

How do you know this for sure?

If these idiots are confined to YouTube then I tend to agree. If it’s true that they start getting airtime on “proper” television then that’s very much a part of your actual football industry. It’s the bit that pays for most of it.

 

[ArmchairCritic]

I don’t think it’s a phenomenon specific to influencers to be honest. I’ve not watched pre or post match coverage of the Premier League in years. It’s so narrative driven and clear that pundits make zero effort in watching teams or players outside of the games they’re paid to do. Football discourse in this country is rubbish and I don’t feel like I ever get any insight from any of it, compare it to say Sky’s coverage of test cricket and it’s like night and day.

 

[SalfordRed18]

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.

Lad you gave them a view. You're literally part of the "problem" you speak of. There wasn't a gun to your head, you did not need to watch if you hate them that much.

 

[Moby]

But I, or any of us, don't profit from the attention that our opinions garner.

Because, you know, posting on a message board and producing popular video content requires a vastly different skillet, something that most of the moaners here would shit themselves with before ever accomplishing 1%. Go on and do it if it's so easy and required no skill.

 

[Wumminator]

Because, you know, posting on a message board and producing popular video content requires a vastly different skillet, something that most of the moaners here would shit themselves with before ever accomplishing 1%. Go on and do it if it's so easy and required no skill.

I literally look down on these people for being idiots. Why would I want to join them?

 

[SilentWitness]

Lad you gave them a view. You're literally part of the "problem" you speak of. There wasn't a gun to your head, you did not need to watch if you hate them that much.

I didn't say I hated them and I wouldn't say calling out stuff is being part of a problem.

 

[PSV]

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.

I feel this is a prime example of gatekeeping.

Yeah, they're not the brightest and I certainly don't agree with everything said, but it's just done for fun and people get a chuckle out of it. Noone takes stuff like this seriously.

 

[Moby]

I literally look down on these people for being idiots. Why would I want to join them?

Yeah and we laugh on you for calling someone an idiot for doing something you couldn't achieve even if you tried. It's the definition of being a loser.

 

[Wumminator]

Yeah and we laugh on you for calling someone an idiot for doing something you couldn't achieve even if you tried. It's the definition of being a loser.

Who is we?

Do you think those who judge others should be able to do it themselves? Or they’re idiots?

because the people in that video are judging other footballers despite having no talent at all. Or .. is that somehow not idiotic?

 

[Moby]

Who is we?

A group that doesn't have you in it, for sure.

 

[ScholesyTheWise]

Because, you know, posting on a message board and producing popular video content requires a vastly different skillet, something that most of the moaners here would shit themselves with before ever accomplishing 1%. Go on and do it if it's so easy and required no skill.

I don't think people here think producing these videos is easy... or that it requires no skills.
I also don't think that those panelists' opinions are worthless or have less value than my own views.

Just that, how these programs are set up,
one's true opinions are less likely to be authentically expressed because they have to have hot debating points all the time.
Someone is always the best. Someone is always shit and needs to retire.
Yes, there are loads of it on forums as well. but also much more middle ground.

 

[mariachi-19]

Isn’t Mockers a wannabe football influencer

 

[Moby]

I don't think people here think producing these videos is easy... or that it requires no skills

That's what the premise of this thread is though? It's what this lot is moaning about.

 

[UpWithRivers]

I think there is a place for them but as with everything people take it too far. They take what these football nobodies say as fact and start parroting it everywhere like a cult. The amount of comments I read on the CAF that has come straight from the United Stand etc is shocking. If everyone would just treat them like the Sun and Daily Star newspapers we would be a better place. Now they are even in press conferences which is an insult to football.

 

[VP89]

I think they are an upgrade on the shit pundits we had before so im fine with it.

Rory in the OP vid is actually very knee jerk and exaggerative but he's at least likeable as a bloke and humble to laugh at himself when he gets it wrong.

 

[bosnian_red]

Meh. Pundits/players vs random fans discussing it, there's very little difference in the quality of discussion generally. You have some fans that are far more knowledgeable than professional players. Just because someone played professionally doesn't mean they have a clue on what they are talking about. Hell, most of them don't even know what made them good on the pitch and focus in on something that isn't even the reason. The only thing that have over fans in terms of knowledge is pretty much just some professional only requirements/experiences. The structures within their clubs, how their managers vs coaches acted, media requirements, agents and all that. Nothing in terms of tactics, judging players, what makes a player or coach good, team play etc. There is 0 advantage in terms of knowledge just because they played professionally.

I am more interested in seeing pros discuss it though, don't care too much about it being a great discussion of the smartest people. A mix of shit and good opinions from the players you used to watch makes good tv.

 

[ScholesyTheWise]

That's what the premise of this thread is though? It's what this lot is moaning about.

Hmm,
I'm inclined to think that it's fair to say that on the one hand,
making these videos is by no means easy and takes a lot of time, thought, means, and yes, certain skills.

And on the other hand,
They do potentially have negative effects on young football audiences with how shallow and controversy-driven some of these panels are.

But at the end of the day, moaning is too easy.
Traditional punditry is almost always shite too,
and putting the effort into making what those YouTubers make,
but to a much deeper level of analysis and whatnot,
is something very few people will do.

So there's only so much you can moan.

 

[Rayman96]

The irony is the "idiots" on youtube etc are probably far more intelligent than the " professionals" on mainstream.

Even with their extensive media training, most of them come across as thick as pigshit.

 

[Member 125398]

Anyway the question was whether they were ruining discourse, not whether or not they should exist. There's little doubt that they have changed discourse or are able to influence the tone of it so the question boils down to whether football discourse is better or worse these days.

 

[Chipper]

I don't really get the appeal and I don't particularly watch them. I can't say that I know who does and doesn't watch them out of the people I talk about football with and my experience of talking about football hasn't particularly changed.

Have watched a few clips of Goldbridge in the past, and I thought he was a parody character at the time. I thought he was reasonably entertaining in a funny way, but I've since been told he wasn't portraying a character? A few years ago I'd watch a bit of AFTV to laugh at the rants too. A little bit of early True Geordie as well. That's about it.

True that this place is full of crap opinions too, especially mine. I'd say the difference is that there's more interaction here, you can have a chat, discussion, debate, argument etc. There's more interactivity rather than just consuming opinion. If all you could do here was read posts and not join in then I wouldn't bother. The same down the pub, if you were forced to only listen to football chat and not allowed to talk back for some reason then that wouldn't be much fun.

There is some interactivity on these social media football channels but it's very shallow, and don't you have to pay for them sometimes when they read out a 'superchat' or whatever it's called? Can't have a long back-and-forth or express a detailed opinion with them I don't think. There's Twitter comments, Youtube comments etc. where you could say something that can give an illusion of interactivity but the vast majority of those won't even be read.

Each to their own I suppose. If people like that then good for them.

 

[Fortitude]

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

Perhaps, but the reality is that football fans have been led by narratives in one form or another since before any of us were alive. It's just that the influencer age of nobodies controlling said narrative is more in your face and blatant, which is easier to then find egregious.

People have been parroting the words of a Hoodle or a Jose (or a whole host of other managers) or what the media have told them to think on here since the site's inception; those words had more credence and carried more weight to go unchallenged because of who they came from, but it's just another form of 'influencer,' isn't it? But that comes from upon high, so it is then gospel as an informed opinion as opposed to the oft agenda-driven soundbites they were obviously intended to be.

 

[Monkey bus]

I’ve got no problem with people with no record of achievement in playing football making a living out of talking about the game.
Has anybody’s opinion ever been seriously influenced by say, Jamie Redknapp or Paul Merson? It’s the same for the these guys on YouTube. You don’t have to agree with everything they say.
If you’re forming your football knowledge by listening to a few blokes on social media as opposed to the pantomime they roll out every Sunday on Sky Sports then good on you.

 

[BEST No7]

If your influenced by those cnuts, then you deserve all you get. Don't be thick.

 

[giorno]

My only problem with this is I should be the one getting paid on those shows

 

[redcucumber]

Which is more than any of the saddos sat on here for last two decades have done

Weirdly hostile. Find it very odd that you'd bother to hang around on here (you've been a member for over a decade yourself) if you feel so lowly about the people you share this space with. I'm assuming you don't include yourself in the bunch of losers and saddos you've accused others of being?

 

[Andersonson]

Awful content made for stupid people. It works

 

[Brwned]

As if the discourse on football ever occupied some kind of elevated status

 

[flameinthesun]

As a United fan who watches the club podcast Rory Jennings seems like a decent Chelsea supporter. He spouts his fair share of shite as everyone does, but it is quite interesting to hear a Chelsea's fan's view on how their season is going, their players etc. Half the time its like sitting back and just watching some fans for differeny teams have a chat at the pub. Nevilles The Overlap with the fans is also quite interesting and for me provides me with a broader fan view of different teams views. Some people are quite articulate and others like Buvey are trolls. Which pretty much mirrors most discussions. Football is a sport and its entertainment. This falls under the latter and if you don't like it its pretty easy to avoid.

 

[Moby]

Weirdly hostile. Find it very odd that you'd bother to hang around on here (you've been a member for over a decade yourself) if you feel so lowly about the people you share this space with. I'm assuming you don't include yourself in the bunch of losers and saddos you've accused others of being?

I've no idea how you weren't able to grasp that the post was referring to those who share the sentiment posted in the OP.

 

[kouroux]

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.

Just like their counterparts on TV, it depends on who you're tuning in to listen to

 

[Vidyoyo]

I much prefer audio podcasts. The skills needed to produce a good podcast seem to massively whittle out the things I find annoying about influencers.

 

[NoLogo]

I feel like football punditry and media has always been utter shite, maybe this has reached a new level now, but I haven't touched a football mag or newspaper's football section for 20 years because even back then it has been utter shite.

 

[SilentWitness]

As if the discourse on football ever occupied some kind of elevated status

I wouldn’t say it did but I think that there is definitely something to be said with the platform and impression that football ‘influencers’ are starting to make in the industry. I agree that many pundits in the industry are poor but do think that most of them are involved in other things away from football so they don’t live and breathe it 24/7. They will do a radio show or tv show here and there but with many influencers they’re banging out videos, tweets and other forms of media consistently.

 

[Abraxas]

Surely if you already know you do not enjoy this type of media, you simply do not open it. It's a bit silly to make a wider point about influencers and then moan while watching it because their position is entirely driven by views in the first place. It's not based on acumen or experience in football. So the best thing you can do as an individual is not drive that viewership.

 

[redcucumber]

I've no idea how you weren't able to grasp that the post was referring to those who share the sentiment posted in the OP.

Ey? Did you understand my post? The people that share the sentiment posted in the OP are people in this thread and on this forum, who you called saddos who have sat on here for the past twenty years. I'm wondering why you'd be so oddly bitter and hostile to people who also use this forum. I've no idea how my post confused you.

 

[Moby]

years. I'm wondering why you'd be so oddly bitter and hostile to people who also use this forum

Because they host the kind of abhorrent views posted in the OP?

 

[SilentWitness]

Because they host the kind of abhorrent views posted in the OP?

Boo boo.

 

[Moby]

Boo boo.

Tick tock boomer

 

[SilentWitness]

Tick tock boomer

I’m a millennial.