Are football ‘influencers’ ruining it?

Moby

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To be fair, the quality on twitter is a million times worse, so the content is actually vastly different. We've got a lot of idiots on here, but compared to some totally unfiltered cesspit like twitter? Doesn't compare.
Not really. I have the entire man united forum and player performance forum on ignore. Mainly as I have little interest in football but even the rare occasion when I feel like reading about it I wouldn't dwelve into those threads most of which are cesspools. You can also choose who to follow on Twitter and manage QC unless you go through comments which isn't needed.

We can discuss on the minor differences but both are a social network. Hence always amusing to see people go about how bad social media is while using social media to shout that stuff out. You are free to boycott internet activity.
 

redcucumber

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Not really. I have the entire man united forum and player performance forum on ignore. Mainly as I have little interest in football but even the rare occasion when I feel like reading about it I wouldn't dwelve into those threads most of which are cesspools. You can also choose who to follow on Twitter and manage QC unless you go through comments which isn't needed.

We can discuss on the minor differences but both are a social network. Hence always amusing to see people go about how bad social media is while using social media to shout that stuff out. You are free to boycott internet activity.
This forum is a lot more tightly regimented than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok. You can't post images on the football forums, you're actively discouraged from having your name/personal information in your username, followers/likes aren't a thing. It's still social media in the sense that it's an online community, but there are stark differences which makes it a very different user experience.

Also, how the hell do you have 50,000 posts on a United forum despite having little interest in football?!
 

Chipper

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I don't really see much in the way of football influencers/social media stuff other than when people are talking about them on here. Easy to avoid.

I have seen this ishowpeed fella twice now thanks to this place. The Balon D'or thing in this thread, and the Kaka tackle was in another thread over the weekend. The guy looks like an absolute dickhead. After seeing the Kaka thing it led me to another incident of him being racist towards a Chinese bloke who was supporting Argentina at a match, and him getting punched by a City fan for running his mouth off before hiding behind his bodyguard.
 

Joel Miller

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The one I really can’t stand is Speed. Knows nothing about the game and has only latched onto it because he mentioned it once and it got him a ton more viewers. Even see the bell end is getting to play in charity games (halfing Kaka in the process) and attend Ballon D’or ceremonies. It’s pathetic, he has no business being anywhere near these events. So yeah the level of exposure and inclusion these guys are getting doesn’t quite sit right with me.
 

Chipper

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Do they? I've never really seen anyone say this. To most people they're seen as two different entities, albeit with similarities.
I can see that argument, and I'd say it's strictly true but there's definitely differences.

First one is that forums pre-dated the term social media itself. Maybe some people used it but I never heard it so I struggle to include them under that umbrella personally.

Second is that when the term was first used, it was used in the context of it being an extension of your social life. There were no social media stars and people used it to keep in contact with others that they actually knew socially. Forums were never about that.

Another difference is that there are precisely zero forum stars and people don't flock to read or follow certain posters posts. There's an anonymity with forums/messageboards, with posters behind a username so you don't even know who you're talking to, whereas with the others people are actively trying to get their name, brand or face out there.

You can actually have longer discussions with people on forums too. It's not like you can go to your typical Insta/Twitter/Facebook personality and have much interaction. There's just an illusion of it. They or their social media handlers may reply to the odd comment but the vast majority will never be seen. On a forum you could have a 10 posts back-and-forth with someone, making quite long posts and easily have a proper conversation.

Edit: Random thought: How much time have the world's population collectively spent typing messages to social media influencers in recent years that will never be seen by them? That's quite sad.
 
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Josep Dowling

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Put on Sky Sports News for the first time in over a year and they were discussing fantasy football points. Howard Webb and Mike Dean trying to defend every bad decision made by a referee. A bunch of male pundits that played at a below average level, most can barely string a sentence together. Female pundits which effectively played at an amateur level in the early 2000s. And on top of all of that discussions with influencers as if they have any credibility to discuss football on TV. The general viewing of the sport has really gone downhill post COVID.
 

Glorio

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Another difference is that there are precisely zero forum stars and people don't flock to read or follow certain posters posts. There's an anonymity with forums/messageboards, with posters behind a username so you don't even know who you're talking to, whereas with the others people are actively trying to get their name, brand or face out there.
Harsh on @LuckyScout78 :nono:
 

Moby

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This forum is a lot more tightly regimented than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok. You can't post images on the football forums, you're actively discouraged from having your name/personal information in your username, followers/likes aren't a thing. It's still social media in the sense that it's an online community, but there are stark differences which makes it a very different user experience.

Also, how the hell do you have 50,000 posts on a United forum despite having little interest in football?!
The global guidelines on twitter are irrelevant because you aren't supposed to follow every twitter user. You can follow the accounts that operate under the said expectations. A bunch of other stuff like not posting images is not exactly improving user experience unless you have some sort of phobia from looking at images and can't move forward from Orkut communities or whatever. The user experience being different still doesn't change the fact that you are sat reading stuff posted by someone in another corner of the world aka social media.

As for the last question I take no accountability for any information visible on this website.
 

Sassy Colin

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My wife saw a video the other day of a couple who cut out the soles of their (incredibly expensive) shoes so they can walk everywhere bare-foot.

I conclude that influencers are basically ruining society.
Wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, just to go barefoot. I mean, going barefoot unless you're at home, or on the beach etc is still pretty silly, but at least you've saved yourself the price of a decent pair of shoes.
 

Moby

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Wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, just to go barefoot. I mean, going barefoot unless you're at home, or on the beach etc is still pretty silly, but at least you've saved yourself the price of a decent pair of shoes.
The post you quoted is dishonest and doesn't reveal the fact that they had to do that because stores weren't allowing them to enter barefoot.
 

LochGormanAbú

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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:
who and what are they
 

Annihilate Now!

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That is the dumbest thing I've heard since the Tide Pod stuff. Surely this is some form of ragebait?
Wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, just to go barefoot. I mean, going barefoot unless you're at home, or on the beach etc is still pretty silly, but at least you've saved yourself the price of a decent pair of shoes.
I was second guessing myself on if it was as dumb as the ten seconds I saw... Turns out it definitely is.

https://www.unilad.com/community/life/tiktok-couple-cutting-soles-shoes-barefoot-717882-20240204

And now we can all be a little bit dumber together.
 

Gabriel Djemba-Bebe

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Not even going to bother watching that video but the fact that Fergie never even finished lower than 3rd in the PL makes it laughable that some people genuinely believe Klopp is a better manager.
 

Von Mistelroum

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Every time anyone says something like this and doesn't put SAF at number 1, they are doing so through bias alone. They don't like United so they do it on purpose. He didn't have to cheat, didn't have multiple Asthmatic players, and played against some of the actual greatest managers in history at a time when world football was at its peak with the likes of Barca, Madrid, Juve etc with their greatest teams.
 

Solius

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He also evolved over like three eras of football and kept up with/surpassed every challenger he got, and yet people think he wouldn't have done the same with the current crop.

Also to claim Klopp is second because he 'would've won more PL if it wasn't for Pep', but I bet he's happy to only give Fergie 2 CLs and not the 4 he would've had.

It's nonsense and should just be ignored. Some things are just too stupid to rise to.
 

Slevs

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I'm willing to bet they've never watched prime wenger, mourinho, and ferguson
 

AbusementPark

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Not even going to bother watching that video but the fact that Fergie never even finished lower than 3rd in the PL makes it laughable that some people genuinely believe Klopp is a better manager.
There’s another video doing the rounds of Danny Mills stating the fact that Klopp is a good manager but what has he really won in the 9 years he’s managed Liverpool. One premier league title is nothing to try and say he’s better than Fergie. Also no one remembers runners up, don’t get trophies for them.
 

Solius

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Saw this yesterday which summed it the whole 'podcast football guy' influencer style perfectly.

 

tomaldinho1

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Saw this yesterday which summed it the whole 'podcast football guy' influencer style perfectly.

Only thing they are missing is 'the streets will never forget [insert average player here]'

Part of me understands you have to have 'different' takes in a sea of crap to stand out but also look at the ages of some of these guys. Genuinely if you put a poll on Reddit with the title who is the better player Ollie Watkins or Batistuta, it'd be pretty even.
 

DWelbz19

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Saw this yesterday which summed it the whole 'podcast football guy' influencer style perfectly.

:lol:
They do it (spout bollocks as it gets shared more) on purpose. Surely.
Definitely. It’s the same thing Sky, Talksport etc. have been doing since the dawn of time
 

AdamColeBebe

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This just popped up on my timeline..FFS.
It's such a stupid argument and debate. So many factors
:lol:

Definitely. It’s the same thing Sky, Talksport etc. have been doing since the dawn of time
You should listen to 606. There was a Liverpool fan on there having a go at United and saying Liverpool are better, because yeah United have won 20 league titles, but 13 of them were under one manager. That was his point and his justification as to why Liverpool are better.

Like what? How is that even...what are you trying to...what? This was after the final whistle at the weekend btw so perhaps he was rather upset.
 

Lynty

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I don't see anything wrong with it to be honest.

What the difference between listening to someone like Goldbridge or Chunkz, to some of absolute rubbish that is spouted by the likes of Jenas, Dixon, Souness and the like. I feel the main reason people watch these fan channels and podcasts is for validation of your own opinions. The same way people will watch reaction/review videos to songs or movies, you want to find someone who's opinions align with your own.

Personally, I find Goldbridge's meltdowns quite entertaining. It's basically a caricature of what most fans are feeling inside after a loss. I also enjoy the influencer/pro athlete crossovers you see. Pretty harmless fun and keeps the sport grounded.

Nobody really takes stuff like the above tweets serious, but they're good for banter/discussion starters, winding up your mates etc. there's obviously a market for this content and many times I've sent similar stuff to oppositions fans that I don't really agree with, just to wind them up.
 

tomaldinho1

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I don't see anything wrong with it to be honest.

What the difference between listening to someone like Goldbridge or Chunkz, to some of absolute rubbish that is spouted by the likes of Jenas, Dixon, Souness and the like. I feel the main reason people watch these fan channels and podcasts is for validation of your own opinions. The same way people will watch reaction/review videos to songs or movies, you want to find someone who's opinions align with your own.

Personally, I find Goldbridge's meltdowns quite entertaining. It's basically a caricature of what most fans are feeling inside after a loss. I also enjoy the influencer/pro athlete crossovers you see. Pretty harmless fun and keeps the sport grounded.

Nobody really takes stuff like the above tweets serious, but they're good for banter/discussion starters, winding up your mates etc. there's obviously a market for this content and many times I've sent similar stuff to oppositions fans that I don't really agree with, just to wind them up.
We have to listen, or at least watch on mute, Jenas, Sounness etc. because they will be on the channel of the game we are watching. I don't think anyone listens to them out of choice when there's no game involved? I didn't even realise a 'watch along' was a thing until someone told me that's what Goldbridge does, it honestly boggles my mind that is popular but maybe I'm just old.

Issue here isn't football specific, masses of people will listen to whichever source of information has the most drama and 'hot' takes, if some bloke started a fan channel with only factual information and clear and concise arguments they'd get zero interest. in the same way the ITK aggregators have become minor celebrities, people just want to consume info, and most don't really care if it's true or not.
 

thisisnottaken1

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This just popped up on my timeline..FFS.
The disrespect towards him is insane. Like others have said, it’s only because he managed United. His record speaks for itself. Usually people will point to complete nonsense like saying that he paid referees but when they resort to that they’ve immediately lost the argument. Compare that to Pep, who has actually cheated.
 

Ludens the Red

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This just popped up on my timeline..FFS.
Klopp better than Fergie because of erm ….the Sport Science! :lol: I swear every month I see a debate like this and someone mentions “sports science”..
Sums up the 25 year old or younger football fan though. Kind of person who thinks football became good in 2008 and before then we were in the stone ages with football. Tactics weren’t a thing, nobody could run and all players were drunks.
 

SER19

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embarrasing- every last one of them. pointless fools who appeal to teenagers and fifa fans.