Media discussion - 2024/25

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Someone I know describes The Guardian's Simon Jenkins as the "wrongest man in Britain" based on the utter bollocks he comes out with in his columns. But when it comes to football punditry, the title surely goes to Paul Merson - despite the fierce competition from a whole host of know-nothing simpletons.

I can barely ever remember him getting a single prediction right, which explains how he's such an irredeemable loser when it comes to gambling. For years, if Merson has suggested that MCFC face some kind of doom, that's cheered me immensely.
 
petrusha said:
Someone I know describes The Guardian's Simon Jenkins as the "wrongest man in Britain" based on the utter bollocks he comes out with in his columns. But when it comes to football punditry, the title surely goes to Paul Merson - despite the fierce competition from a whole host of know-nothing simpletons.

I can barely ever remember him getting a single prediction right, which explains how he's such an irredeemable loser when it comes to gambling. For years, if Merson has suggested that MCFC face some kind of doom, that's cheered me immensely.
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I really wish a newspaper could provide us with results & league tables for journalists. It’s not just that they are wrong, they don’t care & most times don’t even realise they are wrong. It’s a fucking shameful occupation & Merson is perfect for it according to his bookies.
 
cheekybids said:
I really wish a newspaper could provide us with results & league tables for journalists. It’s not just that they are wrong, they don’t care & most times don’t even realise they are wrong. It’s a fucking shameful occupation & Merson is perfect for it according to his bookies.
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I certainly don't regard football journalism and football punditry in the modern age as a serious profession. They're two different fields, but both have dumbed down.

In the seventies, ITV had a panel comprising men such as Brian Clough, Malcolm Allison, Derek Dougan and Jackie Charlton. They were forthright and entertaining to listen to, but when they put across their views you also learned a lot about football. Now, Sky employ word-mangling chimp Merson ostensibly because thick viewers across the country identify with him. Then you have Rio and others who make it more about the bantz than any kind of meaningful insight,

In the area of football journalism it's no better, which is slightly comic when you bear in mind that some of them - and I'm looking at you, WhatsApp group - regard themselves as true intellectuals and are upset if you don't respect them accordingly. Yet they don't behave as if they're in a serious job. I recall Allyson Rudd in 2017/18 grading City's season as a B- at the halfway point when we'd dropped one single point because that was expected of us. Yet in August she tipped us not to make the top four.

If my professional opinions had done such a dramatic volte-face in as short a space of time as that, questions would be asked and I'd have to justify why. But then that's what happens when you're in a job where professional standards are expected. Only in the political arena can people get away with the kind of clumsy, underhand inconsistency that these fucking clowns are guilty of.
 
petrusha said:
I certainly don't regard football journalism and football punditry in the modern age as a serious profession. They're two different fields, but both have dumbed down.

In the seventies, ITV had a panel comprising men such as Brian Clough, Malcolm Allison, Derek Dougan and Jackie Charlton. They were forthright and entertaining to listen to, but when they put across their views you also learned a lot about football. Now, Sky employ word-mangling chimp Merson ostensibly because thick viewers across the country identify with him. Then you have Rio and others who make it more about the bantz than any kind of meaningful insight,

In the area of football journalism it's no better, which is slightly comic when you bear in mind that some of them - and I'm looking at you, WhatsApp group - regard themselves as true intellectuals and are upset if you don't respect them accordingly. Yet they don't behave as if they're in a serious job. I recall Allyson Rudd in 2017/18 grading City's season as a B- at the halfway point when we'd dropped one single point because that was expected of us. Yet in August she tipped us not to make the top four.

If my professional opinions had done such a dramatic volte-face in as short a space of time as that, questions would be asked and I'd have to justify why. But then that's what happens when you're in a job where professional standards are expected. Only in the political arena can people get away with the kind of clumsy, underhand inconsistency that these fucking clowns are guilty of.
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And yet watching other sports, unless it's due to me not being as invested pundits and commentators are nearly always informative and impartial.
 
petrusha said:
I certainly don't regard football journalism and football punditry in the modern age as a serious profession. They're two different fields, but both have dumbed down.

In the seventies, ITV had a panel comprising men such as Brian Clough, Malcolm Allison, Derek Dougan and Jackie Charlton. They were forthright and entertaining to listen to, but when they put across their views you also learned a lot about football. Now, Sky employ word-mangling chimp Merson ostensibly because thick viewers across the country identify with him. Then you have Rio and others who make it more about the bantz than any kind of meaningful insight,

In the area of football journalism it's no better, which is slightly comic when you bear in mind that some of them - and I'm looking at you, WhatsApp group - regard themselves as true intellectuals and are upset if you don't respect them accordingly. Yet they don't behave as if they're in a serious job. I recall Allyson Rudd in 2017/18 grading City's season as a B- at the halfway point when we'd dropped one single point because that was expected of us. Yet in August she tipped us not to make the top four.

If my professional opinions had done such a dramatic volte-face in as short a space of time as that, questions would be asked and I'd have to justify why. But then that's what happens when you're in a job where professional standards are expected. Only in the political arena can people get away with the kind of clumsy, underhand inconsistency that these fucking clowns are guilty of.
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I remember the old ex-pro and managerial group of pundits you've mentioned.
Although Clough could sometimes wind people up, their general opinions and behaviour was far more mature and considered.
They seldom attacked, denigrated or ridiculed the teams who were playing.
Unfortunately, Camel Gob and his like, are encouraged to "diss" the teams who were his rivals.
Get him in the Press Room with Andy Morrison to discuss how great Real Madrid are, or whoever City are playing.
Jackie Charlton etc. were blunt and forthright, without trying to score points when they gave their opinion...
 
petrusha said:
Now, Sky employ word-mangling chimp Merson ostensibly because thick viewers across the country identify with him
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Paul Merson is the best pundit in the country. Here's the problem; what fans and viewers think Paul Merson's job is, is not what Paul Merson's job is. Pundit isn't even the right word to describe him.

Merson's job has several facets to it. Firstly, he has to appeal to the Sky Sports home audience. That audience is mostly middle aged or above males. Secondly, he has to generate engagement to a mostly online audience which is a younger demographic. Thirdly, he has to generate chatter amongst the ever increasingly important Sky Sports pub audience. Notice nowhere here does the list include saying something of any value.

Merson is the perfect pundit because he ticks all boxes. The auld fellas who think the games gone and don't want none of this continental tippy tappy bullshit, he's their guy who explains football in a simple and emotional way. It's all passion and workrate and simplistic "back in my day" analogies no different from a MOTD pundit in the 90s. To the tacticos people, he's the football dinosaur who doesn't know his segundo volantes from his registas and they get to feel superior because they read Spielverlagerung and Michael Cox so they understand the game better than this 20 year tenure professional player who then spent another 20 years in the media. To the younger crowd, he is a baffling idiot who represents a conservative faction of English football and is essentially a clown there to poke fun at. There's obviously spectra inbetween all of this.

When Merson says something, you engage with it. You write on forums, you click the video, you talk to the lad in the pub next to you. Sometimes exasperated at how he's an idiot and sometimes not but either way, he generates engagement for the Sky Sports TV shows and that's what people actually pay for. Sky's business model is changing as their losses increase and people like Merson who can keep their older home audiences and their young online audiences simultaneously engaged are worth their weight in gold as they transition. It's why he was kept after the cull of Soccer Saturday.

Mitchell and Webb once performed a sketch about I'm a Celeb or one of those reality shows. You get people who watch because they like those shows. Then you get people who watch a bit and feel superior; that these shows are a waste of time and both the other viewers and the show itself are beneath them. But it doesn't matter whether you watch a show or ironically watch a show, the advertisers don't give a shit, you count exactly the same as the other viewers. If you're talking about Merson's comments, if people are looking up what he said on the website or on a tweet, you're viewing Sky Sports TV output and engaging with it. And they don't care what reasons you might or might not have to do that because your opinion on his words doesn't matter to them
 
Damocles said:
Paul Merson is the best pundit in the country. Here's the problem; what fans and viewers think Paul Merson's job is, is not what Paul Merson's job is. Pundit isn't even the right word to describe him.

Merson's job has several facets to it. Firstly, he has to appeal to the Sky Sports home audience. That audience is mostly middle aged or above males. Secondly, he has to generate engagement to a mostly online audience which is a younger demographic. Thirdly, he has to generate chatter amongst the ever increasingly important Sky Sports pub audience. Notice nowhere here does the list include saying something of any value.

Merson is the perfect pundit because he ticks all boxes. The auld fellas who think the games gone and don't want none of this continental tippy tappy bullshit, he's their guy who explains football in a simple and emotional way. It's all passion and workrate and simplistic "back in my day" analogies no different from a MOTD pundit in the 90s. To the tacticos people, he's the football dinosaur who doesn't know his segundo volantes from his registas and they get to feel superior because they read Spielverlagerung and Michael Cox so they understand the game better than this 20 year tenure professional player who then spent another 20 years in the media. To the younger crowd, he is a baffling idiot who represents a conservative faction of English football and is essentially a clown there to poke fun at. There's obviously spectra inbetween all of this.

When Merson says something, you engage with it. You write on forums, you click the video, you talk to the lad in the pub next to you. Sometimes exasperated at how he's an idiot and sometimes not but either way, he generates engagement for the Sky Sports TV shows and that's what people actually pay for. Sky's business model is changing as their losses increase and people like Merson who can keep their older home audiences and their young online audiences simultaneously engaged are worth their weight in gold as they transition. It's why he was kept after the cull of Soccer Saturday.

Mitchell and Webb once performed a sketch about I'm a Celeb or one of those reality shows. You get people who watch because they like those shows. Then you get people who watch a bit and feel superior; that these shows are a waste of time and both the other viewers and the show itself are beneath them. But it doesn't matter whether you watch a show or ironically watch a show, the advertisers don't give a shit, you count exactly the same as the other viewers. If you're talking about Merson's comments, if people are looking up what he said on the website or on a tweet, you're viewing Sky Sports TV output and engaging with it. And they don't care what reasons you might or might not have to do that because your opinion on his words doesn't matter to them
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This is, as he'd say, a top, top post, Jeff. I'd call it an excellent and comprehensive analysis making a whole series of valid points about the general position.

There's no doubt that Merson's comments are taken in different ways by different people. To me, he'll always be the know-nothing, coke-addled **** whose vapid ramblings that provoked headlines about KDB being an overpriced Chelsea reject are but a drop in the ocean of shit he's spouted down the years.

I can't view his TV appearances where I live, but nor do I bother when I'm in the UK. I just occasionally pop up to remind people of what his track record is when his views are posted on this thread.

I'm a self-confessed FOC (albeit slightly younger than Merson). I know I'm out of tune with the modern world, and, if Paul Merson holding down a gig on Sky were the worst thing happening across the globe right now, it'd obviously be a far, far better place.

But to paraphrase an old quotation from Anthony H. Wilson, Merson's entitled to his opinion but his opinion's habitually shit. I regard it as a public service announcement when I point this out.
 
petrusha said:
This is, as he'd say, a top, top post, Jeff. I'd call it an excellent and comprehensive analysis making a whole series of valid points about the general position.

There's no doubt that Merson's comments are taken in different ways by different people. To me, he'll always be the know-nothing, coke-addled **** whose vapid ramblings that provoked headlines about KDB being an overpriced Chelsea reject are but a drop in the ocean of shit he's spouted down the years.

I can't view his TV appearances where I live, but nor do I bother when I'm in the UK. I just occasionally pop up to remind people of what his track record is when his views are posted on this thread.

I'm a self-confessed FOC (albeit slightly younger than Merson). I know I'm out of tune with the modern world, and, if Paul Merson holding down a gig on Sky were the worst thing happening across the globe right now, it'd obviously be a far, far better place.

But to paraphrase an old quotation from Anthony H. Wilson, Merson's entitled to his opinion but his opinion's habitually shit. I regard it as a public service announcement when I point this out.
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Merson actually just talks shite !

He said we used to have two £80 m players for every position?

Wrong

He said because of ffp we can no longer spend like we used to !

Wrong

Why didn’t the presenter ask him if that was the case why have City just spent 175/200m in the last two weeks ?

They just let him spout his lies ,actually lies is the wrong word ,he probably thinks what he is saying is actually the truth!

Complete moron !
 
petrusha said:
This is, as he'd say, a top, top post, Jeff. I'd call it an excellent and comprehensive analysis making a whole series of valid points about the general position.

There's no doubt that Merson's comments are taken in different ways by different people. To me, he'll always be the know-nothing, coke-addled **** whose vapid ramblings that provoked headlines about KDB being an overpriced Chelsea reject are but a drop in the ocean of shit he's spouted down the years.

I can't view his TV appearances where I live, but nor do I bother when I'm in the UK. I just occasionally pop up to remind people of what his track record is when his views are posted on this thread.

I'm a self-confessed FOC (albeit slightly younger than Merson). I know I'm out of tune with the modern world, and, if Paul Merson holding down a gig on Sky were the worst thing happening across the globe right now, it'd obviously be a far, far better place.

But to paraphrase an old quotation from Anthony H. Wilson, Merson's entitled to his opinion but his opinion's habitually shit. I regard it as a public service announcement when I point this out.
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No requirement to "point this out"
 
petrusha said:
I wasn't being entirely serious. Is there literally any post on here that can actually be taken as a public service announcement? None of mine, certainly, and in seriousness I'd never claim otherwise.
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I think you should because you're one of the few people on here that makes any fucking sense ;-)
 
petrusha said:
I wasn't being entirely serious. Is there literally any post on here that can actually be taken as a public service announcement? None of mine, certainly, and in seriousness I'd never claim otherwise.
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I did know it was a bit tongue in cheek. Any way keep up the good work. Good to read posts from those with work and life experience that provides insight to the ongoing shenanigans. I won't name check others. We know who they are
 
petrusha said:
I certainly don't regard football journalism and football punditry in the modern age as a serious profession. They're two different fields, but both have dumbed down.

In the seventies, ITV had a panel comprising men such as Brian Clough, Malcolm Allison, Derek Dougan and Jackie Charlton. They were forthright and entertaining to listen to, but when they put across their views you also learned a lot about football. Now, Sky employ word-mangling chimp Merson ostensibly because thick viewers across the country identify with him. Then you have Rio and others who make it more about the bantz than any kind of meaningful insight,

In the area of football journalism it's no better, which is slightly comic when you bear in mind that some of them - and I'm looking at you, WhatsApp group - regard themselves as true intellectuals and are upset if you don't respect them accordingly. Yet they don't behave as if they're in a serious job. I recall Allyson Rudd in 2017/18 grading City's season as a B- at the halfway point when we'd dropped one single point because that was expected of us. Yet in August she tipped us not to make the top four.

If my professional opinions had done such a dramatic volte-face in as short a space of time as that, questions would be asked and I'd have to justify why. But then that's what happens when you're in a job where professional standards are expected. Only in the political arena can people get away with the kind of clumsy, underhand inconsistency that these fucking clowns are guilty of.
Click to expand...

The unfortunate thing is it’s not just football, it can be the economy, politics, health & the public are left trying think who to believe. Is it the genuine know fuck all or the snake oil salesman.
 
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