Garth Crooks Finally Folds

[Flatcap]

The fraud has folded, complimenting us after Billy scored against Norwich on Final Score and now naming two of our players in his team of the week for the BBC.

He literally couldn't carry on stating we were 'basic' after the recent results we've gathered (although I bet he wanted to).

Doesn't make him any less of a 'know-nothing' fraud though and I bet his pride took a hit from admitting it, not his reputation as he never had one in the first place.

 

[Pierre's PC]

Where did you learn of this information? I've not seen it posted anywhere else.

You sir are a god amongst men.

 

[Flatcap]

I've just scrolled down far enough to see the thread.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

He's been praising us for months now.

It's almost as if some people want pundits to dislike us so they can constantly get mad about it.

Very strange.

 

[Tarqs]

From the very same article

'I'm still not mad on their style of play, but they have unbelievable spirit.'

I'd still call that half arsed praise.

 

[Houso]

He's been praising us for months now.

It's almost as if some people want pundits to dislike us so they can constantly get mad about it.

Very strange.

I'd tend to agree that we have a bit of a chip on our shoulder when it comes to coverage. Although you could argue that's because we've been slagged off in the media for a long long time now.

However, Crooks is a different matter. Any compliment usually has a caveat. And he's still not corrected his "basic" comment from earlier in the season.

Oh, and finally.... he's an absolutely dogshit pundit who has no place on TV. I'm a supporter of the BBC, but they should have a full inquiry as to why he's being employed at all.

 

[CrookesBlade]

I'd tend to agree that we have a bit of a chip on our shoulder when it comes to coverage. Although you could argue that's because we've been slagged off in the media for a long long time now.

However, Crooks is a different matter. Any compliment usually has a caveat. And he's still not corrected his "basic" comment from earlier in the season.

Oh, and finally.... he's an absolutely dogshit pundit who has no place on TV. I'm a supporter of the BBC, but they should have a full inquiry as to why he's being employed at all.

Crooks is perhaps a special case given the bizarre criticism of 'basic football' that he then doubled down on.

However, now we have established ourselves in the Premier League I hope our fans can develop a thicker skin next season when it comes to punditry.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

To be fair, we’re playing a more “basic” style now than we’ve done since Wilder took over. That’s why Crook’s comment are bizarre, as he was slagging us when we were zipping it about earlier in the season. But now we’re playing the percentages a bit more he’s lavishing us with much praise.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

I’m sorry but I can’t believe that anyone can fold Garth Crooks

 

[Kev Gee]

Stop being a fanny

 

[103SecondsOfMagic]

I'm not impressed by Mr. Crookes' basic level of punditry

 

[Cerberus Blade]

From the very same article

'I'm still not mad on their style of play, but they have unbelievable spirit.'

I'd still call that half arsed praise.

I was just going to post that exact same quote.

For those who don't know the story, Crooks labelled us a side who play "basic" football at the start of the season and one that wouldn't be able to stand the pace of the Premiership. OK, so he's not alone in thinking we were relegation fodder - a lot of our own fans thought that as well! But the reference to us being a side who play "basic" football was nothing other than lazy, uninformed, journalism - it was obvious from that, that he hadn't done his job properly. Because anyone, just anyone, who has seen Sheffield United play any amount of games over the previous one to three seasons, will know that "basic" we certainly aren't. Unless "basic" means "innovative" in Crooks's language?

Since then, and since we have continued to prove the critics wrong, week in, week out, Crooks's has modified his views a bit, but not fully, not yet. I posted something on here right back towards the beginning of the season - I think I entitled it something like, "watching opinions melt" - because that's how I'd described what we've seen from many pundits this season. They start out with their lazy, non-assessment, of our chances, based on an image of Sheffield United Football Club, that probably belongs to the Warnock and Basset eras. They add to that, the facts that most newly promoted clubs tend to struggle in their first season in the Prem, and hey presto! You've got your assessment of Sheffield United FC without even having to research a single player's name. That's undoubtedly what Crooks did. And boy how it has come back to bite him on the arse.

So much so, that it has singled him out for the imposter of a pundit that he is. And he knows that. Other "better informed" pundits have told him so as well, in not so many words. So now his opinions have melted too, but...not fully, as I've said. He was so forthright, so adamant, about our style of play, that it's extremely difficult for him to back down totally from that position. He is, like a drowning man, grasping at straws to try and justify that his "basic" comment was appropriate and still is appropriate.

"I'm still not mad on their style of play" is evidence of this.

It's a poor effort at praise from a poor, lazy, pundit. Made to look, not just wrong, but completely uninformed, by a superb Sheffield United Football team.

If you don't like the style of football Sheffield United play - then you probably don't like football at all.

 

[mcbladeface]

Garth simply has a formula. Single out a few teams every season who you're going to be consistantly dickish toward. Backhanded compliments at best and try your best to ignore or dismiss their accomplishments in the most arseholic way possible. Preferably make sure the team/teams you pick have among them a set of particulalry touchy fans. Then you guarantee yourself a keen weekly audience that keeps your unique clicks and viewing figures high enough to keep pulling in that tv license wage.

Congrats. We're one of those teams.

 

[Jon Bon II]

'I'm still not mad on their style of play, but they have unbelievable spirit.'

What about darwing do and bwavado....?

 

[DronnieBlade]

This dong is getting far too much air time on this board.

Fuck him and his preconceived notions.

UTB

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Couldn't give a toss. Every pundit, commentator and journalist could call us anything they want, get the tactics wrong, say we play basic 4-4-2 and any other mis-information they want. CWAK continue to do the business, I'm appeh

 

[Sheffsteel]

Think the “basic football” tag is misleading, I’d say a better word is “formulaic”.

I’ve watched us for 40 years and never seen us play like this before.
We rarely ever score great goals or spectacular goals with a brilliant piece of skill.
In fact....it’s weird that we don’t seem to rely on individual skill or flair.

We tend to play a simple pass and move game. We overload the flanks so manage to put in loads of crosses.
It doesn’t matter which players are in the team.....we always seem to perform to the same style and same standard.

In the past we’ve had 1 or 2 star players who create all the chances.....and eventually we’ve sold them.
However todays Sheff Utd really is a “team”, playing a well drilled simple game that is really effective and it’s also entertaining to watch.

 

[Rojoyblanco]

I was just going to post that exact same quote.
Well said!
For those who don't know the story, Crooks labelled us a side who play "basic" football at the start of the season and one that wouldn't be able to stand the pace of the Premiership. OK, so he's not alone in thinking we were relegation fodder - a lot of our own fans thought that as well! But the reference to us being a side who play "basic" football was nothing other than lazy, uninformed, journalism - it was obvious from that, that he hadn't done his job properly. Because anyone, just anyone, who has seen Sheffield United play any amount of games over the previous one to three seasons, will know that "basic" we certainly aren't. Unless "basic" means "innovative" in Crooks's language?

Since then, and since we have continued to prove the critics wrong, week in, week out, Crooks's has modified his views a bit, but not fully, not yet. I posted something on here right back towards the beginning of the season - I think I entitled it something like, "watching opinions melt" - because that's how I'd described what we've seen from many pundits this season. They start out with their lazy, non-assessment, of our chances, based on an image of Sheffield United Football Club, that probably belongs to the Warnock and Basset eras. They add to that, the facts that most newly promoted clubs tend to struggle in their first season in the Prem, and hey presto! You've got your assessment of Sheffield United FC without even having to research a single player's name. That's undoubtedly what Crooks did. And boy how it has come back to bite him on the arse.

So much so, that it has singled him out for the imposter of a pundit that he is. And he knows that. Other "better informed" pundits have told him so as well, in not so many words. So now his opinions have melted too, but...not fully, as I've said. He was so forthright, so adamant, about our style of play, that it's extremely difficult for him to back down totally from that position. He is, like a drowning man, grasping at straws to try and justify that his "basic" comment was appropriate and still is appropriate.

"I'm still not mad on their style of play" is evidence of this.

It's a poor effort at praise from a poor, lazy, pundit. Made to look, not just wrong, but completely uninformed, by a superb Sheffield United Football team.

If you don't like the style of football Sheffield United play - then you probably don't like football at all.