Expert Bias/Obsession?

[Tony_Kaufman]

Why is it that so called expert pundits have such bias and obsessions with certain clubs? The prime examples being Leeds, West Ham and Newcastle. It doesn't matter what these clubs do the experts constantly big them up.

Pretty much every other day since Leeds were promoted the BBC have written a story about them or Bielsa.

I get they were once a massive team in the 70s. I get that they were contenders for the Premier League and in Europe in the late 90s, though this was due to reckless spending that led to their ultimate downfall, but since 2002/03 when they were relegated they've been out of the top flight. That's 17 years without top flight football and yet since then they're constantly spoken of as if they're still a huge club competing for the title.

During this same 17 year period Newcastle have been relegated and promoted a few times as have West Ham, and yet they're also spoken of as if they're huge clubs competing at the top end of the table, which they're not and never have been during this time. Newcastle were contenders under Keegan in the mid 90s and have done nothing of note since hen and haven't won a single trophy.

So why is it that their recent histories and predicaments are ignored? Why is the past more relevant than the present? What is it with this obsession with certain clubs that you hear on the radio and on TV programmes and read in articles?

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

They all have big fan bases, which means that you’re certain to get attention when talking about them.
They also have a lot of old players in the media, which means again, they get extra attention and the other pundits won’t talk negatively about them, not wishing to upset their mate(s)

 

[mancunianblade]

Leeds makes sense no? There is a story there certainly and an audience to read/hear about it if not then it’s just the same old churn of information and more importantly content in an age where big news lasts until the next post.

think a lot of our fans overlook the fact we were the press darlings of 2019/20 after being written off by every single one of them we proved them wrong and became story worthy very early on and were mentioned a lot throughout the season a lot

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Leeds makes sense no? There is a story there certainly and an audience to read/hear about it if not then it’s just the same old churn of information and more importantly content in an age where big news lasts until the next post.

think a lot of our fans overlook the fact we were the press darlings of 2019/20 after being written off by every single one of them we proved them wrong and became story worthy very early on and were mentioned a lot throughout the season a lot

We got it due to our performances on the pitch, Leeds are getting it without a ball being kicked. Tbh I don't mind us being under the radar, as DB used to say talk is cheap, it's what happens on the park that matters.

 

[bypassblade]

We got it due to our performances on the pitch, Leeds are getting it without a ball being kicked. Tbh I don't mind us being under the radar, as DB used to say talk is cheap, it's what happens on the park that matters.

TBH never been used to people saying nice things about us let us stay anonymous, WHU get bigged up as they provided backbone of 66 WC squad. Leeds still dining out on what they did in late 60's early 70's Newcastle cos they get big crowds. How many remember the televised FA cup game they had in 73/74 years played Forest at home and at 0-3 down fans invaded pitch getting game abandoned (IMS serves Forest were in league below), they won replay & got to final to be spanked 3-0 by Liverpool.

 

[Berlin Blade]

The thing is, Leeds being promoted is fantastic for English football. You could even say that the premier league NEEDS Leeds United. Oh no, hang on. Since Leeds were relegated the premier league has experienced extreme growth. It’s been exponential. It’s all happened without Leeds Fucking United being there.

What about their crowds? Doesn’t the Premier League need those passionate fans? ... No. almost every club sells out away from home in the premier league.

If anything, the narrative needs to be spun on its head. The Championship needs Leeds United. They’ve done loads in pushing the average attendances up to make the championship be able to claim it’s one of the top 5 leagues in Europe.

The only people that were upset they got relegated were Leeds fans. The only people that are happy they’re back up are Leeds fans.

The media have worked so hard in convincing everyone that Leeds are everyone’s favourite second club and this narrative that they’re a huge club because they have a 40k ground which when the weather is right they fill it. It’s a one club city. Same as Newcastle. Sheffield if you combine both attendances from the clubs absolutely dicks all over them. The media only panders to them because they know they can get clicks off a whole city when they write about them whereas if they write about or endorse united or Wednesday they split the vote with the other side of the city. It’s ‘games theory’. It’s like when that lager company sponsored Celtic shirts in the 90s. They didn’t factor in that they’d lose 50% of the sales from that city because all the rangers fans boycotted it, so they thought it would make more sense to sponsor both or neither. It’s the same with the media. Fuck em.

 

[bromtom]

The thing is, Leeds being promoted is fantastic for English football. You could even say that the premier league NEEDS Leeds United. Oh no, hang on. Since Leeds were relegated the premier league has experienced extreme growth. It’s been exponential. It’s all happened without Leeds Fucking United being there.

What about their crowds? Doesn’t the Premier League need those passionate fans? ... No. almost every club sells out away from home in the premier league.

If anything, the narrative needs to be spun on its head. The Championship needs Leeds United. They’ve done loads in pushing the average attendances up to make the championship be able to claim it’s one of the top 5 leagues in Europe.

The only people that were upset they got relegated were Leeds fans. The only people that are happy they’re back up are Leeds fans.

The media have worked so hard in convincing everyone that Leeds are everyone’s favourite second club and this narrative that they’re a huge club because they have a 40k ground which when the weather is right they fill it. It’s a one club city. Same as Newcastle. Sheffield if you combine both attendances from the clubs absolutely dicks all over them. The media only panders to them because they know they can get clicks off a whole city when they write about them whereas if they write about or endorse united or Wednesday they split the vote with the other side of the city. It’s ‘games theory’. It’s like when that lager company sponsored Celtic shirts in the 90s. They didn’t factor in that they’d lose 50% of the sales from that city because all the rangers fans boycotted it, so they thought it would make more sense to sponsor both or neither. It’s the same with the media. Fuck em.

Leeds fans are more likely to cause the Premier League to sanction them than celebrate them.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Most pundits know fuck all and repeat the same old shite. Newcastle, West Ham and Villa traditionally spend vast amounts for over-rated players, often injury prone ones, who were once big names. Most pundits expect this to improve them. It seldom does. I expect them all to finish in the bottom half, together with our friends from up the M1.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

At the same point last season, the only difference between Leeds United and Norwich City were two goals.

Leeds United have a history, that history won't make them a better side than Norwich City, it's what they do
today, in the here and now. If Leeds United finish fourth from bottom, that will be a successful season.

Don't believe the hype.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Imagine the scenes when SWFC get promoted!

(Un)fortunately the majority of us on here will be in the ground or reduced to ashes.

 

[Snowflake]

Why is it that so called expert pundits have such bias and obsessions with certain clubs? The prime examples being Leeds, West Ham and Newcastle. It doesn't matter what these clubs do the experts constantly big them up.

Pretty much every other day since Leeds were promoted the BBC have written a story about them or Bielsa.

I get they were once a massive team in the 70s. I get that they were contenders for the Premier League and in Europe in the late 90s, though this was due to reckless spending that led to their ultimate downfall, but since 2002/03 when they were relegated they've been out of the top flight. That's 17 years without top flight football and yet since then they're constantly spoken of as if they're still a huge club competing for the title.

During this same 17 year period Newcastle have been relegated and promoted a few times as have West Ham, and yet they're also spoken of as if they're huge clubs competing at the top end of the table, which they're not and never have been during this time. Newcastle were contenders under Keegan in the mid 90s and have done nothing of note since hen and haven't won a single trophy.

So why is it that their recent histories and predicaments are ignored? Why is the past more relevant than the present? What is it with this obsession with certain clubs that you hear on the radio and on TV programmes and read in articles?

Newcastle is a single club city miles from anywhere else. Leeds a single club city, so both have large followings.
These are the reasons for media attention. I am not saying it’s right but until we have been in the Premier for 5 years or more then we have to accept it.
Beating both twice this season might help !

 

[1066blade]

FFS we've already got one thread about the twats, you've shot yourself in the foot and undermined your point by starting another.

 

[petcharlie]

I am pleased we get only a small amount of press .It seems to suit us being classed as also rans and underdogs. It works in our favour.Keep pulling us down Mr Lawrence you are doing a fine job for us.

 

[Yewsman]

Leeds get much bigger crowds than Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich (all relegated last season) plus a good number of other PL teams including us. They also have a fairly recent history of doing well in the top division so I think we have to accept that they are a team that should add to the PL.

Don‘t think we should get so uptight about the media and what they say or do with other clubs. We are the Blades and we do things our way. The media and pundits all had to eat humble pie last season and to be fair most of the more knowledgeable ones actually were very complimentary about us.

I did not watch the Liverpool / Leeds game but clearly Leeds played well and did well for a newly promoted side. Had we done the same there would have been a lot of similarly favourable comment ( there was when we ran Liverpool close at home last season losing 1-0). However remember Norwich beat Man City 3-2 early in the season and look what happened to them!

Chill out!

 

[Speedracer]

I can sort of understand it with Weeds, they have decent history & it is only our geographical position & rivalry with them that makes it stick in our craws. For the rest it is a news worthy story, but don't forget we had the spotlight for pretty much the whole of last season so lets not act like a "massive" local ish team might.

 

[bromtom]

Leeds get much bigger crowds than Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich (all relegated last season) plus a good number of other PL teams including us. They also have a fairly recent history of doing well in the top division so I think we have to accept that they are a team that should add to the PL.

Don‘t think we should get so uptight about the media and what they say or do with other clubs. We are the Blades and we do things our way. The media and pundits all had to eat humble pie last season and to be fair most of the more knowledgeable ones actually were very complimentary about us.

I did not watch the Liverpool / Leeds game but clearly Leeds played well and did well for a newly promoted side. Had we done the same there would have been a lot of similarly favourable comment ( there was when we ran Liverpool close at home last season losing 1-0). However remember Norwich beat Man City 3-2 early in the season and look what happened to them!

Chill out!

Leeds played well in Liverpool's half, and terribly in their own.

Liverpool made some comical defensive errors and generally were appalling at the back, I'm not being hyperbolic, a defence playing like that every week without Mané and Salah up front would get relegated.

Summed up perfectly how bad they were when Alexander Arnold had plenty of time and space to consider how best to head the ball clear that was bouncing towards the goal, and still managed to 50p head it and put it in the back corner. It was actually embarrassing. Luckily it was offside.

I think the difference with us playing Liverpool at the Lane and running them close is we played imperious recent Champions League winners Liverpool and lost to an own goal basically from our goalkeeper.

Liverpool have been a shadow of that Liverpool since Christmas.

 

[BushBlade]

Leeds played well in Liverpool's half, and terribly in their own.

Liverpool made some comical defensive errors and generally were appalling at the back, I'm not being hyperbolic, a defence playing like that every week without Mané and Salah up front would get relegated.

Summed up perfectly how bad they were when Alexander Arnold had plenty of time and space to consider how best to head the ball clear that was bouncing towards the goal, and still managed to 50p head it and put it in the back corner. It was actually embarrassing. Luckily it was offside.

I think the difference with us playing Liverpool at the Lane and running them close is we played imperious recent Champions League winners Liverpool and lost to an own goal basically from our goalkeeper.

Liverpool have been a shadow of that Liverpool since Christmas.

That was a mental header from TAA. It’s like he forgot which end he was at. It seemed easier to head it away than to flick it into the net like he did.

 

[mcbladeface]

Leeds fans are loud, entitled and have pretty much demonstrated already how ridiculously over sensitive they're going to get. Case in point, after the gnashing of teeth and mass outrage among the fanbase on social media that Brighton didn't do what it was supposed to and dutifully hand over Ben White whilst doffing their cap, the twitter guy at a relatively minor betting company made a tame dig at their histrionics. Immediately they were demanding he be fired and organizing a boycott that was obviously going to bankrupt the company.

I imagine quite a few pundits and the like figure they can do without the hassle and figure it's easier to pander to them. That being said there'll be someone that decides it's in their interest to antagonize them instead and I can't wait for it.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I'm baffled as to why so many Sheffield United fans care so much about the media talking about Leeds.

Who gives a fuck?

 

[Niceguyeddie]

Leeds fans are loud, entitled and have pretty much demonstrated already how ridiculously over sensitive they're going to get. Case in point, after the gnashing of teeth and mass outrage among the fanbase on social media that Brighton didn't do what it was supposed to and dutifully hand over Ben White whilst doffing their cap, the twitter guy at a relatively minor betting company made a tame dig at their histrionics. Immediately they were demanding he be fired and organizing a boycott that was obviously going to bankrupt the company.

I imagine quite a few pundits and the like figure they can do without the hassle and figure it's easier to pander to them. That being said there'll be someone that decides it's in their interest to antagonize them instead and I can't wait for it.

Adrian Durham said they would be relegated
I can see the fall out from that being a daily feature by October

 

[JJBlade]

Leeds will be fine, they are a decent team and they will improve.

They'll do what we did before lockdown, the difference is they'll stick with it and continually improve instead of reverting back to hoofball when the ideas run out

 

[Silent Blade]

How many remember the televised FA cup game they had in 73/74 years played Forest at home and at 0-3 down fans invaded pitch getting game abandoned (IMS serves Forest were in league below), they won replay & got to final to be spanked 3-0 by Liverpool.

Game wasnt abandoned. Fans invaded the pitch when Newcastle were 3-1 down and had Pat Howard sent off. Game resumed after the invasion and Newcastle went on to win 4-3. FA then decided to void the game and ordered a replay.

 

[bypassblade]

Oh well your memory is better than mine mate still a disgrace, Silent you know you are here to correct my frazzled memory mate

 

[8lade]

Oh well your memory is better than mine mate still a disgrace, Silent you know you are here to correct my frazzled memory mate

In fairness he can correct 99% of us with confidence.

 

[bypassblade]

In fairness he can correct 99% of us with confidence.

Personally I think the guy is unreal I remember lots but also forget/get mixed up he's like a super computer hats off to the lad.

 

[8lade]

Personally I think the guy is unreal I remember lots but also forget/get mixed up he's like a super computer hats off to the lad.

I'm the same great memory but some things just get transposed a bit over time!

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Why is it that so called expert pundits have such bias and obsessions with certain clubs? The prime examples being Leeds, West Ham and Newcastle. It doesn't matter what these clubs do the experts constantly big them up.

Pretty much every other day since Leeds were promoted the BBC have written a story about them or Bielsa.

I get they were once a massive team in the 70s. I get that they were contenders for the Premier League and in Europe in the late 90s, though this was due to reckless spending that led to their ultimate downfall, but since 2002/03 when they were relegated they've been out of the top flight. That's 17 years without top flight football and yet since then they're constantly spoken of as if they're still a huge club competing for the title.

During this same 17 year period Newcastle have been relegated and promoted a few times as have West Ham, and yet they're also spoken of as if they're huge clubs competing at the top end of the table, which they're not and never have been during this time. Newcastle were contenders under Keegan in the mid 90s and have done nothing of note since hen and haven't won a single trophy.

So why is it that their recent histories and predicaments are ignored? Why is the past more relevant than the present? What is it with this obsession with certain clubs that you hear on the radio and on TV programmes and read in articles?

Leeds wouldn’t get the same write up with Gary Monk in charge.

 

[cahill]

Game wasnt abandoned. Fans invaded the pitch when Newcastle were 3-1 down and had Pat Howard sent off. Game resumed after the invasion and Newcastle went on to win 4-3. FA then decided to void the game and ordered a replay.

Remember it well

 

[cahill]

Some familiar names there. Stuart Barrowclough and Pat Howard both ex Barnsley. John Tudor, ex Blade, plus Supemac, Duncan Mckenzie etc

 

[BladesOnToast]

Leeds makes sense no?

Loathe to admit it but yesterday's game did sort of justify the hype. I hate Leeds almost as much as i hate Liverpool but it was a great game of football. Very apt that they blew it with 2 mins left.