Ange had one of those press conferences today where the nonsense came at him thick and fast, and like a pro tennis player he returned each serve with aplomb. The hacks were looking to cause him some discomfort and controversy.
He refused to play the game.
The reason that blogs like this exist is that we have a media which simply cannot be trusted to cover our game and our club in a fair and unbiased manner. They care more about stirring controversies and reporting on gossip than they do on writing the kinds of articles that will give the game in this country a shot in the arm. They did it twice today.
On neither occasion did they get a rise out of Ange. The first time was when they asked him about Robbie Neilson’s clownish comments from earlier in the week. The boss did not even want to discuss those remarks in any way, shape or form.
“What other managers say or think is of no interest to me. I don’t know why I would take into account another person’s view of what I have seen. It doesn’t register with me and never has.”
The second attempt at stirring the soup was even worse, and that was where his response was both more venomous and most interesting. It was when someone asked him about the story linking him to Spurs. It is one of the most pointed answers he has ever given.
“I don’t wake up and get a daily briefing on the latest gossip, whether that’s football or non-football related. I get up every morning and come to work and deal with what’s in front of me. The rest of it doesn’t mean anything to me, doesn’t affect me, doesn’t affect the people around me. Like most things, people want to have something to talk about and they pick things that are fairly obscure and you can run with without worrying too much whether there is actually any evidence behind it.”
That’s as unsubtle as it gets. He’s saying that the media invents stories, that it manufactures rather than reports the news, and this is a vindication of everything we’ve been doing for years.
Ange has not been here long, but already he’s been here long enough and that was an undisguised slap back at them for continuing to write this stuff even after he’s made his thoughts clear to them on where his future lies in the short to medium term.
The press here is a disgrace. He has known it for a while.
Ange does not take the bait, he basically just dismisses the media’s controversial attempts to stir the pot with a casual disdain that quickly puts their gas at a peep. Game, set and match to Ange at every press conference is just the normal outcome.
When will these clowns realise to stop their embarrassing questions as Ange is far to clever for this dross.
You can tell by his eyes at the pressers who he knows are bunker nut scoops ! It’s also written all over his face . He knows before a loaded question is asked that it’s trying to catch him out ,but he is so far ahead of these excuses for reporters that it’s actually entertaining to watch and listen … Talk about being decapitated !