I believe 99% of journalists have a fraction of the info people credit them with.
I also believe 99% are so desperate to not miss out (on clicks mostly) they will circulate any story they see. Yesterday was a great example, the moment Romano mentioned Gattuso suddenly they all did - this is no coincidence. Its not like they all happened across the story independently, simultaneously, is it?
And define "Talks", because to me that can be a simple conversation to get an indication of things being possible, or it can be serious contract negotiations with an intent to do a deal.
In the space of the few hours we were in "talks" with Gattuso, which do you think is more likely?
Levy has made a mess of this search, absolutely no doubt about it - but that doesnt mean Im inclined to take every click baity tweet as solid info.
The absolute clusterfuck is the fact that Spurs are bouncing from polar opposite managers. This is where we should all have our concerns, it highlights absolutely zero planning, zero forward-thinking and a muddled rudderless direction.
We can all have varying views on particular individual candidates suitability that have been linked: Ten Haag, Potter, Fonseka, even Poch stuff etc would demonstrate that Spurs know exactly the profile of manager we won't. This is good. This shows consistency in their profile whether it's too early for Poch or if Ten Haag is better than Fonseka is just a normal debate for us and those at the Club will examine. No problem here for me at all.
But it's about as clear as it possibly can be for me that since the links on Conte started, so too has the language used to report these links changed. For example, at no point has it been reported by "trusted" sources like Fabrizo Romano that we are at a contract stage of discussion prior to Conte links.
Fabrizio Romano has arguably the best contacts in the business and has made a name for himself for having the best info available, I assume the sources of his are the agent. What separates him from the clickbait is that he doesn't report or at least go balls deep on his news for clicks, his talent is to separate the agent's info as serious from manipulative. e.g. A player's agent contacts someone in the media and links him to a big club, all this does it get the profile of this player raised in the event it might have a shit club buy him. Or a player at a club is negotiating a new contract with his club and in order to facilitate this a spurious link is leaked, usually the club's bitter rivals, are making a move to sign him.
Romano's talent lies in separating agent manipulation from genuine interest. That is until you factor in fucking Mendes!!! Just look at how different the reports have been reported since the reports of Conte interest.
The reason for this, I can only speculate but consider this: Mendes creates an environment whereby he puts Spurs under duress. A Club already under serious pressure following a diabolical season under the dinosaur to PR disasters etc etc.. If he leeks to Romano that the deal is almost done, he knows this will get reported, this will test the resolve of Spurs to back out (even if there's nothing to back out of), from the moment it is announced that "its' almost done" it will be seen as such as this is the case.
Other Journalist's that have reported it will not want to have the fact they copied what was reported by Romanio, so they will always focus on the "shambles" of an appointment breaking down rather than focus on the fact that the info of it being "almost done" because it will only highlight that they were off, not Spurs.
This is pressure selling by the agents (Mendes).
Be concerned by the selection of candidates if they differ in styles, this is the shambles. Dissacotiate (which is bloody hard to do) with the specific info on a candidates negotiation with the Club.