I bow to no-one in my appreciation of Alan Hansen as a first class football pundit. Sir Paul Fox, the man who launched Match of the Day once perceptively remarked: "Of the countless analysts who talk tosh most of the time only four talk sense to me: John Francome, Alan Hansen and two Americans, Michael Johnson and John McEnroe."
Sadly for Hansen, the reigning kings among these tosh talkers are currently employed alongside him by the BBC to cover England's matches.
Ian Wright is almost embarrassing. Last night, he was sprawled in chair with a badly knotted tie offering the usual banalities punctuated by the odd 'fair plays' and 'd'ya-know-whad-I-means," along with the same old in-jokes about his stepson being one of the England players which sadly ran their course yonks ago. There appeared to be a deliberate space kept between Wright and his co-pundits, presumably to add to this sort of Bash Street Kid persona the producers intend for him to occupy.
Alan Shearer, kitted out in the customary bollock-clinchingly tight slacks, mustered little of what I saw of the game, merely concluding Fabio Capello could take 'a lot of positives from the evening'.
For once, I would love to see producers give the heave-ho to this "jobs for the boys" approach of filling the commentary box with ex-players and experiment with the odd sports journalist, people who spend their time, week-in week-out watching football. Then, we might finally see someone prepared to stick their neck out and offer us a few home truths rather than obeying this apparent dressing room omerta surrounding harsh judgements on fellow professionals.
Starting with the not-so-radical view that Wes Brown is not an international right back, and that, Mr Capello, Wayne Rooney is probably not best deployed on the left wing.
Always baffles me that the top sports league in the world can do no better than to put 3 uncomfortable chairs in a room and "feature" self serving questions lobbed at them by some washed up presenter. The commentators remind me of the the professional referee with two amateur linesman. Replays, telestrators, camera angles that make no sense during the actual airing of the match, and at east some factual (not anecdotal) evidence of what is going on in the match (or, at least, why the "analysts" were invited). Halftime is TV, not listening to some has been at the pub...
Posted by: Tom - Chicago | 07 February 2008 at 03:33 PM
How do you know, you're in Chicago?
But yeah, condemnation for the BBC duffers is pretty much universal. Don't expect anyone at the arrogant, complacent BBC to take any notice though.
Posted by: sally | 08 February 2008 at 12:02 AM
If you think it's bad, you should have to listen to what we have to put up with down here. I long for the English commentary at half time.
Posted by: Bill M, Pom, Sydney, Oz | 08 February 2008 at 05:48 AM
Actually, Sally, we see more games here in the States than in England. All I know is that halftime is filled with aimless chatter from the EPL coach and player merry go round . Pick 5 or 6 players and/or coaches, pay them well and demand some professionalism as analysts - just because someone was a fantastic player or coach for Arsenal or Liverpool does not mean they are ANY good at analysis in a TV studio. Spend some money on the set, prepare the analysts, have an idea of what they might say and back it up with replay angles NOT seen in the game, telestrator technology to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge.
Posted by: Tom - Chicago | 08 February 2008 at 06:03 PM
BBC Sport and BBC Football 'pundits' AND presenters have been driving me to distraction for years. Gary Linekere is and always has been utterly, utterly appalling. Yes sometimes people need to grow into a job, find their feet and their confidence and of they go. Some take to it like the proverbial duck. Gary Lineker is just rank, and always has been. His monotone voice is aided by his smug energy-less style, and I just want him to finish talking seconds after he starts. His interview capabilities, social skills generally, are just abysmal. For goodness sake, I grew up with Des Lynam and can remember as far back Harry Carpenter, David Coleman & Brian Moore. Sky have the superb Martin Tyler, and although he has deteriorated over the last 3-4 years as he's gotten too fat and full of himself on his large Sky salary, Andy Gray 'sees' a game well and calls it well too. The BBC have a few people that interest me as potentially good punters, such as Gavin Peacock, but Lawrenson's for so long quite good has now lost his (Football) focus, and Hansen lost his years ago and took the smug road aided and abetted by Lineker some time ago. Gabby Logan is the worst presenter/interviewer of the lot though, and like many people I would love to see Adrian Chiles given the MOTD job rather than MOTD2 chair. He is real, a very good Presenter, passionate and knowledgeable about Football, and INTELLIGENT. And that's principally what we're missing, INTELLIGENCE!
Posted by: Michael | 09 February 2008 at 12:25 PM
Andy Gray sees every game as a brilliant, exciting classic. He is banal in the extreme.
Posted by: Brian | 10 February 2008 at 11:08 AM
Although the national team is in disarray at least one thing Ireland can be proud of is the excellent analysis provided by the national broadcasters, rte, studio pairing of Eamonn Dunphy and former leeds star John Giles. Their analysis is cliché free, to the point, and not afraid of bruising ego's. For corroboration just ask Graeme Sounness who took part in the 2006 world cup analysis team. The tough Scot was astonished at the clarity and cogency of the post match analysis. Dunphy and Giles not only pointed out the glaring failings in Erickson's tactics but also the paucity of the work of such "experts" as Garth Crooks.
Posted by: john murphy | 10 February 2008 at 11:37 AM
You need someone who is amusing but it needs to also be someone who knows the game and is not afraid to ruffle feathers. Replace Ian Wright with Ian Holloway.
Posted by: David Gwilliam | 10 February 2008 at 07:00 PM
Capello might well rid England of the "holy cows" in the dressing room. But it will be harder to rid ourselves of those in the TV studios ... As for commenators with Attention Deficit Disorder who can't stop whinging about how boring games are ...
Posted by: luca menato | 11 February 2008 at 09:17 AM
I have to say that RTE have it right. Put 3-4 pundits in a room who can't stand each other (most of the time) and let them rant at each other. It's great entertainment at least. This clip is one of the only times I've seen the entire panel agree. Topic: how bad an interviewer Gareth Crooks is. http://youtube.com/watch?v=cugYQ35vtvQ&feature=related
Posted by: Martin Burns | 13 February 2008 at 03:12 AM