Lawro raises crap to a new level, arguably Gary. Personally I detest this idea that commentators and pundits are characters. Of course they are nice people, but they are functionaries supposed to be providing a service first and foremost. Don't do the banter chite during the game...especially true on the wireless.
Like every sane person, I'm a big fan of the secondary ITV pairing in Jon Champion and Ally McCoist. When talking about Kazan, Ally had the following to say:
"It's unbelievable, Jon! If you put me in a corner and nailed me, it’s probably my favourite place on the trip so far, Kazan. Unbelievable. It’s come a long way since it fell to Ivan the Terrible in 1552.
... We had a wonderful trip around the Qol Sharif mosque this morning, which is situated within the Kazan Kremlin. Just some stunning – absolutely stunning – architecture Jon, I’ve got to tell you."
These two are smashing it out the park at the moment. Good insight and enthusiasm into the game; a rapport; humour - what's not to like?
Chris Sutton on the wireless is a bit annoying, though he was quite funny when Korea's second went in... He was loving it
He was still laughing about it this morning! You could hear him chuckling in the background while they interviewed Jens Lehman on the Radio 5 breakfast show
Not pundits as such ,but Proudfoot(Jim??) on talksport voice really grates with me There's another commentater on there that sounds like he should be doing the darts.
Alex Scott is growing into the tournament - she was very good last night on the highlights show.
Aluko (former Charlton may I add) has been the best out there. She's got a job there when she gets bored of playing for Juventus. She actually bothers to do her research and identify areas of team's and individual's games you may not have picked up on before. She's clearly watched some of these players at international and club level before taking up the gig. A refreshing change to the usual cliches and lazy comments or just explaining what we can already see.
Another I like, who I've not heard much of this tournament is Pat Nevin. Again, always provides soemthing different to the others.
Gary Neville has been disappointing compared to his Sky job.
Alex Scott is growing into the tournament - she was very good last night on the highlights show.
Aluko (former Charlton may I add) has been the best out there. She's got a job there when she gets bored of playing for Juventus. She actually bothers to do her research and identify areas of team's and individual's games you may not have picked up on before. She's clearly watched some of these players at international and club level before taking up the gig. A refreshing change to the usual cliches and lazy comments or just explaining what we can already see.
Another I like, who I've not heard much of this tournament is Pat Nevin. Again, always provides soemthing different to the others.
Gary Neville has been disappointing compared to his Sky job.
Alex Scott is growing into the tournament - she was very good last night on the highlights show.
Aluko (former Charlton may I add) has been the best out there. She's got a job there when she gets bored of playing for Juventus. She actually bothers to do her research and identify areas of team's and individual's games you may not have picked up on before. She's clearly watched some of these players at international and club level before taking up the gig. A refreshing change to the usual cliches and lazy comments or just explaining what we can already see.
Another I like, who I've not heard much of this tournament is Pat Nevin. Again, always provides soemthing different to the others.
Gary Neville has been disappointing compared to his Sky job.
He's on Radio5Live
I know, just not listened much so far. He should be on TV more in my opinion.
Cannot stand listening to Savage wallowing in his own ignorance like a pig in shit, proud of how little he knows and calling everyone 'mate'.
I detest Robbie Savage - utter knobhead. Have to turn the radio off when he's on. Talks complete bollocks.
Alex Scott and Eniola Aluko have been good - Alex seems the more relaxed. Hope they both continue with their roles.
It absolutely mystifies me how he has made a media career for himself, especially on the BBC of all places
Robbie Savage is an absolute knobhead of the highest order, who loves giving it out to callers and fans, but when JT gave him some back a few years, he cried like a pussy for weeks.
It is not even the fact that I despise him as a person that gets to me the most, it is the fact that he is a TERRIBLE broadcaster, whom would be an embarassment on community radio, let alone the flagship show of the BBC!
I personally really like Robbie Savage, though I know I’m in a minority. His opinion tends to be a bit more insightful than the top, top former players as he knows what it is like to be in a game where you’re on the back foot and you need to apply some psychology.
Thierry Henry on the other hand is someone who had the most incredible natural talent, but that for me makes it difficult to listen to him talk about the game as he has never had to think about it in the same way as a player who, even though played in the Premier League, had to scratch and claw a bit like Savage.
ITV's panels benefit from having more people experienced in management, Bilic, O'Neill and to an extent Keane, as opposed to former players who went straight into the media, you do need that different experience as well. Plus that bit of ego, which is what made the likes of Clough and Hill such interesting pundits, even if you didn't agree with them.
O'Neill is my favourite pundit, probably the most intelligent and articulate of them all - I loved the end of the Nottingham Forest video, 'I Believe In Miracles', when he put that idiot, Adrian Chiles, Patrick Veira and A.N. Other most firmly in their place (if you haven't seen it, do try and catch it). Billic is good, as is Gary Neville on ITV, although I feel he's a little crowded out by too many pundits on the panel and too little time. I thought he was very good as a co-commentator (unlike his nice but irritating brother). Lee Dixon knows his stuff, whilst Ian Wright connects with his passion. For me, Roy Keane adds very little, although he does have a very good scowl. The problem all of them have, of course, is that it's time for a bloody advert every few minutes, so there is barely any time to develop a point, less still a meaningful line of discussion between the panel.
On BBC, I think that the 'foreign' experts, Fabregas, Zabaletta and Klinsman have all offered some very interesting insights, while Drogba has grown into the role, with his intelligence and natural charm. Ferdinand is very solid and knowledgeable and Jenas has performed well but Shearer seems to me to have regressed a little in this tournament. Alex Scott is a natural with her magnetic personality and charm and generally comes across as a breath of fresh air. I'm afraid that Danny Murphy's co-commentary has started to irritate me, whilst Martin Keown's intensity is also rather grating. A case of Hobson's choice, but I prefer Glen Hoddle's mumbling and monotone voice to those two, especially as he really does know his stuff.
What are the odds on Sven-Göran Eriksson being wheeled out by BBC for Saturday's quarter-final against Sweden - unless, of course, he's already been snapped up ? My hunch is that his agent will have had/be having a busy 48 hours unless Sven's already contracted to Swedish TV.
Comments
Personally I detest this idea that commentators and pundits are characters.
Of course they are nice people, but they are functionaries supposed to be providing a service first and foremost.
Don't do the banter chite during the game...especially true on the wireless.
"It's unbelievable, Jon! If you put me in a corner and nailed me, it’s probably my favourite place on the trip so far, Kazan. Unbelievable. It’s come a long way since it fell to Ivan the Terrible in 1552.
... We had a wonderful trip around the Qol Sharif mosque this morning, which is situated within the Kazan Kremlin. Just some stunning – absolutely stunning – architecture Jon, I’ve got to tell you."
These two are smashing it out the park at the moment. Good insight and enthusiasm into the game; a rapport; humour - what's not to like?
There's another commentater on there that sounds like he should be doing the darts.
Aluko (former Charlton may I add) has been the best out there. She's got a job there when she gets bored of playing for Juventus. She actually bothers to do her research and identify areas of team's and individual's games you may not have picked up on before. She's clearly watched some of these players at international and club level before taking up the gig. A refreshing change to the usual cliches and lazy comments or just explaining what we can already see.
Another I like, who I've not heard much of this tournament is Pat Nevin. Again, always provides soemthing different to the others.
Gary Neville has been disappointing compared to his Sky job.
Alex Scott and Eniola Aluko have been good - Alex seems the more relaxed. Hope they both continue with their roles.
Robbie Savage is an absolute knobhead of the highest order, who loves giving it out to callers and fans, but when JT gave him some back a few years, he cried like a pussy for weeks.
It is not even the fact that I despise him as a person that gets to me the most, it is the fact that he is a TERRIBLE broadcaster, whom would be an embarassment on community radio, let alone the flagship show of the BBC!
Thierry Henry on the other hand is someone who had the most incredible natural talent, but that for me makes it difficult to listen to him talk about the game as he has never had to think about it in the same way as a player who, even though played in the Premier League, had to scratch and claw a bit like Savage.
On BBC, I think that the 'foreign' experts, Fabregas, Zabaletta and Klinsman have all offered some very interesting insights, while Drogba has grown into the role, with his intelligence and natural charm. Ferdinand is very solid and knowledgeable and Jenas has performed well but Shearer seems to me to have regressed a little in this tournament. Alex Scott is a natural with her magnetic personality and charm and generally comes across as a breath of fresh air. I'm afraid that Danny Murphy's co-commentary has started to irritate me, whilst Martin Keown's intensity is also rather grating. A case of Hobson's choice, but I prefer Glen Hoddle's mumbling and monotone voice to those two, especially as he really does know his stuff.
What are the odds on Sven-Göran Eriksson being wheeled out by BBC for Saturday's quarter-final against Sweden - unless, of course, he's already been snapped up ? My hunch is that his agent will have had/be having a busy 48 hours unless Sven's already contracted to Swedish TV.