The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup

[Dinny Breen]

And Robbie Earle got sacked over it, unbelieveable...

[Catch the high ball]

And Robbie Earle got sacked over it, unbelieveable...

Robbie Earle was a shite pundit anyway, I would actually go as far as saying he was bellend!

[paco]

http://www.espnstar.com/football/world-cup/news/detail/item454871/Maradona:-Pele-should-return-to-museum/

This man is some craic

[ONeill]

Yea, was about to say it didn't take Maradona long to get going - http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16062010/58/world-cup-2010-maradona-attacks-pele-platini.html

Dread what he'll do if the Argies are dumped out controversially.

[ONeill]

Found some of this funny:

Tom English: 'The level of punditry is patronising and insulting'

IT'S FAIR to say that it's not just ITV that has taken some stick for some of their coverage at this World Cup, particularly the coverage of the tournament's lesser lights. The BBC have been getting it in the neck as well. To give you an example, what I'm talking about here is things like Alan Shearer's self-proclaimed "expert analysis" that amounts to a conveyor belt of cliches and the kind of insight that even a child of six would describe as laughable.

Before the Algeria versus Slovenia game in Group C on Sunday, Shearer seemed to be speaking for the entire BBC panel when he said, "Our knowledge of these two teams is limited." Limited! What the former England striker was saying was that he hadn't done his homework, that he hadn't spoken to any of his vast array of contacts in the game, hadn't tapped into the BBC's huge research machinery, hadn't even bothered, seemingly, to peruse the internet for some background on Algeria and Slovenia or even flick through a newspaper or a magazine. Shearer was content to sit in front of the cameras and tell the viewers that, really, he didn't know much. Hardly a revelation to those of us who have groaned our way through his anodyne commentaries in the past, but embarrassing all the same.

Why do the BBC deem that acceptable? Why is Shearer not taken aside and told, 'Listen, if you can't be bothered doing some research on this game then get lost'. It's a different, and entirely more professional story, on radio where the wonderful 5 Live and, closer to home, the award-winning Radio Scotland present their football coverage in a proper fashion. How does Shearer (but not just Shearer) get away with opting out like that?

And here's another one. The Beeb got carpeted by some viewers for their treatment of that Algeria game. So what happened before the kick-off in yesterday's lunch-time match between New Zealand and Slovakia? In a six-and-a-half minute introduction just one player out of the 22 on show was given a name-check, and here is how it happened.

Lee Dixon: "Slovakia have got some decent players, Hamsik, the pick of them. Young player, plays on the left side."

Gary Lineker: "He's at Napoli."

Lee Dixon: "That's right."

Alan Hansen (chuckling): "Somebody gave you him, by the way."

What Hansen meant, I think, was that his colleagues must have been fed the Hamsik reference by another party, that they couldn't have come up with his name all by themselves. It's not like Dixon or Lineker produced a dossier of facts about Hamsik, a file of information on who he is and where he has been. All they did was mention his name and the fact that he was rather good. That was it. Hansen seemed to think this was worthy of a gently-mocking put-down, as if the other two were some kind of class swots. As such, he was almost revelling in his own ignorance.

There's a lot of this going about, on BBC and ITV. The level of punditry is cringe-making. It's lowest common denominator stuff. Patronising and insulting, much of it. Emmanuel Adebayor's mobile phone started ringing in his pocket live on air the other day. His respect for the viewers didn't even amount to him making sure the thing was switched off. Edgar Davids has been unintelligible, Gareth Southgate hasn't said one interesting thing, Kevin Keegan has been nothing more than a cheerleader for England and Andy Townsend has been his usual bland self, trotting out statements of the obvious with a rapid-fire gusto. "I tell you what, for me, he's gotta hit the target from there!"

And you are paid how much, Andy?

Clarence Seedorf was in the BBC studio the other night for the Italy versus Paraguay match and he was making a point about the positive impact an Italian substitute had made on the game. He was referring to Antonio Di Natale, winner of more than 30 caps for the Azzurri and the leading goalscorer in Serie A in the season just gone, but Seedorf couldn't remember his name. Hadn't a clue. Neither did the blokes alongside him, Hansen among them. "He was the No 10," said a smiling Seedorf, who then reached for a team-sheet on the desk for help before realising that it was the Dutch team-sheet. "That's no use," he laughed. Indeed, Clarence.

Hansen thought this was priceless. "That might be highlight of the World Cup so far," he trumpeted. The programme ended and still nobody had figured out that the No 10 was Di Natale. You would hope that behind the scenes the BBC producers were holding their heads in their hands with embarrassment, but you wouldn't bank on it. Of course, in the squirm factor stakes there are many challengers. Mick McCarthy claimed just before kick-off in the Argentina versus Nigeria game that he'd only just realised that the Juan Sebastian Veron that appeared on his team-sheet was the same Veron who'd played for Manchester United and Chelsea. Quite a statement of ignorance, that.

In fairness to McCarthy, he does have something to offer in his reading of the game. It's just that there is so much that makes you wince in between. What we're getting a lot of from both sides is glib nonsense, crap jokes and crass stereotyping. Adrian Chiles is flavour of the month on ITV, but his popularity is not what it was. It wasn't his fault that ITV HD pressed the wrong button at the wrong time during England's opening game and missed Steven Gerrard's goal, but Chiles has been distinctly unconvincing in the anchor role. He wants to be the funny man when the job demands gravitas. He wants to throw in one-liners when he should be attempting to spearhead a proper discussion about a match.

His introduction to England's game against the Americans was mortifying. Wielding a baseball bat and sending a message to America, he said, "Just stick to your sports, why don't you?" Chiles was also seen patting a burger, adding: "We really love Americans, just wouldn't eat a whole one." He made himself look like a clown.

Keegan's summing-up: "It was a very, very good performance, good enough to win any game." This classic piece of Keegan claptrap should have been jumped upon and ripped apart for the nonsensical garbage that it was, but it sailed through pretty much. Chiles doesn't do confrontation – neither does the BBC – and it's a terrible weakness. There is no edge, no passion. It's all so bloody harmless and dull.

ITV needed somebody with a backbone to turn around to Keegan and say to him, 'Okay Kevin, what you're saying there is a load of junk. Explain how getting a draw against a team of journeymen like America is very good, explain the selection of James Milner out of position, explain why the rank ordinary Shaun Wright-Phillips was brought on instead of the classy Joe Cole, explain the failure of Gerrard and Frank Lampard to function together yet again, explain why this negated Wayne Rooney's impact'. Kev didn't do any of that, though.

There are many days ahead when our intelligence will be insulted by "expert analysts" who speak to us like simpletons who've just staggered home from the pub. We could do a lot worse than hitting the mute button from here on in. Or getting the commentary off the radio.

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Tom-English-39The-level-of.6364084.jp

[pintsofguinness]

Adrian Chiles is flavour of the month on ITV, but his popularity is not what it was. It wasn't his fault that ITV HD pressed the wrong button at the wrong time during England's opening game and missed Steven Gerrard's goal, but Chiles has been distinctly unconvincing in the anchor role. He wants to be the funny man when the job demands gravitas. He wants to throw in one-liners when he should be attempting to spearhead a proper discussion about a match.

His introduction to England's game against the Americans was mortifying. Wielding a baseball bat and sending a message to America, he said, "Just stick to your sports, why don't you?" Chiles was also seen patting a burger, adding: "We really love Americans, just wouldn't eat a whole one." He made himself look like a clown.

I'm glad someone else thought that! It was just cringe the whole way through!

[Bogball XV]

Seedorf was good enough the other night on the highlights show - they show about 2 mins from each game and have comedy moments in between each match, seriously, wtf is that all about??
I normally watch on rte, and whilst they're not quite as lazy, they're not a lot better, the amount of mistakes they make and the amount of times they state that they don't know much about such and such is ridiculous.

[Main Street]

I don't watch the English channels, I thought that that was the type of stuff most of the English viewers liked. It's amazing that Shearer was given a job actually managing a team in the EPL or maybe the football managing gig is not that complicated.

I listened to Ronnie Whelan on RTE for the first time in ages and he has wised up a bit. Could be Giles passing him a few gems off-camera, for him to use. Overall RTE's punditry is not reaching the same level of gravitas that it had at the Euros. The forces are scattered about, isolated at different games.

[paco]

Chiles was very cringeworthy in the buildup to the England game. Think that article is a bit harsh on some of the pundits, I thought Seedorf was good but I find the likes of Andy Townsend and Gareth Southgate unwatchable. Some of the excuse-making during and after the England match was ridiculous and they were all at it, especially on ITV.

[Minder]

Just turned it over to see Forlans penalty, he placed the ball on the spot and the camera showed him looking at the ball then looking at the goal as they all do, the BBC commentator somehow in whatever galaxy he was frequenting said "first sign of nerves from Forlan there", as he blasted the ball into the top corner.........

[anportmorforjfc]

Just turned it over to see Forlans penalty, he placed the ball on the spot and the camera showed him looking at the ball then looking at the goal as they all do, the BBC commentator somehow in whatever galaxy he was frequenting said "first sign of nerves from Forlan there", as he blasted the ball into the top corner.........

When it showed forlan after the 5 minute delay (when the sub keeper was on and standing near the penalty sport) i thought he did look a bit nervous. But what a cool finish!

[A Quinn Martin Production]

To be fair ITV will be disappointed with that...

I think Seedorf hasn't been bad and Lee Dixon and Mick McCarthy are both trying to analyse the football.  But when will the TV companies learn that being a former professional footballer does not make you a credible analyst?  Did they not screen test Adebayor and Edgar Davids (is he trying to be a Dutch Dunphy with his extreme grumpiness?).  Adebayor is unintelligible so it's hard to tell if he's providing insightful analysis or not.  Hansen appears to have given up and is there for the fee and jokes (BTW papers are reporting that Robbie Earle's "salary" from ITV was £150,000 per year!!!!) and as for Shearer...

[Bogball XV]

can't believe that bill reckons that because forlan didn't make it with man utd, his miss tonight shows further evidence that he's not a big game player - i mean ffs, talk about insular.

so last night, billo starts the post match analysis, with a 'forlan is showing he's the real deal'

I'd agree with most of ye, Seedorf has been the find of the world cup so far, haven't heard didi, but he's been getting rave reviews.  Btw, all seedorf has done is not talk in inance banalities constantly.  Remember lads, there's no easy games in international football anymore.

[Minder]

In fairness I saw Davids earlier this year doing Champions League games, possibly with ITV  and he was very insightful. He was able to say quite clearly what the teams were doing tactically, it stuck in my mind because Andy Townsend was sitting next to him and had a look on his face as if Davids was discussing quantam physics.

[Tony Baloney]

In fairness I saw Davids earlier this year doing Champions League games, possibly with ITV  and he was very insightful. He was able to say quite clearly what the teams were doing tactically, it stuck in my mind because Andy Townsend was sitting next to him and had a look on his face as if Davids was discussing quantam physics.

It's quantum.

The pundits are there on a jolly so they aren't gonna waste time researching teams that are unlikely to make it out of their group. I'd say there time is spent playing golf or boozing.