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Racing pundits regularly get a slagging on the Horse Racing forum, but are the football equivalents any better?
Andy Gray gets right up my swede. Alan Hansen though, I enjoy listening to (So it’s not a Scots thing!)Could that be the same Alan Hansen that says things like "they’ll never win it with kids" (about Man Utd a good few years ago before they went on to win the league) or in the recent England v Croatia game – I think England will win this comfortably…
Hansen is poor very poor and I feel like switching off the TV when he’s on, Andy Gray on the other hand is a class act and comes across far more knowledgeable about football than Hansen.
I think Hansen has become stale in recent years. Andy Gray is good in short bursts but wears a little thin over any length of time.
Worst pundits I reckon would be Alan Shearer, Ian Wright (who doesn’t really qualify as a pundit so much as a clown) and the execrable Alan Brazil who for some reason has a book out in which he offers us the benefit of his accumulated wisdom on all manner of subjects. (Have a guess what he thinks about immigrants
…) Come to think of it, anyone who appears on Talk Sport, which is the epitome of everything that is wrong with coverage of sport in England, hell its everything that is wrong with England….Anyway, pundits, yes, the best I would say is Gavin Peacock, I can put up with Garth Crooks, Graham Le Saux is okay, Martin O’Neill was tremendous value in the World Cup and though it pains me to say it, I find Paul Merson entertaining.
Oh and on the radio, Chris Waddle (enjoyed his impassioned rant after the Croatia debacle) and Graham Taylor, who appears to be prepared to take on new ideas in his rather mellow middle age. And most astonishingly of all, Stan Collymore who against all logic and reason is really quite a good pundit.
Just thought of a couple more I can’t stand. David Pleat is whiny and never has anything interesting to say and Steve Claridge who seems to think supporters are the lowest form of life and doesn’t actually seem to know very much about football.
It’s probably the same in every sport – some pundits will get praised, some pundits cop abuse.
In terms of football, I don’t like the BBC’s football team generally, rather than just one pundit. Sky have got it down to a tee in my opinion. The Soccer Saturday show is highly entertaining, fronted by the excellent Jeff Stelling (a local lad
) with pundits losing their teeth or getting caught eating a sandwich live on air lol.The thing with Sky is that they don’t keep the same pundits to a set schedule, one week it can be four guys, the next week it could be a totally different team of guys, while any football shows during the week follow a similar routine.
Regarding Andy Gray, well I think the mistake Sky made with him was to make him a pundit in shows like ‘The Last Word’ etc. He is an excellent co-commentator and should be kept to that in my opinion.
Mike
I’d have Shearer, Brazil and Wright over Le Saux, Peacock and Crooks any day. The point of a TV or radio pundit is to provide some insight but to do it in an entertaining fashion. Talksport do have some poor moments (stand up Durham) but, on the whole, their presenters are entertaining enough.
Howver I do agree with you, Aranalde, on the subject of Brazil’s book.
I made a real effort to listen to Talk Sport about a year back, thinking I ought to give this a chance, so I tried it on the way to work and back. I managed four days. I felt as though someone had tampered with my brain, as though I had been force fed audio versions of the Sun in some horrible Clockwork Orange style brainwashing session. For days afterwards I was referring to women as ‘love’ and lapsing into that wierd growly continuity voice they had on between shows.
I’d agree with you in principle, Cormack, but I’m not sure the examples are the best. Shearer has nothing to offer, beyond a strained Frankenstein/Phil Mitchell expression which usually results in either a cliche (often involving the words, ‘passion’ and ‘work rate’) or a sudden and slightly frightening burst of laughter that quite frankly terrifies me. Ian Wright has nothing to say of any consequence whatsover. He appears to know absolutely nothing about any other team besides England and his only contribution is to cheer when they score and sulk when they lose. Frankly, anyone could do that.
Alan Brazil, perhaps I was being a bit unkind, he wasn’t the worst of them on Talksport (I perhaps should have mentioned Rodney Marsh, the moron’s moron).
I actually think Gary Lineker would be a half-decent pundit if he was allowed to, rather than having to deliver weak puns and cheesy grins.
Get Stan Collymore on the telly, I say.
Ian Wright is a plonker. Sorry guys, but he is. Ditto Hansen. Lawrenson is a annoying and smug but can sometimes come away with a memorable one liner. Alan Shearer isn’t the most erudite pundit; and though a his sentiments and opinions are more often than not riddled with cliches, he is honest and rarely offends.
From a Scottish perspective, Pat Nevin and Davie Provan (ex Kilmarnock, Celtic and Scotland) talk a lot of sense and are always worth listening to. Graham Spiers (Scottish journalist with The Times and erstwhile foootball pundit) offers great insight and is without question the most eloquent and articulate observer on the Scottish game.
But the doyen of all (another Scot perchance) is the wonderful Hugh McIlvanney – who, though not strictly a "pundit" per se, nevertheless commands total and utter respect.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Ah well, McIlvenney is different class.
Lawrenson is sometimes good value, he seems as though he can’t be bothered a lot of the time, then he comes out with a funny line.
Talksport (Radio Bloke) is horrendous and mostly is by numpties for numpties.
Listen to the frequent ads between the chunks of tedium to get an idea of who they are targeting.
Either the presenters are crushing bores (stand up Adrian Durham) or motor-mouthed know nothings. Apologies to any exceptions but can’t think of any offhand. Alan Brazil is possibly the most irritating man on the radio and that’s saying something.Five Live’s football coverage is a mix of class (Mike Ingham, Jimmy Armfield, Stuart Hall, Pat Murphy and surprisingly Stan Collymore-not saying anything about his "demons", that’s another debate), dross (Pleat and godhelpus Perry Groves) with that great enigma Alan Green who can build up the atmosphere like nobody else, is fearless in who he criticises and cuts the crap in no uncertain terms. Why is it then that he can be one of the most obnoxious prats imaginable?
Graham Spiers (Scottish journalist with The Times and erstwhile football pundit) offers great insight and is without question the most eloquent and articulate observer on the Scottish game.
Oh dear I can’t believe there’s someone that rates this clown, most Scottish football forums can’t stand him.
It takes all sorts I suppose, somebody has to like him, not sure even his own mother does.
Graham Spiers (Scottish journalist with The Times and erstwhile football pundit) offers great insight and is without question the most eloquent and articulate observer on the Scottish game.
Oh dear I can’t believe there’s someone that rates this clown, most Scottish football forums can’t stand him.
It takes all sorts I suppose, somebody has to like him, not sure even his own mother does.
Oh that’s right, I forgot ; Speirs (self confessed Rangers fan since childhood) recently wrote an article which was less than complimentary to the club which he and his family have followed for decades. Little wonder he has touched a nerve.
Spiers is a very good journalist and writer folks, irrespective of Jim’s belligerent comments. I reckon he’s slightly upset that Celtic have made it to the last sixteen in the Champions’ League – before Rangers.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Oh that’s right, I forgot ; Speirs (self confessed Rangers fan since childhood) recently wrote an article which was less than complimentary to the club which he and his family have followed for decades. Little wonder he has touched a nerve.
Spiers is a very good journalist and writer folks, irrespective of Jim’s belligerent comments. I reckon he’s slightly upset that Celtic have made it to the last sixteen in the Champions’ League – before Rangers.
hahahaha, you are one funny guy, maybe Celtic made the last 16 before us but that’s only because their game was played a week before ours, don’t forget though RANGERS were the FIRST Scottish side to make the last 16 if you really want to be pernickety. Oooh I can feel the hurt from here!
Spiers is a clown and knows more about tweed jackets with elbow patches on them than he does football, and Rangers fan he is NOT! – end of!
Don’t you just love a Celtic v Rangers rivalry?
Keep it up guys, great entertainment
Mike
Spiers is a clown and knows more about tweed jackets with elbow patches on them than he does football, and Rangers fan he is NOT! – end of!
End of ?
You sound like Alan Carr. Of course Speirs is a Rangers fan, whether you accept it or not. I still have the utmost respect for the guy. He’s probably (no, I’d say he is) the first journalist who has openly declared his true footballing allegiances live on air. unlike the others who, though quite obviously favouring one half of the Old Firm, hide behind the likes St. Mirren, Partick, Clyde, Airdrie and Albion Rovers as the their club of choice.
Speirs said, " My father, who is a church of Scotland minister, used to take me to Ibrox to watch Rangers every time they played at home. So yes, you could say I am Rangers fan, and to all intents and purposes, still am, I suppose."
End of !
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Come on now chaps, calm down, it’s not worth getting into a tizz over. I mean it’s not as though it’s proper football.
Jesus wept…
I know he was once a Rangers fan but I repeat – a Rangers fan he is not!
the bottom line is that he’s a clown no matter what team he says he prefers, maybe you like him because he once said some nice things about Neil Lennon? I have no problems with that and I have no problems with you being a Celtic fan but what I do have problems with is rating Spiers highly, the Herald knew his time was up.
ps who’s Alan Carr? is he Juan Carr’s brother?
seriously I don’t know who Alan Carr is, now I know of Jimmy Carr and he’s funny.
…) Come to think of it, anyone who appears on Talk Sport, which is the epitome of everything that is wrong with coverage of sport in England, hell its everything that is wrong with England….
) with pundits losing their teeth or getting caught eating a sandwich live on air lol.
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