Punditry, the game's real scourge. (1 Viewer)

[Hector Grey]

I record MOTD or PSS and fast forward past the waffle. It's really, really shit. Used to be a time you'd be up for a bit of insight and banter. Not no more. When Kenny Cunningham's dull drone is the best you can hope for, it's a sorry state of affairs.

And let's not get started on co-commentators. "That's just dreadful, George." Pundits should dissect the performance of the commentators, not the players. "He's confused Sissoko with Cisse there Bill. Not good enough at this level."

 

[east hastings]

RTE champions league and international games punditry is brilliant when it's Bill, giles, brady and dunphy.

Richie sadler was quite good when he was on it too

 

[washingcattle]

Yeah you're fucking spoilt back in Ireland,

I have to stream it here so I have to try to block out Gary Lineker, Steve McManaman, Glenn Hoddle, Trevor Francis and Ian fucking Wright on Al Jazera and the Barcelona fan club on every other fucking channel.


Craig Burley on ESPN and then there's Jamie Redknapp and Gareth Southgate and Roy Keane on UTV. They even put the shackles on Graham Souness on Sky. Apparently he can't even say rape anymore, it's bollox.

Gary Neville is surprisingly honest, but I'd fucking love to have the three wise men waffling on about getting boozed up for Ireland or taking penalties for bonuses in pre season.

Be happy with what you have it gets way worse.

 

[Unicron]

Neville has really set the standard for punditry since he's started doing it for sky. Actually talks about and shows the viewer things that they might not pick up on, genuinely using his insights based on 2 decades at the top to be informative as opposed to the arrogance of Andy Gray and Alan Shearer's "if you've never played the game you wouldn't understand and I'm not going to try to explain it" attitude. And none of that saying exactly what happened in the replay before topping it off with "he'll be disappointed with that" or some malarkey either. Carragher, who by all accounts is a serious football man obsessed with the game, might be good next season if he can get some speech therapy to tame his horrid shrill accent.

Also hate the way that some pundits can never get over the fact that they used to play for a particular club and that bias always shines through, not to pick on Liverpool but it's just that they have so many former players working in the media but Whelan, Houghton, Hansen (hates my lot, never got over 89) Phil Thompson are amongst the worst culprits. Aldo is king though. Alan Smith is generally good on co-comms on sky but I hate when he does Arsenal matches.

And another thing ...

where ex-pros are good, where they have a genuine advantage is in immediate game analysis but what's the point of asking 71 year old John Giles, who last played in the 70's for informed or insightful opinion about the Wayne Rooney situation at United, the world and life as a footballer has changed dramatically since his day. Just like you don't have to have played as a pro to be a good coach you needn't need to have been a pro to be a good pundit, I'd sooner see a smart and thoughtful journo like Gab Marcotti or Jonathan Wilson (or closer to home Miguel Delaney) on telly then I would a rat faced charlatan like Dunphy.

 

[Hector Grey]

RTE champions league and international games punditry is brilliant when it's Bill, giles, brady and dunphy.

Richie sadler was quite good when he was on it too

I think the bounce has gone from their bungee to be honest. It pisses me off when they make rudimentary mistakes and admit they know nothing about the opposition, if say BATE were playing or something. It's. Your. Fucking. Job. Get a dvd. Look at Wikipedia. Learn how to pronounce names. DON'T tell us that Benoit Cheyrou is rubbish cos he failed at Liverpool when it was his brother Benoit who played for Liverpool.

Also, Dunphy is the resident spanish expert, cos he has Sky Sports at home. Jayses.

 

[Hector Grey]

It's true! The way the ouldfellas go on about how the game "should" be played. Christ, it changes all the time. It's a different game to the one that was played 15-20 years ago, never mind 40. Players are fitter now than than Gilsey ever was. Faster. Stronger. Less drunk. infinitely duller. If Stan Bowles was around now, he'd be at Cheltenham Town level.

HOWEVER, when it comes to Ireland, they say what we're all thinking, which is good.

And another thing ...

where ex-pros are good, where they have a genuine advantage is in immediate game analysis but what's the point of asking 71 year old John Giles, who last played in the 70's for informed or insightful opinion about the Wayne Rooney situation at United, the world and life as a footballer has changed dramatically since his day. Just like you don't have to have played as a pro to be a good coach you needn't need to have been a pro to be a good pundit, I'd sooner see a smart and thoughtful journo like gab Marcotti or Jonathan Wilson (or closer to home Miguel Delaney) on telly then I would a rat faced charlatan like Dunphy.

 

[Hector Grey]

Also, does the word "nous" ever get used outside of a football context?

 

[Jerry Twig]

They're only useful for the Ireland games, and still don't have a clue about most of the players. But at least they follow the bloody team and look at the bigger picture.
Dunphy though is an absolute spoofer, Bill, an absolute spoofer, mmmuuahhh

And it's funny that Unicron talks about the brilliance of Neville (he is good, the little fucker) and then bemoan club bias in the same post.

 

[Jerry Twig]

So there

 

[Unicron]

And it's funny that Unicron talks about the brilliance of Neville (he is good, the little fucker) and then bemoan club bias in the same post.

Ha yes, that's true I suppose. The thing about Neville is that we know what he's like and how much he loves that club, and I think he gets a break on the bias thing somewhat because he's not as pro-united on screen as as I suspect he could be. He did let himself down on that score early in the season when Wellbeck took a blatant dive in a game and he didn't call him on it. Savaged De Gea (a little unfairly I thought) after a game away to Spurs this season though, and is maybe a little easy on mistakes made by players he works with in the England set-up (Hart has been crap this year compared to last).

Actually I owe Aldo an apology, 2 words, Paddy Crerand.

Lee Dixon is alright, but surrounded by cretins at ITV and you used to see him get visibly frustrated with Shearer when he was on the BBC. Gavin Peacock used to be good, before he went off to Jesus school about 5 years ago.

Edit: Actually I agree with east hastings; on Sadlier, I frequently disagree with him but his opinions are based on some sort of consistant critical thinking and rigour, not just spouting cliched guff. Some of the stuff he did on Newstalk before the lads from OTB were put on gardening leave was great radio.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Sadlier is an Indo anti-Trap stooge though (everyone has a right to be anti-Trap of course, but he's peddled an institutional agenda for a long time)

 

[Hector Grey]

Sadlier is an Indo anti-Trap stooge though

Anti-keano too. Which is grand.

 

[Unicron]

That'd be one of the things I disagree with him on. But at least he presents an argument beyond "he's crap, we're crap with him." I can understand why people would want Trap gone, and I'll be very annoyed if he is given a new deal barring a miracle change in his methods, but I genuinely can't see a compelling upside to getting rid of him mid-qualifying campaign.

 

[Unicron]

NIALL QUINN IS SHIT.

SHIT

SHIT

SHIT

SHIT SHIT

SHIT

he seems like a nice man

BUT HE IS SHIT!

 

[washingcattle]

And it's funny that Unicron talks about the brilliance of Neville (he is good, the little fucker) and then bemoan club bias in the same post.

Nah, Neville isn't that biased, He's nowhere near as bad as Jim Beglin, Mark Lawerensen and Alan Hansen who basically dismiss Everton and are still forecasting the return of Liverpools glory days. I've never noticed their anti Arsenal stance but I'll pay more attention.

Neville took plenty of United players to task over diving and he can't do much else except compliment them at the moment, they did win the league without getting out of second gear. It's not like he can be overly critical. He was fairly even handed on the Nani red card if I recall correctly and he was first (along with Keane) to point out that you can still win games with 10 men and that United should have done better.

I love watching the Irish panel for Champions league for pure entertainment value, I don't think anyone (Maybe, Neville, occasionally Sadlier) is particularly insightful. They're great for Ireland matches because they're honest. You should see what gets said over here after England matches it's insane and borders on racist at times. Punditry is bollox anyway, If you know fuck all about football then maybe you pay attention to it, but most of it is fucking gossip column shite now anyway.

"Is Wayne Rooney happy ?"

"Well yes Gary he is, I hear he went for a lovely indian meal with his wife yesterday evening and bought some new trainers on ebay"

That's another reason I miss Dunphy, blowing kisses at Landon Donovans wife and shit like that. You won't see Gary fucking Lineker do it because everyone knows he's a fucking sex pest anyway.

 

[east hastings]

I love watching the Irish panel for Champions league for pure entertainment value.

I wish rte put up their analysis up on the rte player, cause i'd re-watch that more than half of the games they show

"Dunphy: I'd say man utd are sitting at home ripping their hair out after watching that match
Bill: I'd say they're slitting their wrists
Dunphy: No, i wouldn't got that far Bill"

 

[ann post]

heres my opinion on punditry.

 

[Unicron]

Andy fucking Townesend tonight, what a shitbag. His post-playing media career has negated all the bountiful affection I had for him as one of my favourite at the time Ireland players.

 

[washingcattle]

Andy fucking Townesend tonight, what a shitbag. His post-playing media career has negated all the bountiful affection I had for him as one of my favourite at the time Ireland players.

He fucking celebrated both times Cheski scored. I had to laugh at Keane saying that Frank Lampard should be having a word with players about their work rate. If that lazy cunt said a fucking word to me I'd nut him.

Townesend has to be one of the worst there is, Benfica were by far the better footballing side and that shitebag actually congratulated Ashley Cole on a hoof up field at one point !! A complete cunt if ever there was one.

 

[Cormcolash]

Bill and the lads are hilarious. I love seeing Dunphy going mad and Brady talking shite, it's great. Gilesy is pretty useless alright, except for talking from a managers perspective. Dunphy is hilarious though, and when they are all fighting with Brady it is great. All the others - BBC, ITV, whatever, are shite. Actually, TV3 have done pretty decently, Brian Kerr manages to come out with some sense at times.