Punditry, the game's real scourge. (2 Viewers)

[washingcattle]

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.

Kerr seems to know every single player in europe as though he watches them every week. It's incredible. When TV3 had the Europa League a last year he was as at home discussing Atletico Madrid or Braga as I would be talking about Everton, it was fucking amazing. He knows his stuff alright.

The best Pundits are the ones who demand to be impressed by teams. At least they'll call a game shite when it is shite instead of saying "cagey" or "tactical" I enjoy cagey tactical games but there's nothing cagey or tactical about players not being able to control simple passes, or showing no ambition to pass it properly. That's why UTV and BBC are unwatchable, Tonight for example they'll praise Chelski for what they did, TV3 and RTE are the only ones who'll actually say they parked the fucking bus and got lucky. It's fucking depressing over here they go on about heroics and conviction like it's the battle of fucking Britain every time a PL team has to play some johnny foreigners. Which does no one any favours because it justifies being outclassed to the average no nothing punter. And in case they hadn't fucking noticed Gary "please don't pass it to me" Cahill, Cashley Cole and Frank the lazy cunt Lampard are the only brits left in europe this season so it's bollox. I switched it off as soon as Cardoza missed the chance to equalise but I'm sure they went on and on about Cahill getting a foot to the ball, which is complete bullshit he can't stand having the ball at his fucking feet he's a cunt.

For the money Chelski spent to go out and perform like that again, this time in the "second tier" of Europe is just not good enough. And No one not even Roy "The prick" Keane will fucking say it over here.

Drives me up the fucking wall.

 

[Cormcolash]

All of this is why Brits Out

 

[Jerry Twig]

Brady is such a surly bastard, he's classic. He's the Lou Reed of football punditry.

 

[Hector Grey]

I remember watching a Liverpool-Arse champions league game a few years ago when RTE had the stellar idea of making Brady the co-commentator. Brady was working for arsenal at the time. It was the most biased commentating i've ever heard, and it wasn't like Arsenal were playing Dukla Prague or anything.

 

[Cormcolash]

Brady is a complete dickhead like, I think that's why it's great when he is on with Giles and Dunphy though, cause the other two lads usually just sit there having a go at him!

 

[Moods For Mallards]

Lads, the RTE panel (Giles, Brady, Dunphy) are irredeemably terrible. They're not funny anymore, and laughing at them was what made them great. It was comedy and comedy only. They are absolutely dreadful analysts. Dunphy has been maintaining for months now that there are hardly any good players anymore IN THE WORLD. It is an incredibly stupid observation, borne of absolute ignorance. Remember, he's considered the Spanish football expert on the panel because he's seen a few games on Sky, like the rest of us.
Giles has not processed any changes in the game in the last 40 years. He doesn't believe in change and in fact he doesn't seem to have done any thinking since Cloughie told him to throw his medals in the bin. THe reality of football nowadays is that younger (under 50 maybe) people are aware of how the game is played by teams all over Europe. I don't think you can comment with authority if you don't have that context or an appreciation that different ways of approaching the game (tactically, etc.) have been successful and warrant attention.

I disagree with Unicron about Miguel Delaney. I think he is a spoofer. He is just a stats obsessive, a glorified list maker. No insight at all.

Neville is definitely the best pundit at the moment. The latterday ITV panel is passable, I'd like to see them get a bit more time to develop, and to speak when they're on air.

 

[Unicron]

I disagree with Unicron about Miguel Delaney. I think he is a spoofer. He is just a stats obsessive, a glorified list maker. No insight at all.

I can understand that opinion on him, I just happen to enjoy the forensic appraoch he takes to things.

 

[Hector Grey]

I can understand that opinion on him, I just happen to enjoy the forensic appraoch he takes to things.

I agree. I enjoy lists. I enjoy the nerdy aspect of the game. I like that Miguel takes our pub ideas and codifies them. Then prints them in a paper. then gets paid. But it ain't insight.

The RTE lads are good for anecdotes. There should be more of them. Less trying to understand the modern game, more anecdotes. Gilesy used to kick people up the hoop for a living, now he denies it. Tell us more Gilesy! WHat did cloughie say? Remember when Dunphy told him he'd ended a few careers in his day? Gilesy took major umbrage at that. It was fucking true, you galoot. Revel in it. "If i was playing against Riqulelme, Bill, I'd have broken his ankle twenty minutes into the game. He's a popinjay, Bill."

 

[washingcattle]

Lads, the RTE panel (Giles, Brady, Dunphy) are irredeemably terrible. They're not funny anymore, and laughing at them was what made them great. It was comedy and comedy only. They are absolutely dreadful analysts. Dunphy has been maintaining for months now that there are hardly any good players anymore IN THE WORLD. It is an incredibly stupid observation, borne of absolute ignorance. Remember, he's considered the Spanish football expert on the panel because he's seen a few games on Sky, like the rest of us.
Giles has not processed any changes in the game in the last 40 years. He doesn't believe in change and in fact he doesn't seem to have done any thinking since Cloughie told him to throw his medals in the bin. THe reality of football nowadays is that younger (under 50 maybe) people are aware of how the game is played by teams all over Europe. I don't think you can comment with authority if you don't have that context or an appreciation that different ways of approaching the game (tactically, etc.) have been successful and warrant attention.

I disagree with Unicron about Miguel Delaney. I think he is a spoofer. He is just a stats obsessive, a glorified list maker. No insight at all.

Neville is definitely the best pundit at the moment. The latterday ITV panel is passable, I'd like to see them get a bit more time to develop, and to speak when they're on air.

At least the RTE lads will out straight say when a match is shite UTV are a shambles, Keane wants to say it and no one else will let him. Can't wait til Essou Ekkotto joins ITV

What did you think of that Essou


Well I don't like football.


Right so, we'll be back after his.

 

[Hector Grey]

Dunphy was in some form the other night. What in god's name was he spouting?

 

[Cormcolash]

He was talking utter shite. It was class.

Basically, Manure should have won the Champions League somehow.

I do wonder though, what kind of game you'd get if you stuck a team like 1980s Liverpool up against a team like modern Bayern. I demand this option be included in the next Pro Evo.

 

[washingcattle]

He was talking utter shite. It was class.

Basically, Manure should have won the Champions League somehow.

I do wonder though, what kind of game you'd get if you stuck a team like 1980s Liverpool up against a team like modern Bayern. I demand this option be included in the next Pro Evo.

Depends on what set of rules you're playing by. Liverpool or whoever from the 80s couldn't handle the pace of the game since the back pass law came in. Bayern from now couldn't handle the tackle from behind. Basically being a defender is harder now and being a striker was harder then.

Watched it again last night on the UTV player. Possibly the best final ever in terms of the quality of the football. I know people talk about Liverpool and Milan in terms of excitement but really Liverpool never really played well, Milan just played worse and worse as the game went on.

The first half on saturday was as good a game as you could possibly see. The technique on show, the ambition from both sides it was amazing stuff.

Right so here's why I'm banging on about this, remember how fucking awful the final between Manure and Chelski was ? with about 10 minutes left Tylsley turned to Townsende and actually asked

"Is this really better than what we're used to in the premier league ?"

I couldn't help but laugh, to Townsendes credit he did actually basically say yes this is a different class altogether. I'm going to try to find the Dunphy comments now, but I have no idea how he could possibly claim that. I mean they did get a harsh red card, but they were 1-0 up at home at the time. Roy Keane actually made a lot of sense when he discussed it on UTV saying that he let his team down on many occasions by giving the ref no option but to send him off and United went on to win most of those games. The piss easy groups that United get every season s starting to catch up to them now. They don't have to throw a leg at it at Old Trafford because only Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, City and Arsenal bother to actually try to win there, everyone else only wants to not get a hiding. That's what's different for Bayern , everyone wants to beat them, home or away. So United get a pissy group and they don't have to actually try until february. Last season Basel went out and actually attacked them and made them look ordinary, so did Bilbao and Real did it to them at OT for most of the match even before the red card.

So basically he's talking through his hoop.

 

[Cormcolash]

United lost because they were shite, more than anything.

 

[Hector Grey]

It's complete bollocks to suggest that united didn't win the CL cos of a sending off. Dortmund would have beaten them if they got to the semis, but they hadn't got the wherewithal to defend a lead, at home, with ten men. Both Inter and Chelsea managed that in the semi finals away from home. So basically, tough titty. Eamonn was also decrying the German game. Like he forgets what happened at Lansdowne not too long ago.

 

[washingcattle]

It's complete bollocks to suggest that united didn't win the CL cos of a sending off. Dortmund would have beaten them if they got to the semis, but they hadn't got the wherewithal to defend a lead, at home, with ten men. Both Inter and Chelsea managed that in the semi finals away from home. So basically, tough titty. Eamonn was also decrying the German game. Like he forgets what happened at Lansdowne not too long ago.

Real would have beaten them anyway, they'd been camped in the United half for about 30 minutes before the red card.

 

[Hector Grey]

Real would have beaten them anyway, they'd been camped in the United half for about 30 minutes before the red card.

Yeah, they get to paper over the cracks with this shit. It's the same with England coming home from the world cup with their excuses. Ah we would have won it but Bekham was sent off. Ronaldinho's goal was a fluke. Ronaldo winked at the ref. Lampard's goal should have counted against Germany. The peno spot was fucked when Becks took his peno. Excuses, Bill. Ignoring the glaringly obvious: you lost because you were shitter than the other team.

 

[washingcattle]

Seriously, how does this cunt have a job ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23703265


Just watched Neville and Carragher on MNS. Carra is doing nothng for the scouser stereotype. Still they actually do a decent job.

 

[Hector Grey]

So, RTE have binned PSS. Be careful what you wish for.

 

[oh shit]

I think Vialli and Guillit are excellent when they're on, which is usually only when the Dutch or Italians are playing. There was a funny moment just before extra time in the Italy-Spain game in the Confeds cup. Shearer had been banging on, for literally a whole minute, about why he "believed" that Spain would win, for the insightful reason that they are a "great, great team", and "great, great teams always come up with a goal when they need it most". No one could stop him.

So then we saw the pitch on screen and the players stretching and shuttle running. Flashed up that Italy were bringing on this younger striker (can't remember who, was only half watching) and Vialli started saying how this was interesting from Prandelli because this guy has been good in Serie A and his game is all about seeking to exploit the fact that Pique ... when Shearer, apparently forgetting that he'd already said this, perhaps under the impression that Vialli had finished speaking, or had to be silenced, suddenly splurted out like a startled burglar "I believe that Spain are a great, great team and that they will get the goal because a great great team will always score".

PRICK! I was screaming at the TV. Incensed on Villi's behalf. PRICK! CUNT!

 

[washingcattle]

I think Vialli and Guillit are excellent when they're on, which is usually only when the Dutch or Italians are playing. There was a funny moment just before extra time in the Italy-Spain game in the Confeds cup. Shearer had been banging on, for literally a whole minute, about why he "believed" that Spain would win, for the insightful reason that they are a "great, great team", and "great, great teams always come up with a goal when they need it most". No one could stop him.

So then we saw the pitch on screen and the players stretching and shuttle running. Flashed up that Italy were bringing on this younger striker (can't remember who, was only half watching) and Vialli started saying how this was interesting from Prandelli because this guy has been good in Serie A and his game is all about seeking to exploit the fact that Pique ... when Shearer, apparently forgetting that he'd already said this, perhaps under the impression that Vialli had finished speaking, or had to be silenced, suddenly splurted out like a startled burglar "I believe that Spain are a great, great team and that they will get the goal because a great great team will always score".

PRICK! I was screaming at the TV. Incensed on Villi's behalf. PRICK! CUNT!

They didn't score either.