Cack ex-pro pundits STEALING for living

[El Presidente]

Robbie Savage lives quite close to me and I've had the odd chat. He's a good guy and just plays the pantomime villain.

When you get him on the subject of Alan Green he nearly spontaneously explodes. Called him a "bitter, money obsessed ****"

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

The stupid thing is that absolutely nobody would tune into watch Stoke v WBA or other tin pot Premier League clubs just because Thierry Henry is a pundit or Michael Owen is commentating. Same with all the sports, all these pundits on TV make me so ANGRY

£4 million a year, or, in footballer wage parlance, almost £77,000 a week for a pundit is INSANE. That would put him on more than most of the players.

It is an unbelievable racket all these ex-pros are in on. How they've managed to hoodwink the media owners that they, as ex-pros, are they only people whose opinion carry weight in football punditry as they played the game is anyone's guess? The least-insightful bit is usually when they are asked about what it was like when they were playing: "You've been there before, Alan, how does it feel to be stood in the tunnel before a cup final?" "The nerves will be going, that's for sure". Great. Wouldn't have ever guessed that myself. Then the other valueless insight they can give is into their former teammates, but then, as you would expect in most professions, a kind of omerta clearly exists that stops them saying anything too controversial. Wouldn't want it to get awkward out on the golf course, would they?

LUCKILY TVs have mute buttons - so there is no need to listen to their cliches and truisms.

 

[Bladders]

Paul Merson has to be the worst of the current shitheap at the moment.

He's utterly pointless on Fantasy Football show, sitting there mumbling the odd word like some pissed up mong.

 

[Gwylan]

Rugby Special used to regularly have refs coming in to analyse the previous day's play. I'd love football programmes to do that occasionally as it would be excellent to get a ref's perspective on decisions rather than listen to the bollocks touted by Shearer and co.

One thing I genuinely don't get is how good cricket summarisers are compared to their footballing counterparts. I know people have said this is down to education, with many of them Oxbridge educated, but there are many who aren't and they still say insightful comments. It's a sharp contrast between the two sports

 

[Berty23]

A couple of weeks ago Ian holloway highlighted lua lua as the man to stop

 

[Ernest]

Rugby Special used to regularly have refs coming in to analyse the previous day's play. I'd love football programmes to do that occasionally as it would be excellent to get a ref's perspective on decisions rather than listen to the bollocks touted by Shearer and co.

One thing I genuinely don't get is how good cricket summarisers are compared to their footballing counterparts. I know people have said this is down to education, with many of them Oxbridge educated, but there are many who aren't and they still say insightful comments. It's a sharp contrast between the two sports

you get Dermot Gallagher doing that on SKY Sports News on a Monday morning

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

What is actually REALLY infuriating is that the BBC gets in on paying these bonanza pay packages. As if somehow, if they didn't pay them, all of their best pundits would run off to SKY or other big paying broadcasters. It's like it doesn't realise what a strong position it is from all the exposure it can offer the pundits. A seat on the sofa of the most watched football programme on TV, World Cups, UEFA Championships. That on top of all the radio interviews and columns on BBC Sport. I rather suspect that Alan Shearer doesn't want to be the face of Al Jazerra football. He wants to be with the BBC and the gravitas that comes with it. Jesus. The pundits should get an at best nominal fee - then they can make all the rest of their money from Morrisons adverts or columns in The Sun. They are, afterall, pretty much the face of football punditry in this country.

I will concede that Gray Lineker presumably needs to be paid more as anchoring a bunch of dullards into a fairly watchable TV show, and all the other bits of presenting he does for BBC is actually a skill.

 

[BrianWade4]

This boring prick is stealing a living:

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Correct

 

[Captain Sensible]

Would it not be easier to list the pundits that are any good?

The Irish have the dream team, their arguing and bikering is class!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Chris Waddle is excellent. He always speaks sense and gives a deeper insight into the problems in the English game than others. We should see more of him.

Danny Murphy is OK.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Neville was good

 

[Megazone]

My 2 favourite pundits have to be Roy Keane and Glen Hoddle.

 

[Sheebo]

On the other side of the coin, who do you think are GOOD pundits? I would suggest Danny Murphy and Martin Keown - but I'll probably get shot down in flames.

I really like Murphy - gives a proper insight into things from a players point of view and not afraid to go a bit more in depth & technical...

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

For me, the journos on Sunday Supplement offer 10x more than any ex-player they rope in after retirement. They may not have played in the premier league but at least they can form a coherent sentence.

I'm not convinced you need to have played football to know a player is shit or good. And I agree the journos from the major rags are far more interesting.

 

[Simster]

Chris Waddle is excellent. He always speaks sense and gives a deeper insight into the problems in the English game than others. We should see more of him.

Danny Murphy is OK.

 

[Gwylan]

you get Dermot Gallagher doing that on SKY Sports News on a Monday morning

I didn't know that. I'll have a look next time

 

[Greg Bobkin]

That tackle on lovren on MOTD last night apparently was 'fair'. Last season when Ashley Barnes did EXACTLY the same thing on Matic all pundits were calling for his head. They're mostly all stealing a living, except Gary Neville who sadly has chucked himself into the manager merry-go-round instead.

I had the same thought when I watched that on Match of the Day. Almost praising him for the tackle, while I distinctly remember Shearer berating Barnes for what looked like a very similar challenge.

Claridge is getting a lot of love - the BBC show was certainly not so bad in retrospect. His knowledge is good but his English isn't.

I would nominate almost all ex-sportsmen employed by TalkSport - Darren Gough at the top of the list.

Even Alan Brazil?

 

[Hotchilidog]

You know what I actually don't mind Shearer on MotD. Now that format encourages analysis rather the platitudes he now has to do more work than simply turn in yet another abysmal shirt. I enjoy watching MOTD now as it has set a higher editorial bar for itself these days. Of course Shearer can be a bellend but it's more his opinions outside the confines of the show that tend to be more objectionable. I think Danny Murphy is an excellent pundit and a very good listen.

However I do agree that ex-pros are over used, I would to see more made of some of the top quality writers that we have.

 

[Ceej]

Shearer is horrific. Keane is miserable. Murphy, Dixon and Lineker very good. Actually quite liked Jenas too. There must be at least one ref who could give it a decent go? It's good to have ex players doing it, but the fact is that pro footballers learned how-to play, not provide commentaries, mostly.

 

[simmo]

I do like Warren Apsinal, just wish he could speak English.

Indeed......In all the appearances he made for us, did Aspinall get the name, Adam El Abd right once