I think football has the worst commentators and pundits out of any sport. I can't think of anyone who is any good.
Tyldesley is the worst commentator, although I think someone has explained to him the meaning of the word 'irony' because he seems to have stopped using it.
Ever tried watching British ice hockey? The commentators on there manage to be even worse than the standard of play (a feat in itself)
I don't watch ice hockey. I was thinking more of cricket, golf, athletics - the ex-players make better pundits (generally) than footballers.
Was there a golden age, or is it just looking back with rose-tinted specs? I seem to remember the BBC and ITV employing reporters and if a game was a turgid affair they'd report it. These days every game involving the top teams is hyped to the high heavens and we have immense build-up. Well, people pay a lot of money to see these events, so there's a lot riding on it. So, we don't have reporters we have commentators and part of their job is to talk up a "major" game, no matter how boring it is.
A game of sport is not scripted - just because it's between Man U and Liverpool does not guarantee it will be a great spectacle. Obviously, it will have importance because the result will affect the top of the premiership (probably), but does that mean that, as a game of football, it must be better than any other game that weekend?
I am a peace loving and gentle soul.... BUT .. i would willingly strangle Colin Murray. He looks like a four eyed nerd but in reality is the school bully, his ultra emphasised Ulster accent drives me mad. Often on an otherwise delightful and peaceful saturday, we Radio 5 Live listeners must endure Murray, followed by Alan Green followed by Stephen Nolan .. enough already with the strangled vowels and Ian Paisley type pronouncements .. let's 'ave a cockney or a scouser or a brummie (except Adrian Goldberg), a geordie or even a scot, away with the Ulster Murphyosi .. AND Terry Wogan while I am at it .. he's supposed to have retired at least10 times for god's sake
Dislike all Alan Brazil its my show you cant speak...and pretty much all the others on talk sport.. oh and that mono toned round faced short black haired northener on sky usually does lower leagues???
Dislike all Alan Brazil its my show you cant speak...and pretty much all the others on talk sport.. oh and that mono toned round faced short black haired northener on sky usually does lower leagues???
I forgot about him. Peter "check my predictions from the start of the season" beagrie.
He had us down to be just outside the relegation zone last season but when we were 4/5 he was stating how he said at the start Charlton would be contenders. I think he puts a disclaimer in such as "Charlton are crap. They're going down. Worst team ever. But if they sign the right players" and then states the addition of Gary Doherty is the player he was talking about. Hate him
Not a pundit, but in terms of commentators Gary Birtles is a special brand of garbage all on his own
Agree Gary Birtles forgot all about him --he is Terrible--sees a player do something 1 decent thing in the 90 minutes --startes talking man of the match and worth 20 million --he is a breast
I forgot about him. Peter "check my predictions from the start of the season" beagrie.
He had us down to be just outside the relegation zone last season but when we were 4/5 he was stating how he said at the start Charlton would be contenders. I think he puts a disclaimer in such as "Charlton are crap. They're going down. Worst team ever. But if they sign the right players" and then states the addition of Gary Doherty is the player he was talking about. Hate him
I remember Beagrie when he playing @ the valley for Bradford under his old mucker Kris Kamara. John Robinson wound Beagrie up, Beagrie gave Robinson a slap and was sent off. (Youds was playing for Bradford at the time, we, of course signed him a few weeks later.) Beagrie still looks like an evil little chap on whom you would not like to turn your back
Agreed with above. It was more of a game of what words can you make out. My vote goes to Claridge - really winds me up most of the time. In terms of being talked to about football the insight of Roberto Martinez was brilliant in the US World Cup coverage (Watched in Cuba), and the odd occasion on the beeb.
anyone when barcelona are on tv. put the w*nk sock away, it was a five yard pass.
agreed, the adoration reminds me of L'pool in their heyday .. 'Oh Tommy Smith has just knifed Martin Chivers in the bollocks .. well d o n e Tommy, what a salt of the earth player he is' .. Thank you Barry Davies
On the plus side Lee Dixon is miles ahead in his analysis and one of the few to actually impart something you couldn't have worked out by watching it for yourself. Used to like Hanson but probably beyond his use by date now.
Steve Claridge and Robbie Savage are simply appalling. According to them you can have no opinion on football unless you played at the highest level.
Well that counts them out.
Only a handful of pundits actually work for me. Trevor Brooking is the king. I like Ray Wilkins and was shocked by his Spurs performance last season.
But the only man i literally cannot listen to, and will turn the TV over because of, is Mark Bright. He is so, so bad at his job. He spends most of his time telling people what they should have done in an exasperated voice, employing an accent that grates anyway. *Adopts Stoke accent* "Whhhhy didn't he pass it? Why didn't he play it into the hole? He should have controlled the ball and pulled it back. Why didn't he?"
I cannot abide Bright. And Beagrie is such a smug tw@t I'm glad he's getting a kicking here to.
As for commentators themselves, Jon Champion and Peter Drury subscribe to the theory that a commentator should use 15 words when he should be using one. They use words nobody would understand, as if they care little for their target audience, and more about how they are perceived. They think they are 'wordsmiths', with a challenge to complicate the english language as much as possible.
They are complete and utter a55holes, and irritate me to such a degree that I want bad things to happen to them. Which is nuts cos they're probably very nice people.
Lawrenson is by some distance the most irritating pundit. Smug self-satisfied idiot.
Commentator-wise the worst for me is Alan Parry. I just can't listen to him, ruins the football. Anytime anyone scores against the big 4 who isn't in the big 4 it's a "shock". Sycophantic nonsense, particularly from a Gills fan.
I thought Birtles was a poor co-commentator until Chris Coleman turned up and took it to new levels of shite.
I can't stand Jamie Rednapp. He always sounds as though he is about 12 to me, and he has been allowed to stay up late watching football with grown ups as a special treat. He may have some insightful things to say but all I hear is yap yap are you still up? Best pundit group was the itv world cup from years back Clough, Allison Crerand etc prob a fair bit of hot air at times but a lot of fun I seem to recall...
Sometimes you need somebody to remind you! With therapy I'd blocked 2 of these three from my mind:
Alan Smith Peter Beagrie Garth Crooks
These are my bottom 3, I think. If Crooks had retired in the 1960s, surely he would've gone on to a long and successful career as a Funeral Director - why does he take it all so seriously and with such a tone of doom and foreboding?
Comments
Wilkins. Chris Coleman. Shearer.
Jan Molby is a good pundit.
Surprised how many people listen to TalkSport on here.
Like Jason Cundy, Stan Collimore
Dislike all Alan Brazil its my show you cant speak...and pretty much all the others on talk sport.. oh and that mono toned round faced short black haired northener on sky usually does lower leagues???
John Barnes by a country mile. Dull, monotone.
I forgot about him. Peter "check my predictions from the start of the season" beagrie.
He had us down to be just outside the relegation zone last season but when we were 4/5 he was stating how he said at the start Charlton would be contenders. I think he puts a disclaimer in such as "Charlton are crap. They're going down. Worst team ever. But if they sign the right players" and then states the addition of Gary Doherty is the player he was talking about. Hate him
My vote goes to Claridge - really winds me up most of the time.
In terms of being talked to about football the insight of Roberto Martinez was brilliant in the US World Cup coverage (Watched in Cuba), and the odd occasion on the beeb.
anyone when barcelona are on tv. put the w*nk sock away, it was a five yard pass.
We have a winner ladies and gents.
On the plus side Lee Dixon is miles ahead in his analysis and one of the few to actually impart something you couldn't have worked out by watching it for yourself. Used to like Hanson but probably beyond his use by date now.
I cannot abide Bright. And Beagrie is such a smug tw@t I'm glad he's getting a kicking here to.
They are complete and utter a55holes, and irritate me to such a degree that I want bad things to happen to them. Which is nuts cos they're probably very nice people.
He is worse than all of the above put together, i promise you.
Google him for proof.
Like Sid Waddell but without the wit, Yanks seem to love him though !
I like leroy rosenior on the football league show he seems to know his stuff!He should be on it every week instead of that doughnut claridge!
Lawrenson is by some distance the most irritating pundit. Smug self-satisfied idiot.
Commentator-wise the worst for me is Alan Parry. I just can't listen to him, ruins the football. Anytime anyone scores against the big 4 who isn't in the big 4 it's a "shock". Sycophantic nonsense, particularly from a Gills fan.
I thought Birtles was a poor co-commentator until Chris Coleman turned up and took it to new levels of shite.
Garth Crooks - he's a parody of himself isn't he? Do people really talk like that?
always find marcel desailly hilarious. takes him 45 minutes to get a sentence out.
''de player should be going to to to to.... to to to to to.. to.. to to... to to to to deeee opponent''
Best pundit group was the itv world cup from years back Clough, Allison Crerand etc prob a fair bit of hot air at times but a lot of fun I seem to recall...
Ray " what they've got to do" Wilkins.
Anyone slagging Claridge is a newby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alan Smith
Peter Beagrie
Garth Crooks
These are my bottom 3, I think. If Crooks had retired in the 1960s, surely he would've gone on to a long and successful career as a Funeral Director - why does he take it all so seriously and with such a tone of doom and foreboding?