TURN ON? OR TURN OFF
RICHARD FAULKNER casts an eye over the best and worst Pundits to hit our screens and airwaves during the season
Gary Neville Sky Sports
The former Manchester United defender’s analysis on Sky’s Monday Night Football avoids treating the average viewer as a football novice, but also doesn’t require a UEFA Pro Licence to follow. Capable both in the studio and the commentary box, his knowledge of the game is second-tonone and he’s always fair and supportive in his criticism.
Robbie Savage BBC
Most of us will have aired some choice words at the long-haired Welshman at some stage during his career, but his switch from playing to punditry certainly hasn’t been as tragic as his by-pass through the ballroom. His banterous nature works well on 606, and although you often find yourself challenging much of what leaves his mouth, he never sits on the fence or shies away from the controversial subjects.
Chris Kamara Sky Sports
Failing to recognise a player has been sent off, or a goal has been scored are not normally award-winning traits for a football reporter. Neither is taking nap when Jeff decides to cross over for an update. But for pure comedy value, Kammy makes it in as one of the ‘unbelievable’ performers on the box this season.
Alan Green BBC
Renowned for his bitter spat with Fergie and his criticism of the top flight’s quality, Green often splits opinion among fans. One thing that cannot be questioned is his knowledge of the game and the excitement he brings to the airwaves. The Beeb’s decision to axe his 606 slot could be a decision they regret – he’s left on bad terms and is sure to get snapped up by a rival in the summer.
Roy Keane ITV Sport
The Irishmen’s defence of Cuneyt Cakir’s decision to send off Nani during Man United’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid certainly raised a few eyebrows. But, rightly or wrongly – or just a disgruntled former employee – his no-nonsense and forthright opinions have been a refreshing addition to ITV’s coverage. His look of sheer disgust when Adrian Chiles posed the question “When does rain turn into a downpour?” during England’s waterlogged Euro qualifier in Poland was one of the TV highlights of the year.
The odds of Chiles getting a right hook off Keano live on air are getting shorter by the match – one of the few reasons the former One Show host should keep his spot as host.
Andy Townsend ITV Sport
Seemingly trained by Roy Walker, the former Villa and Chelsea midfielder adopts the ‘say what you see’ mantra to the letter. As a red button feature for the blind, his qualities would perhaps be welcomed, but ITV need to look elsewhere for a commentator that brings more insight and a greater depth of analysis next season.
Garth Crooks BBC
Where to start with Crooks? Well, a warning for him to stay well away from Twitter is probably as good a place as any! The Beeb’s top ‘football analyst’ has this season championed Roy Hodgson to include SCOTTISH international James Morrison in his next squad, strung together a series of bizarre selections for his ‘Team of the Week’ and has been panned by the majority of his co-presenters on Final Score. His arrogance on camera is also beyond cringeworthy and he must surely play no more than a back seat role come August.
Paul Merson Sky Sports
Merse wins the award for the pundit with the least football knowledge, often only finding out the week’s big talking points live on air during Soccer Saturday. His non-existent prep work for the match he’s been assigned to leads to rambled and confusing updates, as he struggles to identify the players – normally requiring Jeff to intervene.
Mark Lawrenson BBC
Lawro often fills a spot on the Match of the Day couch, and gives the impression he would rather spend his Saturday nights down the local boozer – or that he’s just left one. His analysis is often weak and like Crooks he has the ability to rub people up the wrong way. His weekly predictions on the BBC website also leave a lot to be desired. This year he suggested that QPR would finish eighth and that Arsenal would reach 91 points. Perhaps it’s time to call it a day, sparing us of his limited choice of, and similarly bad, shirts.
Adrian Durham Talksport
It’s fair to say that talkSport has improved greatly over the last couple of years – transforming from a 24 hour rant line for fans, to now offering high quality programmes such as Keys and Gray, the Press Pack and Andy Goldstein’s Sports Bar.
Unfortunately, one constant that has remained is Adrian Durham’s Drive Time slot. Representing your standard phone-in nutter, Durham sees the world in black or white, and is more concerned with taking an extreme stance than a sensible or knowledgeable one. The times are changing at the station and it’s high time Durham packed his bags.