Decent/Annoying Football Journalists/Pundits

Lee Dixon

Martin Keown

Both brilliant, what they have grasped is they are no longer the prima dona player that everyone wants to shove a mic at, but that they have to talk now for a living and do.

I also like big McInally


Guillem Balague

Loved Balague back in the deportivo winning season, as a neutral with very little info on the spanish game, he brought it to life. Also loved Gerry Armstrong input/summiriser. Does he still do the sly la liga?


Big Rons tactical nous is also missed on ITV


As for OFFs

Clive Tyldesley
 
Last edited:
How can anyone say Martin Keown is good? He was commentating on the stoke game and said Pulis should bring on palacios because hes a real master at passing the ball and unlocking the defence. Any Spurs/Wigan fans will confirm he is rubbish at passing.

He is just so boring to listen to as well
 
Stuart Robson, deserves a greater platform.

Darren fletcher for commentry, im a radio guy.

Dislike would be when 606 got turned from a productive fans phone in to a sad mess not worth the listen.
 
Weebull said:
I'll add a like for Barney Ronay, not because he's massively insightful, but because he's probably one of the best writers of prose out there. When it's serious, it's a great read, and when it's comedic, I have to be very careful not to burst out laughing at work.
Click to expand...

Very true.

This is just off the top of my head. People who I enjoy listening to / read;

Jonathan Wilson,
John Ashdown,
Paolo Bandini,
Sid Lowe,
Barney Ronay,
James Richardson (enjoy him much more as a host)
Raphael Honigstein,
Gregg Bakowski,
Fernando Duarte,
Barry Glendenning,
Andy Brassell,
Philippe Auclair,
Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger,
James Appell,
Scott Murray,
Michael Cox,
James Horncastle,
Jacob Steinberg,
Tim Vickery ('Legendinho' :D)
Paul Doyle,
Gabriele Marcotti, (okay on the whole, like him more in smaller amounts)
Luke Moore,
The Football Ramble, (Pete Donaldson, Luke Moore, Jim Campbell and Marcus Speller)
Gary Neville,
David Goldblatt,
Lee Dixon,
Robbie Savage,
Sean Wheelock

I find most of the 'regulars' on the Sky Sports shows (the studio based one, Soccer Saturday or whatever it's called) pretty ~ok, I enjoy their discussions and enjoy listening to their 'banter' I really like Jeff Sterling too.

I really don't have much time for the BBC football pundits, I quite enjoy Hansen as he's quite good, I think for the most part the Five Live radio 'group' are usually of a better standard. 606 World Football phone in is brilliant, brilliant Radio, however the 606 phone in, with Alan 'I know **** all about football' Green is genuinly terrible Radio. Can't stand Alan Green, awful. Same for Motty, both bat **** mental and talk rubbish.

Also; a shout out to the Sunday Supplement which for the most part has some good discussions :) it's one of the better football shows Sky do.
 
Have to disagree with dunphy on that one, the irish guys say it as it is even souness turns into a completely different pundit when he works on irish tv, they are not afraid to upset anyone with their comments and thats how it should be.
 
Dixon, Vickery, Honigstein, Auclair, Jimbo and Neville are the only ones I actually like. Wilson is ok but I find him far too dull when he talks, Glendenning is ok, but only when he's with people who contribute
 
stoke1863 said:
How can anyone say Martin Keown is good? He was commentating on the stoke game and said Pulis should bring on palacios because hes a real master at passing the ball and unlocking the defence. Any Spurs/Wigan fans will confirm he is rubbish at passing.

He is just so boring to listen to as well
Click to expand...

It's all relative. Palacios isn't very good at all, but he's by far the best Stoke have.
 
guyfawkes5 said:
Final mention has to go to the king of bad pundits: Eamon Dunphy. Probably gets away with his ignorance more given he's really just on Irish TV, but give a look at the below:


[After telling Graeme Souness he had no idea what he was talking about, and Souness asking what experience he had of football]:
"I didn't manage anywhere. I managed to stay alive for about 63-and-a-half years baby..."

So apparently managing not to die up until the point of conversation is sufficient qualification to mouth off about technicalities you have no idea of. Of course.
Click to expand...


Only pundit I have ever seen on TV smashed. 4mins in for the good stuff.

Okeydoke
 
Last edited:
Can't stand Gary Neville just because his voice and mannerisms don't work on tv.

Mark Lawrenson is pretty much the worst human being alive when it comes to punditry, he did the Blackpool away game in the BBC in March and iv never seen someone just hate what he's watching and behave like a kid on national tv like that...

Alan Hansen isn't much better.


Tim Vickery is a hero as is Lee Dixon....

spudbynight said:

Only pundit I have ever seen on TV smashed. 4mins in for the good stuff.

Okeydoke
Click to expand...

I miss RTE's football coverage sometimes because it used to make me laugh so much. The fake MOTD on a saturday evening and the live coverage should be broadcast in the UK just to show everyone what punditry should be about....

Well in relation to Irish rugby punditry it makes sense as RTE's rugby coverage almost always ended in some sort of fight between the pundits :D
 
(slightly OT below as a couple are more presenters than pundits)

Like:
-James Richardson: Very dry sense of humour and relaxed style.
-Ron Atkinson (Desailly incident aside): I've never heard a TV pundit who reads the game better than him. Uncanny knack for identifying points of weakness early in the game and suggesting suitable changes
-Dan Walker: Loved the early stuff he did as a roving FF reporter, seems very self assured without being arrogant, can see him going far in the industry
-Gary Neville: Early days but a promising start, gives fair assessments and can put you in the mind of a player. A few cringeworthy moments but he'll have time to iron those out as he matures as a pundit
-Jamie Redknapp: Can see why many don't like him but I think he always handles himself professionally, I liked him as a player and will always listen to what he has to say
-Andy Townsend: Can be annoying at times but generally I think he makes some good points, IMO arguably better in the studio than as a co-commentator though.
-Lee Dixon: Solid analysis

Dislike:
-Mark Lawrenson: Likes the sound of his own voice far too much, basically he tells these terrible jokes and then smiles looking round at all the other pundits waiting for them to laugh. They usually give a polite smile before moving swiftly on.
-Niall Quinn: Just seems like a waste of space, saying the obvious things, pats the commentator on the back, basically adds nothing
-Ray Wilkins: Similar to the above, a bit too much of a 'yes man' if you know what I mean, my word.
-Paul Merson: Seems out of his depth, just about works on Soccer Saturday but not articulate enough for any reasoned debate
-Some scottish twit, it's either Craig Burley or Davie Provan (I think the former but not sure): Seems to think the TV is just a platform for his gags, invariably in the form of some sort of insult.
 
-David Pleat has to be up there for pure guaranteed comedy value.
-Gary Neville is excellant but has to work on the sex noises a bit.
-Robbie Savage says it like it is and that is all you want.
-Peter Beagrie is a good laugh, though seems to be stuck at Championship level, same as Gary Birtles.
-Gary Linekar is pretty much perfect as a presenter, very impressed how he has developed his role. Genuinely witty bloke.

My favourite commentator of all time is Barry Davies, they should somehow blackmail him into doing football again, not tennis or golf or whatever it he he still does these days.
 
I know this man won't be a popular choice but I do enjoy listening to Roy Keane. He doesn't over examine everything and just gets to the point. With regards to Mark Lawrenson I quite like his style and his joke are funny to.
 
Off the top of my head...


The Best:

Gary Neville - Exceptional tactical analysis and has immense knowledge of the game. Makes you see things in a different perspective.
Guillem Balague - What doesn't he know about Spanish football? Immense and has amazing inside knowledge.
Tim Vickery - Excellent source of knowledge from South America. Very engaging blogs.
Jeff Stelling - Incredibly knowledgeable and has a great sense of humour.
Chris Kamara - Hilarious to listen to and generally gets you excited just listening about football.


The Okay:

Lee Dixon - Good tactical analysis and general punditry.
Paul Merson - Dreadful english skills, but proves to be good entertainment. Has good understanding of the game, straight up and not biased towards Arsenal.
Matt Le Tissier - Nothing special, but good knowledge and tends to get most things right.


The Bad:

Martin Keown - Boring and states the obvious.
Garth Crooks - SO annoying to listen, states the obvious and always interrupts other pundits.
Phil Thompson - Can be exciting, but way too pro Liverpool.


The HORRENDOUS:

Mark Lawrenson - Words cannot describe how awful this guy is. Massive liverpool fan and it comes across that way.
Alan Hansen - Same as above, pro liverpool (what's new?) and shouldn't be that way as a neutral pundit. Talk about something other than the defence?
Colin Murray - It's no wonder he was sacked on the radio. He's one of those people you would like to punch in the face.
David Pleat - Learn to pronounce at least 1 name correctly?


Basically just don't employee anyone ex-Liverpool :D
 
As great as G. Neville is I did wonder if he would have done his jubilant orgasm thing had it been Liverpool and not Chelsea. :p
 
Think the worst thing is Adrian Chiles presenting everything football related on ITV. How he managed to make the big time I have no idea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom