All change on Soccer Saturday

[Tombstone]

Part of the issue is that some of these ‘old white guys’ haven’t played professional football for over thirty years. Some of them have coached in that time but the less said about that the better for some of them! That’s before the Premier League was even a thing. The newer presenters are far more likely to have played this century, maybe even this decade.

Its the Le Tissier one which gets me, he's always been pretty level headed, told it straight and is only 51, I can understand disposing of Phil Thompson maybe, who is heavily biased, 66 years old and could be deemed to be out of touch but I dont see those attributes as applicable to Le Tiss. Personally I think Stelling will walk. Maybe not immediately but I can see it happening within the next year.

 

[omnomnom]

It has got nothing to do with sexism. I much rather listen to professionals like Roy Keane who were at the top of their game for the insightful knowledge they bring. The women even though they played for a "big club" played at a non league level comparitively. You wouldn't give a punditry job of say the champions league to someone who played for Daggenham and Redbrige or Caledonian partick thistle would you? I am all for equality in the workplace. Some of my bosses are women but they are there through merit not just to fill some quota.

Unfortunately we are in the situation in sports where there isn't a lot of women competing at the top with men. The only thing I can think of is Michelle Mouton who nearly won the WRC championship in 1982. I could listen to her punditry on the WRC all day long because she will have the knowledge as she was top of the game.

What part of this isn't sexist?

Is it going to be women on the panel

I couldn't care less who they played for to be honest. Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage have played at the highest level...are you honestly going to tell me you'd have them over Alex Scott?

 

[MissChief]

What part of this isn't sexist?



I couldn't care less who they played for to be honest. Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage have played at the highest level...are you honestly going to tell me you'd have them over Alex Scott?

I like Alex Scott. She’s knowledgeable, does her research and puts her point across really well with good insight. I wish she was on more but she was sashaying her way round a dance floor earlier this year.

 

[Kenai]

Its the Le Tissier one which gets me, he's always been pretty level headed, told it straight and is only 51, I can understand disposing of Phil Thompson maybe, who is heavily biased, 66 years old and could be deemed to be out of touch but I dont see those attributes as applicable to Le Tiss. Personally I think Stelling will walk. Maybe not immediately but I can see it happening within the next year.

Le Tissier may have only recently added himself to the cut list with all his Bill Gates Covid Vaccine conspiracy lunacy that Sky probably want no association with.

 

[Mr Blonde]

What part of this isn't sexist?

I couldn't care less who they played for to be honest. Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage have played at the highest level...are you honestly going to tell me you'd have them over Alex Scott?

For right or wrong, having played at a high level and being a name most know in or from football does bring a level of perceived gravitas to their opinion for most. Because of this you can have a good mix of ethnicities but very few will be women unfortunately.

If you removed anything to do with race, colour, sex, ability, stature etc and simply wanted to hear the most valid, impartial information and analysis of every game live you'd pack in a load of coaches and data analysts from the big clubs. They'd all likely be white males between the age of 45 and 65 though and you'd have zero entertainment value and banter.

I wish her well for the sake of the show, and anyone else they get in, in whatever changes to the format they'll make too. But at the end of the day, regardless of whether we think there should be more women on these sorts of shows at all or not, it'll all come down to viewing figures and to maintain the numbers it's all got to work right from the off, otherwise they'll pull the plug on it quicker than a shorting toaster.

 

[McBain]

Im glad he is still there so gems like this still exist.

Plus you can always hear him laughing in the background when someone else makes a gaff, makes me chuckle. Favourite being when Kammy was at Pompey Vs Rovers and he didn't see the sending off. All time classic Soccer Saturday moment

 

[omnomnom]

For right or wrong, having played at a high level and being a name most know in or from football does bring a level of perceived gravitas to their opinion for most. Because of this you can have a good mix of ethnicities but very few will be women unfortunately.

If you removed anything to do with race, colour, sex, ability, stature etc and simply wanted to hear the most valid, impartial information and analysis of every game live you'd pack in a load of coaches and data analysts from the big clubs. They'd all likely be white males between the age of 45 and 65 though and you'd have zero entertainment value and banter.

I wish her well for the sake of the show, and anyone else they get in, in whatever changes to the format they'll make too. But at the end of the day, regardless of whether we think there should be more women on these sorts of shows at all or not, it'll all come down to viewing figures and to maintain the numbers it's all got to work right from the off, otherwise they'll pull the plug on it quicker than a shorting toaster.

If there's a reason behind it then that's absolutely fine. To simply dismiss her or anyone else simply because they're a female is back to the kitchen type nonsense. Regardless of what you think of the level the women's game 140 appearances for your country and to represent GB at the Olympics is good going.

IMO Soccer Saturday was starting to become one step away from Soccer AM which is a toilet tv.

 

[placeholder]

If there's a reason behind it then that's absolutely fine. To simply dismiss her or anyone else simply because they're a female is back to the kitchen type nonsense. Regardless of what you think of the level the women's game 140 appearances for your country and to represent GB at the Olympics is good going.

IMO Soccer Saturday was starting to become one step away from Soccer AM which is a toilet tv.

There is nothing wrong with having women on the panel if the women chosen are chosen because Sky genuinely believe they are the best pundits. However what Sky seem to have said according to reports is that they want the panel to be more diverse, as opposed to being the best it can be.

There is also an element of cost cutting involved apparently. If you look at the group who do the midweek games and shows I don't think any of them are any better or as good as those that they have just got rid of be they male or female black or white. If however you are further narrowing the field by insisting on those appointed being black or female then its not a great pool to draw from.

I can see the desire to "freshen things up" but its an entertainment show on a Saturday first a foremost while the midweek ones a more report based. I don't see many out there who can combine both elements.

 

[Converge]

Plus you can always hear him laughing in the background when someone else makes a gaff, makes me chuckle. Favourite being when Kammy was at Pompey Vs Rovers and he didn't see the sending off. All time classic Soccer Saturday moment

Never get tired of that. Classic

 

[wildman]

BT Sports score show was better than Sky's last season, can't beat Robbie Savage going native on Sutton.............