03 Jan 2025 16:53:51
On a different subject, I'm tiring of pundits spouting their wisdom telling RA where he is going wrong. I see Carragher has been at it, never managed, never won an EPL title, Danny Murphy ditto. Merson, Sutton, Shearer all have a lot to say, only Shearer was a manager, briefly, and he didn't do well. Yet they all pontificate about what RA is doing wrong.
Neville was truly awful as a Manager, but at least he understands the club, same as Keane, and both were serial winners. I know there are bigger things to worry about but they drive me potty, particularly Carragher. Who's your worst pundit?
03 Jan 2025 17:14:41
The worst by some margin is Michael Owen ‘it only takes 2 headers to score a goal’ ?.
03 Jan 2025 17:23:44
I have little time for any of them, but Carragher and Richards really annoy me.
I kinda like Owen Hardgreaves, especially when dealing with the completely annoying Dermot Gallagher.
03 Jan 2025 17:26:29
What they're paid to do AJH. And it stirs up emotion which mean clicks, watching, reading equalling more money for whoever pays them.
And I mean it's money.
Look at the telegraph the last 2 weeks having a field day over Rashford, specifically but now also united. It's all money mate.
I worked at a news publication and that's all they care about. What ever is the hot topic, they will do it to death. And in football, it's always united.
03 Jan 2025 18:01:47
I guess all they're doing is what all us lot do all day lol.
03 Jan 2025 20:53:32
Gary Neville . Can't stand the bloke.
04 Jan 2025 03:55:26
Garagher is a poisonous twit. I can't stand him.
04 Jan 2025 08:26:10
Why get riled up over them, they are paid to talk, who cares what they say.
04 Jan 2025 09:38:37
The saying "an empty vessel makes the loudest sound" springs to mind.
Ex-players really have three routes when their playing career ends.
1. Management/ coaching.
2. Some sort of investment/ business outside of football.
3. Punditry.
For the first one you need to have a level of intelligence, a strong mentality and an ability to educate and inspire others. That rules out a lot of former players.
For the second option you need to have knowledge and understanding of whatever business/ industry you are looking to build/ invest in. Either that or you need to have good people around you who you trust to advise you in these matters. Some players do, and some players don't.
While for punditry all you need is a big mouth and the ability to say something controversial. This is something that fits all players.
I've given up listening to these people try and analyse anything from the perspective of anyone other than that of a footballer. Which is the only thing they have any real insight to. Telling us what players might be thinking or feeling under certain circumstances is about the only thing they can comment on with any sort of authority.
They can't say how a manger should handle a situation, or how they should set up a team or anything like that as they have no history, qualifications or experience in such matters.
I like how they do the punditry in Germany. They have a host/ presenter who isn't from a football background, but who has a little personality and ability to manage hosting. They then have one ex-player to discuss things from a player's perspective, and one manager either a out of work manager (but someone who has managed at that level recently) or in some cases a current manager for another club. They then give the expert view on tactics and from the managers perspective.
It means you don't get the same people all the time, and that you actually have expert views from experts.
They also don't tend to have ex-players from 20 years ago as obviously they will have little insight into a modern football dressing room.
As for the pundits we have here in the UK, I'd have to say currently my favourite duo is actually Roy Keane and Micah Richards. Individually I'm not a huge fan of either, but I like the chemistry and interaction between them. It's entertaining to watch Keane scolding Micah like an overexcited puppy that needs training. They don't offer great insight, but it's alt least fun to watch.
04 Jan 2025 10:45:05
I still can't believe Carragher has a job. To be honest I can't stand any of them, Martin Keown included.
I sometimes find myself agreeing with Danny Murphy, he is one of the only ones who sometimes see's an incident as I do but that's maybe to do with difficulties he's had in the past, he's a bit more humble and less scathing when criticising players and managers.
But, why do no pundits call out dives for what they are any more?
Are they afraid of standing out from the collective or litigation?
04 Jan 2025 12:21:18
Also opinions by pundits and the media depends on who the player is and what club it is and so on.
It is offputting when they seem to have created this multi tier scrutiny we now get.
04 Jan 2025 19:45:55
When I watch Carragher analyse defensive situations he more often than not makes sense if he limited himself to that he would be fine.
04 Jan 2025 21:08:19
I’ve been saying this for years. I don’t watch the build up or aftermath of a game. I can’t stand pundits.