Football journalists/pundits/commentators.

[Viola Star]

Are there actually any good ones?

The art of football journalism seems to consist
of saying nothing in as many words as possible.
Sport blogs such as the one online at the
Guardian contain what seem to be merely
bog-standard bigsoccer level posts with
better grammar.

As for commentators and pundits, surely
they only appeal to the lowest common
denominator? You'd have to be a complete
vegetable to care for what they have to say;
the only reason to listen at all is to hear
the latest stupid cliche, utter banality
or comical hogwash at which one can
scoff and ridicule.

Journalists:
Sid Lowe
Brian Glanville
Jonathan Wilson
Simon Kuper
Phil Ball
Paolo Baldini
Commentators
Nobody
Pundits
Nobody

Name the good ones. Name the bad ones.
Post the stupid things that these people
come out with etc.

[safe hands 01]

John Motson..surely hes good hes a legend, and he comes out with sheer brilliant sayings..what about all the pundits on sky sports news they are class, chris kamara is a ledge...

[Viola Star]

John Motson..surely hes good hes a legend, and he comes out with sheer brilliant sayings..what about all the pundits on sky sports news they are class, chris kamara is a ledge...
All Sky Sports' pundits are crap. Here's a convo
that Andy Gray and Richard Keys actually had
a few weeks ago:

Keys: Martin O'Neill says Ashley Young is as
good as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, do you
agree?
Gray: Well maybe but Messi and Ronaldo have
influenced the game at the highest level, Richard.
Keys: But is he as good as those two?
Gray: Well, let's wait and see if he can star
for England and against the bigger teams.
Keys: Does he have what it takes to be as good
as Messi and Ronaldo?
Gray: Maybe.

Pundits are just puppets for the station that employs
them. They are fence sitters and PR men.

[safe hands 01]

All Sky Sports' pundits are crap. Here's a convo
that Andy Gray and Richard Keys actually had
a few weeks ago:

Keys: Martin O'Neill says Ashley Young is as
good as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, do you
agree?
Gray: Well maybe but Messi and Ronaldo have
influenced the game at the highest level, Richard.
Keys: But is he as good as those two?
Gray: Well, let's wait and see if he can star
for England and against the bigger teams.
Keys: Does he have what it takes to be as good
as Messi and Ronaldo?
Gray: Maybe.

Pundits are just puppets for the station that employs
them. They are fence sitters and PR men.


What about the many a funny time by pundits, Chris Kamara....ledgend.

What was the ********ing point of this thread? seriously?

Also whats wrong with that convo?

[Viola Star]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/static/profile/avatars/avatar32586_1.gif

[DeadAirSpace]

yeah Chris Kamara earns a place for comedic effect alone.

Alan Hansen is a decent pundit on MOTD. Martin O'Neill was good during euro 2008 coverage on the beeb. Graeme Souness occasionally pops up on sky with some useful wisdom.

In terms of journalists, Henry Winter at the telegraph is my fave. Glanville and Lowe in world soccer, and i think hes called Paul Garner? He covers the US for World Soccer. Theyre my recommendations.

[Big Soccer Member]

John Motson..surely hes good hes a legend, and he comes out with sheer brilliant sayings..what about all the pundits on sky sports news they are class, chris kamara is a ledge...
John Motson virtually ruined Euro 2008 for me. He was decent a few years back, but is awful now. He literally has no good points at all. The Beebs reason for keeping him, 'because the matches he commentates on tend to have good ratings.' Nothing to do with being the FA Cup final then?

Martin Samuel, who now writes for the Daily Mail, is certainly the best writer. Most of the people who write for the Times are very good too.

Charlie Nichlos, who is often on Gillette Soccer Saturday, is the best pundit, for me. The Sky rota on the Champions League tends to be the best overall though.

Anybody who doesn't work for the BBC is a good commentator. Jaqui Oatley, that women one, is the worst one I have ever heard or will ever hear.

[johan neeskens]

What bugs me is how badly informed some of them are. I increasingly get the impression that they just watch the highlights and then base their views on said highlights. It gets worse when they comment on European and international games. They barely know enough about their domestic game but to then see them comment on a foreign opponent that they clearly know nothing about is cringe-worthy.

Ruud Gullit apparently is famous for being invited to the studio for live game analysis but rather than watch the game he chats up the ladies in the green room - only to pretend to be all-knowing in the post match discussion. He got slaughtered for it by Dutch journalists.

[Pedro's greasy do]

David Begg on BBC Radio Scotland is funny.

"he shells it forward"

Is the guys leg a cannon? :)

[Pedro's greasy do]

Chick Young is the worst!

Actually I could name a hell of a lot who annoy me.

[Viola Star]

What bugs me is how badly informed some of them are. I increasingly get the impression that they just watch the highlights and then base their views on said highlights. It gets worse when they comment on European and international games. They barely know enough about their domestic game but to then see them comment on a foreign opponent that they clearly know nothing about is cringe-worthy.
Yeah, exactly. You'd think it would be mandatory
in the punditry profession for applicants to
actually have a clue about world football.

Charlie Nichlos, who is often on Gillette Soccer Saturday, is the best pundit, for me. The Sky rota on the Champions League tends to be the best overall though.
Charlie Nicholas after England failed to
qualify for Euro 2008:

"England have far, far better players than Italy."
"Steven Gerrard is far, far better than Totti."

He also called Vincenzo Iaquinta, Vincenzo Laquinta
the other day.
Anybody who doesn't work for the BBC is a good commentator.
Peter Drury?
Clive Tyldesley?
Paul Gardner? He covers the US for World Soccer. Theyre my recommendations.
Yeah, he's good. He's always pissed off, which
is what I like about him.

Graham Hunter is also good. Gab Marcotti is okay.

[mattteo]

For Italy:

good commentators: Stefano Bizzotto (Rai), Gianni Cerqueti (Rai), Bruno Longhi (Mediaset), Nicola Roggero (Sky), Massimo Marianella (Sky), Maurizio Compagnoni (Sky), Stefano Borghi (Sportitalia)

good hosts: Massimo De Luca (Rai), Giorgio Porrà (Sky), Giovanni Porcella (Primocanale)

good journalists: Gianni Mura (Repubblica), Darwin Pastorin (Gazzetta dello Sport), Alberto Piccinini (manifesto), Pippo Russo (Unità)

good pundits: Luca Marchegiani (Sky), Zvonimir Boban (Sky), Gianluca Vialli (Sky), Claudio Onofri (Sky)

good satirical journalists: Antonio Dipollina (Repubblica), Luca Bottura (Corriere della Sera)

[Cool Rob]

Yeah, exactly. You'd think it would be mandatory
in the punditry profession for applicants to
actually have a clue about world football.

Gab Marcotti is okay.

The good thing about Marcotti is that he's pretty well versed in the English, American, and Italian game so he's got a decent global perspective. It seems like everyone else is their domestic league only.

My favorite football journalist has to be Simon Kuper, the guy that wrote Football Against the Enemy. His Financial Times articles are great.

I'm actually a big fan on the Guardian...Jonathon Wilson has an article called "The Question," which goes into incredible depth about a specific topic. He recently did a great piece on why fullbacks were the most important position on the field.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/mar/25/the-question-full-backs-football

[RobTheFool]

Alan Green on BBC radio 5
John Motson
Andy Gray

and others, but these are probably my favourites.

[DeadAirSpace]

I should have added Patrick Barclay from the daily telegraph/daily torygraph.

[comme]

I should have added Patrick Barclay from the daily telegraph/daily torygraph.

He's moved to the Times to replace Martin Samuel.

Hugh McIlvenny is still great. Glanville is getting old, his columns on World Soccer online are riddled with basic errors, but he is still good.

[Pedro's greasy do]

I actually think Rob Mclean is the best in the business. No matter who’s he’s commentating on he is always understated and actually does what he’s paid to do. He gives a very balanced view of the football on show. He never gets all patriotic about Scotland either. He just tells it the way it is.

[DeadAirSpace]

Another I've remembered; Gerry Armstrong,he's a decent commentator. He mostly does the Spanish league commentary for Sky. Seems to have more insight that most.

[Big Soccer Member]

Another I've remembered; Gerry Armstrong,he's a decent commentator. He mostly does the Spanish league commentary for Sky. Seems to have more insight that most.
The whole Sky la Liga team are great.