Liverpool FC Forum

by **Big Niall** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:48 am

When a player plays rubbish, the analyists should say so. They are afraid to do this on the British channels but they do in Ireland. This is a clip from the guardian - very true.

Spotted this on The Guardian

The Irish eyes who will not have left Ronaldo smiling RTE's John Giles,
Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady have no peers when it comes to football
punditry.
Alan Ruddock
February 22, 2007 02:29 AM
At what point did television producers decide that football fans were to
be treated with contempt? Was Jimmy Hill too abrasive for the modern
age, too likely to upset fragile egos (though, in fairness, it could
have been the beard)? Blandness is now almost universal on British TV,
whether it's the crafted dialogue on Gary Lineker's Match of the Day,
Steve Ryder's obeisance at the feet of sporting gods or Jim Rosenthal's
- well, better to let that one lie. On Sky, where Andy Gray and Richard
Keys at least attempt analysis, the surface is barely scratched and
conventional wisdoms go unchallenged.
"The lad will be disappointed with himself for that performance" now
comes at the top end of the most stinging rebukes and most of what
passes for television analysis would not pass muster in a pub. With few
alternatives on offer we mutely accept it, nodding sagely that the lad
could, indeed, have done better. There is, however, a better way.
In a brief clip on Tuesday night John Giles, Eamon Dunphy and Liam Brady
demonstrated that they have no peers in the business of football
punditry.
Two great players and a former journeyman player turned great
controversialist were dissecting Manchester United's win against Lille.
They
didn't dwell for long on the referee (two correct decisions, one goal
disallowed, one awarded) or get overly excited by Lille's foot-stomping
childishness but focused on analysing different elements of the game.
Brady and Dunphy had prepared a package of Cristiano Ronaldo's entire
contribution - completing, to memory, one pass out of 10, while losing
possession or fluffing scoring chances every other time he received the
ball. The clip concluded with Ronaldo's substitution, head shaking at
the injustice of it all, spitting in disgust and shrugging his way past
Sir Alex Ferguson, his manager.
Giles, Brady and Dunphy - along with Bill O'Herlihy, their host and
interrogator - are brought together by RTE, the state-owned Irish
broadcaster, to analyse football. They do not hold their punches. Brady
and Dunphy have little time for the hype that surrounds Ronaldo, while
Giles's scepticism is slightly more restrained.
For all three, Ronaldo is talented but well short of the greatness that
has been bestowed on him by his manager and the British media. They see
his flaws, his petulance, his failure to deliver on the biggest European
occasions but they also see deep cynicism at work.
The hyping of Ronaldo, in their eyes, is about inflating his value for
the balance sheet, and has little or no connection with reality. Ronaldo
is a commodity rather than a footballer, a player measured not by his
contribution on the field but by his potential contribution to the
bottom line, so long as the marketing of him can deliver a profitable
transfer.
Agree or disagree, but it is an analysis that demands a response and
cuts through the hyperbole that usually gushes forth from British TV
studios.
Critically, RTE's gang of four treat their viewers as intelligent and
informed fans and approach each match they review with a determination
to provide insight and provoke response.
Their approach is in stark and dismal contrast to what passes for
analysis on British television. There are rare exceptions - Martin
O'Neill was a breath of fresh air during the World Cup and Graeme
Souness occasionally punctures the mood of celebration - but for too
much of the time producers and pundits appear to treat viewers with
contempt.
It is not beyond the wit of the BBC, ITV, Sky or Setanta to recognise
one simple fact: fans are not morons. They deserve better than pap and I
am convinced they would respond enthusiastically if treated with
respect. It might, however, knock a few million off Ronaldo's asking
price.

by **66-1112520797** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:57 am

Was Jimmy Hill too abrasive for the modern
age, too likely to upset fragile egos (though, in fairness, it could
have been the beard)?

Thats so Irish

( Is Alan Ruddock English by any chance

)

by **Mikz** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:08 am

Jimmy Hill ('Gary Linekar may have scored 5 goals in 5 minutes but I think you have to saaaay...what else did he do?')

I think he just :censored:

everyone off....good player though or so Im told.

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:35 am

I dunno I think Alan Green (Five Live) speaks his mind. He's not afraid to say a player or team played badly. I must admit these type of commentators are few and far between and Alan Green is Irish.

by **Big Niall** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:02 pm

The phrases "he'll be disappointed with that" or "he could have done better" should be done away with and replaced with "he was sh*te there"

"For Barcelona's first goal Gerrard was terrible" was mentioned on RTE. What did they say in UK commentary?

by **66-1112520797** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:34 pm

Big Niall wrote:The phrases "he'll be disappointed with that" or "he could have done better" should be done away with and replaced with "he was sh*te there"

"For Barcelona's first goal Gerrard was terrible" was mentioned on RTE. What did they say in UK commentary?

On the Aussie commentry they virtually said nothing, I think their still trying to understand the game down here :laugh:

by **Big Niall** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:35 pm

Bamaga man wrote:
Big Niall wrote:The phrases "he'll be disappointed with that" or "he could have done better" should be done away with and replaced with "he was sh*te there"

"For Barcelona's first goal Gerrard was terrible" was mentioned on RTE. What did they say in UK commentary?

On the Aussie commentry they virtually said nothing, I think their still trying to understand the game down here

probably not a bad thing - I think there should be an option to cut off the commentary and just listen to the crowd.

However, this thread was really about analysis before, half time, after game.

by **The Manhattan Project** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:59 pm

I can't stand Andy Gray giggling everytime someone scores a goal against us.

by **stmichael** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:02 pm

The Manhattan Project wrote:I can't stand Andy Gray giggling everytime someone scores a goal against us.

The difference in his voice when Barca scored and when we got our goals was quality, he was gutted.

by **EddieC** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:35 pm

Well, I did think Dunphy & Brady were good analysts of the game until I saw THIS.

'Gerrards been shown up for what he is, a nothing player' WTF?

by **Big Niall** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:19 am

EddieC wrote:Well, I did think Dunphy & Brady were good analysts of the game until I saw THIS.

'Gerrards been shown up for what he is, a nothing player' WTF?

Sometimes they go overboard to get a bit of attention. Dumphy used to say Stam was rubbish and refused to admit he was wrong.

If they said overrated or not world class then they could argue a point but to say a nothing player is daft.

very entertaining though.

by **babu** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 1:06 pm

stmichael wrote:
The Manhattan Project wrote:I can't stand Andy Gray giggling everytime someone scores a goal against us.

The difference in his voice when Barca scored and when we got our goals was quality, he was gutted.

been reading the blue kipper forum little bit lately (its like watching Jerry Springer - its funny coz its not you)

And they have numerous threads on how much they hate Andy Gray and that he love LFC.

Personally i think he is a complete :censored:

head

by **Big Niall** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:47 pm

I remember when Gerrard scored late in Europe (Olympiacus I think) Andy Grey forcing himself to shout "get in you beauty" - it was so funny as you knew he was stabbing himself in the nuts while saying it.

by **bunglemark2** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 4:09 pm

Big Niall : You have to say, Dunphy isn't right all the time, but even being a LFC fan all my life, I have to say Liverpool were muck that night. I went to see them for the first time Live against Sheffield Utd. recently, and Gerrard was muck that day as well. In fact, I haven't seen him play well in a long time.
And that's just Gerrard....
Aside from Kuyt and Finnan, and Carragher obviously, Liverpool have been awful of late....0-0 against Villa ? Gimme a break...

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Quality of commentary - Afraid to upset players

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