Friday, April 24, 2009

Why Sky Sports Needs Pundits Like Steven Gerrard Every Week


During Liverpool's eight goal thriller with Arsenal the Sky Sports commentator came out with something that made my ears prick up as I struggled to stay on the edge of my seat.

"I don't care what anybody says, you don't get games like this anywhere else in the world. That's why the world's broadcasters come to us."

I think Martin means that English football is so entertaining that every TV network in the world wants to buy rights from the Premier League.

They do, too. I remember waking up in Peru, switching on the telly and watching Southampton against Arsenal a few years ago.

I love South America and every time I go I end up watching some Premier League game or other on ESPN. My name's John and I'm a football-aholic.

Another time I went to Argentina, I went to see Boca Juniors play and it was a sensational experience. The game was a bit slow-quick-slow and it even made Juan Sebastian Veron look good in the match that I saw.

I've been fortunate enough to have seen games all over Europe. And I admit it. I'd love to be a purist and go on about the virtues of continental football, but English football is my number one.

It's fast, physical, there's goals and amazing drama like we saw in Liverpool's 4-4 draw with Arsenal - which takes me back to Martin Tyler.

My first thought when I heard Tyler say "us" was that the world's broadcasters come to Sky to buy their rights. I'm still not convinced that's what he didn't mean to say, either.

It should be the dog wagging the tail. But, in reality, it's the other way round. Sky pulls the Premier League's lead and Richard Scudamore comes running.

I'll declare an interest here. I do a lot of work for Setanta. But I think their presence has been healthy and has given Sky a kick up the backside.

Their coverage is excellent. Jon Champion and Craig Burley are a very good double act. They have also had some good pundits this season, Harry Redknapp for one.

Redknapp slaughtering England and Fabio Capello after the Czech game last August made for great television, whatever you think of his views.

Match of the Day has played a blinder getting rid of Alan Shearer for a few months. Give me Lee Dixon any day. At least he says it how he sees it without fear of upsetting old mates or anyone in the game.

No wonder he hasn't got the balls to drop a misfiring Michael Owen. He never even had the guts to put his head above the parapet to slag anyone off when he was a pundit.

But Sky have this habit of choosing their studio pundits to sit alongside the ultra smooth Richard Keys and excellent Jamie Redknapp based on a tenuous link with one of the two clubs he used to play for.

On Tuesday night, they surpassed themselves by having injured Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the studio.

Gerrard was excellent, eloquent and unmissable. He gave good insight from the heart and was honest.

But what is the point of having Dion Dublin in for Manchester United games? I just don't get it.

At the risk of sounding like Sam Allardyce when it comes to Rafa Benitez and foreign managers and being a little Englander, I will also never understand why you have pundits who don't make sense.

Peter Schmeichel was so bad that the BBC had no option but to get rid of him and his bizarre version of Denglish.

The same goes for Ruud Gullit. In a discussion after the Liverpool v Chelsea game and a debate over whether Benitez should have been more cautious, Gullit had Keys completely bemused with the following statement.

"Because he didn't get his most important players on the ball so what do you want then you have to take one a little bit more back, and he did, but by then it was already too late." My thoughts exactly, Ruud.

Sadly we don't get enough Clive Tyldesley on the telly as, in my humble opinion, he's the best commentator with Champion best newcomer, even though he's been around for years.

Sky does rule the roost because they can show amazing games like Liverpool v Arsenal.

But we also need better pundits and studio analysis. Gerrard was a breath of fresh air and brilliant. Sky needs his ilk on a regular basis.

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