Clarke Carlisle - TV pundit & World Cup expert

[smithie]

As if ITV's football coverage could get any worse, we now get prize pillock Clarke Carlisle offering his opinions on World standard players.

 

It's quite unbelievable he's considered to be in any way qualified or entitled to, as he achieved very little in football as a player.

 

Radio 5 meanwhile have got the equally irritating "character" Robbie Savage offering his wisdom. I can't listen to the idiot, and I suspect I'm not the only one.

 

This is definitely a World Cup best watched in silence!

[matt 381]

Itv is awful, Townsend is the worst commentator/ pundit I've ever heats

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Enjoyed Mexico v Cameroon and Savage was spot on in his assessment of Mexico

 

Still a first class posstot though

[TheSage]

Fully agree with both comments.

 

Add Chiles to your list and the endless adverts on ITV and the games have got off to a dreadful start.

 

(Funnily enough I've been listening to some of Kenneth Wolstenholme's commentaries on the 1966 World Cup. You can get them on u-tube - and he really is superb compared to the trash we get these days)

[NellyTheValiant]

Really think that ITV have got it very, very wrong. Townsend, Carlisle are complete clowns and Cannavaro unfortunately just doesn't get it, hopefully he will as it moves on.

 

I quite like Chiles and Savage mind and generally agree with their comments. I much prefer the beeb.

[Bert Llewellyn]

The ITV 'panel' is awful - fact!

[NellyTheValiant]

Their 2nd team is better IMHO but still have to put up with the breaks.

[valiant_593]

Awful itv commentators, awful pundits, awful host, awful coverage. Compared to bbc who have brilliant pundits, coverage, commentators and a great host.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Chile playing well

[NellyTheValiant]

Aussies look very poor though. No shape, no covering or watching the runners. Could be a cricket score although after the 1st 2 goals and the game almost won it wouldn't surprise me if they took it easy. Bigger teams to try and beat.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Cahill just scored for the Aussies..up for grabs now?

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Wrighteeee, Strachan, Poyet and the current presenter (d0n't know his name) doing a better job on ITV

[boltonsno1]

I like Kevin Kilbane on the BBC. A bloke with a largely uninspiring playing career, who I think is one of the best summarizers on TV now.

 

And his opinions are served up in a really quite camp Lancastrian accent.

[Yukon]

I don't think the level a pundit played at has any bearing on their ability to analyse. I just don't like Carlisle, he comes across as arrogant and self righteous. Having met him, the reality isn't much better

[sandbach_valiant]

I don't think the level a pundit played at has any bearing on their ability to analyse.

 

Agree completely with that, but I think it does become an issue when ex-pro pundits, namely Robbie Savage, feel that just because they have 'played the game' their opinions are inherently more valuable/correct than a fan's. Given that he's never played at an international competition, his opinions on the WC are, by his own measure, not worth a lot. Plus he's a complete tool.

 

Think Henry is very good on the BBC though. Adrian Chiles is possibly the worst thing about football, closely followed by Andy Townsend.

 

I'd quite like to see more journalists on the panels. BT's European football show is brilliant and is based completely around journalists, would be good to have a different perspective sometimes.