Is it the end of the road for the RTE football pundits?

[jezzer]

Mrs. Jezzer is Catalan and not very into sport. I stuck on the Germany-Ireland game the other night and she her jaw dropped open "are those old farts still doing the football analysis?" "just look at them, it's like a bunch of pensioners bickering over the good old days".

I suppose I was so used to seeing them I hadn't stopped to think how old and samey the panel has become. If ever a TV format was in need of a freshen-up, it's them.
I don't say that to be (totally) ageist about it, but they are a bunch of increasingly out-of-touch fossils.

Then after the game, the panel got stuck into honest, decent football man Noel King. The guy isn't going to be the next manager, but Dunphy had to fillet him anyway, with his poorly-constructed and conveniently-cobbled diatribe about the state of the game - a dog-and-pony-show we've heard a hundred times before. The fact he felt he had to do it to Noel King in order to stay (as he believed) relevant and "true to himself" and "acting in the best interests of the game he loves" makes him even more of a comic book creation than he has been. It makes him a has been.

Giles, great ex-footballer, is also a great ex-football analyst. He's just getting too old for it. He repeats himself, loses his train of thought, passes the ball as soon as he gets it most of the time. He offers next to nothing in analysis anymore.

Brady is lost. He lurches violently from one side of the fence in the panel to the other. He's the best qualified to be the voice of reason, the proper analyst of the game, the "Conor O'Shea" figure in the football panel. But he just gets caught up in the relentless tide of negativity and pointless debate, swinging from one opinion to the next with very little consistency.

Billo's magic touch is gone. This is a band that can't be orchestrated. Billo used to be Jimmy Rabbitte - getting the Commitments all on the same page. But Gilesy the Lips can't hold a tune, Mickah Brady can't stay out of a fight and Dean Dunphy has lost himself in self-indulgent jazz noodlings that nobody can follow.

The attacks on Noel King might just be the catalyst to cause a regime change. But the truth is, these old farts have been treading water for a good while and causing a fair bit of damage while they've been at it.

Time for the band to break up. Get in Richard Sadlier, Brian Kerr and Graeme Souness for example. Maybe keep Billo for a year or two for continuity. But it's time Dunphy and co are on the receiving end of the hatchet job.

Thoughts?

[Lamb of BOD]

First thought is that without them we would we still get this type of thing?

I wonder if they canned the three pundits (Eamonn, Liam and John) could they afford to have Graham Hunter? I rarely watch football these days, but I could listen to Hunter talking about the game all day. Richard Sadlier always strikes me as someone who knows what he's talking about, too.

[johng]

Mrs. Jezzer is Catalan and not very into sport. I stuck on the Germany-Ireland game the other night and she her jaw dropped open "are those old farts still doing the football analysis?" "just look at them, it's like a bunch of pensioners bickering over the good old days".

I suppose I was so used to seeing them I hadn't stopped to think how old and samey the panel has become. If ever a TV format was in need of a freshen-up, it's them.
I don't say that to be (totally) ageist about it, but they are a bunch of increasingly out-of-touch fossils.

Then after the game, the panel got stuck into honest, decent football man Noel King. The guy isn't going to be the next manager, but Dunphy had to fillet him anyway, with his poorly-constructed and conveniently-cobbled diatribe about the state of the game - a dog-and-pony-show we've heard a hundred times before. The fact he felt he had to do it to Noel King in order to stay (as he believed) relevant and "true to himself" and "acting in the best interests of the game he loves" makes him even more of a comic book creation than he has been. It makes him a has been.

Giles, great ex-footballer, is also a great ex-football analyst. He's just getting too old for it. He repeats himself, loses his train of thought, passes the ball as soon as he gets it most of the time. He offers next to nothing in analysis anymore.

Brady is lost. He lurches violently from one side of the fence in the panel to the other. He's the best qualified to be the voice of reason, the proper analyst of the game, the "Conor O'Shea" figure in the football panel. But he just gets caught up in the relentless tide of negativity and pointless debate, swinging from one opinion to the next with very little consistency.

Billo's magic touch is gone. This is a band that can't be orchestrated. Billo used to be Jimmy Rabbitte - getting the Commitments all on the same page. But Gilesy the Lips can't hold a tune, Mickah Brady can't stay out of a fight and Dean Dunphy has lost himself in self-indulgent jazz noodlings that nobody can follow.

The attacks on Noel King might just be the catalyst to cause a regime change. But the truth is, these old farts have been treading water for a good while and causing a fair bit of damage while they've been at it.

Time for the band to break up. Get in Richard Sadlier, Brian Kerr and Graeme Souness for example. Maybe keep Billo for a year or two for continuity. But it's time Dunphy and co are on the receiving end of the hatchet job.

Thoughts?

Rarely watch soccer so not qualified to have intelligent thoughts on the matter, but a belter of a bit of analysis there, esp the Commitments bit.

Perhaps you should be in journalism.....?

[Peg Leg]

First thought is that without them we would we still get this type of thing?

I wonder if they canned the three pundits (Eamonn, Liam and John) could they afford to have Graham Hunter? I rarely watch football these days, but I could listen to Hunter talking about the game all day. Richard Sadlier always strikes me as someone who knows what he's talking about, too.

Ah man, Graham Hunter is possibly the most condescending pundit in the universe! I do like Richard Sadlier though. Graham Souness gives a good insight also.

[Peg Leg]

Also, I think Billo was due to retire soon anyway, no?

[Lamb of BOD]

Ah man, Graham Hunter is possibly the most condescending pundit in the universe!

Just goes to show that one man's rubbish is another man's treasure.

[Logorrhea]

The format is actually really good, compared to the shite other channels spout, they at least try to offer some detailed analysis. The problem is the people. The same applies to the rugby coverage offered by RTE, good format, cr@p staff.

The off the ball lads, and Second Captains have shown that the right people are available, they just arent being used.

[Avenger]

I wonder if they canned the three pundits (Eamonn, Liam and John) could they afford to have Graham Hunter? I rarely watch football these days, but I could listen to Hunter talking about the game all day. Richard Sadlier always strikes me as someone who knows what he's talking about, too.

I doubt Hunter would give up the gig he has to present a football highlights show on RTE. In fairness to him he's a fairly good football analyst in that most of what he says makes perfect sense (well to me anyway). As a side note - his book (The making of the greatest team in the world - BARCA) is a very good read. It reads like he talks so if you like him on Off The Ball, you'll love it.

I don't like the RTE football analysis as its more about the analysts than the actual football. I would rather someone who can break down a game and actually give an educated analysis of whats going on... not the rantings of Dunphy or dithering of Giles/Brady. I lost a bit of respect for Sadlier when he just sat there and let Dunphy rant on after Tuesdays game... Shane Horgan has no issue with pulling Hook up when he's on similar rants on the rugby analysis so if Sadlier wants to be taken seriously in this house... he'll step in and correct the studio clown when he's talking through his arse.

As for the RTE format being better than every other channels... I wouldn't agree with that... for example Gary Neville's analysis on Sky is by far the best there is. He's recently retired, played at the highest level and can clearly break down a game and explain it clearly, he understands how modern professional footballers think... I didn't expect him to be this good when he was brought in to replace Grey and Keys but he has been exceptional.

[fourthirtythree]

I think they may well have left it too long to put them out to grass. Jezzer's initial post is pretty spot on, it isn't really age as such (barring unfortunately Giles who has simply lost his gimlet eyed cynical ability to spot what we may not have) so much as their increasing irrelevance. Voices like Sadlier and Souness who were allowed offer more nuanced perspectives than they might have been in other circumstances (as Logo says: it's a fine format) should have by this stage replaced the rantings of Dunphy, the dithering witterings of Giles, and the... what is it that Brady offers now apart from the visage of somebody constantly contemplating his gout?

Years ago you could look at this and know that the analysis on Irish TV was way better than that on offer on UK TV with its focus on personalities. Not for years now has that been true.

And I must forcefully disagree with the jazz analogy for Dunphy: jazz has deep analysis allied with real, raw, daring, baring, frightening soul. He is much more like the formulaic pleading of a cabaret soul performer falling into parody. Please please falling on my knees the sky is falling down.

[blockhead]

Sadlier has to go. Hes a committed naysayer. At least Dunphy was original (30 years ago). Its so easy to be a critic.

[suisse]

Then after the game, the panel got stuck into honest, decent football man Noel King. The guy isn't going to be the next manager, but Dunphy had to fillet him anyway, with his poorly-constructed and conveniently-cobbled diatribe about the state of the game - a dog-and-pony-show we've heard a hundred times before. The fact he felt he had to do it to Noel King in order to stay (as he believed) relevant and "true to himself" and "acting in the best interests of the game he loves" makes him even more of a comic book creation than he has been. It makes him a has been.

The attacks on Noel King might just be the catalyst to cause a regime change. But the truth is, these old farts have been treading water for a good while and causing a fair bit of damage while they've been at it.

I don't see RTE's coverage much and only make an effort to watch it back on RTE Player if there has been some controversy or if people on Facebook have been moaning - with excellent reason, imho - about Liam Brady's frankly unprofessional and biased views for a long time now. I always enjoyed the coverage in the past, as the team (Dunphy, in particular) nearly managed to drive themselves off the face of the cliff a few times, but always recovered.

I think Brady, more than anyone else, should be sacked or moved on a long time ago. His attitude is appalling and he comes across as a grumpy, petulant child while verbally abusing BH for certain opinions. Brady is too sensitive and far too much of a hypocrite to be doing that job.

I've chopped some of your comment and highlighted one part above. I know this isn't the point of your post, and I do think Eamon was way over the top. But some of King's interviews were nothing short of cringe-worthy for the things he said, like you wrote there. There is no place, imho, for an interviewee to saying things like "I can walk around Dublin with my head held high" - even if he is a caretaker, that sort of cr@p shouldn't be tolerated. A lot of the things he was appaluded for saying about the Irish team and himself before and after the Germany game always cause great offense when a frieing coach or pundit says about us, so I didn't enjoy the hypocrisy.

But apologies for briefly derailing the thread. I know this is not what you're discussing. The lads on the panel should just discuss the game and move on. As you said, he's not going to be the permanent manager. I do think King's response to the TOD question was totally wrong though.

[AwayTheWell]

Aside from the Ireland games, their Champions League analysis of the old crew I don't find too hot either.
Giles regularly saying - "Well I don't know much about them" before Man Utd/Celtic etc.. play a non-powerhouse of European soccer.
And Dunphy's ridiculous rants about Bayern Munich following their thumping victory over Barcelona and eventually clinching the European Cup they have been knocking on the door of for the last years was bereft of any insight or analysis and full of ridiculous vile bile.