Presenters or Producers.

A Response to Paul Heyward's Article from The Guardian Sport 28/1/2011


This morning in the Guardian, Paul Hayward printed an article discussing the flaws in many football presenters and shows across the BBC, ITV and Sky. Hayward discussed how the football coverage on television was, in general, to diluted with many of the shows lacking depth and insight.

Now I couldn't agree more that the football viewing public have been subjected to a number of poor analysts and presenters that fail to get to the heart of many of the issues and topics discussed on the programs, offering basic analysis and interpretation of the days highlights tactics and events.

However I think Hayward missed a number of points in his article today, that I feel should be looked at when discussing this topic.

Firstly, Hayward discussed the problems with BBC's Sunday night football show Match of the Day 2.

“Most of us watch MOTD 2 to see the game deconstructed a bit more and explained, in the Lee Dixon style”.

“To be confronted with a re-run of some of Andy Cole's best career moments is merely an invitation to head off to bed”.

Hayward also suggested that MOTD 2 host Colin Murray is, in part, to blame for the lack of substance on the show as his questions “could do with a regular trim to eliminate unnecessary clauses”.

Hayward fails to notice that MOTD 2 has been the BBCs light hearted look at the weekends Premier League action for years. Weekly spots such as “2 good, 2 bad” were prominent when Adrian Chiles presented the show as the BBC set out to bring a light hearted look the weekends action. Saturday nights MOTD with Lineker, Hansen, Shearer and Lawrenson, is there to break down the bulk of Saturdays action and get expert analysis from the BBCs front men for football. MOTD 2 is the Sunday night, easy going, comic relief from the over analysis in the weekends papers, television and internet articles. Its there to attract the casual viewer that wants to tune in to catch up in the weekends football and wind down before work on monday. Its therefore just poor casting on the part of the BBC that Lee Dixon, arguably the best football analyst on television, ends up almost every week on the BBCs attempt at a good laugh football rather then being a permanent fixture on the their flagship Saturday night show.

Murray, MOTD 2s easy going host, is playing the role that has been asked of him by producers. When Murray presented Channel 5's Sunday night American Football show 'NFL Live', his role was similar to the one he has now at the BBC. Murray would provoke thoughts from expert analyst Mike Carlson while also providing some comic relief for the viewers, in the belief that an audience tuning in from 1am to 4.30am on a Monday morning, would not want to be peppered with facts and tactics through out the shoe. Seeing as Murray had done very little sport coverage before his Channel 5 days, the BBC must have known exactly what type of host they were bringing in with the hiring of Murray, and therefore exactly what kind of show they wanted MOTD 2 to continue to be. Viewers expecting an in depth, detailed analysis on their Sunday night soccer show should either make sure to record MOTD on Saturday nights or hold out till Monday night for SkySports Monday Night Football show.

Secondly in Hayward's article he lists a number of former pros as being the best in the analysis business. This list includes Alan Smith, Mark Lawrenson, Scott Minto, Gareth Southgate, Graeme Souness and Lee Dixon. A number of these are great at what they do. Dixon and Souness are two of the standouts on the list, as both are unafraid to question others, throw in their own relevant background knowledge and spark debate between their coworkers. Alan Smith too deserves a honourable praise as his work with the current voice of football Martin Tyler has provided viewers with an entertaining duo to listen to on the weekends.

Yet others such as Southgate and Lawrenson are given too much praise. Lawrenson's pairing with John Motson was, in many peoples opinion, one of the worst duos in British football commentary at the time, with both merely pointing out the obvious and trying to over hype minor incidents. Lawrensen lacks the ability to hold a viewers attention and has a presence on television that lacks depth, making whatever positive analysis he has to say slightly diluted by his less then engaging attitude.

Southgate too lacks enough personality, especially when paired with Chiles on ITV. While Chiles looks to have a laugh, point out funny moments, and continue his work from MOTD 2 on a live, headline show format, Southgate's soft spoken quiet personality means that despite providing great analysis and depth to the discussion, Chiles is all to ready and able to jump in with a remedial comment or joke. Combined with ITVs advert breaks, there is little room to get the jokes in the bag and provide detailed insight into the game in the 10-15 minute half time and post game analysis.

To find a paring that work as well together and have an on screen chemistry like Keys and Gray did is extremely rare in television, and is dependant on a number of other factors. But MOTD 2 is doing what its been created to do, create a relaxed look at the weekends football, and Hayward should really realise and/or accept this, rather then looking for it to be something its not. A good analyst is hard to find, especially to find a presenter that works well with them, and Haywards dismissals of Merson, Cole and Yorke's ability to provide this are uncalled for, as broadcasters are merely trying to find the next Gray Keys combo. Yet bores and clingers that are carried by those around them and given long term contract, such as Lawrenson, go unscrutinised in the article.

There are plenty of football shows that have expert in depth analysis from pundits throughout the weekend, and many of the pundits are spot on with much of what they say. Its the broadcasters fault for the lack of depth in some shows as they try to appeal to different audiences and differentiate their brand. Until producers find the former players and managers with the smarts to produce intellectual football debate we are going to be stuck with what we have. Only a shake up in the on screen parings could provide any significant change in the quality of analysis.