Mark Lawrenson. What I saw on the field: a lot of honest and largely ineffective endeavour from a team that was of limited talent but had good spirit and discipline. I saw something like Stoke v Chelsea. What I heard: constant, self-indulgent moaning from surely the worst co-commentator our domestic broadcasters have ever unleashed.
What I think sums up Lawrenson's fatal flaw is his self-indulgence: as well as the soul-destroying griping, we are treated to those well known unfunny quips and his need to reinforce his themes for the day (established early on) with selectively chosen evidence. Last night it was all about Young, who certainly didn't have a great game. However, having made that his specialised subject for the night, Lawrenson proceeded to audibly roll his eyes every time Young got the ball. If something went wrong it was 'yet again', even when it was debatable whether the failed pass was Young's fault or not. When he did something right it was necessary to make a sarcastic remark about this breaking the pattern.
I'm not suggesting that Young should have escaped criticism for a bad performance. What I'm saying is I'd have liked, instead of hearing about that 25 times, some enlightening remarks about the formation, the dynamics of the game, some... "analysis". I'd like a national broadcaster to point out things that I, a mere armchair spectator, haven't understood or noticed. I'd like to be educated. Instead I am forced to share the experience of the game listening to someone who seems to have a less sophisticated understanding of what is happening than I (armchair spectator) do, who talks about the game in clichés we have all heard a million times. It's actually this kind of moronic thinking about football that feeds into our limited football culture: think of the Dutch players who can talk about football better than us, as well as pass better.
In short, the one very annoying thing about last night was having to share it with a pub bore: the charmless, stupid Mark Lawrenson. Am I alone?
P.S. I wasn't in the room when Shearer was on.
Most annoying thing last night?
posted on 25/6/12
I don't think anything divides people more than football commentators.
I personally don't mind Lawro. It could be worse it could be Mark Bright.
posted on 25/6/12
Have you ever tried listening to commentators for La Liga on Sky Sports?
Every single little pass is "exquisite" and "scintillating"
posted on 25/6/12
At least it was TV, which meant he wasn't paired with that cretin Green.
I was in the room for Shearer but thankfully couldn't concentrate on what he was saying because all of my attention was drawn by the incredible two-collared shirt.
"Lawrenson proceeded to audibly roll his eyes"!
posted on 25/6/12
I like Alan Green
posted on 25/6/12
In the CL Final .." Come on Didier!"
posted on 25/6/12
Did anyone catch shearer yelling "stay strong" off camera as the teams were coming back out for the second half?.....................like they could hear him.
posted on 25/6/12
Alan Green is the most beautiful commentator.
posted on 25/6/12
Lee Dixon is the stand-out pundit at the Beeb; it is a shame he is on the 'B' team with clowns like Murray and Rob Savage.
BBC Punditry seems to be a 'chumocracy' - how Shearer gets in the A-team or any team at all (with Lineker and Hansen) is a mystery.
Shearer's football knowlegde is non-existent.
ITV's was considerably better - Townsend aside.
I know i am in the minority with this but i quite like Chiles- dealing with a curmudgeon like Roy Keane is not easy.
posted on 25/6/12
know i am in the minority with this but i quite like Chiles- dealing with a curmudgeon like Roy Keane is not easy.
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Maybe not, but you don't exacerbate the situation by having flathead chiles hosting.
posted on 26/6/12
It is quite clear the standard of pundits and commentators has taken a complete nose dive over the last 5 years. Some of the ballcks you hear these days is unreal.
Gary neville is the saviour