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At least if they had been on ITV we wouldn`t have to put up with Linekar`s poor presentation.

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Well if it was a choice between Lineker and Chiles l know which one l would choose TG.:nono:

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Adrian Chiles every time for me. Love his `bumbling` manner,unlike Lineker who sounds to posh for me.

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Live rights for the 168 games could be announced next week

BT rumored to be in talks with Gary Lineker to present its Champions League coverage the deal if signed would also allow him to remain with the BBC

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Nothing wrong with a "bumbling" manner per se, but the guy is a complete goon in my eyes. He started to believe the hype that surrounded him whilst he was with the BBC and has been pretty useless since the move to ITV. I like Lineker, who, unlike Chiles, he has played the game at the highest level and knows what he is talking about. Can't say I find him too posh though, yeah he is slightly better spoken than Chiles, but I don't think makes him posh. I also think he has more confidence than Chiles in what he is talking about, and as such can put his points across in a more intelligent, balanced and passionate way. I generally prefer the BBC coverage for that reason.

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Well the beeb managed to ruin their fa cup highlights at the weekend by broadcasting the scoreboard from the Man City v Middlesbrough match, and with it the scores of all the matches they had yet to show (which was all of them apart from Chelsea v. Bradford). Let's face it, neither they or itv do football particularly well any more.

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I guess it all comes down to preference really. I don`t think being an ex professional footballer necessarily makes you an expert though.

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No, completely agree.

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A bit like Chiles then!

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Been reading a lot about the sale of Premiership rights this week, and the pending bidding process. Does anyone know if it's still the case that no one broadcaster can buy all the available rights? The reason I ask is the below press release from the European Commission dated 22nd March 2006, and links contained in the article, appear to suggest otherwise:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release....htm?locale=en

"The commitments offered by the FA Premier League therefore provide for more rights, including television, mobile and internet rights to be made available and ensure that the rights are sold in an open and competitive bidding process subject to scrutiny by an independent Trustee. The live television rights will be sold in six packages – both smaller and more balanced than previously - and no one buyer will be allowed to buy more than five. The commitments also enhance the scope for individual clubs to exploit rights that are not sold by FAPL or used by the purchaser."

"The European Commission has adopted a decision under EC Treaty competition rules that renders commitments from the FA Premier League concerning the sale of media rights to the Premier League football competition legally binding. The case concerned the agreement between the clubs participating in the English Premier League competition to sell media rights to that competition jointly through the FA Premier League. These commitments, which will remain in force until 30 June 2013, will increase the availability of media rights, and improve the prospects of competition in providing services to consumers."

Unless there has been a revision of these terms, or a new agreement, it appears the Premiership can now sell the rights without needing to make sure they don't all go to one broadcaster.

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I don't recall saying he was an expert.

Perhaps ITV can save money at the European Championships by not hiring former international players who have played in, or won, the Euros. I am sure ITV will do fine with in-depth analysis from, lets say, Jack Whitehall, Stephen Fry and Alan Carr.:rolleyes: It is all about preference, and I would prefer to hear from someone who has played for Barca and also played in a world cup semi-final as opposed to some buffoon who has not played at a higher level than I have.

As much as I hate to say it, I find Jake Humphries better than Chiles. AFAIK, he has no real footballing experience either.

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Worse than that - he's a Norwich fan.

The thing is the presenter doesn't have to be the expert - he has to anchor the show, which is not an easy job, whilst the pundits provide analysis. It's the level of punditry that is so poor. Some ex pros genuinely have no understanding of the game, and that's a concept that isn't to hard to understand when you equate it with an employee of a company who just does their job for ten years with no idea of what their colleagues do. They contribute in their own way, but they couldn't explain the business to you. You tell a forward to hassle opposition definitely defenders make certain runs in certain situations etc why would you expect him to have an in depth understanding of where a full back should position themselves? Further, why would you expect him to be able to explain certain things to you?

We need to get away from this idea that only ex pros can provide analysis - you'd soon get over the presenter if the analysis from the pundits was better.

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Really?

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Lol, yeah I forgot about that:)

I never said they needed to be an "expert". I just think an ex-footballer can join in the conversation and move it a better direction than someone who has never played the game and that makes for a better show. I could, in theory, anchor a show, read the script and then let the pundits talk. I would be way out of my depth, though, if they asked me what I thought the best course of action would be in a certain situation or if I chimed in with uneducated opinion. I would be as ridiculed as much as anyone else for not having the knowledge they have.

With regards the work colleagues, you are right. The cashiers at work have no idea how difficult working stock within a time limit can be, and they accept they have no idea what they are talking about if someone asks them a question they can't answer. They come and ask someone who knows what they are doing. How can Chiles or Humphries expect to be taken seriously if a legend of the game challenges his opinion or asks them a question they can not answer confidently on live TV. He will look an uninformed idiot. The pundits must surely take this into account with their answers, hence the reason some pundits do not come across as being very good. In my eyes, they frequently have to dumb down their answers to the anchors, they often argue amongst themselves though. Do you really think Chiles could hold his own in a serious debate (rather than the tepid family friendly rubbish ITV show) about the game in the company of, say, Hoddle, Keane and Viera? No he would be ridiculed the minute his tactical nous is exposed. Would an ex-football who has played the game the highest level be able to hold his own? I think so.

Forwards are quite often captains, so when that is the case I would fully expect them to see where defenders are going wrong and rollock them accordingly. Not only that, if I were a forward in training or in a match I would look at my defenders through the eyes of an opposition attacker. I would think where I would least like a defender to be on a pitch, and where I would like a defender to be so he is out of position and then inform my defender what he needs to be aware of from opposition attackers. I would also expect a defender to tell attackers which positions they do not want to be drawn into.

Seriously, who should be pundits if not ex-players? Fans? Celebs? Random people off the street? Reporters? Who? Are you really suggesting we have no former players giving analysis on the game or anchoring a football show?

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No, there are some ex pros who are excellent pundits. What I'm saying is it doesn't necessarily follow that every ex pro will be good. Gary Neville is excellent, so is Danny Murphy, but Robbie Fowler is dreadful. Glenn Hoddle, not just a great player but also a very good coach, is always worth listening to, Alan Shearer had upped his game, but Robbie Savage is a clown.

What I said was that some ex pros don't understand the game, and I stand by that.

As far as the anchor goes I can't think of many ex pros who could have chaired a conversation for three hours live on tv whilst an England match was eventually called off, I think it's probably a much difficult job than you think, and what I've always liked about Chiles is that he's a football fan, like you and me, not a player (well, I never got near that level, anyway). Stood on the terraces as a kid and still goes now when he can. He's asking these ex pros the sort of questions we would ask, and as a result he's getting the sort of analysis we would want - it doesn't matter that he can't provide it himself.

As for who else could do it I reckon there are probably enough Gary Neville's out there to keep us going, but there are probably also some very knowledgeable, and articulate, sports journalists who would be worth listening to. One of the best members of the BBC's World Cup team was their South American football correspondent who's name I forget but who was based out there. No-one else on their team came close to him. Imo.