"Punditry in this country is shit"

[MrJibbles]

Esteemed French football correspondent Philippe Auclair has slammed the state of punditry in the English game as the fallout surrounding Ryan Shawcross’ tackle on Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey continues apace.

The young Arsenal midfielder looks likely to be sidelined for upwards of nine months following his double leg break but despite the horrific injury, attention has shifted focus towards intense scrutiny of Arsene Wenger’s post-match comments and a defence of Stoke’s Shawcross

.

Numerous ex-professionals including the likes of Stan Collymore, Lou Macari and Alan Hansen have gone on the record with their view on events at the Britannia Stadium last Saturday with controversial and consciously provocative outpourings riling supporters of both the Gunners and Potters.

Speaking to respected Arsenal blog www.arseblog.com, France Football contributor Auclair made clear that the present state of affairs in the English media needed urgent attention.,

“I could understand, at a pinch that people reacted after what Wenger said following Martin Taylor’s tackle on Eduardo when he said ‘he should never play football again.’ It was said in the heat of the moment and he apologised later.

“However I was struck not only by how measured he was [after the Stoke game] but also so how shaken and ashen faced he was. He couldn’t bring himself to talk about the game, despite the fantastic result.

“I think he showed remarkable composure after the match, he didn’t criticise Shawcross. He actually stressed that Stoke had until then been playing hard physical football, but fairly.

Reflecting on the subsequent scorn poured on the French tactician’s post-match analysis, Auclair continued:

“I couldn’t believe the way people reacted to that. What did people expect him to say ‘oh it was just bad luck, good luck to the boy he didn’t mean it?’ is that what they were expecting?

“I just could not understand the backlash against Wenger and why In a matter of hours the focused was turned from one victim to a supposed victim. Very little was made of how Aaron Ramsey’s career could have been derailed at the very start and that instead we were asked to feel for the perpetrator of the tackle.

“The media reaction has been astounding, astonishing, but very interesting at the same time.

“The people who have asked Wenger to apologise highlighted two things for me. First this is what you get when your country’s reporting and punditry is left to former players. In Britain almost every analyst is a former player - it’s as though ‘if you were a horse you could be a jockey.’

Ruminating on the continental attitude to detailed post-match investigation and informed debate, Auclair was keen to point out where British media personalities differentiated from their peers across the Channel.

“In France the level of analysis is slightly better. It is certainly much better in Italy if you listen to the commentaries on channels like RAI. The level is very high because it’s not just former players but journalists, people who write about the game and understand it deeply.

“What you have instead is a career in the media which is just an easy way for old players to earn a crust. They have totally sewn up the punditry but also the presentation which is the case for the likes of Stan Collymore and even Gary Lineker.

“In another country the role would be given to somebody who is outside of the game and does not have a vested interest like so many people have. That avoids bias because it is very obvious that there is a bias towards certain clubs in England, particularly towards Manchester United and Liverpool because of the presence of so many of their ex-players in the media.

“It is about time that people who know what they are talking about are brought back, people who can articulate themselves and are not giving the opinion of a man at a bar.

“If you see the difference in the tone taken by a number of the best writers in England, the difference is marked. Two of the best Patrick Barclay and Martin Samuel were spot on in what they said and wrote, unfortunately their opinion and analysis has been totally silenced by the shrillness of the chorus of ex-players who understand little of the modern game.

“Many of them retired a long time ago, I include in that people like Alan Hansen; he never played the game at the pace of the modern game. You have a deficit of knowledge and understanding which is mixed with prejudice and dare I say it xenophobia, you have a mixture which is quite poisonous.

“I watched a number of games in the past few days and the noise coming from the press box is very different to what is on the airwaves. We have been absolutely deafened by a chorus of indignation against this foreigner who has dared to say that the English game is too physical.”

Pretty sure most of you will agree.

[ChickenCottage]

When Clive Tyldesley is commentating on Champions League finals you know somethings not right.

[Aquaman]

lolol absolutely deaded Hansen.

So true.

[NO SUNSHINE]

I wholeheartedly agree.

HBO's expert boxing coverage is not done by former high level boxers. I've never understood why people feel that the football equivalent of George Kimball would lack the credibility to present a show like MOTD.

[jcee]

Arsenal propoganda bullshit

punditry in every country is sh*t

[Flojo]

I wholeheartedly agree.

HBO's expert boxing coverage is not done by former high level boxers. I've never understood why people feel that the football equivalent of George Kimball would lack the credibility to present a show like MOTD.

Lennox Lewis (worst pundit ever) , George Foreman and Roy Jones?

Plus a lot of americans think that HBO's pundits are sh*t.

This article is bollocks anyway and it could easily be picked to pieces, the tackle wasn't bad it just had an unfortunate outcome.

[n/a]

Arsenal propoganda bullshit

punditry in every country is sh*t

[NO SUNSHINE]

I wholeheartedly agree.

HBO's expert boxing coverage is not done by former high level boxers. I've never understood why people feel that the football equivalent of George Kimball would lack the credibility to present a show like MOTD.

Lennox Lewis (worst pundit ever) , George Foreman and Roy Jones?

Plus a lot of americans think that HBO's pundits are sh*t.

This article is bollocks anyway and it could easily be picked to pieces, the tackle wasn't bad it just had an unfortunate outcome.

The people you've listed appear as special guests on the commentary team. Roy Jones provides a few insights throughout the fight, but he isn't a permanent feature.

I know a lot of Americans don't like Kellerman and some peolpe don't rate Atlas, but as far as I know most of the pundits are generally well-respected.

[TF S4DK]

He has a point on the TV, as tbh I wanted to cancel my Setanta subscription cos of Craig Burley, the fact that he then got shipped to ESPN, f*ck*ng baffled me.

Man can argue about Arsenal/Wenger propaganda, but lets be honest the press be it TV or written are very pro-England/The English way, we all see it with diving. Arsenal are effectively a foreign side with a foreign manager playing a continential brand/style of football, it would be very interesting to hear & see how many supporters say Robert Huth would have had been it him that made the tackle rather than Shawcross or what would have happened if it had been Glenn Whelan on Theo Walcott...

[Flojo]

I wholeheartedly agree.

HBO's expert boxing coverage is not done by former high level boxers. I've never understood why people feel that the football equivalent of George Kimball would lack the credibility to present a show like MOTD.

Lennox Lewis (worst pundit ever) , George Foreman and Roy Jones?

Plus a lot of americans think that HBO's pundits are sh*t.

This article is bollocks anyway and it could easily be picked to pieces, the tackle wasn't bad it just had an unfortunate outcome.

The people you've listed appear as special guests on the commentary team. Roy Jones provides a few insights throughout the fight, but he isn't a permanent feature.

I know a lot of Americans don't like Kellerman and some peolpe don't rate Atlas, but as far as I know most of the pundits are generally well-respected.

Lewis does most of the big fights and has been dong for years, before him it was Foreman but he didn't get along with Lampley apparently.I've watched numerous fights where Jones has been providing commentary throughout and I think he's better than all of them.

On a lot of the boxing forums the Americans are always going on about how they don't rate the HBO commentary team, especially Letterman and Lampley.

[Wavant]

Hundred shots fired. Just let it be.

Although, Jamie Redknapp needs to watch these games from home not the studio smh.

[Flojo]

He has a point on the TV, as tbh I wanted to cancel my Setanta subscription cos of Craig Burley, the fact that he then got shipped to ESPN, f*ck*ng baffled me.

Man can argue about Arsenal/Wenger propaganda, but lets be honest the press be it TV or written are very pro-England/The English way, we all see it with diving. Arsenal are effectively a foreign side with a foreign manager playing a continential brand/style of football, it would be very interesting to hear & see how many supporters say Robert Huth would have had been it him that made the tackle rather than Shawcross or what would have happened if it had been Glenn Whelan on Theo Walcott...

The Tv point has some merit but how can he pick out Hansen of all the pundits?

xenophobia definitely plays a part in the media's analysis but the fact Wenger makes the most amount of noise about anything that goes against him while being blind to anything else is probably more of a factor in the backlash than anything else.

And the most obvious reason there has been a backlash is that the tackle wasn't that bad.

[Ironman]

Esteemed French football correspondent Philippe Auclair has slammed the state of punditry in the English game as the fallout surrounding Ryan Shawcross’ tackle on

“In France the level of analysis is slightly better. It is certainly much better in Italy if you listen to the commentaries on channels like RAI. The level is very high because it’s not just former players but journalists, people who write about the game and understand it deeply.

LOL, what a motherf*cker.

whole article is BS,

[TF S4DK]

xenophobia definitely plays a part in the media's analysis but the fact Wenger makes the most amount of noise about anything that goes against him while being blind to anything else is probably more of a factor in the backlash than anything else.

Cos its just Wenger tho isn't it... What manager criticises his own players?

[Michel Kane]

Wait, what the f*ck is this, ''The tackle weren't that bad' malarky?

Not to harp on about it, but Shawcross CLEARLY STUDDED RAMSEY IN THE f*ck*ng SHIN!?

That isn't a bad tackle?

This can't be life.

[Guest Malcolm Tucker]

Wait, what the f*ck is this, ''The tackle weren't that bad' malarky?

Not to harp on about it, but Shawcross CLEARLY STUDDED RAMSEY IN THE f*ck*ng SHIN!?

That isn't a bad tackle?

This can't be life.

see your chatting sh*t....

shawcross wasnt showing studs AT ALL.

[Flojo]

Wait, what the f*ck is this, ''The tackle weren't that bad' malarky?

Not to harp on about it, but Shawcross CLEARLY STUDDED RAMSEY IN THE f*ck*ng SHIN!?

That isn't a bad tackle?

This can't be life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5dOZ9YeVZA

[Flojo]

xenophobia definitely plays a part in the media's analysis but the fact Wenger makes the most amount of noise about anything that goes against him while being blind to anything else is probably more of a factor in the backlash than anything else.

Cos its just Wenger tho isn't it... What manager criticises his own players?

the only other person who plays down incidents when his team are at fault but over exaggerates decisions going against his team to the extent Wenger does is Ferguson and last year underlined that few in the media dare question anything he says/does.

[TF S4DK]

Lol. Fergie & Wenger get more press hang time, cos they are the biggest & most respected two managers in the league. And been at the helm of their clubs for over a decade. Most journalists will openly say other then Mourinho when he was here & Roy Keane when he was in the Prem, those was the four most quotable managers.

Fact is, no manager in the Prem critcises his own players. None.

We all know that every club has incidents that go in their favour and they ALL act like it didnt happened, Wenger simply says he didnt see it, but ALL these same managers are quick to speak out when things go against them, and arguably rightfully so. Cos if the manager can't speak then who will speak up for their clubs.

[Flojo]

I've heard a lot of managers say ' yeah that was a bad tackle by our player, I've got no complaints' or ' yeah I think the ref got it wrong but they even themselves out over the course of a season' which is fair enough.

Nobody is looking for Wenger to come out and criticise his players, it's just the way he insult's people's intelligence by saying ' I didn't see it' time and time again that pisses people off. The backlash is warranted anyway because it wasn't a bad tackle.

[Aquaman]

Youve gone on to a tangent now, this isn't about, Ramsey, Arsenal, Wenger

The pundits, commos, and the large majority of radio shows and articles are conducted by former players most of which have poor knowledge of football.

Hence you get people saying things like Rooney is the best in the world. As if other leagues don't exist.

And if you really want to discuss managers whose manager has resorted to childish antics in his post match interviews?

What manager hasn't even done an interview because he has ongoing conflicts with bbc/sky. The common consensus would have you believe Wenger never does that. Arsenal fans who see every post match interview know better.....

[Flojo]

True but the only reason this guy is bringing this up is because of Wenger cos if it was Martinez/Benitez/Mancini we'd never of heard of this guy.

Some pundits are sh*t and don't offer up any decent analysis but at the same time the pundits who tend to give you the best insight are ex ballers. For every Collymore and Wright there's a Hansen and Dixon, they might not have the best presenting skills but thats secondary in my eyes.

A lot of people have got a natural inclination to go against everything positive/ hopeful about English football. Rooney is amongst the best in the world right now so pundits are warranted in saying so. The pundits from other leagues are more than likely talking up their goldenboy in the same way.

We can talk about managers but who other than Wenger has been saying 'I didn't see it ' for almost 10 years?

[TF S4DK]

I've heard a lot of managers say ' yeah that was a bad tackle by our player, I've got no complaints' or ' yeah I think the ref got it wrong but they even themselves out over the course of a season' which is fair enough.

Nobody is looking for Wenger to come out and criticise his players, it's just the way he insult's people's intelligence by saying ' I didn't see it' time and time again that pisses people off. The backlash is warranted anyway because it wasn't a bad tackle.

We talking about broken leg tackles, not offside goals or incorrect ref decisions. You cant expect Wenger to say "fair enough".

You insult your own intelligence if you believe if actually didnt see it.

Its a tackle that he didnt need to make, he is never getting to the ball. Never in a million years.

[TF S4DK]

Wenger is notorious for defending his team in adversity, or claiming he has not seen a controversial incident, in which an Arsenal player is in the wrong. So will he admit that he is sometimes guilty of what Edmund Burke called ‘economy with the truth’?

‘Yes, because you are thinking, “Why has he done that?” and you know you cannot explain it,’ Wenger said. ‘At times I saw it, and I said I didn’t to protect the player, because I could not find any rational explanation to defend him.

‘This is a job where you have to have an optimistic view of human nature or you become paranoid. You always have to think that a guy wants to do well.