The Lovely Mark Lawrenson

[Mister E]

Lawrenson was a classy centre back in his time (yes, I know the word 'classy is difficult to associate with ML).
His punditry is - like most - lazy and lacking real analysis.
TV seems to think that unless someone has played the game at a decent level, they cannot possibly be any good at analysis. But it's clear by looking at the contribution of people like David Conn, Michael Cox, James Richardson and others that there are some very good analysts out there.
Shame we don't see them on TV much.

I find I pretty much turn off to the sound when watching footie on TV, and I rarely read anything that is written by ex-footballers.

[not3bad]

I find him arrogant, sarcastic, sometimes ill-informed and decidedly unfunny, but he was a decent player.

Yes. This is biggest crime.

Also:

Happy Christmas Lawro
Since this is the last Mediawatch before the mid-point of the season, it seems a decent time to take a look at how Mark Lawrenson's predictions for The BBC Website are coming along.
 
If Lawro's foretellings came to pass, then Norwich would be in the bottom three, rather than their actual position of eighth. West Brom are 13th in Lawroworld, while back in reality they sit in seventh. Liverpool are of course five places better off in the world according to Mark, while all Arsenal's troubles are soothed by their position of second on the Lawrotable.
 
However, QPR are the biggest winners, sitting a very comfortable eighth place with 27 points in the Lawrostandings, as opposed to their actual position of 19th with ten.
 
Happy Christmas Lawro. Don't ever change.

(F365)

That about sums him up! 

[rob_bridge]

They don't analyse - they make lazy repetetive comments.

Looks like they have another clone in the making with Michael Owen. Dear Lord he makes Linekar look like Mick Jagger.

I remember when Ireland made Lampard look like an amateur last NYE for the 3rd goal and Lawro's comment was '..a bit sloppy..' Is thas it?

Personal favourite has to be after about 20 seconds into the Olympic Final (Mexico v Brazil).

'I can see Brazil turning it on and giving us a show today' 10 seconds later Mexico scored and gave them a bit of a lesson that day.

Anyway as others have sited they need a proper clear out.

[villan from luton]

was he actually that good as a player ? I know he won a few things with Liverpoo but most of their fans I know seem to hold Hughes,Hansen, Hysen, Scales, Thompson and even Skrtel in higher regard than the moustached Irish Maldini.

oh and by the way he is a Villa hating twat.

UTV
The Doc

To be fair he was a very good player and the likes of Hysen and especially Sclaes can in no way be compared to him.

As a pundit he is shocking

[Billy Walker]

The problem is there's no real analysis going on here.  I agree with you, Sonlyme, in that I see plenty of quality in our Villa side.  The problem is these players of ours don't play for clubs the media promote and deem as "fashionable".  A case in point the recent hoohah about Arsenal signing five of their young players onto long contracts.  These five players - in the eyes of lazy, herd mentality football journos - are "quality".  I happen to think Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker, Andreas Weimann, Barry Bannan and the rest are every bit as good (I would say "better" but I want to sound as neutral as I can here.)  It seems to me Villa would have to win a hundred games on the bounce before they actually start to take us seriously and welcome us to their cosy football narrative of who is "cool" and who is "big".  It's a school yard mentality in many ways and it totally dominates (and ruins the credibility) of most football journalism. 

[Percy McCarthy]

How are Villa getting on in Lawro's prediction table?

[rjp]

I never thought I'd be writing this but I've been pleasantly surprised by Neville.  I read a good article on the Guardian about him:

Gary Neville's punditry is the best, but others need to raise their game

It talks about how he puts the old guard to shame.  I couldn't agree more.  Hopefully it'll be a catalyst for change.

[OCD]

Good article. The BBC certainly does need to freshen up its format and its faces.

[Mazrim]

He's a knob and I cant stand him. I met him at Moor Green with that Stoke fan bell end who used to present stuff in the 90s early noughties... cant recall his name. Nick something? Both charmless horrible pricks.

Oh yes, and he makes Liberace seem like Conan the Barbarian.

[danno]

Nick Hancock (appropriately).

[dave.woodhall]

He's a knob and I cant stand him. I met him at Moor Green with that Stoke fan bell end who used to present stuff in the 90s early noughties... cant recall his name. Nick something? Both charmless horrible pricks.

Oh yes, and he makes Liberace seem like Conan the Barbarian.

Nick Hancock. As in whatever happened to?

[PeterWithesShin]

Nick Hancock?

[PeterWithesShin]

As for Lawrenson, he was a very good player, but his lack of knowledge considering he's employed as a pundit is shocking.

[Drummond]

Hancock occasionally stands in for Murray on Fighting Talk.

As for MOTD, don't ask for a reshuffle, you might get someone worse staring out from the sofa.

Garth Crooks.

[Legion]

I don't give a shit what he thinks. We're Aston Villa.