The Match of the Day Thread

[rob_bridge]

Generally it seems MOTD have upped their game. Linekar sounded and acted more professional, Shearer seems to actually have put in thought nowadays rather than trot out the very tired old cliches, they have binned Lawro which was important as he is lazy and drags everyone down to his own level with his totally unfunny infantile quips, replaced him with Murphy who seems half decent and Hansen was shoved to MOTD2.

They are rotating their panel and the likes of savage, Dublin, Hansen and lawro are still very much part of the furniture - fortunately they werent on this week.

Hansen is retiring after the World Cup but he has been on the wane for years. Departure lounge for Lawro too I think soon enough.
Like them or not Dubllin and Savage at least have thier own opinions.

Then again so does Ian Wright and listening to him (briefly) on 6-0-6 last night was like listening to someone born 40 years after he actually was, i.e. a bloody 9 year old.

[Damo70]

We all have to realise that all the media coverage - TV, internet, papers is very biased towards 5 or 6 teams who the writers are fans of, and whom the pundits are drawn from. If, as I expect this season, we surprise a few and challenge the 'elite' you can bet your house the usual cliches will be trotted out - one man team, emerging force etc. One I don't see, but I believe is the truth is that Villa are the team who encapsulate the term 'sleeping giant' more than any other premier league team past or present. I think this manager, with sensible backing, could exceed what MON achieved. I think he knows what he is doing and is creating something very special.

I think Newcastle have copyrighted the term 'sleeping giant'. Which is fine by me because I think they will be sleeping their way through another season this year. Unlike us.

[Monty]

Newcastle are a giant which was born asleep and has never woken up. Mumbled and drooled in its sleep once or twice.

[paul_e]

Generally it seems MOTD have upped their game. Linekar sounded and acted more professional, Shearer seems to actually have put in thought nowadays rather than trot out the very tired old cliches, they have binned Lawro which was important as he is lazy and drags everyone down to his own level with his totally unfunny infantile quips, replaced him with Murphy who seems half decent and Hansen was shoved to MOTD2.

They are rotating their panel and the likes of savage, Dublin, Hansen and lawro are still very much part of the furniture - fortunately they werent on this week.

I thought Lawro was dropped from the panel entirely, I'm sure there's a post in the other football section about it.

[eamonn]

Hansen retiring? That one day a week, less than forty weeks a year gig in his mid-50's must really be tough.

[eastie]

Generally it seems MOTD have upped their game. Linekar sounded and acted more professional, Shearer seems to actually have put in thought nowadays rather than trot out the very tired old cliches, they have binned Lawro which was important as he is lazy and drags everyone down to his own level with his totally unfunny infantile quips, replaced him with Murphy who seems half decent and Hansen was shoved to MOTD2.

They are rotating their panel and the likes of savage, Dublin, Hansen and lawro are still very much part of the furniture - fortunately they werent on this week.

I thought Lawro was dropped from the panel entirely, I'm sure there's a post in the other football section about it.

Vastly reduced role according to this but still one of the panel-

A friend of the veteran pundit branded the corporation’s handling of his demotion as “absolutely pathetic”, claiming the 56-year-old was the “fall guy” in its attempts to breathe new life into a show that boasts four million viewers.
With Alan Hansen having already decided to quit after next summer’s World Cup, Thursday’s announcement that Lawrenson would have a “reduced role” on Match of the Day marked the beginning of the end for a double act that has been a key feature of British coverage for 16 years.
It became a trio more recently when Alan Shearer took turns with them to sit on the sofa opposite presenter Gary Lineker and dissect Saturday’s matches in a traditional manner that increasingly began to divide opinion.
Speculation was rife all three could be cast aside as the BBC looked to the success Sky Sports enjoyed in nurturing younger analysts, particularly Gary Neville.
But the corporation ultimately decided to retain Hansen and Shearer as lead pundits, while severely rationing the appearances of Lawrenson, who will now be part of a pool of mainly younger names including Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand, Gus Poyet and Gianluca Vialli.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Did I blink and miss Villa in the opening titles?

Does it really matter about the opening titles?

[Dave]

Did I blink and miss Villa in the opening titles?

Does it really matter about the opening titles?

Not massively, but we are there.

Lowton celebrating his goal at Stoke. It also finishes with Van Persie's offside goal against us from last season.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Generally it seems MOTD have upped their game. Linekar sounded and acted more professional, Shearer seems to actually have put in thought nowadays rather than trot out the very tired old cliches, they have binned Lawro which was important as he is lazy and drags everyone down to his own level with his totally unfunny infantile quips, replaced him with Murphy who seems half decent and Hansen was shoved to MOTD2.

They are rotating their panel and the likes of savage, Dublin, Hansen and lawro are still very much part of the furniture - fortunately they werent on this week.

I thought Lawro was dropped from the panel entirely, I'm sure there's a post in the other football section about it.

I think he's dropped from MOTD1 completely but will be doing a few guest slots on MOTD2, then finishing completely next year.
Thank f**k for that!

[Concrete John]

I started that thread in Other Football and the article was quite vague about what he would be doing, other than he wouldn't be doing as much.  Noticed he was still on Football Focus on Saturday.

The less of him the better, as far as I'm concerned.

[Jarpie]

Generally it seems MOTD have upped their game. Linekar sounded and acted more professional, Shearer seems to actually have put in thought nowadays rather than trot out the very tired old cliches, they have binned Lawro which was important as he is lazy and drags everyone down to his own level with his totally unfunny infantile quips, replaced him with Murphy who seems half decent and Hansen was shoved to MOTD2.

They are rotating their panel and the likes of savage, Dublin, Hansen and lawro are still very much part of the furniture - fortunately they werent on this week.

I thought Lawro was dropped from the panel entirely, I'm sure there's a post in the other football section about it.

Vastly reduced role according to this but still one of the panel-

A friend of the veteran pundit branded the corporation’s handling of his demotion as “absolutely pathetic”, claiming the 56-year-old was the “fall guy” in its attempts to breathe new life into a show that boasts four million viewers.
With Alan Hansen having already decided to quit after next summer’s World Cup, Thursday’s announcement that Lawrenson would have a “reduced role” on Match of the Day marked the beginning of the end for a double act that has been a key feature of British coverage for 16 years.
It became a trio more recently when Alan Shearer took turns with them to sit on the sofa opposite presenter Gary Lineker and dissect Saturday’s matches in a traditional manner that increasingly began to divide opinion.
Speculation was rife all three could be cast aside as the BBC looked to the success Sky Sports enjoyed in nurturing younger analysts, particularly Gary Neville.
But the corporation ultimately decided to retain Hansen and Shearer as lead pundits, while severely rationing the appearances of Lawrenson, who will now be part of a pool of mainly younger names including Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand, Gus Poyet and Gianluca Vialli.

Fowler? Can't stand that fucking wanker, even Owen is more likeable.

[rob_bridge]

Did I blink and miss Villa in the opening titles?

Does it really matter about the opening titles?

Not massively, but we are there.

Lowton celebrating his goal at Stoke. It also finishes with Van Persie's offside goal against us from last season.

Has any other offside goal won Goal of the Season?

[dcdavecollett]

I'm sorry -WHICH offside Van Persie goal?

[Damo70]

There is nothing wrong with MOTD that plenty of Villa victories this season can't fix.

[abc123cox]

There is nothing wrong with MOTD that plenty of Villa victories this season can't fix.

agreed, nothing better then watching MoTD after a good win..


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