Gary Neville

[Chris Smith]

Not sure where the Neville worship comes from, I think he just states the obvious. Its a simple game.

Firstly it isn't worship, it's recognition that he does the job better than most other pundits. Secondly, it isn't merely stating the obvious; he has pointed out technical aspects of games that, for example, I haven't seen from anyone on this site.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think it is just that he tries to do it well and others are there for the pay check.

What puzzles me is as assistant boss with England, he must give Roy some real insight at times, and yet we have looked tactically poor in several games.

The players love playing their 4-4-2 in their straight lines is the problem i think.

That's Woy's single way of setting teams up, isn't it?

He organises them very well and you always get the idea they know what they're meant to be doing, but that's about the limit of England.

[paul_e]

Not sure where the Neville worship comes from, I think he just states the obvious. Its a simple game.

Firstly it isn't worship, it's recognition that he does the job better than most other pundits. Secondly, it isn't merely stating the obvious; he has pointed out technical aspects of games that, for example, I haven't seen from anyone on this site.

Oversimplifying things a bit too much there, someone on this site doing that level of analysis based on footage picked by someone who doesn't know what they're looking for is nearly impossible, doing that level of analysis with 14 camera angles is a bit easier.

I'm not saying Neville isn't good at what he does, just pointing out that comparing him to fans on a forum is pointless, comparing him to the shit on motd is fair game and in that measure he comes out really well.

I think I could provide as much insight as Neville given the footage and stats he has access to, and I think a few others on here could as well (I pointed out early into our good period last season that the reported positions of Benteke and Gabby were at odds with where they actually influenced play, the heatmaps (areas where they touch the ball) back up that whilst we were nominally a 433 with weimann and gabby outside benteke what we actually saw was Benteke and Gabby both playing in the inside left channel and Weimann playing inside right.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Alan Brazil is the best pundit for me. Why don't we see more of him on TV ?

[LeeB]

Alan Brazil is the best pundit for me. Why don't we see more of him on TV ?

I think it's due to the aspect ratio.

[pauliewalnuts]

Alan Brazil is the best pundit for me. Why don't we see more of him on TV ?

I think it's due to the aspect ratio.

Also, given the advent of very large, high definition televisions, imagine that bloated piss head's broken-veined face filling your living room.

[LeeB]

Alan Brazil is the best pundit for me. Why don't we see more of him on TV ?

I think it's due to the aspect ratio.

Also, given the advent of very large, high definition televisions, imagine that bloated piss head's broken-veined face filling your living room.

It could void the warranty on your telly, burn out on the reds

It's a legal minefield, it's not worth the hassle, especially when he's so good on the radio.

[Chris Smith]

Not sure where the Neville worship comes from, I think he just states the obvious. Its a simple game.

Firstly it isn't worship, it's recognition that he does the job better than most other pundits. Secondly, it isn't merely stating the obvious; he has pointed out technical aspects of games that, for example, I haven't seen from anyone on this site.

Oversimplifying things a bit too much there, someone on this site doing that level of analysis based on footage picked by someone who doesn't know what they're looking for is nearly impossible, doing that level of analysis with 14 camera angles is a bit easier.

I'm not saying Neville isn't good at what he does, just pointing out that comparing him to fans on a forum is pointless, comparing him to the shit on motd is fair game and in that measure he comes out really well.

I think I could provide as much insight as Neville given the footage and stats he has access to, and I think a few others on here could as well (I pointed out early into our good period last season that the reported positions of Benteke and Gabby were at odds with where they actually influenced play, the heatmaps (areas where they touch the ball) back up that whilst we were nominally a 433 with weimann and gabby outside benteke what we actually saw was Benteke and Gabby both playing in the inside left channel and Weimann playing inside right.

Totally disagree, Paul. I don't think you could provide the same level of knowledge into my job as I could, i don't think Neville could speak in as informed a manner about as you can about your own role. He is an articulate man who has spent his whole life in the game playing at the highest level, that's 7 days a week totally immersed in football, I think it is arrogant to assume that we are able to offer anything like the same insight.

[pauliewalnuts]

Not sure where the Neville worship comes from, I think he just states the obvious. Its a simple game.

Firstly it isn't worship, it's recognition that he does the job better than most other pundits. Secondly, it isn't merely stating the obvious; he has pointed out technical aspects of games that, for example, I haven't seen from anyone on this site.

Oversimplifying things a bit too much there, someone on this site doing that level of analysis based on footage picked by someone who doesn't know what they're looking for is nearly impossible, doing that level of analysis with 14 camera angles is a bit easier.

I'm not saying Neville isn't good at what he does, just pointing out that comparing him to fans on a forum is pointless, comparing him to the shit on motd is fair game and in that measure he comes out really well.

I think I could provide as much insight as Neville given the footage and stats he has access to, and I think a few others on here could as well (I pointed out early into our good period last season that the reported positions of Benteke and Gabby were at odds with where they actually influenced play, the heatmaps (areas where they touch the ball) back up that whilst we were nominally a 433 with weimann and gabby outside benteke what we actually saw was Benteke and Gabby both playing in the inside left channel and Weimann playing inside right.

Totally disagree, Paul. I don't think you could provide the same level of knowledge into my job as I could, i don't think Neville could speak in as informed a manner about as you can about your own role. He is an articulate man who has spent his whole life in the game playing at the highest level, that's 7 days a week totally immersed in football, I think it is arrogant to assume that we are able to offer anything like the same insight.

Much of what he says is based primarily on his however many hundred games for Man United, too. There's only one way you can get that type of insight.

Jonathan Wilson, for example, is a journalist who knows a lot about tactics and the game in general, and he too could probably arrive at some interesting conclusions, given time and footage, but he's never going to be able to talk about it from the point of view of a premier league player, because he's never been one.

[Dave]

He is an articulate man who has spent his whole life in the game playing at the highest level, that's 7 days a week totally immersed in football, I think it is arrogant to assume that we are able to offer anything like the same insight.

I'd fancy most of us to offer more insight than the likes of Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson and they've also "spent their whole life in the game playing at the highest level, 7 days a week totally immersed in football".

I don't think it's much to do with the fact that he's a former player, just that he's a good pundit.

[paul_e]

He is an articulate man who has spent his whole life in the game playing at the highest level, that's 7 days a week totally immersed in football, I think it is arrogant to assume that we are able to offer anything like the same insight.

I'd fancy most of us to offer more insight than the likes of Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson and they've also "spent their whole life in the game playing at the highest level, 7 days a week totally immersed in football".

I don't think it's much to do with the fact that he's a former player, just that he's a good pundit.

Which was the point I was trying to make, albeit very badly.  I think the value of experience as a player is vastly overrated because it only becomes relevant if you are, first and foremost, a good analyst.  I am an analyst with a good understanding of football as an amateur and a viewer, that's why I think I could provide much of what Neville does and I could do a far better job than any of the bbc/itv/bt pundits.

When Neville likens things to his career and how things were approached by his team and draws on that experience he clearly has better knowledge than most, when he talks about other things he's just as much a viewer as anyone else, it's just that's he pays attention and has good analyst skills.

[OCD]

I don't know how many pundits have done all their badges either. That makes a difference between pundits. A pundit like Neville understands how to set a team-up and other technical details whilst your average MOTD pundit wouldn't see those kinds of things.

[dave.woodhall]

Anyone who thinks they could offer the same insight as a former player should spend a game sitting next to one.

[Hookeysmith]

Alan Brazil is the best pundit for me. Why don't we see more of him on TV ?

I think it's due to the aspect ratio.

Very good

When they announced GN all i could think of was another Man U wankfest but he has really surprised me

Carragher is also knowledgable but his voice is sometimes at a pitch only woodland creatures can hear

Both though are better than anything the BBC have at present (Other than Shearer)

[paul_e]

I don't know how many pundits have done all their badges either. That makes a difference between pundits. A pundit like Neville understands how to set a team-up and other technical details whilst your average MOTD pundit wouldn't see those kinds of things.

Another element which i believe is more important than being a player, some players (such as Neville and by all accounts Southgate and OGS to name a few) want to absorb everything and learn about the game beyond just playing, those are the ones who can use their experience to teach others, either as coaches, managers or pundits, and are also likely to want to do well in those areas.  The likes of Shearer and Owen will have worked on their own game but won't have gained massive tactical expertise because of it and hence they make dull pundits and, in shearers case, poor managers.