Sky Sports Commentary Analysts decline in quality

Exclamation Marc

I never really noticed how bad Sky Sports analysts and general coverage were until Andy Gray and Richard Keys left recently.

Watching the United game at the weekend and trying to cope with the drone of Glenn Hoddle was awful. Similarly, with Gray gone, Alan Smith has now gotten a lot more games and though I thought he wasnt too bad previously, his voice is now grating on me seeing as I hear it so much. Sam Allardyce did a game a few weeks ago and I thought he wasn't bad at all, but I haven't heard much since.

Also despite how much I dislike Richard Keys, the pre-match and post match analysis segments are so lifeless and by the numbers now that they're boring to watch. Ben Shephard just drains the life out of me.

ESPN in contrast is a lot easier to watch, the panellists are fantastic and Ray Stubbs gels quite well with them and the commentary is a lot easier on the ear.

I know Sky have the monopoly but ESPN is such an easier station to watch these days and I wish it was the other way around in terms of the amount of games they each have.

Anyone else agree with the crappiness of Sky Sports analysts and coverage lately and is there anyone they can bring in to liven it up?

Leiva

Decline ?
Since when was it any good ?

Hazys

With Keys and Gray the standard wasnt that very high anyway

Blatter

I think most people will agree that Wilkins is the best football analysts around. He is there regularly now and makes up for Keyes and Gray IMO.

Tarquin1970

Why do ESPN analysts have to sit on the side of the pitch on barstools? They had to share these with Avram Grant after a cup game recently, it looked ridiculous as John Barnes got up to let him sit down, like musical chairs as they shuffled along to make space..

Revolution9

I'm delighted Andy Gray is gone.


Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.
Gerrard should play in central midfield, Richard.

and

For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking
For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking
For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking
For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking
For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking
For me, right, personally, I just don't see the sense behind zonal marking

After every Liverpool game was just too much for me.

A muted television proved to be more insightful

Exclamation Marc

Well at least with Gray I thought it was better than the drone that they seem to put out now.

I mean Gray was way over the top but it beat the monosyllabic half-asleep sounding Hoddle.

Ray Wilkins is a fantastic analyst but Ben Shephard just brings the product down to a crawl and he shows no personality and it doesn't compliment the panel. Richard Keys was a goon but at least he sounded somewhat excited about what was going on.

Johner

I don't care what anyone says I miss the Andy Gray and Martin Tyler commentary.

Richard Keys, not so much.

J. Marston

Gray & Keys were annoying but I wish they were back now. That Shepard bollocks is annoying and Andys shíte talk was amusing every now and again.
Bring them back! T'was only some casual sexism.

Headshot

lol

fools paying for sky sports :pac:

Cyrus

Headshot wrote: »

lol

fools paying for sky sports :pac:

whats the alternative

streams that buffer every 2 minutes

Latchy

Andy Gray and Richard Keys leaving Sky Sports was the best thing to happen . Even listening to the annoying John Motson and sometimes annoying Mark Lawrenson /Jim Beglin combo on bbc/itv is better then those two who could insult the soccer fans intelligence with their over rated ,mathematical style of football analysis .Footballs a simple game ,not rocket science

parker kent

Ben Shepherd hasn't really been presenting live football. Ed Chamberlain has a bit, and he is normally crap. David Jones has filled in too and he is OK, not great not terrible.

But the Champions League coverage now has a man fit for the job.


I agree they need to improve the co-commentators though.

Headshot

Cyrus wrote: »

whats the alternative

streams that buffer every 2 minutes

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=622

Exclamation Marc

Jeff Stelling was absolutely fantastic last week for the CL coverage. Hope they get him in for bigger games instead of the drab Ben Shepherd.

evil_seed

It's not that the standard was higher. It's more to do with what you were used to. I for one love that Gray and hairy hands are gone

Stevecw

Most are ok, Chris Coleman is the one who they've brought it that really needs to know when to stop talking. I think it was the Spurs game on Saturday, and he just would not shut up, went for for about a min at a time as soon as the commentator took a breath.

We were laughing at it after a while, as any silence that came along he jumped in and kept going for ages. That will soon get very annoying for both viewers and the main commentator.

mink_man

do they not even have martin tyler?
They'd be better off buying the utv commentators, Alan Smith sounds like he has a tennis ball in his throat.

Pauleta

Personally i liked Keyes. I couldnt stand Gray though. If i was watching online and had a stream from Sky and he was on it, i always preferred a non english one. I think a new person has taken over the running of the football on Sky recently. Their coverage now is intentionally bland, unoffensive and forgetful. Its why they get current pro's in now because they know they will say absolutely nothing to upset the subscribers. They need to find a middle ground. Gray was a disgraceful bully the way he targeted referees. It was their way of ruthless analysis and the fans of the teams on the wrong side of a decision would herald Gray for his "insightful" analysis. At the moment ESPN are hammering them in term of quality of coverage. Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN US are even superior to them. Even when i watch the American commentators that do the MLS, its actually better.

TerryTibbs!

Headshot wrote: »

lol

fools paying for sky sports :pac:

lol poor people.

Will I Amnt

Don't miss his analysis but I would have to say I do miss Andy Grays booming voice on a super sunday especially down the pub,sound up full butt,nice pint,comfy seat....ah them were the days

yabadabado

Who did the Pool game yesterday?Brutal ****e altogether.

101001

FireballPitcher wrote: »

Jeff Stelling was absolutely fantastic last week for the CL coverage. Hope they get him in for bigger games instead of the drab Ben Shepherd.

If his extra sky work load has any adverse effect on his performance on Countdown Ill hunt you down sir... get your priorities right ffs

dougal

yabadabado wrote: »

Who did the Pool game yesterday?Brutal ****e altogether.

Kevin Philips did the co-comentary I believe.
He was laughable - I think he changed his mind about 3 times about the penalty decision!

MUSEIST

dougal wrote: »

Kevin Philips did the co-comentary I believe.
He was laughable - I think he changed his mind about 3 times about the penalty decision!

Seemed to me that he never really made his mind up at all, plonked himself on the fence. Absolute shocking stuff. I wish there was a way to mute the commentry but to keep the atmosphere of the crowd.

parker kent

MUSEIST wrote: »

Seemed to me that he never really made his mind up at all, plonked himself on the fence. Absolute shocking stuff. I wish there was a way to mute the commentry but to keep the atmosphere of the crowd.

BBC have had that option via the red button in the past as well as the option of using 5 Live commentary. Not that I'd actually want 5 Live commentary, but nice to have the option.

Exclamation Marc

parker kent wrote: »

BBC have had that option via the red button in the past as well as the option of using 5 Live commentary. Not that I'd actually want 5 Live commentary, but nice to have the option.

I vaguely remember during the World Cup there was some dead rubber game between the already eliminated 3rd and 4th in the group and they had Chris Moyles Show doing the commentary on 5live and they just had a laugh and took the píss the entire game. It was fantastic and a great distraction seeing as the game had nothing interesting about it.

Cantona's Collars

I reckon Sky will sit down when the season ends and sort out the position of replacing Keys/Gray.At the minute they are just filling the void with whoever they can-most of them are useless.

JerryHandbag

I like Alan Smith I think he should be given Andy Grays position fulltime.

That_Guy

Personally I think Don Goodman should be given more regular slots. I know he does a lot of the football league commentary but I think he's one of the better co-commentators that Sky have.

I'm enjoying Ray Wilkins in the studio more. Knows his stuff.

I don't see much of a decline myself in analysis. It wasn't great to begin with. Besides everyone who watches a game should be able to make up their own mind over a performance of a team/player instead of listening to the same old tired cliches week in and week out.

SeantheMan

Headshot wrote: »

lol

fools paying for sky sports :pac:

The analysis can be crap, but you can always change that at halftime..well..unless its an exclusive match

But for picture quality the HD is unrivalled, I can't watch matches on RTE anymore because its awful compared to it, however I stick on the lads to hear their analysis at halftime and end of match instead.

The commentators and analysis for Revista La Liga is excellent though, Guillem and Graham Hunter seem to have all the inside knowledge.
Terry Gibson and Gerry Armstrong are quite good too.

For me, the only redeeming feature of Sky in the premiership, is I enjoy Martin Tyler, and I think Ray Wilkins is excellent as a co-commentator.

Would love to see John Motson signed up :P

newballsplease

Ray Wilkins is bloody brilliant @ co commentry

celticbest

Glad to see the back of them, both highly over rated and SKY just kept building them up more and more every Season.

My ideal line up would be,

Jeff Stelling, Jamie Redknapp & Ray Wilkins

citytillidie

FireballPitcher wrote: »

I vaguely remember during the World Cup there was some dead rubber game between the already eliminated 3rd and 4th in the group and they had Chris Moyles Show doing the commentary on 5live and they just had a laugh and took the píss the entire game. It was fantastic and a great distraction seeing as the game had nothing interesting about it.

I think that was the Germany V Serbia game as Moyles could not control himself when the Serb's scored