Is it time for a change on the RTE Panel?

Downlinz

It's been much discussed with the Euro's currently on and while the old brigade bring a lot of light-hearted entertainment it does have to be said that on knowledge they're sorely lacking. It can be a bit embarassing at times listening to Giles fumble around for the names of global superstars and Dunphy attempting to say something controversial on a subject he has no real authority on.

Entertaining on lesser games and even Irish games when alternative coverage and views are plentiful. But elsewhere when you'd like some genuine tactical insight and knowledge it can be a bit cringeworthy.

I find Cunningham and Sadler more knowledgable in those departments and far more suited to the "big" games. Wheras the rambling and antics of the old crew would suit the dead rubbers a bit more. Anyway poll attached, who would you rather see for the big games?

JoeA3

No.
I for one will be very sad when Bill and John in particular (both in their 70's now) call it a day.

Einhard

To be honest, knowledge of the names of every player, or the correct pronunciation of those names, matters less to me than an ability to analyse a match or a piece of play, and I still think Giles et al are good at that.

Neil3030

Dunphy out should be the only change.

Giles, Billo, Liam + A.N. Other for me.

aindriu80

the old crew is pretty good. If someone has something to talk about its much better.

I don't rate UK based coverage at all. I would check it out to see what they were saying, some of the UK coverage and personalities is terrible.

Vurnon San Benito

Dunphy out? That lad makes the show.

The new crew are too serious ie. Kenny Cunningham.

Will be sad day we we lost those 4 men.

S28382

No definitely not, they are straight to the point which is what you would want to hear not like that crap on utv, bbc and sky sports. I hate Ray Houghton doing commentary so less of him would be nice.

Richard Hillman

They need a stronger presenter to question them, their theories and the hypocricies. They need to start anaysising the game, the goals, the tactics and give their ex pro expertise and not just "pub chat" and comment and opinion. Giles needs to be cut from the Champions League as he is lazy and unknowledgable and the same goes with "Spanish Football Expert" Dunphy. Its just not good enough. This is a public broadcaster and they should act in a professional manner. Ray Houghton needs to be cut from commentary.

The biggest hypocrisy about RTE football is that they criticise Sky for hyping their product as the best in the world when they do the exact same about their own coverage. At RTE their coverage is all about themselves rather than the product.

dfx-

If anyone Brady has to go, he was poor bringing papers on the show and very defensive.

Renn

S28382 wrote: »

No definitely not, they are straight to the point which is what you would want to hear not like that crap on utv, bbc and sky sports.

Straight to the point? The point changes from game to game. One minute they're baffled at leaving Gomez out of the German side and question what Lowe is thinking etc. Then vs Italy they begin to question why Klose (who Dunphy didn't really rate and mentioned that he played in some mid-table league side (not sure whether he knew which league that was)) wasn't playing and why Gomez was picked ahead of him. Same goes for Hummels - praising him galore pre-Italy game and then one sloppy mistake vs them and then Dunphy changes colours.

They're all a joke tbh. Pretty much caricatures of themselves for the past 10-15 years.

Ganymede Glow

The day Giles, Dunphy and Brady go is the day I stop watching the analysis on RTE. The lads are entertainment by themselves, they could be doing analysis on horse racing and it would still be entertaining. Sad day when they leave and listening to Kenny, Sadler et al wouldn't be half as good.

applehunter

Producers have made a balls of it.

Do we really need 40 mins of analysis after a game and 45 mins before hand.

Its tiring for us and them.

ArmaniJeanss

My love for that panel is infinite.

DB21

Can we droop Dunphy for Didi? At least Didi doesn't carry a petty grudge during analysis.

kitakyushu

Nope. IMHO analysis is just filler. If you're looking actual insight from pundits then imho you're either missing the point or wasting your time. That's not to say that they know (or don't know) what they're talking about. It's just that they're clearly there to develop whatever angle the show is trying to put forward rather than to simply speak their mind.

So what you're getting with the panels is just a bunch of soundbites, cliches and windup merchants. The current team provide that in droves and the younger 'knowledgeable' replacements wouldn't be able to match that service.

Fight_Night

The old crew can get a few laughs out of you for sure but they are terrible terrible analysts. You have to ask yourself, what would the audience prefer, to be entertained or have better analysis? Pretty sure that the majority prefer to be entertained. I would prefer better analysis but sure what can you do.

Although me personally I find them way too pessimistic, particularly Dunphy. Still usually give RTE the nod over BBC unless the lads are having one of those days.

LimGal

Definitely keep the old crew.

And while we are on the matter can someone please tell me how Richard Sadler managed to get a job on RTE as a football pundit?

The guy played for Millwall,never played in the premier league and has one international cap to his name.

Anybody else think it was strange that this guy got the job?

I think it definitely seems like he most have links to someone in RTE to get this number.

I mean how do other pundits who sit beside him feel about this relatively unknown giving his opinion guys like Souness,Giles,Hamman,Brady,Houghton etc...even Cunningham would had have a much better career than this guy.

And before any of ye draw comparisons with Dunphy I would consider him to be a much greater authority on the game,he is an established journalist on football who also played for Millwall and has more caps than Sadler.

KingdomYid

Dunphy's knowledge is pretty poor IMO, he called Lazio a mid table Italian team (when referring to Klose's club football). He recently called Ballotelli a waste of space and then failed to mention this when analysing his performance against Germany. They are only on tv now for entertainment value as their football knowledge is light years behind.

Sir Gallagher

Football analysis is overrated and pretty mundane at times. Good comedy is hard to come by though and the lads provide consistantly.

Dunphy is some baby....

"Niall Quinn is a creep"

"jumped the fence baby"

"Managed to stay alive for 63 and a half years baby"

"Headbanger"

"He went off with some young one"

"not racism, ethnic criticism"

"tired and emotional"

Etc. Etc. Etc.

This will be stuff we'll remember for years and years, can anyone remember any moments like that on the beeb, sky or utv?

The lads have their flaws but thats what makes them great, they give each other stick like any real mates would, its a fantastic dynamic.

Long live the old gaurd.

Crackle

LimGal wrote: »

Definitely keep the old crew.

And while we are on the matter can someone please tell me how Richard Sadler managed to get a job on RTE as a football pundit?

The guy played for Millwall,never played in the premier league and has one international cap to his name.

Anybody else think it was strange that this guy got the job?

I think it definitely seems like he most have links to someone in RTE to get this number.

I mean how do other pundits who sit beside him feel about this relatively unknown giving his opinion guys like Souness,Giles,Hamman,Brady,Houghton etc...even Cunningham would had have a much better career than this guy.

And before any of ye draw comparisons with Dunphy I would consider him to be a much greater authority on the game,he is an established journalist on football who also played for Millwall and has more caps than Sadler.

To be fair to Sadlier, if not for an injury cutting his career short at 24, I'm sure he would have added to his single cap and could very well have wound up in the PL at some stage.

LimGal

Crackle wrote: »

To be fair to Sadlier, if not for an injury cutting his career short at 24, I'm sure he would have added to his single cap and could very well have wound up in the PL at some stage.

Thats all well and good but if hadnt injured my knees as young lad,managed to stay away from the booze and the women I probably would have made it as pro as well doesnt mean i should get a job as a football analyst

kitakyushu

LimGal wrote: »

And while we are on the matter can someone please tell me how Richard Sadler managed to get a job on RTE as a football pundit?

The guy played for Millwall,never played in the premier league and has one international cap to his name.

Anybody else think it was strange that this guy got the job?

I think it definitely seems like he most have links to someone in RTE to get this number.

I mean how do other pundits who sit beside him feel about this relatively unknown giving his opinion guys like Souness,Giles,Hamman,Brady,Houghton etc...even Cunningham would had have a much better career than this guy.

And before any of ye draw comparisons with Dunphy I would consider him to be a much greater authority on the game,he is an established journalist on football who also played for Millwall and has more caps than Sadler.

Sadlier was seen as an upcoming hopeful who would have won more caps for Ireland and prob played at a higher level. However his whole career was pretty much finished by 2002 due to injury. I wouldn't just dismiss him because of his stats. Kevin Doyle (50 caps) was still playing LOI at approx the same age Sadlier was beginning his battle with injury.

LimGal

kitakyushu wrote: »

Sadlier was seen as an upcoming hopeful who would have won more caps for Ireland and prob played at a higher level. However his whole career was pretty much finished by 2002 due to injury. I wouldn't just dismiss him because of his stats. Kevin Doyle (50 caps) was still playing LOI at approx the same age Sadlier was beginning his battle with injury.

Ya thats grand but my point is this guy has no experience at the top level yet he is giving his opinion to the nation.Still dont see how he got the job tbh.

Sir Gallagher

LimGal wrote: »

Ya thats grand but my point is this guy has no experience at the top level yet he is giving his opinion to the nation.Still dont see how he got the job tbh.

There are plenty of pundits out there who have played at a really high level who come across as completely clueless to be fair so i dont think how good a player your were relates to good punditry.

Id be more put off by Sadlier being a whingebag over anything else tbh.

kitakyushu

LimGal wrote: »

Ya thats grand but my point is this guy has no experience at the top level yet he is giving his opinion to the nation.Still dont see how he got the job tbh.

Dunno. I guess Sadlier impressed with his journalism and lesser tv gigs. I disagree that he isn't an authority on the subject, doubly so considering the nature of punditry.

Also Despite you choosing not accepting Dunphy comparisons I would say they were in the same boat. Dunphy got to have a full career and never played at the top level either and his 23 caps for Ireland were won playing for the worst Irish team ever during probably the least competitive era for places.

applehunter

LimGal wrote: »

Ya thats grand but my point is this guy has no experience at the top level yet he is giving his opinion to the nation.Still dont see how he got the job tbh.

Because he is articulate.

Unfortunately this seems to come in a distant second when TV companies choose their analysts.

Remember Paul Gascoigne on ITV?

LimGal

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

There are plenty of pundits out there who have played at a really high level who come across as completely clueless to be fair so i dont think how good a player your were relates to good punditry.

Id be more put off by Sadlier being a whingebag over anything else tbh.

Ya thats grand as well but my question was how did this guy get the job in the first place!

And people are saying well if he didnt have to retire at 24 then he PROBABLY would have gone on to greater things......the guy was 24 and to be fair he had achieved jacksh*t.Most players who were goin to go on to greater thing would have been well on their way at that age.Not plying their trade in the second tier of english football at a poor club with one solitary cap to their name.

How does that saying go ''if my auntie had balls she would be my uncle'':D

applehunter

LimGal wrote: »

Ya thats grand as well but my question was how did this guy get the job in the first place!

He was working on MNS for the last couple of seasons. MNS is an RTE production. I would say he was approached by producers of RTE Sports Dept. to do some analysis for the Euros.

LimGal wrote: »

And people are saying well if he didnt have to retire at 24 then he PROBABLY would have gone on to greater things......the guy was 24 and to be fair he had achieved jacksh*t.Most players who were goin to go on to greater thing would have been well on their way at that age.Not plying their trade in the second tier of english football at a poor club with one solitary cap to their name.

Fact is that he had to retire from football because of injury. He was playing professionally and had been capped for his country.

LimGal wrote: »

How does that saying go ''if my auntie had balls she would be my uncle'':D

Yeah

Sir Gallagher

To be fair to Sadlier he worked his way up to that role ratger than just getting the gig because he was a great player for Ireland like Whelan and Houghton.

What are people's opinions on Darragh Maloney? I think he's come on a lot over the years and will be a good replacement for Bill. As long as Peter Sutcliffe, i mean, Collins is kept out of that hotseat im happy.

Big Knox

I love them and hope they don't change for the foreseeable future, however my motives for feeling like this is purely down to the comical value them bring.

As pundits go they are pretty much clueless and as already mentioned have new opinions from game to game that often contradict themselves.

It's very clear especially with John that they have absolutely no clue about football outside of the Premier League and often try and bluff their way through parts of the analysis.

But as I said, all this aside I still love em and hope they stay. The vast majority of pundits are annoying / clueless anyway, at least you get a laugh with the boys!!

Dempsey

I'd just like to see Brady replaced with Sadlier. Although it was funny to see Brady hype up Szczesny on the 1st night only for him to become the most hated man in Poland over night!

G.K.

I don't care how much experience in the top flight someone has. I care about them being able to analyse a match. I've never watched RTE in my life but by the sounds of things Sadiler knows his stuff, more than Dunphy and frankly that's what I'd prefer to watch and listen to. If only the likes of Michael Cox and Jonathan Wilson were our BBC pundits over here instead of Shearer and Hansen...

BorneTobyWilde

Why should they retire, Sitting down and talking football is not hard work,
They will do it at home if not in front of us, so makes no sense,
retire from talking , lol,
wtf

willowthewisp

So long as that plastic spoon Sadlier doesn't get onto the A team

LimGal

G.K. wrote: »

I don't care how much experience in the top flight someone has. I care about them being able to analyse a match. I've never watched RTE in my life but by the sounds of things Sadiler knows his stuff, more than Dunphy and frankly that's what I'd prefer to watch and listen to. If only the likes of Michael Cox and Jonathan Wilson were our BBC pundits over here instead of Shearer and Hansen...

Id have to disagree with you on that.Id take Dunphy every time over Sadiler.I find Dunphy gives better analysis than Sadiler,I think some people think the opposite because he might deliver it in a funny,off the cuff way.Sadiler bores me to death.

G.K.

Like I say, I don't know in this example because I'm unfamiliar with RTE.

I may have used a bad example. give me Michael Cox over Alan Hansen any day.

LimGal

G.K. wrote: »

Like I say, I don't know in this example because I'm unfamiliar with RTE.

I may have used a bad example. give me Michael Cox over Alan Hansen any day.

Dont really understand why you are commentating on the subject at all to be fair if you are not familiar with RTE?

willowthewisp

LimGal wrote: »

Id have to disagree with you on that.Id take Dunphy every time over Sadiler.I find Dunphy gives better analysis than Sadiler,I think some people think the opposite because he might deliver it in a funny,off the cuff way.Sadiler bores me to death.

Exactly, listen to him, he has absolutely NOTHING insightful to say, he just trots out mundane mutterings on the game.
To beat it all he is yellow to the core, a few weeks ago he started out on the panel criticising trap, Brady put it up to him and he backed down and shut his trap, next day on news talk and the independent the following Sunday he was back to criticising trap.
By all means speak your mind, but be a man and stick up for yourself and your point of view.

Neeson

Article by Eamonn Sweeney on the back of the Indo sport section today about the panel and their ramblings on Ronaldo, etc.

gnfnrhead

willowthewisp wrote: »

Exactly, listen to him, he has absolutely NOTHING insightful to say, he just trots out mundane mutterings on the game.
To beat it all he is yellow to the core, a few weeks ago he started out on the panel criticising trap, Brady put it up to him and he backed down and shut his trap, next day on news talk and the independent the following Sunday he was back to criticising trap.
By all means speak your mind, but be a man and stick up for yourself and your point of view.

Assuming we are on about the same thing, I thought he gave it back pretty well but realised it wasnt worth getting into a massive arguement over. Brady obviously wasnt going to budge so he probably decided to just leave it. I usually side with Brady but I was with Sadiler on that one, thought Brady was being very stubborn and refusing to give him an inch by just dissmissing everything that was said.

edolan

I enjoy listening to the rambles of the old panel, but I Cunningham is one of the best analysts going at the moment, look forward to seeing him more in the future.

Get rid of Bill, he's an embarassment.

Keep Giles and Dunphy but insist that they actually do a bit of research for their money. Giles in particular cannot name anyone outside the EPL and global superstars. Lazy.

Brady? Meh, whatever.

Sadlier is a bit too cocky, and Cunningham is depressing.

Renn

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Assuming we are on about the same thing, I thought he gave it back pretty well but realised it wasnt worth getting into a massive arguement over. Brady obviously wasnt going to budge so he probably decided to just leave it. I usually side with Brady but I was with Sadiler on that one, thought Brady was being very stubborn and refusing to give him an inch by just dissmissing everything that was said.

iirc, that was the moment where Sadlier decided to read the papers and not listen to the Trap press conference. Top work there.

Neeson

Renn wrote: »

gnfnrhead wrote: »

Assuming we are on about the same thing, I thought he gave it back pretty well but realised it wasnt worth getting into a massive arguement over. Brady obviously wasnt going to budge so he probably decided to just leave it. I usually side with Brady but I was with Sadiler on that one, thought Brady was being very stubborn and refusing to give him an inch by just dissmissing everything that was said.

iirc, that was the moment where Sadlier decided to read the papers and not listen to the Trap press conference. Top work there.

Think that was a different day. Sadlier was sitting to bradys right, our left, when he took him on. Sadlier and the paper happened when he was sitting in Eamonns seat.

Jimmy Iovine

Deleted User wrote: »

Get rid of Bill, he's an embarassment.

Keep Giles and Dunphy but insist that they actually do a bit of research for their money. Giles in particular cannot name anyone outside the EPL and global superstars. Lazy.

Brady? Meh, whatever.

Sadlier is a bit too cocky, and Cunningham is depressing.

How is Bill an embarrassment?

murpho999

Whether it should be Sadlier or Dunphy, are we all agreed that either panel is well above anything on offer on other stations?

Can't imagine other website forums discussing merits of BBC analysis, which most English people find legendary but I find bland compared to RTE.

Renn

Because he's a caricature of himself? The whole shtick of pretending not to know what's going on/forgetting players names/purposefully asking dumb questions/his catchphrases/etc got tiresome about a decade ago.

Neeson

Renn wrote: »

Because he's a caricature of himself? The whole shtick of pretending not to know what's going on/forgetting players names/purposefully asking dumb questions/his catchphrases/etc got tiresome about a decade ago.

He does ask the questions the folks At home would ask.

Jimmy Iovine

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

How is Bill an embarrassment?

He knows nothing about the sport on which he presents. Either that or he gives this impression in some attempt to 'represent the common man'. Either scenario sucks.

He is routinely shot down and bullied by Giles and Dunphy, and lacks the authority or balls to challenge or stretch them.

He often messes up reading the autocue.

He often mispronounces players names.

kryogen

I think people are missing what Bill really does on that show.

Cruel Sun

Deleted User wrote: »

He knows nothing about the sport on which he presents. Either that or he gives this impression in some attempt to 'represent the common man'. Either scenario sucks.

He is routinely shot down and bullied by Giles and Dunphy, and lacks the authority or balls to challenge or stretch them.

He often messes up reading the autocue.

He often mispronounces players names.

Yeah but you need someone like that in fairness.