Newstalk: Off The Ball

Brock Turnpike · 05-10-2023 10:03pm

What date did they launch the sub service? When is the two month mark that we should be watching out for to see the sub numbers?

Higgins5473 · 05-10-2023 10:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198087#Comment_121198087

Eh? Two shıt products with unrealistic price tags, not sure what your point is, they are both shockingly bad for their price point.

Tell me how · 06-10-2023 9:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199484#Comment_121199484

Haters gonna hate.

Shockingly bad is some statement about a show that grew from 1 hr a day 5 days a week to 3hrs each evening 5 days, then 4-6 hours on Saturday and Sundays as well, then 90 minutes each week day morning and whose staff have won numerous broadcasting awards.

FazyLucker · 06-10-2023 9:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121199144#Comment_121199144

The hilarious thing is this last line is exactly how Ger talks when he's talking about somebody who he doesn't like!

FazyLucker · 06-10-2023 9:21am

I bet they tried to get Joe to introduce the service and I bet Joe said a big fat "eh no thank Ger, I'll let you try flog this" and Ger had not a leg to stand on because Joe is an outstanding broadcaster who can get another gig in the morning and will probably get a bigger gig in the future anyway.

If Joe Molloy left I would find the rest of them impossible to listen to.

I met up with friends recently and way back when the discussion would often be "Did you hear such and such interview on Off The Ball, what did you think of......." because we all listened to podcasts, etc from the show when running/driving/walking/cycling/etc (as parents with kids, 7-10pm doesn't suit to listen live). When we met recently OTB did not get one mention in the whole night if I remember right.

They have become an irrelevant also-ran in a saturated market. Its a pity we can't know their subscriber figures (like you can with Patreon for example) but I bet one thing, the numbers are absolutely paltry and I'd say Ger is scratching his head at "Why won't these minions give us that tenner a month FFS".

Beechwoodspark · 06-10-2023 11:22am

New ad on rotation flogging the subscription service.

“Off The Ball all stars” are mentioned and the tagline is “join the obsession”...

the.red.baron · 06-10-2023 11:27am

Anyone listen to the John Giles section they have every thursday, its spectacularly bad

Azatadine · 06-10-2023 11:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200680#Comment_121200680

Sometimes I do if I'm out for a walk or cycle and yeah, it's not great to be fair. I wouldn't say it's spectacularly bad but it's not great. I like some of the stories about the old times and players. It's out of touch with the modern game though

the.red.baron · 06-10-2023 11:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200706#Comment_121200706

hes even stopped doing the stories, the presenter says something he repeats it back in a more disorganized way and repeat

he was medium as a straight man to dunphys madness

left_hander · 06-10-2023 11:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196971#Comment_121196971

She also some time recently during the newsround said Luton play at Kenilworth Lane or Park or somewhere, it wasn't Kenilworth Road anyway. One of the more famous old grounds in English football, and the whole Summer the discussion on every football site was would it be open for the new season.

KanyeSouthEast · 06-10-2023 11:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121196971#Comment_121196971

Most people in Ireland haven’t a clue about rugby really. Absolute bandwagon of the highest order.

KanyeSouthEast · 06-10-2023 11:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200680#Comment_121200680

Have to agree with you on this. No real insight into todays game or any thought outside of the back in my day roll up your sleeves get stuck in. Waste of a good segment to be honest.

Brock Turnpike · 06-10-2023 12:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200804#Comment_121200804

His analysis is:

He's a good lad / not a good lad

He's doing his stuff / not doing his stuff

Acosta · 06-10-2023 12:13pm

I haven't listened to Giles since himself and Dunphy went over the last couple of Ireland matches, on The Stand. The defence of Kenny was almost through the looking glass kind of ridiculous.

That said, I generally still enjoy listening to Giles, even if his knowledge of today's football is a bit lacking. I just needed a break after that.

BPKS · 06-10-2023 12:46pm

I had the Giles segment on the radio last night, same stuff he's been doing for years now. Seems to me that the boys indulge him like you would your uncle who is slowly losing it or the decent but boring old lad in the bar. That said, I'd hate to see the day he isn't on the Airways.

Maybe instead of having him on every week they could get him on occasionally to talk about a former player or manager who has died, the 30th/40th anniversary of an international match, repeats of European games from the 60s and 70s etc.

We would still hear Johnny, he would be comfortable on what he's talking about and we could get a bit of personal insight into players, games etc we probably only ever read about or seen old footage of on TV

CatFromHue · 06-10-2023 1:00pm

They did that during Covid and I'd say he found it tough going as he was talking about so many players that he knew that are now gone.

Butson · 06-10-2023 2:15pm

I had a discussion with somebody on this the other day and they made a good point. He subscribes to 6 or 7 podcasts, as various stages throughout the year but cannot bring himself to subscribe to OTB, despite enjoying it and having no issue paying for content.

He said when you have been getting something for free, for 10 years or more, and then you are suddenly asked to pay for it, when its always been free.....no way.

Beechwoodspark · 06-10-2023 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121200816#Comment_121200816

i respect Johnny Giles but he’s well past the sell by date. It has a certain charm to it. But yeah, it’s very limited to “he’s a good lad him” or “he hasn’t got it”. And of course plenty anecdotes from the 70s. “Back in my day ...”

Beechwoodspark · 06-10-2023 2:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201008#Comment_121201008

That’s a good idea. During covid they did a series with him on legends he’d played with. It was very good, he had some great stories.

left_hander · 06-10-2023 3:09pm

To me Kenny Cunningham is by far the best asset Off The Ball have, after Joe Molloy. He's always good craic when he is on, which is too rare.

CGI_Livia_Soprano · 06-10-2023 3:10pm

Giles’ stories are incredible, he played against Puskas and Maradona for gods sake. He should have a slot just for his anecdotes. But he’s been past his sell by date regarding punditry for about fifteen years, same for Dunphy.

During the 90s and 2000s the football pundits in England were famously shy about criticising the players on television, worried about hurting their mate’s feelings, and the team in RTE were far more honest and scathing.

It hasn’t really been the case that pundits in the UK are afraid of being critical for at least ten years, though, and in 2011 Gary Neville introduced a whole new standard for tactical analysis on Sky that remains to be seen in Ireland.

The likes of Richie Sadlier certainly won’t be pulling up any trees with his tactical analysis, that’s for sure. And the less said about Stephanie Roche the better. Christ almighty.

the.red.baron · 06-10-2023 3:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201777#Comment_121201777

he was a good player, not a great player 🤣

Patrick2010 · 06-10-2023 4:10pm

Haven't heard much of Giles on OTB and can accept that his punditry might be considered out of date. Having said that football is still 11 v 11, formations haven't changed radically. The great Leeds team of the seventies played with a flat back four, Giles and Bremner in centre midfield. Keane is an entertaining pundit but isn't a lot of his punditry just focused on individual players doing/not doing their stuff, never has much tactical observations on changing formations during a game.

Had the pleasure of watching Giles live for Ireland, first for Ireland and then Rovers. Suberb player, completely two footed. Great at spraying passes but a very tough nut also. Turned Ireland around, had the pleasure of watching Ireland beating Russia 3-0 one Wednesday afternoon, Giles beside 17 year old Liam Brady, look it up on Youtube.

NIMAN · 06-10-2023 5:35pm

I like to listen to Giles to count the number of times he says "Nathan".

DaithiMa · 06-10-2023 9:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121202332#Comment_121202332

And that is when he is talking to Richie :)

I happened to catch a few minutes of the show in the car this evening. Will, Shane and Mick were discussing the upcoming weekend Premier League matches. Hannon reckoned Klopp will be putting posters of Darren England and Howard Webb on the dressing room wall for motivation. Mick was talking about the penalty given to United vs Brighton last season after the half time whistle.

That sort of analysis and insight is definitely worth a tenner a month...