MotD is becoming more and more typical of the general malaise that infests the BBC. It is stodgy, second rate pundits, same old same old trotted out each week and the pecking order is now so ingrained it might as well be broadcast on RagTV.
My son tells me that Gary Lineker now posts on Facetube, on Saturday evening to announce the forthcoming running order - and explain the reasoning behind their preferences. That's a step in the right direction, possibly.
I suppose a highlights package is always going to struggle to make an impact in an era of saturated live coverage but MOTD even struggles in comparison to the other big highlight show, Goals on Sunday.
Possibly, the reason is that Lineker is a fairly likeable ex-pro and not a trained journalist. He's never going to put the pundits in a place where they might have to be critical of his and their erstwhile colleagues. (It's no co-incidence that MOTD2 is a better show -even with some serially weak professional broadcasters at the helm).
The pundits are irredeemably miserable, too. Murphy, Shearer, Dixon... they all continue the grand tradition of Hansen and Lawrenson by habitually muttering grimly and wearing a face like a slapped arse. So much so that when there is any attempt at a chuckle, it feels cheesy and contrived.
A short time back, the BBC seemed to recognise the problem but as usual went about solving it in a clumsy, heavy-handed way. Russell Brand as a pundit was always going to be too quick for Lineker to man mark and so it proved; with the narcissistic comedian tiresomely attempting to upstage everybody and everything, including the football.
By all means, keep Lineker as a pundit -and if they can find anymore ex-pros like him (you know, people who are actually fucking happy to be in such a cushy number), give 'em a gig. The odd journo in the mix of pundits might offer some devilment that the current plethora of ex-pros on all channels (bar Souness and... Gary Neville - who'd a thunk it) don't seem to want to do.
The presenter needs to be somebody who knows how to present can at least pretend to be upbeat and likes his football. I don't care if that's a rag like Angus Deayton, a blue like Jason Manford or whatever club they support, as long as they're open about it (preferably not a professional sneerer like Holmes or Terry fucking Christian, though).
What..?
Hang on..?
This is Bluemoon? Shit! I was sure this was Points of View.
Kindly disregard all of the above.
As you were, people. Move along! Nothing to see here! Just another sad arsehole saving the world, one Internet post at a time...
