Originally Posted by clever3000:
“It seems to be surmised every now and again that co commentators are so much better in the studio. I think on this forum I have seen it before for Andy Townsend, Michael Owen, Phil Neville, Glenn Hoddle and now Owen Hargreaves. The issue is that being a co-commentator is a much harder job than being a pundit. As a pundit you have time to collect your points throughout a half. Where as on co-commentary it needs to be instant. Having all the co-commentators in pundit roles where they are seemingly better just isn't sustainable. It really is a tricky job. Then again there are some pundits who could be better off as co-commentators. Lee Dixon for instance is a good co-commentator but isn't used in that capacity by ITV.
On the Inverdale subject i don't mind him as a presenter at all. I do enjoy his Rugby presentation and he is also quite good as a presenter on the ITV coverage of the French Open. However he as a commentator just doesn't work. He asks the other commentator too many long winded questions and then starts talking over the points which you shouldnt do in tennis.”
You're right on co-commentator being a difficult position - think Gary Lineker has said very much that. The potential to muck up as a co-commentator is very high - even many of those praised on here these days have had criticism on here in the past (Neville with his goalgasms/ the Hawthorne and Smith pairng used to be criticised on here). .
The thing I'd say though is that there are good co-commentators available - and BT often use them on their 'Red Button' CL coverage - so surely it would make sense for broadcasters to mainly use them and allow those who work best as pundits to actually be pundits. Some pundits just aren't naturally good co-commentators so shouldn't be forced into that role.
Kevin Kilbane, Jim Beglin, Don Hutchinson etc. all seem pretty decent in the commentary box and certainly would be an improvement on what BBC, BT and ITV normally offer (I know Kilbane does some work for the BBC but you get my general point).
On Inverdale - sometimes in 3 man commentary teams, thrown straight onto commentating on big games and finals ahead of better commentators (Petchey, Reed,Bradnam) , talking a bit much. No idea who that reminds me of..
Originally Posted by LOSG:
“Jake at his worst just now.. Going on for about 2 minutes on how you expect a team managed by Bilic to be better defensively because he was a defender. There was no question for the panel at the end of it, he just thought we'd like to know his opinion on the matter...
Terrible.”
Frankly some of the members of the public on PLT last night were asking better questions than Jake normally does.
I'm not even really joking.
Originally Posted by casinoman13:
“It's also quite amazing that when he was commentating with Darke on Weds night he was letting Darke get on with it without to many silly interruptions and cutting across and butting in yet today he is back to his annoying self thinking he has to disagree with things being said and ALWAYS wants a final word.”
I've suggested it before but I do think Savage just doesn't take some competitions as seriously as others.
On the Euros he wasn't cutting across/butting in etc. yet on things like the PL, Europa League and FA Cup his commentaries can be dreadful and he seems to always want to be heard.
