Dunphy savages Lineker

[Guest RedLegend]

Dunphy fires broadside at 'banal' Lineker

 

Paul Kelso

Wednesday April 4, 2007

The Guardian

 

The debate about Match of the Day stalwarts Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen has been reopened by one of their counterparts in Ireland, with the controversial broadcaster and author Eamon Dunphy dismissing the BBC's flagship football show as "insulting" and "dishonest", and describing Lineker as "banal".

Dunphy, the former Millwall and Manchester United player who ghosted Roy Keane's biography, has a habit of attacking sacred cows in general and MoTD in particular, but his comments, made in the latest Four Four Two magazine, come at an unfortunate time for the BBC.

 

The loss of England and FA Cup rights last week left the corporation without live domestic football from 2008, and were accompanied by revelations that the FA chief executive Brian Barwick found Lineker and Alan Hansen too critical for his liking.

Dunphy, a pundit on RTÉ's Premiership highlights show, believes they were not nearly critical enough. "What I'm seeing on Match of the Day every week is pretty dreadful," he said. "They just talk drivel. Whoever is winning is great, whoever isn't, isn't.

 

"It's banal. And also semi-literate at times ... they never criticise in an intelligent way. Anything that isn't banal is said to be an outburst. They've created this cartoon world where everyone talks like Lineker and says nothing."

[Falconhoof]

Can't argue with that.

[blago]

He's not usually a coherent and unbiased commentator himself but he does have a point about the BBC commentary being boring and not inviting proper debate.

[slapnuts]

Dunphy hates everyone the daft c***.

[Guest Cameron]

I agree with him but he's still a c*** who should do everybody a favour and top himself.

[meepins]

I'd imagine Alan Hansen would be brilliant with the freedom the RTE pundits get.You could argue the same for a few more working in the UK, where they have to play up to an audience and not say anything in case someone gets offended.

Even if I don't agree with some things said by the panel at least they can speak their mind and don't have to neuter their own opinions because a shower of precious c*nts can't handle someone having a critical point of view.

[Sion]

Dunphy in complaining about something shocker.

[hideNseek]

He's a manc c***, there's lots of them .

[anny road]

after watching that Barca coverage I will take Lineker every time

[Duncan Disorderly]

I'd imagine Alan Hansen would be brilliant with the freedom the RTE pundits get.You could argue the same for a few more working in the UK, where they have to play up to an audience and not say anything in case someone gets offended.

Even if I don't agree with some things said by the panel at least they can speak their mind and don't have to neuter their own opinions because a shower of precious c*nts can't handle someone having a critical point of view.

Correct.

But Dunphy is still a wab.

[Mono]

I'd imagine Alan Hansen would be brilliant with the freedom the RTE pundits get.You could argue the same for a few more working in the UK, where they have to play up to an audience and not say anything in case someone gets offended.

Even if I don't agree with some things said by the panel at least they can speak their mind and don't have to neuter their own opinions because a shower of precious c*nts can't handle someone having a critical point of view.

 

Souness on Sky versus Souness on RTE

No comparison

[Duncan Disorderly]

Souness is a wab too!

[nd]

Never heard Dunphy, and he sounds like a prize c**k, but he's right on this one. MOTD has been coasting for as long as I remember and became unwatchable several years ago.

 

But then it's the BBC for you - utterly complacent. Same problem afflicts the FA. Both run by out-of-touch, middle-class tosspots.

[Stevie H]

"It's banal. And also semi-literate at times ... they never criticise in an intelligent way. Anything that isn't banal is said to be an outburst. They've created this cartoon world where everyone talks like Lineker and says nothing."

whatever you might think of dunphy, this is spot on. lineker is a fraud and a shyster.

[DonRafa]

whatever you might think of dunphy, this is spot on. lineker is a fraud and a shyster.

 

 

I really dislike the guy. He's so fecin smug, the smarmy barsteward. In fact the whole programme is like some old boys club, with boring, shallow 'analysis' and self-congratulationary twaddle.

Its complete pap, I rarely watch it these days

[Tetti]

Can't argue with that.

 

Me neither. But Dunphy is still a ***t ***ing Keane's ****

[cymrococh]

whatever you might think of dunphy, this is spot on. lineker is a fraud and a shyster.

Absolutely, I have no idea when the last time I learnt anything from MOTD was.

[Cobs]

Absolutely, I have no idea when the last time I learnt anything from MOTD was.

have you ever learned anything from Dunphy ?

[Ostrich Man]

have you ever learned anything from Dunphy ?

Ronaldo and Gerrard are both shyte?

[Stevie H]

have you ever learned anything from Dunphy ?

not the question. at least he encourages debate as a broadcaster. all lineker encourages is boredom, tedium and a desire to punch the smug git in the chops.

[Duncan Disorderly]

not the question. at least he encourages debate as a broadcaster. all lineker encourages is boredom, tedium and a desire to punch the smug git in the chops.

And the desire to eat Tayto crisps.

Why are the cheese and onion ones down south(Ireland) much nicer, as is their dairy milk.

 

Oh. and cigs, like Majors and Carrols no.6.

[smithdown]

not the question. at least he encourages debate as a broadcaster. all lineker encourages is boredom, tedium and a desire to punch the smug git in the chops.

 

 

You'll miss his boss puns though? Or does Steve Hate(-ccchhhh) laboured puns?

[Duncan Disorderly]

Haitch or Aitch?

You could always spot the Catholics on Blockbuster.

Can I have a Haitch please Bob?

[Ostrich Man]

And the desire to eat Tayto crisps.

Why are the cheese and onion ones down south(Ireland) much nicer, as is their dairy milk.

 

Oh. and cigs, like Majors and Carrols no.6.

well f*** off down south if you like them that much.

 

f***ing clueless plank.

[Des]

not the question. at least he encourages debate as a broadcaster.

 

Not so much encouraging debate as deliberately provoking controversy. He's right about BBC football coverage but I don't think his approach is the answer either, there's a happy medium somewhere between the two. John Giles is as good a pundit as I've seen, for instance.