I don't understand the disdain. Seems kinda racist.
I don't understand the disdain. Seems kinda racist.
The disdain is largely because I've watched 3 of their games now and the punditry circle jerk over even the most mundane of touches is genuinely intolerable. I want to see Jermaine Jenas and Gary Lineker in tears. And for that, Messi must die.
I dislike it because (and this applies to Ronaldo too) the discourse around him turns a team sport into an individual sport where star-fucking abounds. In his presence, Lineker etc seem to wilt as if they are teen girls in the presence of someone from One Direction. They seem to treat the World Cup as a nostalgic throwback to their boyhood (the colour! Ar-hen-tina!) rather than a football competition in 2022.
Messi had a good game last night but Danny Murphy must have ejaculated at least twice from simple dribbles. If Rodrigo de Paul does the same thing, no one cares.
They were creaming all over each other yesterday for about five minutes just talking about the touch before he hit it for the goal. He just nudged it a bit. There's zero chance they'd have done that for any other goal. They're just determined to talk about certain people. Like how their first discussion after the last Portugal game wasn't Fernandes scoring two, or Portugal's overall performance in the game or group, or the team who'd gone out, but "WELL DID YOU THINK THAT WAS RONALDO'S GOAL?"
I remember whoever the Sky co-comms bloke used to be for La Liga wetting his pants because Messi did a sprint in the 90th minute. ONLY A PLAYER OF MESSI'S CLASS would do that apparently. Simmer down mate, "being fit" is pretty much a base requirement.
Lol at this as well. All the actual racism that gets posted on here but your trigger is "people aren't aroused by Messi"?Originally Posted by Dquincy
Behave yourself.
The commentary for that goal was hilarious. "The faintest of touches. He knows exactly what he's doing there. That's world class". All the while making an effort to not even entertain the idea that he missed the header.
Honestly surprised they didn't try to dress it up as him deliberately missing the header to 4D Chess the goalkeeper.
It's even more baffling with Ronaldo though, as we've just seen him being average at best for Man Utd for the first half of the season (when he played), but he's somehow back to being a god at the World Cup.
When he toppled over for that penalty in the first game we were told he WRITES HIS OWN SCRIPTS, which is apparently what we're calling being a bit divey now.
Maybe I'm just finally cottoning on to it but I've realised how little commentary is actually insightful. Every one of them wants to push a narrative for a match in lieu of factoids and clever obervations.
Uruguay Ghana: Revenge
Canada v Everyone: Will this be the day they get their first World Cup goal/win?
South Korea v Portugal: Remember when they beat the Germans? Ronaldo wants Eusebio's record!
Qatar v THE ISSUES.
35 year olds vs Their Last Chance (tm)
A World Cup of Shocks v any team that has a shaky 10 minute spell.
Honestly the Ronaldo commentary has annoyed me more than that of Messi. The dive and the non-header being particular highlights.
Plus the parrotting of facts and stats to fill silence, no insight.
Plus as we've discussed on here before the likes of Matterface who think they might be what people are tuning in for rather than the actual game. Can't remember the exact line but in one match in this tournament he was talking like the match was good because it was on ITV. I think Ally McCoist might be the only commentator or colour commentator I actively like just now.
We’ve a new one who took over here for the big games from the long standing George Hamilton called Darragh Maloney. He used to be the studio anchor and was a bit of a twat then, but since becoming main commentator he’s turned into a real blouse that is outraged and horrified by absolutely everything, a walking overreaction. Basically Jonathan Pearce with an Irish accent. I’ve watched less than half I would have normally and most of it is because he’s doing them. And as for the studio crew now - what was once a great strength is piss poor now.
How are you lot surprised that commentary and punditry is shit? I swear some of the (closeted or otherwise) 'top six' fans on here have had their heads up their arses for about a decade now. The pundits and commentators will talk utter shit to make up the time and have done for a long time. It doesn't matter who is playing, just who is trending. If Man Utd are playing at 4, but Everton v Palace are on at 2, Man Utd will be spoken about all afternoon. This is just a continuation of that bollocks.
It's the same with the way you lot complain about VAR. It's almost universally Top Six fans and 'neutrals' (who are the worst btw) complaining that shit isn't going their way in a straightforward fashion anymore.
There are only three good British commentators (that I'm aware of) - Drury, Tyldesley and Tyler. The latter maybe a bit past it but still approaches commentary as what it should be, using the language and their voice to describe and enhance the viewer's experience of watching the game. All the others seem to think they are there for knowing asides and banter. Matterface is the worst but most are bad. That bloke who now does the Championship on Sky is absolutely awful.
The Hispanic commentators don't fawn all over Messi, or try to shoehorn any 'narratives' in there. Much more pleasant to watch until a goal is scored and then you have to listen to them shouting for a minute.
I think I started watching matches on mute at about 15/16 and just listening to music instead, so the standard has been shit for a while now. You're right in that they try to shoehorn any ex-pro in these days.
He is genuinely horrendous. Every goal that is scored elicits the same reaction and terrible, shoehorned narrative.
I know I'm not part of the culture, but is all the gooooooool bollocks not incredibly annoying? The best part of a goal is the sound of the crowd and everything around it.
People used to think Clive Tyldesley was pretty bad when 1) he was on ITV three times a week; and 2) we didn't realise how much worse it could get. There might be a bit of nostalgia in rating him so highly. As for the Messi Narrative. I might just be a Ronaldo fanboy, but didn't that get boring ten years ago? They did their best to make 2014 the Messi World Cup, even going so far as to give him the individual awards before it started, and then he wasn't even the best Argentina player.
I thought Dave Farrar was good when I had Eurosport. And I'll never grow tired of Peter Brackley or Brian Moore. Clive Tydlesley does at least get some discourse going with the 'Not for me, Clive' stuff and he's not chasing soundbites like Matterface.
It is. I am not sure why every single one of them decided that to be the correct response to a goal.
The best commentary, by far, was that given by Cesar Luis Menotti and Jorge Valdano before they got too far up their own arses.
EDIT: My second favorite was when Mexican TV hired Zidane, and he literally said nothing.
The Clive games I've seen at this tournament have underlined how much better he is than Matterface. If people moaned about him in the old days it was because he was an obvious Man U fan in an era when non-Man U fans enjoyed seeing them lose.
Could be worse.
You forget how overrated Michael Carrick was.
Alexa, play Carrick versus Roma.
I'm a twit
You're a vile racist and I will not tolerate it.Lol at this as well. All the actual racism that gets posted on here but your trigger is "people aren't aroused by Messi"?
Did you know that Dumfries was the first Dutch player to get 2 assists in the first half of a World Cup game? Now you do!
I get that, but it's hardly Messi's fault. That's just the media being shit in general. They love a narrative and following the lazy storylines.
Messi's wife is also banging.
There it is.
The only banging I'm interested in is coming from the hull of the General Belgrano, Mate. Gotcha.
That Polish XI ain't coping.
A real talent.
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