(bumped) Ronnie Whelan is as big a **** as Dunphy and Giles.

[cled the red]

bit of topic but made me laugh last night

after the game, they went to the sky studio were Richard Keys said something along the lines of

"And with us tonight we have Graeme Souness, 3 time European cup winner, Roy Hodgson twice manager of Inter Milan and............David Platt"

it was class the way he built it up and then knocked it down.

Souness made me laugh - he just looked like he wanted to fight, roy hodgson was class though, very interesting to listen to - not just about us, but his analysis about all the games was interesting - similar to Bobby Robson, who as I have said before is probably one of the only people in football that when he talks everyone listens.

But I ****ing love Aldo, he was my hero as a kid and if i am watching the match at home I will put radio city/aldo's commentary over the tv's

I agree, but everytime he speaks it doesn't half remind me of Tony Angelino from Only Fools and Horses and his pronounciation of r's!!!

[Dhav]

I can't view the clip.

It's harsh ripping into Whelan like that but it's got to be said, judged in isolation as a pundit, the guy comes across as an ill-informed knobhead.

He was a great player for us and I loved him but he seems hell-bent on being negative about us, a la McMahon and Houghton. What is their problem?

Not heard what Whelan has now said, but I have got to back up Shaggy on this one. When he was touting Mourinho for Rafa's job this time last year it was nothing short of a disgrace, Liverpool legend or not. I liked Whelan, both as a player and as a manager in the Greek/Cypriot leagues, where at times I thought he was treated very shabbily, but **** me right now I wish he'd just shut the **** up.

[Big-Red-Ed]

I think I prefer my punditry to at least give us some entertainment and to not be afraid to espress an opinion. Compare rte to bland match of the day. I also accept that some of the former players have to an extent earned the right to express critism when they see falling standards at their former club.

[Red Chilli]

I think I prefer my punditry to at least give us some entertainment and to not be afraid to espress an opinion. Compare rte to bland match of the day. I also accept that some of the former players have to an extent earned the right to express critism when they see falling standards at their former club.

Spot on Ed

[BFG]

Who does he have to justify his opinion to?

To a bunch of internet warriors? Or a bunch of armchair football fans who've never played the game profesionally.

If I didn't know better I'd say you were on a wind up

Whether or not YOU think that 'anyone should have to justify an opinion', we are a bit more liberal in this country and we believe that people have the right to form whatever opinion they wish and our freedom of speech is very important to us.

Of course he doesn't have to justify his opinion but he'd get a lot more respect on the whole if he could back up his statements with what has led him to believe that. Otherwise he comes across as just another thick opinionated pundit.

[Red Chilli]

Of course he doesn't have to justify his opinion but he'd get a lot more respect on the whole if he could back up his statements with what has led him to believe that. Otherwise he comes across as just another thick opinionated pundit.

I wouldn't judge him as thick based on his statements about football. He knows a lot more than most about the game by virtue of the fact that he competed at the very highest level in club and international football over many years.
Opinionated. Hmmm, well aren't we all who are writing on internet forums?
Pundit? Fair enough, he is.

I'd judge him as an informed opinionated pundit who perhaps doesn't let past affiliations effect his opinions.

[BFG]

I wouldn't judge him as thick based on his statements about football. He knows a lot more than most about the game by virtue of the fact that he competed at the very highest level in club and international football over many years.
Opinionated. Hmmm, well aren't we all who are writing on internet forums?
Pundit? Fair enough, he is.

I'd judge him as an informed opinionated pundit who perhaps doesn't let past affiliations effect his opinions.

And I'll judge him as someone with (for whatever reason) a grudge against our current manager who let's this cloud his judgement and I couldn't care less what he did as a player in respect to that. Paul Merson is the prime example that ability on the field doesn't necessarily equal insight into the game in general.

He'll always be a legend for what he did as a player but that doens't mean we can't criticise him when we think he's talking out of his arse while offering no evidence to support what he says.

[Red Chilli]

And I'll judge him as someone with (for whatever reason) a grudge against our current manager who let's this cloud his judgement and I couldn't care less what he did as a player in respect to that. Paul Merson is the prime example that ability on the field doesn't necessarily equal insight into the game in general.

He'll always be a legend for what he did as a player but that doens't mean we can't criticise him when we think he's talking out of his arse while offering no evidence to support what he says.

Of course you can criticise him, but calling him a cunt just because he has an opinion about football which we don't like is unnecessary and disrespectful to a man who has done a lot to earn the respect of the supporters of this club. Sadly some have short memories

As for Merson, you don't think something else (crack/alcoholism) could be clouding his judgement?

[Jan Molby]

I think I prefer my punditry to at least give us some entertainment and to not be afraid to espress an opinion. Compare rte to bland match of the day. I also accept that some of the former players have to an extent earned the right to express critism when they see falling standards at their former club.

Totally agree...

Love the rte coverage, it should win awards for its honesty.
I have no problem with anyone expressing a view, no matter who they are.
These guys talk how they feel, its not scripted like other punditry coverage seems to be, I dont always agree with there views but I look forward to them as they have guests on who I think know about football, and are not afriad to say the wrong thing.

There point last night was that 1) liverpool could have played alot better against a poor side 2) liverpools squad has some poor players in some positions, with Rafa's transfer policy being questionable.

I could not argue with any of that, apart from them failing to take into account our budget and net spend, these guys seem to forget that when saying Rafa has spent "x" over the last 4 years.

And to be fair, he qualified what he was saying by referring to LFC fans as the most intelligent football fans out there, "far better than united or anyone else", and they too know that some of there players are not good enough, and some of the buys have not been good enough.

He named a few of our players who were donkeys, disagree re Dossena, not had long enough, and Mascherano, said he was a donkey, but a great donkey, ie he is not a stylish player.
And also said he should not be in the team if ste g and xabi are there, "xabi alot more classy".....alot of people here would agree with that-no?

And by the way, if you watched the night before they took united apart in there analysis, claiming they were poor even though they had won three zip away from home, and they were right too.

Finally, Ronnie Whelan is and always will be a legend....thats a fact.
I grew up wathcing this guy and there isn't many like him around today.
LEGEND
He doesnt seem to like Rafa, they way he sets the team up, the players he buys, the way he handled Steve Finan, but, he is entitled to his opinion, and when he is being paid for this, I respect him more for being honest that saying what he thinks the presenter/producer wants to hear him say.

[MrMichael]

Of course you can criticise him, but calling him a cunt just because he has an opinion about football which we don't like is unnecessary and disrespectful to a man who has done a lot to earn the respect of the supporters of this club. Sadly some have short memories

That's pretty much what I was just typing only you posted first

I think he is wrong with some of what he said in the clip, and a lot of the rest is debatable, but I don't think abuse is necessary given his status as well, a lfc legend.

Dunphy now is another matter entirely

[Shaggy]

And I'll judge him as someone with (for whatever reason) a grudge against our current manager who let's this cloud his judgement and I couldn't care less what he did as a player in respect to that. Paul Merson is the prime example that ability on the field doesn't necessarily equal insight into the game in general.

I was gonna say the same. Just because someone has played at the highest level, it doesn’t necessarily follow that he has any sort of insight into the game.

The reverse also applies, with people like Mourinho, Wenger and Rafa all proving extremely knowledgeable without having played the game at the highest level.

A number of top class players have gone to become abominable managers. Whelan has become an abominable pundit. He spouts endless streams of hyperbolic, kneejerk crap without ever backing it up or explaining himself with good reason. The call for Benitez to be sacked and replaced by Mourinho – as highlighted by Dhav – is a perfect case in point.

[BFG]

Of course you can criticise him, but calling him a cunt just because he has an opinion about football which we don't like is unnecessary and disrespectful to a man who has done a lot to earn the respect of the supporters of this club. Sadly some have short memories

As for Merson, you don't think something else (crack/alcoholism) could be clouding his judgement?

Well yeah calling him a cunt is unnecessary. I agree there mate.

[Red Chilli]

I was gonna say the same. Just because someone has played at the highest level, it doesn’t necessarily follow that he has any sort of insight into the game.

Fundamentally disagree with that Shaggy. I don't see how you can play at the highest level of the biggest game in the world without any insight into the game.

I think that would be impossible

Let's not forget the managers he has played under and the teamtalks he has been involved in. At that level, you have to have insight into the game in my opinion

[Shaggy]

Playing the game and opining about it/offering insight are totally different matters. Look at Redknapp FFS! Gifted footballer, ****ing clueless when it comes to understanding managers’ decisions, tactics etc. There are hundreds of examples. Gascogine is one. Unbelievably talented player, but the guy couldn’t get an under 14s side keeping clean sheets and winning games.

[Guest]

Playing the game and opining about it/offering insight are totally different matters. Look at Redknapp FFS! Gifted footballer, ****ing clueless when it comes to understanding managers’ decisions, tactics etc. There are hundreds of examples. Gascogine is one. Unbelievably talented player, but the guy couldn’t get an under 14s side keeping clean sheets and winning games.