Euro 2012

[Lineker]

BBC have lots of reporters over there (Logan, Jake, etc) but are basing the highlights show out of Salford. Makes sense to me.

[stokeriño]

The pairing I hate most are Townsend and Tyldesley. Beyond that there are some commentators who are uninteresting but they don't really bother me.

Studio pundits, on the other hand...

[Colly]

Makes absolutely perfect sense, but it just feels so detached (and I'm aware how daft that sounds when ITV are doing a match in Donetsk) which I assume is why they keep going to Shearer and Keown stood on the side of the pitch. It's probably just me being used to the standard new studio overlooking something pretty to be honest.

I heard a rumour they were moving over there for the knockouts though, is that right?

[stokeriño]

I think it was "if England reach the semi finals".

In other words, no.

[GA!]

I don't get why they have always felt the need, before this tournament, to go abroad to sit in another studio that happens to have a backdrop. It doesn't add much to the coverage. ITV's studio coverage this tournament looks they're on the set of This Morning.

[stokeriño]

Maybe ITV consider having Adrian Chiles spend half the build-up talking about the crap outside the window ("oh there were some guys playing the drums down there and now they've stopped for a smoke") to be less hideous than having him talk for longer about football, thus justifying all the added expense.

[IAceI]

Or having Adrian Chiles talking about the morning run he went on with Roy Keane, what a great anecdote that was. So glad I tuned in for it.

[stokeriño]

At least Chiles and ITV suit each other. If he were still on BBC we wouldn't even get the respite of advert breaks.

[Colly]

Meh, I'm a turn of the century finance student, I love Lunchy.

[Hobo]

You guys miss out on RTE punditry. We have Didi! Grumpy old Johnny Giles, possibly drunk Eamon Dunphy, Liam Brady and a severely balding Kenny Cunningham.

It's equal part grump old men, sniping, Hamann's accent and mostly they're entertaingly illinformed!

[Sam]

I prefer ITV for once, I like the pundits and the fact they are there brings in the atmosphere of the tournament, obviously the beeb have decided to save money and for me it shows. Saying that I would probably watch BBC over ITV if it was a choice purely due to lack of adverts.

However, I think the cost cutting is going to start hurting their quality of show, I think this weeks F1 coverage by them was pretty poor, I know they only had the highlights but standing on a jetty in the middle of a lake and cutting to interviews with the drivers is nowhere near the in it and amongst it standard they've set themselves.

[Adam]

I think you're right Sam, I've noticed for a little while how the budget cuts are effecting the quality level of the BBC's programming, the Formula 1 is a very good example of that.

[Colly]

And yet they're happy to do those pointless 'on the road' Football Focus shows. I know the cost is a fraction of overseas trips, but why bother for a decent show that sadly usually clashes with the buildup to a Saturday lunchtime Premiership game?

[Herr Matzat]

[Colly]

Matzat! Just who I needed. Was that a new version of '54, 74, 90, 2010' I heard over the PA after the match last night or was it just the world cup one again? Love that song...

[Herr Matzat]

I have no idea, i barly noticed last nights match. Way to tired, uni is eating me up right now.

[Baddar]

Balotelli starting ahead of Di Natale. :/

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Balotelli starting ahead of Di Natale. :/

Di Natale is being used as a super sub type player.

Should of started, but it does give a very strong option on the bench.

[stokeriño]

But if you don't start him he will likely flip out and start setting fire to people. :/

[Katsuya]

I fancy Croatia for this...