r/footballcringe

And some of the FOX commentators MUST be sacked. Specially the current one doing Paraguay France match

This is the first time watching this sport. I watched a guy flop that didn't get hit and he grabbed his knee, then got he wouldn't get up, then just started running. This is trash to watch.

During this World Cup, I keep noticing people recording themselves celebrating goals, and some even seem to fake or exaggerate their reactions just for views and attention. It feels like almost everyone watching the match is trying to create content instead of simply enjoying the game. Am I just getting old, or has this become normal everywhere now?
Personally, I find it strange. It takes away from the atmosphere and even distracts me from enjoying the match itself. Sometimes it feels like people are more focused on capturing the moment for social media than actually living it.

Seems forced and only has come about in the last decades. You know what I’m talking about…that real deep, groany “AwAyeE”. I wish they’d just be themselves and not read off the same script every time a ball needs to be cleared. I really hate it. I’m out

AwAyeE!!!

Seems forced and only has come about in the last decades. You know what I’m talking about…that real deep, groany “AwAyeE”. I wish they’d just be themselves and not read off the same script every time a ball needs to be cleared. I really hate it. I’m out

AwAyeE!!!

Seems forced and only has come about in the last decades. You know what I’m talking about…that real deep, groany “AwAyeE”. I wish they’d just be themselves and not read off the same script every time a ball needs to be cleared. I really hate it. I’m out

AwAyeE!!!

This is not really about bias, or even about individual commentators I happen not to like. It feels more like the whole tone of mainstream UK football commentary has shifted, and not for the better.

The main commentary pairings now seem to be some of the weakest options each broadcaster has:

TNT: Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist
ITV: Jon Champion and Ally McCoist
BBC: Guy Mowbray and Alan Shearer

That is strange, because each broadcaster has better options. The BBC, for example, has Jonathan Pearce, who I think is far stronger than the main pairing they usually push.

My issue is not that every commentator needs to sound like Barry Davies, or that there should be no personality. It is that the balance feels completely wrong now.
The main problems for me are:

**The analysis is often very basic, and sometimes just wrong.**
You will see something fairly obvious tactically, technically or even physically, and the commentary either misses it or describes something different from what is happening.

**They regularly miss key incidents that are clear on the broadcast.**
Fouls, pulls, deflections, off-ball blocks, tactical fouls, shape changes — things viewers can see at home are often ignored or noticed far too late.

**There is far too much inane chat.**
One commentator winding the other up, jokes about something that happened earlier in the day, little breakfast anecdotes, forced laughter, running gags. Meanwhile, the match is going on.

**The lead commentator often seems desperate to sound matey with the ex-player.**
Fletcher is the worst for this, in my view. The whole thing can start to sound like two lads trying to entertain each other rather than two broadcasters serving the game.

That is why Peter Drury feels like such an outlier to me. He is not perfect and I understand why some people find him too florid, but at least he treats the game as the main event. He seems prepared, he notices momentum, he gives moments weight, and he does not constantly sound like he is trying to prove he is mates with the co-commentator.

Sky is probably the exception overall. It still has annoying moments, but the coverage generally feels more professional and less like everyone has been told to be “relatable” at all costs.
So what has happened?

Is this just a move towards entertainment-led coverage because broadcasters think viewers want personality over precision?

Is it the podcastification of live sport? Is it producers telling commentators to be more informal? Or am I just being nostalgic for a style of commentary that had plenty of flaws too?

Because at the moment, some of the biggest matches on UK television are becoming genuinely hard to listen to.

For example, Coca-Cola is one of the biggest sponsors. If fans start chanting 'Pepsi! Pepsi!' right after the break, I bet FIFA would go bonkers trying to stop it. It would be hilarious and a fair way to let the fans show their nonconformism, what do you think?

Hey ya'll, I've been a Manchester United fan since I was 11, and always wanted to create a fun footy game. A couple days ago, I created Goalosopher, a daily guess the mystery footballer game. It's basically like a reverse akinator, where Goalosopher chooses a random player each day, and it's your job to guess the player using 11 yes/no questions! Feel free to try it out, and feedback is always welcome!

Cheers to moderator @fireproofpoo for allowing me to shout my game out in this space!

https://goalosopher.com

Why do they just let professionals players just do whatever they want when it comes to throw-ins? Like this is just insane