Has MOTD had its day?

Sky Sports and ITV pundits have stepped up their game in recent years.

The recent announcement that Alan Hansen will retire from Match of the Day next summer after 22 years in the job has had TV viewers asking who will step up to replace him as football’s No 1 pundit.

However, those who have access to Sky Sports would argue that the former Liverpool centre-back has already lost his crown to a relative newcomer to the punditry game.

Over the years, Hansen undoubtedly established himself as the most respected of analysts because of his ability to offer insight in a manner that didn’t pull any punches.

One of the most famous instances of this came when he picked apart a performance by a young Manchester United team in the mid-90s and came up with the classic phrase: “You win nothing with kids.”

Of course, it turned out that United won plenty with those kids, a group that included the man who most believe will inherit Hansen’s mantle as top pundit, if he hasn’t done so already.

Gary Neville has only been retired from football for two years but in that time, he has set the gold standard for sharp, relevant analysis and cutting, forthright opinion.

Neville was a player who sharply divided fans when he was a player if you were a Manchester United supporter, you loved him, if you weren’t, you hated him! but as a pundit, he has that air of authority which was once Hansen’s sole preserve.

Jamie Carragher has followed the Neville route into TV and, though he’s in the infancy of his media career, he seems to possess the same insightful, no-nonsense approach.

Carragher is just one of a battalion of former Liverpool players to now make his living from talking about the game.

Hansen is another, of course, as is his former central defensive partner Mark Lawrenson, who combines a laid-back demeanour with a penchant for one-liners.

Apart from Carragher, Sky also have the “take-no-prisoners” authority of Graeme Souness and the boyish charms of Jamie Redknapp at their disposal.

Newcomers to the TV football table, BT Sport, have also invested heavily in ex-players who once graced the grass of Anfield.

They have Michael Owen, David James and Steve McManaman in their punditry stable, along with former referee Mark Halsey.

ITV rely heavily on the potential belligerence of Roy Keane, a man who never had any fear on the field and will go head to head with anyone in a TV studio.

The BBC have been rotating their Match of the Day panellists much more in recent years.

It used to be two from Hansen, Lawrenson and Alan Shearer every week, but new faces like Robbie Savage, Harry Redknapp, Martin Keown and John Hartson have been gradually introduced.

The irony is that the Beeb may be sitting on perhaps the best pundit they have without ever releasing his potential.

Gary Lineker has been causing a stir with some of his Twitter remarks, particularly those critical of the England team recently.

In his role as anchor man on Match of the Day, he’s rarely called on to offer an opinion.

However, if he was ever let off the leash, he certainly has the wit and wisdom to make people listen.