Mark Chapman did a great job with Match of the Day experts Alan Shearer (centre) and Martin Keown (right)
There was a late call the always excellent Mark Chapman this weekend as Match of the Day found itself without its regular host at short notice. Earlier on Saturday, Gary Lineker said via social media that he had «good news for some: I've been silenced… by a rotten cold that seems to last forever.» I hate missing Match of the Day, but I’ll watch.”
Of course, I wish Lineker a speedy recovery, and he remains an excellent broadcaster and a national figure of considerable interest. But the consistent quality of the BBC's Saturday main shows is such that even the unplanned absence of the great helmsman of the chattering classes can be taken in stride.
During the unfortunate events of March 2023, when Lineker's comments about the linguistic tone of Suella Braverman's comments on migrants caused such drama that he was removed from hosting the show, there were thoughtless assholes who speculated whether the program could survive the loss of the Queen Mum football. Could this be a case of the star player being bigger than the club? In fairness, it should be said that Lineker himself never suggested such a thing, and the reliability of the reserve presenters and behind-the-camera team is such that there is certainly nothing to fear in this regard. Some may even feel that Match of the Day without Lineker would have been preferable.
Chapman is so good at both television and radio, he is one of those rare people who is equally good at both. Saturday found him alongside Alan Shearer and Martin Keown, grizzled adversaries in a previous life turned comfortable chatty pals. Shearer, once so wooden, has become a great broadcaster: his energetic but thoughtful radio work used to seem to belong to a different performer compared to his robotic TV persona, but he's getting better and better. He can now convey both his extensive experience as a striker, such as when he spoke about Erling Haaland on Saturday, and the passionate intensity he feels, such as over what he called «absolutely hilarious decisions» about the game hand in a match. Match Luton Town — Sheffield United. He does not hide his support for the best representatives of Saudi Arabia, and rightly so. Chapman lovingly took him to analyze Bruno Guimarães' goal, in which the scorer was aided by Dan Byrne's massive body blow in the build-up: a «small block», as Shearer saw it, or, as Chapman suggested: «And a small block? This wouldn't look out of place at the Super Bowl.»
Mark Chapman is rare among broadcasters because he is equally as good on television as he is on television. and on the radio
War Sir Al's former sparring partner Martin Keown also appeared to be in a good moment this weekend, punching himself menacingly as he described himself as a «contact defender». Chapman: «Oh, I know you were, Martin.» Keown produced a moment of charming silliness by describing Neal Maupay and Ivan Tony as a “Batman and Robin type partnership,” allowing Shearer to burst into “Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na… Batman! » theme song and transitions Chapman into the final line, «Good night from the Riddler and the Joker.»
There is no doubt about Sky Sports' comprehensive and sometimes tedious coverage of the Premier League, with contributions from TNT and Amazon Prime Video, give the hardcore fan a good 24/7 service with all the drama and debate, but the constant sound and fury gets a little boring. Sometimes it's enough to just see the targets and have a little chat without being shouted at by Roy Keane or bullied by Gary Neville about the economy. In this hectic world, Match of the Day remains something of a calming constant, slightly updated here and there, but essentially the same as always. If and when key figures such as the departing Ian Wright or even Lineker himself do leave, the situation will continue much the same. There is some consolation in this.
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