Darragh Malony and RTE

[NeilMcD]

I was sickened tonight by RTE's coverange of the Champions League. Last season RTE used to show a game and then show highlights of the other games. One of those games would get extensive highlights.

As a result I watched RTE's coverage of Man Utd V Lyon and thought to myself I would watch the highlights of Milan V Arsenal and Barca V Celtic and the goals of Seville V Fenerbache.

However Darragh "Unbelievable" Maloney decides to tell me the scores of the other games during the Man Utd game.

All this does is make me less likely to stay up and watch RTE's coverage of the other games. What is the point in him telling us the scores. If people want to know the score there are many ways to find out they dont need them to put the scoreup on the screen and for Darragh Maloney to go and tell us also. I was fuming and if anybody else is annoyed with this I urge you to e mail

complaints@rte.ie

I think RTE will lose viewers if they continue with this policy of telling us the score both in visual and aural format during the game in order to make it unavoidable.

[pete]

They probably do not show highlights of the other games due to changes in TV rights?

Score updates ate pointless when almost everyone would have access to Aertel.

He is an annoying commentator but that is a different topic.

[NeilMcD]

They are showing highlights as we speak of the AC Milan V Arsenal game. They will also show highlights of the Celtic Barca match and goals of the Seville Ferbache match. Why could he not just shut his mouth and the next hour or so of highlights would have been pure footballing pleasure.

[superfrank]

Setanta showed the extra time and shootout in Sevilla. Simple choice really.

I've pretty much stopped watching RTE's CL coverage unless it's a match I really want to watch. Setanta had Arsenal Milan on tonight, it was a fascinating match and the panelists aren't bloody eejits.

[NeilMcD]

Yeah I watched that but we did not know that would go to extra time. Pat Dolan is an eejit I find him even more annoying than Dunphy. Souness is quite good on RTE and so is Giles. I like Martin Keown though.

THe point anyway is that I want to encourage people to make a complaint to RTE so that they may change their habit of telling us the scores.

[Morbo]

Yeah I've stopped watching RTE's coverage for that reason and I'm sure I'm not the only one, absolute idiots there are to fail to see the effect this will have on their viewership figures.
Was also annoyed with the Premiership last week when they showed an interview with Fergusson talking about how impressive Chelsea were in destroying West Ham before showing the Chelsea game

[NeilMcD]

Well I e mailed them today as I am trying to change that habit they now have of spoiling the result.

[Macy]

ITV were doing the same, in both the United and Arsenal games. Always watch ITV (or BBC) above RTE if there's a choice - free to air, widescreen, digital....

[Armando]

I always Sky+ another game and watch it after in full....so needless to say it ****es me off too:mad:

I sent them an e-mail, telling them unless they can assure me it won't happen anymore I will be watching the upcoming 1/4 fianls elsewhere.

[Roadend]

I think RTE will lose viewers if they continue with this policy of telling us the score both in visual and aural format during the game in order to make it unavoidable.


Setanta, Sky and ITV always flash up the scores from the other games.

[NeilMcD]

Dear Neil



Many thanks for your comments below. We have received quite a few complaints from viewers about this.

As a result we will be looking again at our policy on this for the quarter-finals and beyond.



Kind regards,



Stephen Alkin

Exec Producer RTE TV Sport

[NeilMcD]

Setanta, Sky and ITV always flash up the scores from the other games.

Setanta do not tell you aurally though. So you can avoid it if you hold up your hand which is what I do.

[OwlsFan]

Setanta do not tell you aurally though. So you can avoid it if you hold up your hand which is what I do.

Paints a lovely picture. Next time I am watching Setanta with the latest scores going across the page, I will think of you holding up your hand :D

Nice of RTE to reply.

[Donegalred]

....It was a nice change last night to look forward to highlights of the chelsea match without having the score echoing in your ears by George hamilton...

However I couldn't believe RTE had Liam Brady commentating on the game last night. As a liverpool fan I found it extremely annoying, his consatant comments like "Luckily gerrard overhit that because there was abreak on there for liverpool"???
And I knowit was a penalty but he rubbed it in the viewers faces every 30 seconds..

[shakermaker1982]

....It was a nice change last night to look forward to highlights of the chelsea match without having the score echoing in your ears by George hamilton...

However I couldn't believe RTE had Liam Brady commentating on the game last night. As a liverpool fan I found it extremely annoying, his consatant comments like "Luckily gerrard overhit that because there was abreak on there for liverpool"???
And I knowit was a penalty but he rubbed it in the viewers faces every 30 seconds..

Ex Liverpool players have taken over the pundit roles on British tv. Hansen, Lawro, Phil Thompson, Souness, McManaman, Redknapp..... it's painful to hear them as a non Liverpool fan :D

[Donegalred]

Yes a lot of pundits are former LFC players, but arsenal have their fair share too, Dixon, Keown, Wright, Merson etc.... But to have a man so affiliated to arsenal commentating on a liverpool arsenal match was a bit weird. I like Brady but it 's like getting Kevin Keegan to commentate on a manchester derby!

[noby]

Besides a couple of times where he let his loyalty slip through (the penalty shout) I thought he gave a pretty balanced analysis. He wasn't excessively blinkered.

[dfx-]

Can't blame him for wanting Arsenal to win. The real annoying thing is when Whelan or more particularly Houghton gets it next week, he'll be the same pro-Arsenal:rolleyes:

[EAFC_rdfl]

so they sent Giles to keep everyone happy last night!at times I nearly fell asleep he was so dull!
at least the post match analysis livened things up! thought they were a bit to nasty to brady, he was obviously in shock after the way the game ended & to here wenger getting ridiculed on live tv was the last straw for him

[NeilMcD]

Giles was top class last night. Giving good insight into the game. Not for some maybe but I thought he was really good.

[shanman2]

Giles was top class last night. Giving good insight into the game. Not for some maybe but I thought he was really good.

I'd agree with that Gilesy was superd last night. He actually knows what he is talking about which is a change along with the fact he doesn't talk bull if a player isn't playing well he berates him. S. Gerrard last night wasa fine example. If that was Andy "blowhole" Gray he would have commended Gerrard on another fantastic performance from the "Skipper".

[Donegalred]

Without a doubt. Anyone watch ITV highlights at 10.30. They hailed gerrard's performance and even had a clip titled Gerrard to the rescue????

[Block G Raptor]

Giles was top class last night. Giving good insight into the game. Not for some maybe but I thought he was really good.

WTF!! he repeated the "Arsenal need to get back to passing the ball and in order to do this they need to believe in themselves" line about 15 times in 5 mins after Liverpool equalised the first time

[geysir]

"believe in themselves" is Giles's alternative to saying "moral courage" :)

When he does the co commentary, I think it leaves big gap on the Studio Panel.
Maybe out of respect they should have an empty chair, with his glass of water on the table.

[myleftfoot]

I agree. John Giles is a class apart.
I normally look forward to RTE's analysis but last night I was outraged by Eamon Dunphys personal attack on Arsene Wenger saying he had lost the plot and was like John Cleese etc. etc. Dunphys job is to analyse football not suggest a manager is mentally unwell. Liam Brady was put in an impossible position and was right to object to this.
I think they are right in saying he should have bought in January and that they lack leadership but there was not need to stoop to the level of personal mockery

[Block G Raptor]

"believe in themselves" is Giles's alternative to saying "moral courage" :)

When he does the co commentary, I think it leaves big gap on the Studio Panel.
Maybe out of respect they should have an empty chair, with his glass of water on the table.
I'm not saying it wasn't a good point just that he repeated himself over and over as though he couldn't think of anything else to say

[OwlsFan]

I normally look forward to RTE's analysis but last night I was outraged by Eamon Dunphys personal attack on Arsene Wenger saying he had lost the plot and was like John Cleese etc. etc. Dunphys job is to analyse football not suggest a manager is mentally unwell.

Which Dunphy have you been looking at over the past 20+ years :confused: ? That's what he does. Personal attacks. I didn't see it last night but he normally castigates Benitez and praises Wenger. Was it the usual volte face?

[geysir]

Cue a formal announcement from Bill tonight about the absolute impartiality in the (pre prepared) presentation of the montage of Wenger's sideline agony traumas etc etc

it all breaks out exactly in the middle of the 5th segment of the CL analysis (http://www.rte.ie/sport/index.html).

Brady says outright 'would you have shown that segment tonight Bill, if Arsenal had won'
Dunphy said that 'it's analysis'
Brady 'thats not analysis, that a stitch up that was already in the can'
Souness turns his head away and laughing as in - not again.
Brady said both managers need to be applauded and the game tonight needs to be applauded.

Dunphy condescendingly arrogant says while waving his pen at Brady, 'hold on a minute baby, you have jumped over the fence',

[jbyrne]

Without a doubt. Anyone watch ITV highlights at 10.30. They hailed gerrard's performance and even had a clip titled Gerrard to the rescue????

sure gerrard himself admitted in a post match interview that he was awful but then when itv went back to the studio we got the "well if he thinks that he must set very high standards for himself" line from the robbie earle!! the rte panel are streets ahead of the british channels

[OwlsFan]

the rte panel are streets ahead of the british channels

Like when they castigated Ronaldo at every opportunity. They're quiet now about that. ITV the hype. RTE the negativity. Take your pick.

[tetsujin1979]

IMO the panelists on RTE are calling it as they see it, ITV are calling it as they are told to see it.

[TheBoss]

I found it funny when Dunphy said that Man Utd had ordinary centre midfielders.

[OwlsFan]

IMO the panelists on RTE are calling it as they see it, ITV are calling it as they are told to see it.

Except they seem to wear different glasses every week because their opinions are forever changing. Also they like being controversial for the sake of it which is tantamount to doing what they're told as well :rolleyes:

[jmurphyc]

Except they seem to wear different glasses every week because their opinions are forever changing. Also they like being controversial for the sake of it which is tantamount to doing what they're told as well :rolleyes:

Only one of them is controversial for the sake of saying it. From my experience, the rest of them are relatively balanced. They do seem to have preferences (particularly Brady and understandably so) but I think the rest of them - bar Dunphy - try to give an honest opinion. I'd even say Dunphy believes most of what he says.

[OwlsFan]

Balanced is something the panel has NEVER been from the days of Big Jack onwards. Giles and Dunphy always sang from the same hymm sheet.

I wonder when Laughing Bill is going to ask the two muppets "That Paul Jewell you interviewed for the Irish job Johnny and whom you vehemently supported Eamon, how's he getting on at Derby?".

[NeilMcD]

To be fair I think the time to judge Jewell at Derby will be next season, not this when he took over a team that had overachieved in the Championship and came up way too early. They did not have the quality or the money for the Premiership.

[OwlsFan]

To be fair I think the time to judge Jewell at Derby will be next season, not this when he took over a team that had overachieved in the Championship and came up way too early. They did not have the quality or the money for the Premiership.

There are also some other very poor teams in the Premiership and he hasn't managed to beat ONE! Appaling and he was the man who was going to turn round our fortunes :eek:. He was also poor at Wednesday but not as bad as this.

[NeilMcD]

Billy Davies only beat 1 team, Derby are probably the worst team ever to play in the Premiership and they have been awful. As I said lets judge Jewel at the end of next season. He was good with Bradford and Wigan. Poor with Wednesday and too early to judge with Derby

[gustavo]

Billy Davies only beat 1 team, Derby are probably the worst team ever to play in the Premiership and they have been awful. As I said lets judge Jewel at the end of next season. He was good with Bradford and Wigan. Poor with Wednesday and too early to judge with Derby

But surely if they thought Davies was worth sacking they presumed that a new manager would revive their fortunes which he obviously didnt so he should be judged on that

[jbyrne]

Like when they castigated Ronaldo at every opportunity. They're quiet now about that. ITV the hype. RTE the negativity. Take your pick.

for example ronaldo was awful in last yrs semi v ac milan when it really counted but this year he has been a better against the better teams and they have admitted their error. they are as positive as they need to be and as negative as they need to be. give me your so-called negativity over hype any day

[OwlsFan]

they are as positive as they need to be and as negative as they need to be. give me your so-called negativity over hype any day

You obviously didn't have to sit through their almost 20 years of negativity during the Charlton/McCarthy years.


But surely if they thought Davies was worth sacking they presumed that a new manager would revive their fortunes which he obviously didnt so he should be judged on that

Exactly, they didn't hire Jewell to get an all time low points record in the Premiership. They even took two attempts to beat Wednesday in the Cup :eek: He failed to resurrect Wednesday and Derby. I think he would have been the same with Ireland despite Jeff interviewing him off his own bat and Mutt supporting him.