For me, there's a whole multitude of problems with Soccer Republic. For the best part, the production itself is top class. Take nothing from the team behind the scenes, I think the large problems lie with the analysts and the way it's presented.
1. Analysis is completely woeful. The feature game where they stop and highlight players needs scrapped. It's brutal and watching grown men struggle with technology and stumble over their words is pure car-crash television.
2. Not giving equal coverage to teams. It's been said here before, they just don't know enough about the teams they're analysing. Asking Dan Murray to comment on a game between Drogheda and Finn Harps when he's watched two minutes of footage, and possibly read two paragraphs in a national newspaper is just asking for poor commentary.
3. 'Commentary'. Adrian Eames 'commentating' from Dalymount Park. Ger Canning commentating on 'Dundork'. Just describe what happened in the game and stop trying to make it sound like you were there. It's bloody awful.
4. Peter Collins. The guy tries hard. I've no doubt that he genuinely enjoys the football, but he's a brutal presenter and about 90% of his jokes are terrible.
A few suggestions.
From the start, since MNS, people have called for no gimmicks. It's not Sky Sports, get rid of the touchscreen analysis. Just talk about the games. Cut the feature game by a few minutes and give everyone else a bit of a look too.
Either go along and actually commentate or don't bother at all. If you want to copy Match of the Day, send along a commentator and actually have them commentate on the games alongside the camera. Either that, or have a local reporter who was at the game cover the voice-over notes. RTE or Airtricity League website should be sending reporters to the games anyway to cover them.
Give the analysts a decent bit of footage to go over. They should be looking at 10-15 minutes of key moments from the games pre-editing at least. And while they're at it, if they're going to analyse footage, have them analyse key points of the game...sometimes even goals are left out.
Someone go and bundle Con Murphy into the back seat and force him back onto the sofa. If not, give the gig to Joanne Cantwell. Soccer Republic was enjoyable during the Olympics and Euros last year when Cantwell sat in temporarily.
Finally, change the feckin day it's on. Monday night, 3 full days after games finish, is beyond terrible. It would be okay if clubs were allowed to show their own highlights, but not letting anyone watch back any footage from games due to this agreement with RTE and then having to wait 3 days is ridiculous. Even a Sunday night at 10pm is far more suitable than 11pm Monday night.
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