It is a mystery why Sky Sports and TNT stick with the same pundits who offer no expert insight whatsoever, especially when subscriptions are so expensive.
Presumably, the public are regarded as slack-jawed stupids who don’t realise they’re being played. Because this whole culture relies on that being the case.
There is love for Joe Hart, Clive Tyldesley, Don Hutchison and a great many more but Monday Night Football is ‘coasting’ and being shown up elsewhere.
The brave new Thomas Tuchel era looks and sounds like every other failed England manager reign despite the FA ‘cheating’ with an ‘elite’ appointment.
Sky Soccer Saturday is enjoying a ‘second wind’ post-Jeff and the boys with Simon Thomas presenting. Here is Johnny Nic’s football week on TV.
England always have a puncher’s chance but Thomas Tuchel will be the latest to be a victim of the players and the press in an unholy alliance.
Their desire to televise every single game live affords Sky Sports an opportunity to experiment but the safety-first approach is absolutely infuriating.
Jack Grealish went to the pub on his day off. And it sparked a hundred headlines. What absolute nonsense; why does anybody read it?
While getting a couple more digs in at the Premier League, Johnny Nic ignored the Barclays to enjoy Real Madrid, Serie B and the Scottish third tier.
VAR is taking a massive kicking after over eight minutes were needed at Bournemouth to reach a decision. Semi-automated? Really?
It was a ‘miserable’ old time listening to Peter Drury and Gary Neville on Sky Sports but Liverpool icon Rafa Banitez showed ‘how good punditry can be’.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘has to be divorced’ from Manchester United or everyone should simply go on strike until he leaves. It is a sweary old Johnny Nic rant.
There is nothing inherently wrong with passing out from defence, provided you have capable players. But tactics evolve and 4-4-2 with a big striker is back.
There is love for Joe Hart and Mark Chapman but a theme of the FA Cup weekend – five days! – was Liverpool and Premier League teams exposing themselves.
The FA Cup feels more important to most than at any time since the 80s. Just not that important to Liverpool, obviously.
The dinosaur Johnny Nic enjoying watching some women’s football coverage, save for the usual abuse of pundits and a weird BBC call involving Arne Slot.
If there were no lengthy contracts, rubbish players wouldn’t just suckle from the club’s milky paps, says John Nicholson.
It’s supposed to be a TV column but John Nicholson cannot help but get angry about the financial disparity ignored by broadcasters.
They’re probably right in thinking if it’s Premier League then we will watch, but some of the coverage is painfully awkward and dull…
Rio Ferdinand shilling for Qatar Airways was probably not his most offensive TV offering this week; he was in his usual form watching Manchester United.
For the Premier League, a competitive season with high-flying underdogs is very much a double-edged sword. They’re caught in a cleft stick.
Arsenal v Man Utd was ‘unwatchable’ but even worse was TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand trying his hand at some ‘toe-curlingly embarrassing’ interviewing.
Whoever’s job it is to hire and fire at Arsenal needs to hand Mikel Arteta his sandwiches wrapped in a road map.
Sky Sports did their best to give Liverpool versus Manchester United the Big Game Treatment but it was an ’embarrassing’ contrast to the Scottish coverage.
Manchester United are so frustratingly poor in 2025 that Johnny Nic feels compelled to indulge in some ‘In my day…’ nostalgia about Sir Alex Ferguson.
Manchester United v Newcastle United was just one of many games watched by Johnny. He preferred Penybont v Cardiff Met University.
The idea that the Premier League sells itself on its own supposed elite status is unsustainable when you actually view the product.
It wasn’t Wes Brown’s fault but Wolves v Man Utd was a snooze-fest. But our man woke up for some Roberto Martinez on Prime.
Football is supposed to be fun and Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs are damned fine fun. Don’t listen when they say it’s a results game.
The Match of the Day plans have angered the right people, while Roy Keane countered Peter Drury and Gary Neville to make the Manchester derby palatable.
Not just the worst Manchester derby for years, but one of Our Football’s worst games for years. Man City v Man Utd was rotten.
Here’s 10 ‘what were they thinking?’ shirts. Not necessarily bad, just really feckin’ bizarre. Who thought tassles were a good idea?
As one Man Utd banner put it: ‘Local lad Sir Jim charges £66 for OAPs and juniors. Stop exploiting loyalty.’