Peter Drury is a big upgrade. Just a much better commentator than Arlo “I can’t stop babbling for a moment” White. Le Saix and Dixon are okay, they have a good rapport, but neither has a particularly sophisticated understanding of the game and they don’t provide any particularly insightful analysis in game. More sort of lowest common denominator colour commentary, targeted towards an audience uneducated in football. It works for their coverage. For what it is it is decent enough. As the accessibility, technical quality of coverage, and price point is just superb.
In the studio, Rebecca Lowe is just a treasure. I think she knows more about the game than any of her usual panel pundits. Robbie Mustoe is awful, he’s just full of knee jerk populism, disguised an insightful analysis. But even then he’s better than Howard, who it is amazing to know that he played for nearly 20 years as a professional. He’s just an echo of Mustoe, and hardly ever puts forward an original thought. When he does, you can see why he doesn’t. Both are better that Kyle Martino, who has thankfully left.
If MBC could improve the quality of their pundits and mix up the colour commentators a bit - the Dixon/Le Saux schtik is way past it’s sell by date - they’d be in with a shout of having the best coverage on TV. Unfortunately they seems set in stone on Tim and Robbie, and have their usual “the two Robbies” show with Mustoe and Earle. The two blandest pundits imaginable. I’d love to see someone like Henry on the show - even thought he has a contract with CBS.
