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Telegraph
34 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Match of the Day returned in the most gentle of ways
Mark Chapman got in there right from the kick-off with, dare one say it, a Lineker-esque, self-deprecating, gentle quip. 'Evening. The Premier League is back, and Match of the Day is back. Now you may have seen and heard that there is a big change to the show this season and that is… Wayne Rooney has joined us as a regular pundit. Some things don't change though: Alan [Shearer] is still here.' And with this sensible five-iron off the tee, the new triumvirate Match of the Day era began. Rooney was given centre stage straight away to deliver a segment of analysis about Sunderland ripping apart West Ham's defence; it was alright if a little halting. Early days. He and Shearer didn't particularly interact with each other throughout the show, it felt like Chapman had to guide and encourage one of them at a time. Something more cohesive and free-flowing might develop. Rooney seems like a good bloke, a shy person with a sense of humour. Nothing in his managerial CV speaks to any sort of tactical or analytical genius so maybe his BBC handlers can find a way to utilise him in a way other than 'errrrm, the full-back's gone wide here' etc? His unusual playing status of being a legitimate Premier League great who nevertheless did not quite squeeze everything he could have from his talent makes him a more human and relatable figure than many others of his elite level. I'd like to hear from him about the mental and emotional side of playing in the Premier League: the most natural and interesting section on Saturday night's programme was when Rooney and Shearer gave their opinion on the Alexander Isak situation. There was an interview with Rooney after Match of the Day, and they've also got him doing a podcast series with Kelly Somers. 'Blimey, you're taking over,' joked Chapman. Wazza is reportedly getting £800,000 a year from the BBC so you'd hope they can get value one way or the other. As for the new Match of the Day, at the end of the day, Gary, it was what it always should have been: a football highlights show with a skilled, unobtrusive host getting some chit-chat about the key moments from a couple of ex-players who hopefully occasionally say something mildly interesting. The issues with Lineker had never been about his warm, gracious TV presenting, which was never controversial or provocative. It wasn't like he was introducing the football dressed as Che Guevara or saying 'Micah, never mind about that offside: do you think Zelensky should cede territory in the Donbas?' It was on social media, not the box, that all the problems lay, and given that Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan are all far too prudent to get involved in that nonsense, you'd imagine this should be smooth sailing with no further posturing nor self-inflicted wounds. Cates, for instance, had told Telegraph Sport: 'There's a tendency to believe that if somebody isn't talking about something, they don't care about it. I think it's perfectly possible to care about something and keep quiet and let experts talk about it.' How refreshing. So we can predict with confidence that Cates and Logan will follow suit with Chapman and slot in with unshowy excellence. Which isn't to say that there have been no changes: the Match of the Day 2 Sunday show has now been rebranded to simply Match of the Day. Gabby has first use of the facilities for that one this Sunday. Caring about that minuscule piece of reframing really does seem a bridge too far for even the most committed telly addict. Perhaps slightly more surprisingly, the BBC is now putting short Premier League highlights up on its website at 8pm on Saturdays: a whistle-stop seven minutes with all the day's goals and key moments. You might reasonably wonder if the BBC is cannibalising its own product by scooping MOTD by two and a half hours, but then again, BBC Sport could rightly argue that anyone who wants to have seen the goals will have watched them clipped up on social media nearly live anyway. There's not many Likely Lads around these days. In terms of any new editorial direction for Chapman and company, BBC Chairman Samit Shah has said that MOTD 'should not be built around highlights. It should be built around analysis'. Apparently Shah is a Manchester United fan, so you can understand why he might not want to see too much on-field action at the moment. And only a top media executive could argue for less televised football on a football TV show but that's why they – or rather, you – pay him the big bucks I guess. Chapman, pointing to wins for Manchester City and Liverpool, signed off by saying: 'I suppose you could say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.' Indeed so. It'll probably all be fine and with the new presenters, both the BBC and the viewers are in safe hands.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Match of the Day viewers give verdict on first show of new era as Wayne Rooney is criticised by fans after his first show as a regular following £800,000 deal
Match of the Day viewers have had their say on the show's big changes - but not all of them were impressed with Wayne Rooney 's shaky debut. Mark Chapman presented the first edition of the new-look BBC highlights programme on Saturday night and will share the hot seat with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan. Rooney, 39, was snapped up as an expert panellist for the new campaign after his most recent management job at Plymouth ended in his sacking last December. The experienced Chapman had stepped in to host Match of the Day when Lineker was not available and also regularly fronted the Sunday show, Match of the Day 2. He was joined by Rooney and MOTD veteran Alan Shearer on Saturday night to begin the new era of the flagship programme, but viewers were underwhelmed. Rooney, who signed a bumper £800,000 deal with the BBC and was pictured in good spirits arriving at the studio, was the target of particular criticism. BBC veteran Chapman will share the hot seat with Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates One X user said: 'I'm going to say this now as it will be said all season; I mean no offence to him personally, but having Wayne Rooney on MOTD is a big mistake.' Another was underwhelmed with the standard of the post-match discussions, adding: 'Rooney's punditry makes me nostalgic for the mute button. 'Great player, dreadful analysis.' Chapman, viewed as a safe pair of hands to begin the transition away from Gary Lineker's lengthy era, was largely praised after his first appearance of the season. 'My goodness, what an upgrade in presenter,' one viewer said. 'Mark Chapman is the best in the business.' However, not everyone was on board with the show sticking to its usual format. 'Rather than an exciting new #MOTD format, much as I like Mark Chapman, this just looks like a Sunday night,' one X user posted. Lineker departed the BBC at the end of last season and had presented the show since 1999 Another simply said: 'Not the same without Lineker.' Chapman began the show with a cheeky joke at Rooney's expense. During the opening segment, he alluded to the changes on the panel, but instead of speaking about Lineker's departure, he referenced the addition of Rooney. Chapman said: 'Evening. The Premier League is back and Match of the Day is back. You may have seen and heard that there is a big change to the show this season and that is Wayne Rooney has joined us as a regular pundit. 'Some things don't change, though. Alan [Shearer] is still here.' Lineker presented his final show at the end of last season. Despite planning to front the BBC's live coverage of the FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup, he departed early after sharing a post about Zionism featuring a depiction of a rat, which has anti-semitic connotations. The 63-year-old, the BBC's highest-paid presenter on £1.35million a year and host of Match of the Day since 1999, apologised but said it was 'best for all concerned' if he left completely.
The Sun
44 minutes ago
- The Sun
Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte LIVE RESULTS: Young Brit eyes world title fight after FIRST ROUND KO on Body Snatcher
MOSES ITAUMA has knocked out boxing veteran Dillian Whyte in just the first round! The young Brit landed some early combinations that completely shook up Whyte. And then it was all over moments later, following a devastating left hook from Itauma. This win has moved Itauma into contention for a world title fight. Today, 16:10 By Nyle Smith Who else is on the card? There is so much on the line in each fight Today, 16:10 By Nyle Smith British beef in Saudi Welcome to SunSport's official coverage of tonight's super Saudi event which sees British stars Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte face off on a blockbuster bill. Itauma will be aiming to take another huge step towards a world heavyweight title shot with victory over his fellow Brit. The exciting youngster is ranked No1 by the WBO after he knocked out Mike Balogun in May to take his flawless record to 12-0. Itauma is the big favourite to beat veteran Whyte, who is almost double his age. The Bodysnatcher is looking to pull off a huge upset as he looks to revive his career after underwhelming wins against Christian Hammer and Ebenezer Tetteh in 2024. A win for Whyte could potentially set up a blockbuster rematch with Anthony Joshua or a trilogy bout against Derek Chisora. But defeat may see the 37-year-old's time as a top heavyweight come to an end. Don't move a muscle as coming right up, we'll have any breaking news, the latest stories and the ENTIRE action from tonight's card including the big main event.
