World Cup Bone on the Box: ITV chaps’ legs aren’t much of a knockout

So it’s into the knockout stages we go and the first things to have been knocked out are the ITV presenters and pundits’ long trousers, writes Steve Bone.
Brazil, BrazilBrazil, Brazil
Brazil, Brazil

The boys have got the picnic table out of the shed and gone outside to a nice little spot on the prom – which I suspect is just an excuse to have a closer look at the bare flesh on display.

It’s nice to see them getting some sun although it does mean we have to endure the sight of Adrian Chiles’ white and rather chubby bare legs.

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Still, I suppose it’s no worse than having to look at his face.

Martin O’Neill has been a welcome addition to their team. I like a pundit who actually has forthright views, and it’s amazing how many are out there earning a good wage despite not having forthright views.

For example, Chris Waddle injected more passion into his one stint on the BBC TV panel than Alan Shearer has managed in several years. Please use Waddle again, Beeb people, and relegate Shearer to the radio, or, even better to the Cbeebies’ bedtime hour.

One pundit who’s been dividing opinion during this World Cup has been Robbie Savage.

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Some people think the combination of his whining voice and lack of experience at the top level means he should be kept at least 100 yards away from all microphones.

Other people just think his whining voice means he should be kept at least 100 yards away from all microphones. But I have a solution from those who don’t want to miss the action but would rather listen to Lily Savage than Robbie.

When he’s covering a game on TV, have the TV on with the sound turned down and the radio commentary on; when he’s on the radio, have the radio on with the sound turned down and put the TV on for pictures and sound.

Saturday saw an absorbing few hours of football as the last-16 round kicked off.

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Guy Mowbray and Martin Keown were in the box for the Brazil-Chile game and it was a thriller. So much so, at the end, Guy asked Martin: ‘How’s your breath?’

Bit of a personal question, I thought, and one he should have known the answer to having sat right next to him for the past two-and-a-half hours.

The heat was obviously getting to Gary Lineker, who told us ahead of extra-time we had another 45 minutes to look forward to. Maybe he was expecting a lot of injuries.

Biggest surprise during that game was seeing Chile’s No8 come off just before the end of the 90 minutes.

I never expected them to replace Vidal so soon.

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