{"id":1124406,"date":"2020-01-24T16:45:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T16:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1124406"},"modified":"2020-01-23T16:45:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-23T16:45:17","slug":"bbc-how-match-of-the-day-works-pundits-bigger-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/bbc-how-match-of-the-day-works-pundits-bigger-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Everyone’s an expert’ \u2013 How Match of the Day works, under a bigger spotlight than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Without giving away any sources, we’ve got a rough idea of the team! Minamino? I believe he might feature\u2026 from the start of the game.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two hours before the BBC’s television coverage of the FA Cup third-round Merseyside derby goes live, Gary Lineker is in a playful mood. His unnerved presence could even add credence to the perception that punditry gigs are a breeze. As Jose Mourinho<\/span> put it back in <\/span>2015<\/span><\/a>, \u201cyou win every game \u2013 you don\u2019t lose matches as a pundit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But when you\u2019re about to go live to an increasingly well-informed audience of 7.25 million football fans – and when Jurgen Klopp\u2019s about to field a Liverpool<\/span> line-up containing nine changes – the stakes are rarely higher as far as broadcasting goes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which is why Lineker, Alan Shearer and Leon Osman are in position, tucked away in a small corner of Anfield, and busily preparing for the live programme long before the majority of fans will have even set off for the game, brushing up on documents filled with statistics and potential topics of discussion (tolerating interruptions and agreeing to pose for the ‘gram).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gary<\/a><\/p>\n

Said topics have been decided upon days in advance with the help of the show\u2019s editor, Richard Hughes.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I speak with the pundits early in the week and say ‘I’ll give you the framework, and you tell me what you want to do,’\u201d he told Squawka.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have to be mindful of timings but the more they get involved, the better the programme because they’re in control of what they’re doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“The pundits are not in the office every day, but you talk to them on the phone, you have a chat, you put together a plan. The more engaged they are the better, because it’s no good doing stuff they aren’t invested in,” Hughes added.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such conversation sparked Peter Crouch’s desire to dig up a goal he scored for Liverpool<\/span> in the 2006 FA Cup final. The former striker was convinced it would have been allowed if VAR was in place at the Millennium Stadium. He was wrong, but BBC viewers will discover that is the case together with the 38-year-old himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Takumi Minamino is making his #LFC<\/a> debut today. <\/p>\n

The #FACup<\/a> is on @BBCOne<\/a> & online \u27a1\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/Rp7j2td3YF<\/a> #bbcfootball<\/a> #LIVEVE<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/DVXLpRC7Qz<\/a><\/p>\n

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 5, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n