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06th Jun 2018

RTÉ have announced their panel of pundits for the World Cup

Rudi Kinsella

World Cup Pundits

We’re not far away now.

The World Cup is now only a week away, and if you’re anything like us, you’re going to be glued to your TV screens for the forseeable future.

For some parts of the group stages, there will be three or four games a day. So you have an incredibly important decision to make – what channel are you going to watch?

ITV will have Roy Keane and Martin O’Neil on some of their panels, so there’s bound to be some craic there, and probably some anecdotes from the Irish national team.

BBC have pulled out all the stops, adding huge names such as Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand to the already impressive list of regulars. Hosted by Gary Lineker, you’re always sure of a smooth running show, and there’s the beauty of them not showing any ads.

But RTÉ have their own strong points. First of all: Eamon Dunphy will say absolutely anything. Sure just look at him effing and blinding during the last World Cup.

Clip via WorldCup

From Bill’s: “We’re on air!” to Eamon’s: “We’re not, are we?”

Classic.

But Dunphy’s lunacy aside, they actually have some really good pundits.

Richie Sadlier is up there with the best pundits around, Damien Duff is learning the ropes very quickly and we can now look forward to the dulcet Donegal tones of Shay Given, who has just been added to the panel.

Given and the USA women’s team goalkeeper Hope Solo are among the new additions to the panel.

As well as them, we have the usual suspects in Liam Brady and Didi Hamann with somewhat new faces in Keith Andrews, Richard Dunne and Michael O’Neil.

Plus, the best commentator in the world Brian Kerr will be there. You don’t want to miss him, surely?

It should be interesting to see how they get on.

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