So, how was it for you? Was the Gooch as good as a pundit as he is on the pitch or was it as ill-advised as Bertie Ahern’s turn of the Premiership all those years ago?
Love it or hate it, you certainly can’t say that RTE’s coverage of the World Cup hasn’t been interesting thus far. The opinions of Giles, Dunphy and Brady and company have provoked as much debate as ever, while the likes of Didi Hamann, Richie Sadlier and Kenny Cunningham haven’t been afraid to make their opinions known either.
Today, they tried something a little different when inviting Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper, probably the greatest GAA player of the modern era, to do some punditry alongside Sadlier and Tony O’Donoghue on a highlights show in advance of the France v Nigeria quarter-final and the reaction ranged from admiration to downright disbelief.
Here’s a sample of what they had to say…
The gooch!?!? World Cup!?!?
— Shane Fox (@ShayneFox) June 30, 2014
The @RTEsoccer World Cup coverage just gets better and better. Switch on the TV to see Gooch Cooper is on as an analyst!
— Brian Hogan (@BrianWHogan) June 30, 2014
@colmcooper13 doing a great job on the soccer! Does this mean Gerry Kiernan is lined up for d Leinster final at the wkend @RTEsport??
— Richie Hogan (@richiehogan8) June 30, 2014
The decision to put Gooch on the soccer panel is bizarre. Is it a wind up?
— Colm Parkinson (@Woolberto) June 30, 2014
Gooch to feature on RTE’s soccer today, can’t wait for Simon Zebo to do the Munster hurling final and Seamus Coleman the Ulster football.
— Dave Hannigan (@daveyhannigan) June 30, 2014
why does The Gooch keep talking about GAA on the RTE World Cup show?? In fact, why is he there??
— Damo Boggler (@damoboggler) June 30, 2014
RTE confirming Ireland’s dire soccer status as 2 of our best soccer experts are Richie Sadlier & Colm “The Gooch” Cooper #WorldCup2014
— Mikey Kenny (@MikeyKnn) June 30, 2014
It’s weird that the gooch is on the world cup highlights panel but he’s still about twenty times better than richy saddlier
— Scuba Steve (@StephenKavo) June 30, 2014
Why in the name of Jesus is the gooch on the World Cup panel?
— Liam Galway (@gaillimh8) June 30, 2014
RTE having the Gooch on the panel for World Cup analysis sums up how bad a match RTE and foozball are
— Sean Lovett (@SeanLovesIt) June 30, 2014
Colm Cooper a far more engaging presence on the panel than a lot of the native soccer lads. Knows his stuff. #rteworldcup
— Tony Cuddihy (@Tony_Cuddihy) June 30, 2014
