The BBC continues to come in for critiscm for its World Cup coverage and supporters watching at home are calling for one pundit in particualr to be axed
The BBC is again facing calls to drop Olivier Giroud as a pundit of its World Cup coverage. Giroud has found himself in the headlines during the BBC’s coverage of the tournament that is currently being held in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Supporters have long been calling for the Beeb to drop the former Arsenal and Chelsea forward from their coverage. And those calls continued Monday night as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 thanks to a brace from Lionel Messi.
One viewer said: “Olivier Giroud STINKS as a pundit. They have to replace him.” Another said: “I don’t ever want to see Olivier Giroud again as a pundit.”
A third then wrote on social media: “Please no more Giroud. He’s so bad it’s actually painful to watch. Not everyone can be a pundit.” A fourth demanded: “BBC need to pull a Tunisia and sack Olivier Giroud mid-tournament. Woeful pundit.”
While another fan watching at home believes: “Time for the BBC to just give up on Giroud as a pundit.” However, not every supporter watching the BBC’s coverage at home has been left less than impressed. Taking to X, one fan wrote: “Olivier Giroud as a pundit is surprisingly calm – like he talks the game the same way he finishes chances, simple and efficient.”
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Another said: “I actually quite like Olivier Giroud as a pundit.” While another fan, replying to a post which was criticising the Frenchman, said: “He’s alright man.”
And a third agreed, saying: “Seemingly unpopular opinion but Olivier Giroud’s perfectly fine as a pundit. Was a tough listen in the first game he did this tournament admittedly but loads quicker and clearer since, clearly a concerted effort to be so. If it hadn’t become a thing people wouldn’t notice him.”
The 39-year-old is still playing in Ligue 1 for Lille, but this is the first time he has become a regular pundit on TV, having made an appearance on Sky’s Monday Night Football last season. Speaking about his new gig, Giroud said earlier this month: “I’m really excited about starting a new experience. And yeah, looking forward to seeing Micah [Richards] and Wazza [Wayne Rooney].”
The BBC are sharing the hosting rights for this summer’s World Cup with ITV. However, the Beeb has come in for criticism after they made the decision to broadcast from Salford, with ITV opting for a stunning studio with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
And on Saturday night, Gary Lineker couldn’t help but make a joke at the BBC’s expense after appearing on ITV’s World Cup coverage. He said: “I have been doing a show daily for Netflix, we’re Times Square but I did desperately want to come and see your set.
“I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real. What a backdrop.”
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