O'Neill v Gazza: a match not to miss

The BBC's World Cup team has a solid look to it while ITV relies on an unorthodox talent to grab the viewers.

Loose cannons always make the most memorable World Cup pundits – witness Martin O'Neill's hilarious, if slightly mad, work for the BBC in France 98, and go much further back to remember the apotheosis of World Cup panels, the infamous ITV crew in 1970 that very nearly came to blows.

That quartet of Derek Dougan, Malcolm Allison, Bob McNab and Paddy Crerand, whose bar-room antics actually put them ahead of BBC in the ratings, is sadly only a distant memory, although ITV is hoping to trade on the past by "reconstituting" (its word, not mine) the Panel with appearances by the likes of Stuart Pearce, Robbie Earle, Andy Townsend and Terry Venables. Not the same thing at all.

O'Neill is back for the Beeb this time around, and we can expect much swimming against the tide of opinion from the Celtic manager. His counterpart on ITV, as trumpeted by the channel last week, is Paul Gascoigne, whose maverick status was assured for all time when he publicly told the people of Norway to go forth and multiply.

Quite what the ageing midfielder can contribute beyond his manic humour is an unknown quantity, though the worst scenario for ITV might be if he takes the whole thing seriously and attempts some meaningful analysis.

On the other hand, there's every possibility that any attempts at humour that don't involve false breasts or buckets of water will fall catastrophically flat. You have to commend ITV for taking a punt on him: during Euro 96, Lee Hurst's stabs of wit tickled the comedian himself but left Jack Charlton looking on in a state of advanced incomprehension. We can only hope ITV keeps impressionist Kevin Connolly as far away from the studio as possible.

The BBC always seems less prone to broadcasting disasters, and you can generally trust it to look like it means business. Already, the BBC looks a classier operation, as evidenced by its Manga-inspired trailer with Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" on the soundtrack.

Its theme tune will be "Tarantula" by Faithless, the thinking person's dance group run by Dido's brother Rollo, while Radio 5 Live has commissioned its theme tune from New Order, the band responsible for what many hold to be the best England World Cup record, "World in Motion" in 1990.

On the whole, only an ITV publicist would argue that it has a better team on paper. Admittedly, Clive Tyldesley these days is a match for John Motson and Barry Davies in the commentary department, and Ron Atkinson is always value for money. But back in the studio, the Beeb wins hands down, with big-hitters Alan Hansen, Trevor Brooking and the newly shaven Mark Lawrenson easily outslugging ITV's Terry Venables, Ally McCoist, Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor.

As for Gary Lineker v Des Lynam, they seem increasingly like the same presenter in two different bodies. What each channel needs in order to forge a unique identity is someone who just does not care – and unfortunately, barring any late developments, Jack Charlton is unlikely to figure. Before England v Scotland in Euro 96, ITV's Bob Wilson murmured: "May the best team win."

Charlton rasped: "Sod that," or something similar, "the best team can win as long as it's England." Big Jack, where are you now?

Anchormen

Gary Lineker
Ray Stubbs

Pundits

Alan Hansen
Mark Lawrenson
Trevor Brooking
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Reid
David O'Leary
Martin O'Neill
Jamie Redknapp
John Salako
Ian Wright
Joe Royle
Trevor Steven
Mark Bright

Commentators

John Motson
Barry Davies

Reporters

Garth Crooks
Tony Gubba
Steve Wilson
Hazel Irvine
Juliette Ferrington
Ivan Gaskill

Anchormen

Des Lynam
Gabby Logan
Matt Smith

Pundits

Terry Venables
Ally McCoist
Bobby Robson
Ron Atkinson
David Pleat
Robbie Earle
Andy Townsend
Graham Taylor
Paul Gascoigne
Stuart Pearce
John Barnes

Commentators

Clive Tyldesley
Jon Champion
Peter Drury

Andy Gray
Alan Green
Jonathan Pearce
Nicky Campbell
Mike Ingham
Mark Pougatch
Chris Waddle
Ian Payne
Jimmy Armfield
Pat Nevin
Craig Brown
Terry Butcher

Tom Watts