The battle of the pundits between the BBC and ITV at recent major tournaments has been something of a one-sided competition.
Poor old ITV. A bit like watching England taking part in a penalty shoot-out - no matter who they tried giving the ball to, they always ended up fluffing it on the big occasion. However, in 2014, something seems to have changed.
In Defence of.... ITV Sport's World Cup coverage
Pundit Watch: Chiles and ITV get a frosty reception
Jonathan Pearce gets Twitter ridicule
Pundit Watch: Whispering Neville, Thierry's cardie and Pearce's bungle
Ever since Gary Lineker took the helm at the BBC, his mix of cheeky-one liners, cracking tan and affable charm have smoothed over the cracks of the occasionally stiff and one-dimensional coverage.
But in 2014, thanks to a couple of gaffes (booking Phil Neville's first game as a commentator as England v Italy, letting Jonathan Pearce gets Twitter ridicule on goal-line technology) and a bulging squad of 'talent' ("Let's go to Danny Murphy at pitch-side;" "Let's go to Gabby in Manaus;" Let's not guys), a few viewers have had the audacity to suggest ITV's coverage has actually been better in Brazil.
While Adrian Chiles remains, at the very best, an acquired taste, there has been a softness and simplicity to ITV's coverage missing from the BBC. It used to be the case that the adverts on ITV basically meant they stood no chance when it came to an analysis battle. But with the BBC throwing to pitch-side, chucking in ads for the Great British Bake Off and having Alan Shearer wheeling out the clichés, some people might suggest an ad break or two isn't such a bad thing.
What to Read Next
ITV's strengths have been in their familiarity. Clive Tyldesley, a man whose British bias can be tiresome in Champions League coverage, has looked like a voice of sanity after Jonathan Pearce's outburst, while Lee Dixon and Patrick Vieira have provided a solid backlline of punditry expertise.
The late arrival of Martin O'Neill has also added a bit of humour to the mix, saving us from Chiles's puns and 'wit'.
While there hasn't been anything to rival his classic head-to-head with Robbie Williams at France 98, he's brought a breeziness that has been lacking elsewhere. Perhaps everyone's a bit tense, trying to justify their four-week holiday trip to Brazil.
Watch some classic Martin O'Neill at France 98:
It would be ridiculous to suggest that the BBC's coverage has gone totally to the dogs, because there's actually plenty of smart insight and discussion hiding behind Alan Shearer's mumblings and Robbie Savage's barking mad rants and daft trousers.
Danny Murphy, when allowed away from pitch-side, is a smart cookie, who clearly understands the game better than most and is able to articulate it well. Similarly Phil Neville, when he's not locked in the commentary box with only his monotone voice for company, is actually quite a sharp pundit, like his brother at Sky.
Oh, and there's also Thierry Henry. His casual shrugging style, dashing selection of cardigans and cheeky glint in his eye of a man able to woo any woman he god damn likes, make for great television - even if his punditry isn't always the most enthusiastic.
But has the BBC team rested on its laurels for too long and lost its crown as the King of the Pundits when it comes to the big tournaments? Or do you still groan in despair when you hear that ITV has a game that you want to watch? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments.
Who do you think has had the best coverage at the World Cup so far?
