DO great players make great pundits? In theory, those who have played at the very top of their profession should offer a greater insight into the game, especially considering they have played most of their careers in front of the cameras.

But, in reality, the leap between superstar on the field and in the studio is a massive one to make.

Take Ruud Gullit. As a player, he won pretty much everything but his punditry career seems to have been based on the fact he once said "sexy football." ITV have waited six years for him to say something similarly prophetic.

Last night, Steve Rider asked him what the French perspective would have been on the first half play and he answered with a string of completely unrelated words.

Gazza, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Jay Jay Okocha and Marcel Desailly have all shown the transition is not easy.

I can think of only Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen as examples that the switch can actually be made.

On the commentating front, Clive Tyldesley's quest to find the perfect soundbyte goes on.

He has the annoying habit of trying to make every statement an era-defining one, as Ken Wolstenholme did with his famous: "They think it's all over."

Clive has never managed to hit the jackpot outside the Champions League, when, as he constantly reminds us, he was present in Barcelona and Istanbul.

So keen was he to tick off Thierry Henry's play-acting in the build-up to France's second goal last night, he managed to miss Patrick Vieira's goal completely.

Perhaps he wants to be sampled on the next reincarnation of Three Lions?

Agree? Disagree?
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