ITV commentary legend slams Rio Ferdinand over ‘MUTV’ punditry during Man Utd matches

Rio Ferdinand’s reaction to Manchester United’s comeback against Lyon has come under scrutiny from commentary legend Clyde Tyldesley who was left unimpressed by the ex-defender

Broadcasting legend Clyde Tyldesley has taken aim at Rio Ferdinand for his commentary during Manchester United’s dramatic Europa League win over Lyon. The former ITV favourite was left unimpressed by the former defender’s reaction as the Red Devils booked their spot in the semi-finals of the competition thanks to a late goal in extra-time.

United looked set to crash out against Lyon but goals from Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire saw Ruben Amorim’s side win in dramatic fashion. It was Maguire’s decisive header that sparked jubilant scenes at Old Trafford – and a wild reaction in the commentary booth.

Ferdinand could be heard cheering for both Mainoo and Maguire’s efforts and TNT Sports released a ‘commentator cam’ that showed him celebrating with his fellow pundit Robbie Savage – an ex Manchester United academy graduate – and Darren Fletcher. It was Fletcher who could be seen attempting to rein in his colleagues’ excitement.

Tyldesley took a dig at TNT Sports’ coverage by accusing them of straying into the realms of United’s own channel, MUTV. He did, however, have praise for Fletcher.

Describing the final moments of United’s win in his blog, Tyldesley wrote: “Over on TNT Sport, lead commentator Darren Fletcher was playing gooseberry to two former United players that were just loving the comeback. We know this because Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage could not only be heard but also seen on ‘CommCam’.

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“So, just in case we were wondering if Rio’s voice had temporarily lost the frequency of the commentator’s traditional neutrality, we could watch his fist punching the air over and over in delight. I got the impression that he maybe knew the hidden camera was there. Could be wrong.

“Fletch had been savvy enough to take a deep breath in the wake of United’s equaliser – my wonderful mentor Reg Gutteridge used to call it “thinking time” – before delivering the catchy line ‘Kobbie Mainoo is the coolest kid in Old Trafford and Manchester United are level’. Either side of him, Rio and Robbie were unashamedly losing their collective cool to welcome us to MUTV.”

Tyldesley went on to lament: “The day of the commentator fan – Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher et al – is here but does it work?”

It’s not the first time Ferdinand has prompted Tyldesley’s ire either. The 70-year-old was critical of the TNT pundit’s reaction to James Tarkowski’s Everton equaliser against Liverpool.

“Having the judgment and knowledge to read a game doesn’t necessarily give an ex-player the ability to read it out loud to an audience of millions,” Tyldesley said. “They are two separate professions with their own techniques and thought processes.

“If you are coming from football into broadcasting, you need to be schooled and coached in the methods and disciplines of communication. Your words should count. ‘Oh my God. Oh my God’ is not quite enough.”

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