Wally with a Brolly

We tend to watch a lot of football here at Wally. An obscene amount really. Whether it's La Liga (good old Guillem Balague), Premier League or Champions' League, we try to watch everything. I've often myself wondered what I was doing watching even the first 15 minutes of a Stoke-West Ham game on TV when I know I'm going to take no pleasure from seeing two skill-less teams play. But we all love football, and so we plough through sometimes.

With that in mind, we've decided to have a look at the state of punditry on our screens. This series will obviously be based on unforgivable bias and stupidly inexplicable man-crushes. We hope you enjoy it. First up is Mr. Diplomatic: Monsieur Ray Wilkins.

Ray Wilkins once had hair. I know, shocking. Sometimes, I wonder how we'd view him if he still had some instead of his shiny bald head. Would it make a difference? I can't say I'm too sure.

Don't let the sudden flowing hair distract you from the shirt. Yes, Ray played for AC Milan. Not too shabby is it?

Ray Wilkins did have hair, and he also had some good feet. Seriously. From Chelsea to Man Utd, AC Milan, PSG, Rangers and the QPR, it's fair to say that Ray played for some very big clubs. OK, QPR not so much, but at the time they were an established Premier League club. And they had Sir Les Ferdinand. Good stuff.

Ray also had a spectacular 84 caps for England. In the 70s and 80s, that was quite an achievement. Especially when you consider managers were a bit more ruthless and Ray was not able to 'do a Beckham' and get around 50 caps he didn't deserve to get. Also, that's 30 caps more than Glenn Hoddle, widely recognised as the best ball playing midfielder England had in the 80s. And Wilkins was, dare I say it, in the Xavi mould, preferring to pass and create rather than shoot and score. He was a silky, technically accomplished midfielder, able to organise his team and run the game from deep. At 18, he was named captain of Chelsea, replacing Ron 'Chooper' Harris. Wilkins was no punk.

Wilkins: elegant on the ball, composed. Ridiculous short shorts though.

Not only was he a regular for (big) club and country, but Ray also witnessed a large breadth of footballing styles. From the long-ball times in England to the catenaccio in Serie A and then the emergence of the Premier League, Wilkins was no doubt a willing player in an impressive evolution of football, from the backwater to what it is now. The man knows his football.

And, on that note, shouldn't he deserve more consideration when choosing pundits? Jamie Redknapp is now the regular 'pundit', but what has he ever done? He was highly rated for a while, broke down (lost count of injuries he got) and then got a job through Daddy. I'm pretty sure his boyish M&S (not the other way round) looks contributed to his appeal. I can picture the scene, in a dark room at Sky's offices, back in 2010 or whenever it was that he was chosen:

-"Should we get Jamie Redknapp as a pundit? He looks good in a suit, and everybody loves Harry!
- But he knows absolutely f**k all about punditry and sounds like an Alan Shearer broken record.
- But he looks good in a suit. And everybody loves Harry!
- Did you even hear a word I said?
- But we need to target housewives and teenage girls to Sky Sports!
- But he's awful.
- The.Man.Looks.Good.In.A.Suit! The tighter the better as well!"

"I came to my interview in this suit and they just gave me the job!"

I am guessing it went some way like that. That's an educated guess if ever there was one.

Ray gets a lot of stick for his punditry 'style'. I for one am a big fan. We all know that Ray has a lot of time for "young men" (insert paedo joke here) and that he talks like a grand-dad. You know that grand-dad: the one who still thinks you're a teenager and that he knows better. Slightly patronising but means well. That's Ray Wilkins. Deep down you love him.

Of course he doesn't say too much. Of course he tends to sit on the fence, although not as much as people think. But isn't it kind of refreshing to see someone so willing to defend players, or at least criticise them in a humane and considerate way? Compare that to Roy Keane's hypocrisy in just being a pundit. Ask Alf-Inge Haaland how he feels about the legitimacy Roy is suddenly getting as a pundit. Disgusting.

If nothing else, Ray at least provides us with some comic and weirdly warm moments through a game. I vividly remember this exchange he had with Rob Parry at a QPR game where he was co-commenting:

- "Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting Heidar Helguson, Rob?
- I can't say I have.
- Well, let me tell you. What a lovely young man. Similar to every Scandinavians I have met."

Heidar Helguson: if you ever doubted he was a nice guy, and I did, Ray told The TrutH. On an unrelated matter, Ray Wilkins fan clubs have sprung up in Scandinavia.

Sure, it detracts you from the game. But isn't it kind of nice to hear someone talk so positively about a footballer, and give an insight into the fact that some footballers are also decent human beings?

It's understandable Ray Wilkins has his legion of detractors, and I agree with people's point of view. Ray doesn't go too much in depth, is Mr. Nice Guy and seems to love the sound of his own voice.

But, compared to bland and less 'starry' 'pundits' like Gareth Southgate (who always has a look of surprise on his face), at least Ray does it with style, dignity and humanity. He's likeable in his mediocrity. And I'd rather have an average yet likeable pundit like Wilkins than a self-absorbed, arrogant or distinctly common former player. For all his mistakes and failings, Ray is a nice guy. Let's cherish that whilst we can.

"I am going to say nice things about you. Because I can. And because I want to."