Beeb’s Rio and Thierry show is a surprise hit

With Lee Dixon left to carry the fight for ITV — and even he wouldn’t command much of a purse — it’s already turned into a straight battle off the field between RTÉ and BBC.

The Ferdinand-Henry axis has worked surprisingly well for the Beeb, Rio reining in the bantz and Henry just about keeping a lid on the self-regard to provide some sound, restrained insights.

The pair have worked best when flanking the smooth Seedorf rather than the shouty Shearer. There have been a couple of intriguing internal battles too, some more one-sided than others. Robbie Savage hasn’t been the same since an early Henry dismissal after Savage tried to coach Honduras to deal with France like he did Arsenal. “We used to go out, be strong, physical, we were like wasps around them... not giving them a minute to settle. You hate playing against that kind of team, don’t you Thierry?”