Enda McEvoy: Talking Heads and a once in a lifetime shock upset

Here’s the surprise. Argentina and the Saudis proves to be quite the ride. A once in a lifetime affair, you might say…

TV TAKES: A general view of a TV gantry. Pic: Alessandra Tarantino - Pool/Getty Images

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack. And you may find yourself in front of the telly, bleary of eye and clutching pen and paper, at the unconscionable hour of 10am. And you may ask yourself, “What the hell was I thinking of to sign up for this?”

Argentina versus Saudi Arabia in the Lusail Iconic Stadium first. Not a very evocative name, huh? God be with the days when Jimmy Magee was doing his stuff in exotic outposts such as Cordoba, Mendoza and Guadalajara. (If you’re old enough, just try enunciating those places in Jimmy’s voice. “Cor-DO-ba! Men-DO-za! Guad-a-la-JARA!!!” Ah yes. Don’t dare try to tell me the world, or at any rate the world of commentary, has changed for the better.)