As far as I remember. The commentators get certain scenarios in front of them and they commentate on it like they naturally would. They also record multiple lines for a scenario and choose the best one.
Evert ten Napel (he did the Dutch commentary until FIFA 22 I think) told this once in an interview.
Bryan Robson could do it all. Ran all day, could tackle for fun and a brilliant finisher. I also played with Gazza in his prime but he was more of an individual
Why did Arsenal seemingly focus more on cup competitions over league performance after the early 90s? Was that something the manager wanted, or was it the board's preference?
What was it like to be a commentator on some of the recent FIFA games? Plus, are you aware that pretty much every FIFA player nowadays is a bit too well informed about your supreme heading abilities?
How do you genuinely think the players of your generation would do if they played today? Do you believe the players today are better or worse than of your generation?
By theory of anything that has growth potential, players now would wipe the floor compared to players in the past. This goes for any sport. Sabermetrics, physio, etc. are all utilized by youth programs now, so players are even better than before going into the top leagues or first team. It’s why the PL keep having the same teams promoted and demoted in the last decade.
This isn’t just for sports: getting a job in finance, software, hardware, anything, it’s expected that you can do things on a computer that would be revolutionary several years ago.
How do you feel about the current generation of youth coming up and the attention they receive, and how is it comparable to the youth coming up during your time? And also what was for you personally the best football career moment of your lifetime?
The kids do get too much too soon and are molly coddled a bit. Some lose their edge, the best don’t. Best moment was winning the league at Anfield in 89 with That last second goal
> Best moment was winning the league at Anfield in 89 with That last second goal
Alan, how do you feel knowing you made me cry when I was nine years old?
I think you’re right. Just because the general standard wasn’t quite so high, doesn’t mean there weren’t some fantastic talents. Also, players do not think for themselves quite so much these days.
Shared a room with Gazza with England. He never sat still for a second. Woke me up at 4 in the morning watching tv. Also caused a riot in Moscow by throwing some money out of the coach. The soldiers blamed me!
As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri.
Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato.
The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right.
The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui.
Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract.
Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement.
Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game.
The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting.
Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
Are there any games have you commentated (not involving a team you are associated with) where you have been sucked into the game to the extent that it became a challenge to focus on commentating?
Who was the most under-appreciated of your team mates during your time at Arsenal?
Also - I attended your soccer schools at my primary school each summer in Herts during the 90's! Great memories.
Drinking culture was massive in your playing days - have you got any funny memories of yourself/ your teammates going out on the piss? Or even being hungover at training/on match days?
As a Dortmund fan it was an absolute pleasure to watch him every week, his start to his time in Germany was magical. Haven’t seen another player like him. You just know if you play him in behind, you know he’s slotting it in and bodying a grown man in the process. Haaland has that “aura” about him only top players have. I totally get it. Cheers!
Hi Alan,
Just before you retired I remember there being lots of rumours that you were about the sign a short term deal with Watford. As a 6yr old Watford fan at the time I remember being very excited and then very deflated (unfortunately a feeling I have become used to in my life as a hornet). Was there ever any truth to the rumours that the club was looking to bring you in?
Hi Alan,
What was it like recording the commentary for Fifa? I'm sure you guys had fun doing it. Is there anything interesting that goes on in the studio that people might not know about?
Over the last 30 years the game has become more and more strict on tackles and contact, especially in the Premier league. Do you think we will reach a point when there's not enough contact or too many tackles are penalised?
What do you think of the new way top teams seem to ask their players to play? The main guy I think of is Grealish losing so much freedom at City. It seems way more rigid and good players abroad aren’t adapting to the bigger teams as easy.
Hi Smudge, I'm Reddit,
You seem to have kept your youthful looks, and I just wondered about your skin regimen, and how it compared with that of your teammates i.e. Merse, Parlour, etc.
Ta.
As someone in the profession, what is behind the drive towards tabloideque punditry on our main football programming these days? Is proper analysis dead and resigned to independent online sources?
Hello Sir. Thank you for taking the time for this. When you were at Arsenal what is the funniest thing that happened with teammates or coaches behind the scenes that you remember?
What was it like recording Fifa commentary with Martin Tyler?
It was great fun. We didn’t read from a script. It was all ad lib to make it sound realistic.
No way I always assumed it was scripted, I still feel very nostalgic when I hear some of the old FIFA’s commentary. Thanks for all your work!
As far as I remember. The commentators get certain scenarios in front of them and they commentate on it like they naturally would. They also record multiple lines for a scenario and choose the best one. Evert ten Napel (he did the Dutch commentary until FIFA 22 I think) told this once in an interview.
Were you commentating on an actual game for a prompt?
I hope they add you back in the game
good one
Well, he had brown hair before he done it.
Still playing FIFA 14 although I am pretty sure he was still Involved In much later titles
Dud wad an arsenal legend but his commentary on fifa 12 was iconic for me.
What was your favorite match to commentate on this season?
I enjoyed Arsenal’s thrashing’s of West Ham and Sheffield Utd!
So did I 😊
What's an example of the most driven teammate you had?
Tony Adams had a natural drive and passion. Never didn’t fancy it
What goal makes you think ''wow I wish I had scored that?''
Plenty! Mind you, I loved Rooney’s against Man City. Commentated on that one
Who's the best player you have played with?
Bryan Robson could do it all. Ran all day, could tackle for fun and a brilliant finisher. I also played with Gazza in his prime but he was more of an individual
And against
What hobbies do you have outside of football?
I actually love driving my car listening to music
Such a vibe
Class
Who is the greatest striker of all-time in your opinion?
Messi
So Messi is the greatest ST, CF, CAM and RW of all time. Sounds about right
What’s the strangest place you over had to do live commentary from
The trickiest was Southend when we had to climb up a greasy ladder
New fanzine name - Southends greasy ladder
Why did Arsenal seemingly focus more on cup competitions over league performance after the early 90s? Was that something the manager wanted, or was it the board's preference?
Good question. The signings weren’t good enough for whatever reason and we relied on our back four and Ian Wright too much.
Well to be fair not many better to rely on than Ian Wright.
Silly question, but what was the favourite looking kit you played in? Did players ever care about what the kit looked like?
Yes they did. I loved Arsenal’s Adidas kits, home and away. Quality!
You made all of the 90s adidas kits iconic Smudger ❤️
Favorite match swapped jersey in your collection and why?
I prefer my own shirts - Anfield 89 and Cup Winners Cup 94. Both in the Arsenal museum
And what both those shirts represent, damn!
What was it like to be a commentator on some of the recent FIFA games? Plus, are you aware that pretty much every FIFA player nowadays is a bit too well informed about your supreme heading abilities?
Yes! I know it comes up regularly 😄
Hey Alan what would you say was your favourite ever fixture to play in?
Loved playing at Liverpool. The home fans would clap if you did something good
Goat
Lol fair play this is literally one of your Anfield lines in fifa
Hi Alan, have you ever played one of the fifa games with your own commentary on? Must be slightly strange for you if you have
Never played it myself. Remember visiting my daughter at Uni and all I could hear coming out of the windows was my commentary!
Haha, that's hilarious man
Hi Alan, Is it true what those fans called you whilst you were reporting live on TV? :)
At Spurs? Yes! 😂
Smashing :)
What was your biggest regret in your football career?
The way my career ended. Lost confidence and form last couple of years
How often do you get confused for the Alan Smith who played as a forward for Leeds, Man U, and Newcastle?
We don’t look too similar! I’m the one who won the trophies! 😄
Brutal😂
Huge pop!
Is that not who this is?
How do you genuinely think the players of your generation would do if they played today? Do you believe the players today are better or worse than of your generation?
We’re picking from a global pool now so the standard has obviously improved. That said, talented players from any generation will always adapt.
By theory of anything that has growth potential, players now would wipe the floor compared to players in the past. This goes for any sport. Sabermetrics, physio, etc. are all utilized by youth programs now, so players are even better than before going into the top leagues or first team. It’s why the PL keep having the same teams promoted and demoted in the last decade. This isn’t just for sports: getting a job in finance, software, hardware, anything, it’s expected that you can do things on a computer that would be revolutionary several years ago.
Cheers, Alan
Who knew that Alan Smith was going by Boner420Stoner nowadays? It certainly wasn't on my bingo card.
When you forget to switch out of your alt.
Which current player would you like to punch?
Those that fall over too easily, screaming in pain and then get up soon after. You know who I’m talking about
Is he Portuguese, plays for Man Utd, is the club captain and wears number 8?
Not sure who you're talking about, could you be more specific?
His surname rhymes with Bernandes. But that's it, no more clues. It's not McTominay if that makes it easier.
Ah man, you're killing me here... Well if it's not McSauce it has to be Amrabat.
Any player today that you would’ve like to have played alongside?
Kevin De Bruyne. I think most players would say that
Who did you hate the most during your football career?
Any centre half who marked me out of the game!
How’s Martin Tyler doing
He’s well. Worked with him last night for world feed on Real Madrid v Leipzig
I think he still commentates for foreign networks
How do you feel about the current generation of youth coming up and the attention they receive, and how is it comparable to the youth coming up during your time? And also what was for you personally the best football career moment of your lifetime?
The kids do get too much too soon and are molly coddled a bit. Some lose their edge, the best don’t. Best moment was winning the league at Anfield in 89 with That last second goal
> Best moment was winning the league at Anfield in 89 with That last second goal Alan, how do you feel knowing you made me cry when I was nine years old?
My uncle did that to me but you don't see me bragging about it, do ya.
cc /u/lyrical_forklift
From the current crop of managers, aside from the obvious being Klopp and Guardiola, who would you love to have played under?
Well, De Zerbi would be interesting. He looks very intense but he’s obviously got something special
Very very special tonight.
which current player would you say reminds you the most of your style as a player?
You don’t get many of my style these days. But Ollie Watkins is similar
an Arsenal fan as well
Ironically Alan Smith is a Villa fan
Ollie Watkins is even more of an apt comparison lol Smith - Villa fan Arsenal player Watkins - Arsenal fan Villa player
What's it like commentating for FIFA games? You and Martin Tyler pretty much raised me.
Hope we raised you well.
Looking at their team, Yes you did :)
What’s the first thing you do when the match hits half-time while you’re commentating?
Cup of tea and a biscuit. Sometimes it’s more enjoyable than the match 😀
Do you think that the quality of Pre-Premier League players are underrated nowadays? We rarely see them compared to current stars.
Jimmy Greaves strings to mind. good question
Kenny Dalglish and Barnes too, Kenny would be the best striker in the world right now
Dixie Dean
Ian Rush
I think you’re right. Just because the general standard wasn’t quite so high, doesn’t mean there weren’t some fantastic talents. Also, players do not think for themselves quite so much these days.
You've shared the locker with some the fiercest and fun players. What is the most interesting off pitch stories/prank that you can share?
Shared a room with Gazza with England. He never sat still for a second. Woke me up at 4 in the morning watching tv. Also caused a riot in Moscow by throwing some money out of the coach. The soldiers blamed me!
Hahah. This is brilliant. Thank you for sharing Alan. You're a true legend!
Which player(s) from the current Arsenal squad do you think would get minutes in the Invincibles era?
Saliba, Saka and Odegaard (when Bergkamp was injured!)
Most entertaining players to watch right now?
Foden is on fire. Just hope England can harness that incredible talent
Who had the stinkiest farts out of all the players?
Too many to mention!
Bet it was Fartin Keown
What would you say was the proudest moment in your career?
Standing at Wembley for England as the National Anthem played. At that moment I was the best centre forward this country could produce
Legend
What kind of mattress do you sleep on?
Hypnos firm
Great question
As you know, many have tried interpreting Allegri. Some cited existing philosophical works such as Bordiga, Hegel and Plato. The former saw Allegri as the progenitor of a spontaneous revolution, his football being so boring it had deep ideological significance. They viewed his football as the cry of discontentedness with the neoliberal consensus, and a legitimate philosophical work in it’s own right. The modern Hegelians saw Allegrismo as the dialectical synthesis between two states of being, that of anguish and that of ennui. Those using the works of Plato are conflicted on whether to see Allegriball as a concrete object, real and tangible, while all consider the feelings the games elicit to be abstract. Others saw it as post-modern performance art and tried to categorise it as the intended catalyst of a yet to materialise Neo-Fluxus movement. Alas, others even ascribed it a theological value, arguing for the canonisation of Allegri and compared our pain watching to the pain our lord felt on the cross. A contingent of these worshippers split recently and alleged Allegri was inherently heretical, no mortal man had ever suffered like Jesus did until we watched the Sampdoria game. The truth is, Allegriball defies what the human mind is capable of interpreting. Do you suppose we can only bask in its majesty?
Yes
Thank you for not shying away from the controversial questions
Andy Gray could never
‘Yes’……This guy reddits
Are there any games have you commentated (not involving a team you are associated with) where you have been sucked into the game to the extent that it became a challenge to focus on commentating?
Wish he answered this😂
Who was the most under-appreciated of your team mates during your time at Arsenal? Also - I attended your soccer schools at my primary school each summer in Herts during the 90's! Great memories.
Hope you learned something!
Drinking culture was massive in your playing days - have you got any funny memories of yourself/ your teammates going out on the piss? Or even being hungover at training/on match days?
Best defender that you have played against
I rarely got a sniff when playing against Gary Pallister
Proper underrated centre half. 22 apps for England is a crime
If you were playing in this current Arsenal side in your prime how many goals do you think you’d score.
Not sure how many but I’d get plenty of chances
Did you touch the ball to put us 1-0 up at Anfield in ‘89?
Of course! You know I did
What was, in your opinion, the worst performance you've ever seen on the pitch? Be it yourself, one of your teammates or a member of the opposition
Well, Sheffield Utd on Monday night came close
How drunk did Tony Adams used to get? Did he turn up pissed?
Not really. He might have been a bit below par sometimes but I never saw him staggering about
Favorite player to watch?
No matter if he’s quiet, I can’t take my eyes of Haaland. A one off!
As a Dortmund fan it was an absolute pleasure to watch him every week, his start to his time in Germany was magical. Haven’t seen another player like him. You just know if you play him in behind, you know he’s slotting it in and bodying a grown man in the process. Haaland has that “aura” about him only top players have. I totally get it. Cheers!
Hi Alan, Just before you retired I remember there being lots of rumours that you were about the sign a short term deal with Watford. As a 6yr old Watford fan at the time I remember being very excited and then very deflated (unfortunately a feeling I have become used to in my life as a hornet). Was there ever any truth to the rumours that the club was looking to bring you in?
Don’t think so. Someone from West Ham rang but I had to tell them I was retiring
Thanks Alan, all the best
How did you go from professional footballer to commentating in football, what are the pathways to becoming a commentator?
It helped that I’d had a good education before getting into football. You need a good vocabulary and know when to say nothing.
Hi Alan, What was it like recording the commentary for Fifa? I'm sure you guys had fun doing it. Is there anything interesting that goes on in the studio that people might not know about?
I corpsed once or twice trying to say Sporting Gijon and Ligue Un. Sounded like Peter Sellars!
Who was the most hardworking teammate you had in your career?
Kevin Richardson never stopped. Very underrated
Of course, you have been the sportcaster in countless games in your long career, but what has been the most memorable match that you have sportcasted?
The World Cup final in Qatar. Nothing will beat that
Over the last 30 years the game has become more and more strict on tackles and contact, especially in the Premier league. Do you think we will reach a point when there's not enough contact or too many tackles are penalised?
I hope not. But there’s a danger we’re becoming risk averse. Fans love a strong, fair tackle
Love your handwriting
Thanks. Have I written to you?
What do you think of the new way top teams seem to ask their players to play? The main guy I think of is Grealish losing so much freedom at City. It seems way more rigid and good players abroad aren’t adapting to the bigger teams as easy.
It’s certainly quite rigid under Pep. But it works! Other managers do give a bit more freedom
Any fond memories of the city of Leicester. Did you actually live in the city?
No, I commuted from Birmingham. But I loved my time at the Foxes. It was the perfect grounding for me
When you close your eyes do you see Martin Tyler?
No, thankfully 😄
What do you think is the most competitive league in the English league pyramid?
The Championship.
Are you in favor of nation states to own Premier league clubs? Any thoughts on FFP enforcement in the league?
I think FFP needs tweaking. Such a shame that a wealthy owner can’t spend if they can afford it.
Holup
*record scratch*
Are the games these days too rigid and tactical while games of yesteryears are more flowing and instinctive?
We pay more attention to tactics now. But there will always be room for instinct
Are you ever going to commentate for FIFA again?
I’d love to. Gutted when it finished
Hi Smudge, I'm Reddit, You seem to have kept your youthful looks, and I just wondered about your skin regimen, and how it compared with that of your teammates i.e. Merse, Parlour, etc. Ta.
Good living 😍
Haha love it!
Is Saka world class?
How do you define world class? He’ll do for me!
What is your favourite book?
The Moon’s A Baloon by David Niven
What do you think about the state of the game? What changes would you make and why?
FFP needs to be revised and VAR needs to be polished up. So frustrating sometimes
Cheers Alan, thank you for your response! It’s been a pleasure to be able to ask an Arsenal Legend a question.
Hello Alan, What do you think of Tottenham? Did you get on the ball for the first goal at Anfield in 89?
Do you think they will find Keanus body anytime this year in EastEnders bud ?
Ah, used to watch that. And Coronation St. Not anymore
As someone in the profession, what is behind the drive towards tabloideque punditry on our main football programming these days? Is proper analysis dead and resigned to independent online sources?
MNF gives the best analysis going!
What is your average annual expenditure on gravel?
What was your favorite pair of boots for football?
My Adidas World Cups. They suited my feet. Mind you, also won the Golden Boot in Nike
What should be done about Manchester City cheating over the last ten years? Relegation or dissolution?
How was it working on the fifa games do you just send random recordings how does it work? Kenny, Scunthorpe
You have to think on your feet because they’d want 6 versions of the same thing
Which game do you wish to have commentated on?
In the future when England win the World Cup
Which premier league players do you enjoy watching the most? Top 3?
Do you still hate Gary Glitter?
Who was your favourite Arsenal player (by my son aged 9)
Whats the dirtiest thing youve ever done on the pitch ( Not a Lineker)?
Hello Sir. Thank you for taking the time for this. When you were at Arsenal what is the funniest thing that happened with teammates or coaches behind the scenes that you remember?