Gary Lineker on top form as BBC make the most of Carling Cup final coverage

By Des Lynam Published: 6:30AM GMT 02 March 2010

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Midas touch: BBC Sport anchorman Gary Lineker led the approach for the corporation"s Carling Cup coverage Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The rave enclosed a available talk with Wayne Rooney conducted by Gary Lineker.

"You"re in a abounding capillary of form," offering Lineker, succumbing to clich for once, but Rooney showed he"s commencement to get the cling to of carrying to contend a couple of words.

Wayne Rooney fit for England avocation Owen calm to stay in Rooney"s shade Cup final: man imprinting Vidic"s propitious shun baffles O"Neill O"Neill huffed and puffed but to no relief Sport on radio

Over on Sky Sports, Jeff Stelling was in assign along with Jamie Redknapp and Dwight Yorke, a former player with both clubs. Swamped with live football, Sky began their coverage only fifteen mins prior to the begin of play, still copiousness of time to set up the occasion.

The BBC row of Alan Hansen, Alan Shearer and Gareth Southgate all went for a Villa win on the basement that Wayne Rooney was not in the starting XI. On Sky there were no predictions.

Rooney, according to Lineker, was on the dais since he had had a mark of flu. Yorke, carrying been with the United patrol in the days prior to the match, concurred with this. From what I know of carrying flu, a case would be doubtful to be on the bench, simply since they wouldn"t have the strength to stand on to it.

After the match, Rooney himself certified to "a bit of a bruise knee" during the days prior to the game. Perhaps somewhere "fluid" and "flu" had turn confused?

The BBC writer was Guy Mowbray, who, it seems, is the successor strong to John Motson. He"s a decent broadcaster but Alan Parry on Sky prisoner the play of the compare better.

He knows how to shift the representation of his voice to larger outcome when the movement warrants it and boundary his statistical report to the minimum.

"That was the misfortune pre-match punditry ever," Lineker had pronounced at half-time, his pointy mind frequency blank a possibility for a little fun at his guests" expense, reminding them that they had chastised United"s Dimitar Berbatov.

"You know he"s not going to be a workaholic," Shearer had pronounced whilst Hansen had described him as "a multi-talented oppulance player". They had praised Villa"s Richard Dunne but Berbatov had worked his hosiery off and had attacked Dunne for United"s initial goal.

The BBC"s co-commentator was Mark Lawrenson, whose dry character appeals to me. "Specsavers it"s called," he teased Mowbray, after his co-worker had done a teenager mistake pas. When the partner arbitrate had flagged for an outrageously bad offside decision, on saying the replay, Lawrenson simply said: "Yeah, right." It was enough.

On Sky we saw a touching handshake at the finish of the compare in between Michael Owen and Rooney. Earlier Southgate on the BBC had described their particular situations as "the flitting of the baton".

Finally, full outlines for Sky"s coverage and Ian Darke"s explanation on the horrible damage on Saturday to Arsenal"s Aaron Ramsey. It was a indication of journalistic patience and understanding.