Published: 5 November, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

MARK the date in your diary because the unthinkable has happened; John Terry has said something we can all agree with. Hell he even made us laugh. 

The Chelsea skipper has topped his penalty miss in Moscow by chewing out the wannabe blond bombshell that is Robbie ‘Strictly’ Savage. Terry took time out from the Blues’ relegation battle to tell us that he can accept criticism from some of the best he’s played against “on the chin”, but he made it very clear that not everyone in the game should be entitled to an opinion. 

“When certain other people speak, I don’t take it on the chin, not from players who haven’t had a career, or have played at a really bad level. Robbie Savage being one. I’ll take it all day long from the very best but other people, nah,” roared Mourinho’s bench-bound bruiser. 

Now I know it makes you feel dirty inside, but deep down don’t we all agree? Isn’t Terry right? 

Michael Owen and Paul Scholes are proving week in, week out, that even if you were a great footballer it doesn’t automatically make you a good pundit. 

Throw average-at-best players like Savage and David James into the mix and it’s no wonder our match-day preparations at the Sofa Stadium have changed. 

Here’s what I do when I’m watching a big game on the telly box: Get up early, put my lucky boxers on – inside out if it’s been a tough week – and hit the shops for the all-important snacks and refreshments. If mates are coming over I send out a cheeky WhatsApp to make sure they bring their own nibbles because trying to keep an eye on the game and how many flame grilled steak crisps are left sounds too much like multi-tasking. A quick adjustment to the blinds to make sure there’s no glare on the TV, and we’re almost good to go. 

There’s just one more thing to do, arguably the most important part of our modern day ritual… hitting the mute button. The current crop of pundits are so poor it’s better to watch the game in silence. 

There’s only so many times I can laugh off Martin Keown telling me why a team isn’t scoring enough goals, or Jermaine Jenas going into great detail about how to execute a 60-yard pass, or a 20-yard pass for that matter. And don’t even get me started on former Spurs striker Garth Crooks, who seems to think the more you emphasise a point, no matter how wrong you are, the more intelligent you look. 

I could probably handle the role of “football expert” being badly watered down on any other day, but making me agree with Terry – that’s just unforgivable.