“If you ever want to come on with no autocue you’re welcome.”
Jamie Carragher and Gary Lineker have become engaged in a juicy war of words on Twitter over a small mistake made on Monday Night Football’s on-screen graphics during last night’s Messi vs Ronaldo debate.
Gary Lineker, presenter of Match of the Day and famous advocate of Lionel Messi being football’s greatest ever player, posted a tweet highlighting that Monday Night Football has incorrectly displayed a graphic stating that Messi had won no international trophies. This is, of course, not true anymore after Messi’s Copa America win in July.
To be fair, it’s such a long time since Messi led Argentina to victory in Copa America, they’re entitled to forget it. 🥴 pic.twitter.com/zh9TysLsnE
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 13, 2021
Responding to a follower who shared Lineker’s frustration, the MOTD presenter also highlighted that technically Messi has won four Champions League titles, while the graphic says three.
Jamie Carragher, a staple of MNF’s highly acclaimed analysis, refused to let this slide, and jumped in to acknowledge the mistake but also to argue that Messi’s lack of involvement in the 2006 Champions League campaign justifies the decision to put it down as three.
“We made a mistake on a graphic over Messi’s international honours. It happens a lot on MOTD,” he wrote.
“We don’t have autocue on MNF so I’m sure you’d also make a mistake now and again,” he added. Meow.
We made a mistake on a graphic over Messi’s international honours.
It happens a lot on MOTD. Check Messi’s record in 2006 in the CL, he didn’t play 1 min after 1st KO round, so we counted it as 3. We don’t have autocue on MNF so I’m sure you’d also make a mistake now & again.— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) September 14, 2021
Lineker retorted by claiming such mistakes would be pointed out and corrected on Match of the Day.
Yes, we do, and when they happen, they’re quite rightly pointed out.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 14, 2021
But Carragher replied by saying that correction would come, “not from someone on MNF, as we realise it’s not easy.”
Then it started to get really quite catty, as Carragher added: “I know you spend the majority of your time on twitter but just look after MOTD & we’ll do the same on MNF. If you ever want to come on with no autocue you’re welcome.”
Lineker then seemed to stoop to a ‘hope everything is ok’ response, having lost the upper hand in the dispute.
“You seem to be picking fights with everybody these days. I hope you’re alright, Jamie,” he wrote.
The passive aggression continued as Carragher replied: “I’m fine Gary, just sticking up for our stats guy. Appreciate your concern.”
“Good man,” Lineker said, bringing the discussion to a close.
Make up your own mind as to which show is better or who is in the right here. We’re not taking sides.