Peter Woods

There is so much good, balanced and insightful about the BBC’s football coverage - John Murray, Ian Dennis, Guy Mowbray, Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan, Kelly Dalglish, Alan Shearer and plenty more, including hugely respected voices across local radio, Nick Barnes, Giulia Bould, Adam Blackmore, Nick Godwin and many others. The BBC has good reporters covering Manchester United but a usually excellent website’s daily focus on Michael Carrick’s job prospects – in, out, in out, it’s like the Boat Race – has become wearisome when the real focus should be more on the Glazers. They are far more responsible for the systemic mess at United? The Glazers. Carrick may well be out of his depth in a job that has already defeated more famous managers. But he’s faced the challenge, and faced up to the media, with dignity. All media obsesses about United (see my timeline tbf), always huge news. But the BBC, the national broadcaster, whose values include “the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output”, has to be balanced - and never forget that there’s a human being in the headlines.