Fans have named one major complaint after Match of the Day aired for the first time since the departure of iconic host Gary Lineker on Saturday evening.
Lineker, 63, left the show in May after 26 years in the hot seat following a series of disputes with the BBC’s top bosses.
It came to a head when the former Leicester striker reposted an Instagram story that included a picture of a rat, representing a historic antisemitic slur.
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Lineker insisted he was not aware, but agreed to leave the BBC early and resign from his planned role at the 2026 World Cup with the broadcaster.
Gary Lineker left his role in the hot seat of Match of the Day after 26 years in May
| PAThe Rest Is Football podcast host has been replaced on the show by a trio of expert presenters: Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates.
Chapman, who is known as Chappers and boasts years of experience presenting sister show Match of the Day 2, was responsible for the season’s curtain-raiser.
The 51-year-old was not the only new addition in the studio. He was joined by Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney, who was fresh from signing a bumper £800,000 contract with the Beeb.
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Wayne Rooney made his debut on Match of the Day last night after signing a mammoth £800,000 deal
|BBC
“You may have seen and heard that there is a big change to the show this season,” Chappers opened the show by saying. “That is Wayne Rooney has joined us as a regular pundit.
“Some things don't change, though. Alan is still here.”
And it was Rooney who was the subject of complaints from fans online.
Viewers took to X to slam the Manchester United legend’s excessive use of “erm” as a filler, as well as “mutters”, with some even suggesting that he should be dropped from the program already.
One fan wrote: “There's no getting away from it. Listening to erm, erm Wayne Rooney on Match of the Day is f**king painful.”
Another added: “If I hear Rooney say ‘erm’ one more time on MOTD I feel like I’m gonna lose me head!!”
“Can someone at BBC MOTD own up to giving Rooney £800,000 contract to say …….”erm”. He’s so boring that even Chapman talks over his final sentence cos he’s struggling to find basic vocabulary,” a third said.
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Both Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer received criticism online after the episode
|BBC
While a fourth wrote: “Drop Rooney from MOTD. Total disaster. He struggles to find anything worthwhile to say, then he mutters. No shortage of alternatives.”
Rooney has become accustomed to punditry gigs since his Plymouth sacking in December.
The 39-year-old has been seen throughout the BBC and Amazon Prime, as the former Birmingham boss looks to build his career away from the pitch and on the TV screen.
During his short managerial career, Rooney held positions at Derby County, DC United, Birmingham and Plymouth but saw minimal success.
He is not the only pundit to have received some backlash after last night’s episode, though. Shearer was also on the receiving end of criticism from Sunderland fans, who felt he didn’t give them enough credit for their side's 3-0 hammering of West Ham.
Shearer’s allegiances lie strongly with the Back Cats’ local rivals Newcastle.
Chapman was the biggest winner of the evening, with fans praising his professionalism and some even naming it an upgrade on the departing Lineker.