WHAT do Trevor Francis, Ron Atkinson and David Pleat have in common?

Yes, the trio are all recent managers of Sheffield Wednesday.

But there is another more binding similarity - their appalling attempts at co-commentary.

Trevor Francis is the most surprising exponent - not because he is any great footballing intellect but because he is still employed by Sky.

In general, the Sky pundits are exceptional.

No-one can better Andy Gray for his incisive analysis and ability to call a debated situation correctly.

Another bubbly Scot, though, in Alan Brazil gives him a good run for his money.

But the Sky standard has fallen with Francis.

He does not have the best reputation inside football.

You will not find many players loyally following Francis from club to club, as often happens with well-travelled managers.

All that, though, would be irrelevant if he could ever come up with an illuminating insight or technical pearl of wisdom.

Instead, his nasal nonsense invariably puts you off your Monday night supper.

And heaven only knows the state of his microphone at the end of the 90 minutes of twisting his tongue around a tricky foreign name.

Last week he even had trouble with the name of the Barnsley goalkeeper, Lars Leese. Trev, mate, a lasso is used by cowboys for herding cattle.

I can only assume that pressure is being brought on Sky producers by the association of football linesmen.

For every single time Francis criticises a close off-side call, you guarantee that the replay will prove the officials right.

I'm not so sure how I would feel if I was a Birmingham fan, either.

The time travelling to and from games on a regular basis must detract from his managerial duties.

Such high-profile moonlighting can only really be justified when your side is flying high, not languishing in the middle of Division One.

It would seem that Francis is following many a lead from Big Ron.

His incompetence behind a microphone was given the official seal the other week when that media monstrosity David Mellor praised his efforts at co-commentating.

Atkinson's efforts on ITV are as embarrassing as his taste in flashy clothes.

Ron, pal, his name is Teddy, not Terry Sheringham.

I suspect his ever-increasing media profile was engineered as insurance against a managerial career on the decline until Wednesday's incredible intervention.

Pleat is the most impressive manager of the three but little better in terms of broadcasting nouse, finding it difficult to put his message across in simple terms.

There are knowledgeable and eloquent football personnel knocking around who could fill these roles far better.

But it seems that the pushier the personality, the higher the profile and the poorer the presenter.

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