TV VIEW: A job as a television soccer pundit pays good money. Maybe not enough to live a Posh 'n' Becks kind of lifestyle, but sufficient to enjoy a good old living. One thing the viewer at home does not want, though, is someone who sits on the fence and, unfortunately, there sometimes can be a feeling that some of the experts are too close to those who sometimes need to be criticised, writes Philip Reid.

Certainly, nobody can accuse Mark Lawrenson of hedging his bets. In the cold light of a studio on Saturday night, some hours after the Mark Viduka incident, Lawro - trendy new glasses and all - was in no mood on BBC's Match of the Day to offer any sympathy to the Leeds striker or to his beleaguered manager, Terry Venables.

It was the opposite, in fact, as Lawrenson cut loose in describing the incident between Viduka and Gillingham's Andy Hessenthaler in a game which presenter Ray Stubbs described as a "battling old cup tie".

Indeed, it was; but, in truth, the kind of elbow slam into Hessenthaler's face is better left to late night-time viewing on WWF's Death Match when the kids are sound asleep.

Some pundits tend to guard their words when analysing controversial incidents, but Lawrenson is not one of them, which is why he is one of the best analysts on television. As he viewed what he termed a "frank exchange of views" between Viduka and Hessenthaler in the initial conflict between the two players, Lawrenson described the actual elbowing as just that.

"There is no doubt in my mind Viduka has raised his elbow and gone in to catch Hessenthaler and I think the referee has got it absolutely spot on."

In fairness to Andy Gray, who was commentating on the match live on Sky Sports, he was similarly forthright in his views on the incident.

"Viduka stuck his elbow in his (Hessenthaler's) face, there is no doubt about that," insisted Gray, calling the Leeds striker's actions "daft", and adding: "That reaction was for what was a token gesture (from Hessenthaler). He's half the size of Viduka."

Less than an hour later, however, there was a far softer reaction from David O'Leary - the former Leeds United manager - who was the expert analyst for Sky in Gillingham. O'Leary softened the blow for what was coming when he offered that Hessenthaler was the sort of player who could "irritate and niggle you" and that Viduka was "obviously rattled" from what had gone on beforehand between the two players. "Only Mark can tell you if there is intent," opined O'Leary.

To his credit, O'Leary, did make the point that there was no place for elbowing in the game. "I don't condone anybody (using the elbow). If somebody raises their elbow and wants to put it in somebody's face, they should be sent off," he admitted.

Yet, with so many different television cameras and consequently so many different angles on the incident, it was blatantly clear that - as Gray had remarked within seconds of the incident, and Lawrenson on BBC some hours later was to articulate - Viduka deserved to get a straight red. That Hessenthaler had a look at the referee while on the ground and was able to get up, shake himself down and have some magic water poured over his head so that he could continue was irrelevant. Viduka's actions were out order - and O'Leary should have said so, in the strongest possible terms. He didn't, and sitting on the fence is not what viewers want to hear from studio experts.

It was a touch ironic that, in the post-match interview, O'Leary's successor as Leeds manager, Venables, should adopt a similarly soft approach. "He (Mark) put his arm up and felt a contact," said El Tel, which differed substantially from referee Neale Barry's view of things. He described it as a "highly dangerous raised arm, (an) act of violent conduct".

Lawrenson also believed that Venables is "at the end of his tether" in managing a club who seem more intent on jettisoning players for financial survival than being competitive on the field.

"He's got a poison chalice there," said Lawrenson of Venables. To which Stubbs remarked, "He does look a bit hacked off, doesn't he?"

The BBC's live match yesterday afternoon had none of the controversial incidents brought to our living rooms by Sky the previous day. In fact, Manchester United's dominance over West Ham was, as Alan Hansen remarked at half-time when the score was just 2-0, "embarrassing . . . the gulf in class is like a chasm".

Indeed, the best line was delivered by Gary Lineker, who was struggling to find anything other than gushingly complimentary words for anyone in a red shirt.

"Beck's hairdo is a bit of a mess," said Lineker. "The rain's played havoc with it."