If Brazil eventually win the World Cup, the only person who will be more elated than the players is Martin O'Neill. Martin derives untold pleasure from seeing his predictions proven right and prior to the Holland-Argentina game on Saturday, he went straight for the jugular, reminding everyone that he had tipped France to roll on to the semi-finals.

Since joining the BBC's team of experts, Martin has developed a menacingly aggressive style and tends to pat his colleagues on the knee as he explains why they are talking rubbish. It was no surprise, therefore, to see Alan Hansen leaning forward as he listened to Martin expound on France - partly out of unease and also to protect his knees. You sense that Alan Hansen takes a dim view of strident wee Northern Irish men patting his knees.

On to the game, and David Pleat took issue with the defending of someone called Jop Stomp. Over on RTE, George Hamilton and Jim Beglin were happily giving viewers the definitive and approved pronunciation of the Dutch lad's moniker. "It's pronounced Yap Schtum," declared George, "not Jap Stam, just the same as Edgar Davids is pronounced Dav-eeds and not, eh, Day-vids."

Jim was eager to add the QED. "Well, I was sitting with some Dutch on the plane down and they were saying Yap Schtum as well, so I think they might be right." Stony silence from George.

Back over on BBC and by halftime in the studio there was an undercurrent of tension as Martin took issue with every sentiment uttered by Ally McCoist. They should send Martin off to guard the Garvaghy Road; not even Paisley would chance marching it.

"Typical him - he's picked the wrong brother," he groaned after Ally had suggested that Frank and not Ron de Boer had enjoyed a nice 45 minutes. "Go on, you just talk through us," he later snapped as McCoist attempted to make a point. It was all dressed in a veneer of joviality, but there was a real sense of unease. Des Lynam's schmaltzy grin became a little forced and his look seemed to question the sanity of his Irish guest. E as Argentina's Ortega chinned Van Der Sar. Although he shamelessly apologised for the awfulness of the pun, there was no hiding the glee in his voice. "Yeah well, the lad Van Der Sar has gone down after the Argentinian's nutted him and for me, at the end of the day, it's just a matter of knocking home the terrible quip, really," he might have said afterwards.

In the RTE studio, Bill O'Herlihy was given a lessen in schooling by Liam Brady and John Giles. Questioning Van der Sar's right to confront Ortega, Bill pointed out to his guests that just as they had originally felt Ortega had been brought down in the box, so too might the goalie.

"Yeah, but we are watching this on a screen. Van der Sar was on the field of play, 10 yards from the incident," snapped Chippy Brady. Bill laughed and moved on, wondering if the Dutch win had been just, given what had happened to England against Argentina. "It's got nothing to do with England, Bill," retorted Gilesy, tetchily eyeing up his hapless host. "Well, was Overmars an inspired substitution for the Dutch?," pleaded Bill. "No, not really," returned Liam and Johnny in unison.

Those lads need to get some fresh air.