Euro 2016 TV watch - ITV score early goal with La Mer, while Pearce is a clear winner of shouting contest

Euro 2016 is in full swing in France, and Yahoo Sport’s Nick Metcalfe has been busy with his remote, catching up on television coverage of the tournament.

La Mer strikes the right chord for ITV

I’ve always loved tournament theme tunes. I can probably recount every one going back to 1982. I’m not sure whether I should be delighted with myself or concerned.

The very best ones can virtually symbolise a tournament - come in Nessun Dorma - and many can stay in our heads for weeks after. How long after the last World Cup were you singing ITV’s “Brazil… Brazil”?

Music is always subjective of course, but for me ITV have claimed another victory here over their BBC rivals. I make that five tournaments in a row actually.

I think their choice of tune is a delight this time round. I may be an old romantic, but how can you not warm to the Charles Trenet classic, La Mer? Could there be anything more French?

I also love the way the titles start with a train journey from London and then reflect the different areas of that wonderful country. Sure, there are a few cliches in there, but let’s be honest, that’s what we want from sporting titles.

The BBC’s effort is a commendable one - a 1950s Edith Piaf song La Foule sung by Izzy Bizu - but it just doesn’t warm the heart in the same way. The graphics seem rather more 2006 than 2016, and why so Paris dominated? There’s far to France than her wondrous capital.

Safe pair of hands all round in the hot seat

The main presenters of the BBC and ITV coverage, Gary Lineker and Mark Pougatch, are unlikely to make too many mistakes during this month long football feast. They could hardly be more reassuring for viewers, and have both provided typically assured performances so far from their respective Paris studios.

Lineker has given us quite a few laughs too. I did like his greeting of Alan Shearer as he opened the BBC’s coverage with highlights of France against Romania last Friday night. “Alan Shearer joins us, fresh from being made a CBE. Congratulations, Commander.”

Quietly, Lineker and Shearer are becoming a half decent double act. When Shearer suggested, “I like a pint of Guinness” as a way of showing his Irish credentials before their opener against Sweden, Lineker hit back: “You didn’t have to come dressed as one” (black trousers, white shirt).

Not many people seemed to like Adrian Chiles when he was presenting ITV football coverage - social media nearly went into meltdown when he wore those shorts on the Copacabana during the Brazilian World Cup two years ago - but there aren’t too many Pougatch critics around. That’s because it’s so hard not to warm to him. He has a winning combination of gravitas and enthusiasm.

I was very impressed with the ITV opening to the tournament as Pougatch took us through a showreel of memorable European Championship moments and then introduced us to his Paris base. It had a real sense of occasion about it.

I would have liked to see Pougatch given more time to reflect on the sickening scenes of violence inside the stadium straight after England’s clash with Russia in Marseille. Instead, we had a cursory mention of it a long while after the final whistle, with the promise of more coverage to come in the ITV News bulletin. Being a first class journalist, I think Pougatch should have been entrusted with more time to reflect this unfolding story.

Shearer has improved beyond all recognition

Alan Shearer could well be the most improved pundit on television. Four or five years ago, he was rightly labelled by most fans as being very much on the anodyne side, but somebody somewhere must have had a word in the ear and he’s now a completely different operator. Shearer actually looks like he enjoys his job now, and regularly offers thoughtful analysis.

Another BBC pundit, Thierry Henry, obviously looks the part, but I’d like him to go out on a limb a little more often. Mind you, he has some nice turns of phrase in his locker. I smiled when he kept referring to Portugal’s stars playing “in the pocket” during their clash with Iceland on Tuesday night.

Vincent Kompany is valuable to the BBC for being a current player, but he could certainly do with being a little more strident with his views. “I just cannot criticise this man,” the Manchester City star said about Cristiano Ronaldo after the Real Madrid superstar failed to shine against tournament newcomers Iceland. Why not, Vincent? Isn’t that part of the job you’ve been given?

German great Lothar Mattahus has been a fine addition to the ITV ranks. He could be reading from a train timetable and still bring passion to it. He really does make the viewer feel fully involved with proceedings.

Slaven Bilic is basically a classic maverick, and that will always work in punditry. You never know what he’s going to come up with next. Did he swear on the opening night of the tournament? ITV say he didn’t but I’ve seen the clip and the evidence is pretty damning.

As for Ian Wright, it wouldn’t feel quite right to watch an England tournament campaign without him now. Pougatch called him “England’s barometer” before their opener against Russia. “When England are in a tournament I love it, I’m buzzing,” were Wright’s first words. “I’m really gutted for the guys,” he said straight after the game. He really does live and breathe the national team like a fan.

Pearce brings back memories of his radio days

Would it be fair for me to describe Clive Tyldesley as a marmite figure? It seems to be close to that. I’m in the Tyldesley camp.

He just so often produces memorable lines. “Can they score? They always score” before Manchester United equalised at the Nou Camp in the 1999 European Cup final. “It’s him again… it’s them again” as Zinedine Zidane helped France into the Euro 2000 final. “He was only supposed to be helping out… he’s helping himself to the valuables,” as Roberto Di Matteo guided Chelsea to FA Cup glory in 2012. OK, I’ll stop now. As I say, I’m a fan.

And Tyldesley was on very solid form during England’s clash with Russia, particularly as Eric Dier finally gave Roy Hodgson’s team the lead their dominance deserved.

“Bang. Breakthrough. They have hammered and hammered on the Russian door and Eric Dier has just smashed it wide open. Magnificent and merited.”

Twenty minutes later, in pure England style, there was a very different mood as Roy’s boys contrived to lose two precious points. “They won’t know whether to laugh or cry tonight,” Tyldesley reflected as we were shown images of crestfallen England players.

Meanwhile a big beast of the BBC commentary team, Jonathan Pearce, was in pretty animated form during Ireland’s first match of Euro 2016 against Sweden. In fact, he basically screamed as Wes Hoolahan superbly fired the Irish in front.

“HOOLAHAN! OH YES, OH YES, OH YES.”

For those of us of a certain age, that grew up in the south-east, it brought back memories of Pearce’s time as a radio commentator on Capital Gold in the 1980s and 1990s. He used to shout his way through whole matches in those days.

Last word for this week goes to BBC commentator Steve Wilson, with this ludicrously contrived line before Iceland took on Portugal.

“If Iceland are used to the Northern Lights, Ronaldo is used to the limelight.”