Al Jazeera and talkSPORT presenter Richard Keys has claimed that Sky Sports have blown their budget on contracts for regular pundits Gary Neville, Jamie Carrager and Graeme Souness.
The 56-year-old, who left Sky along with co-presenter Andy Gray after a sexism row, believes that the channel's Monday Night Football show, which is ever-increasing in popularity, will become stale and lose its appeal.
"Sky have done their money," Keys told the em>The Independent. "They've done their money on [Gary] Neville and [Jamie] Carragher and [Graeme] Souness and they haven't got the money to pay anyone else. And with the regularity of those three, the novelty will wear off.
"We have had a whole host of people come and see us. [Kevin] Keegan, [Alan] Shearer. [Glenn] Hoddle is coming. We've had Peter Reid. We've had David Platt. Peter Schmeichel is coming. Terry Venables is coming. David O'Leary has just come back. Mark Hateley has been here. You name them. If they haven't been, they will be coming.
Although he described Neville as a "terrific fella" who is "very, very good at what he does", Keys is skeptical that the former Manchester United defender can provide impartial judgement due to his coaching commitments with England.
"I don't think he can serve both masters – Sky and England," he added.
"He was having a little pop at David de Gea and seven days later Joe Hart was every bit as bad and worse, and yet he didn't get out his microscope and dissect his performances.
"If it was because he's the England goalkeeper, only he can tell us. You can't serve both masters honestly, fairly, and without compromise in my opinion. He's got to do one or the other."
Keys and Gray have both relocated to Doha to present Champions League and FA Cup football for Al Jazeera, and also broadcast their talkSPORT show from the Qatari capital.
Michael Penkman
