Gary Lineker sympathised with one side in particular (Image: YouTube/The Rest Is Football)
Gary Lineker cheekily hit back at Alan Shearer while discussing the team that always seem to get the short end of the stick on Match of the Day. During a post-season review with podcast colleague Micah Richards, the trio dissected their Premier League predictions.
They worked through each team alphabetically, with all three making solid enough shouts when it came to Fulham. Lineker had them pegged for a relegation scrap but ultimately surviving, Shearer guessed they'd land somewhere between 11th and 13th, while Richards envisioned a comfortable mid-table finish.
In reality, Marco Silva's squad secured the 13th spot after an up-and-down campaign with inconsistent results. Lineker praised Silva on The Rest Is Football, saying (via the Mirror): "He's done a really good job there you know, I think he's an underrated manager."
Shearer agreed, responding: "He's done really well hasn't he? I think after the loss of [Aleksandar] Mitrovic and then bringing [Rodrigo] Muniz back in after wherever he was, Middlesbrough I think was it he'd been on loan, I think the Fulham fans can be optimistic and happy with what they've had this season."
Richards chimed in about Fulham's lack of standout names yet managing to perform adequately, adding: "If you look through their team though, there's no real superstars is there. And then they just manage to get it done.
"Really well organised, can play on the front foot, can play defensive when they need to. So fair play to him, I agree, the manager's doing a brilliant job there because you know when you go in Match of the Day.
Alan Shearer was put in his place by Lineker (Image: YouTube/The Rest Is Football)
"You're looking at Fulham, you don't think 'oh they're gonna be top of list' but they're never bottom or the worst team, they're just in between, aren't they? Just get the job done quite quietly so fair play."
MOTD host Lineker expressed his sympathy for Fulham fans, admitting they often end up in the back end of the show's running order. "They're one of those clubs who suffer a bit in the running order of Match of the Day, towards the end of the season in particular. Your mid-table teams tend to have that," Lineker explained.
Shearer interjected: "I bet they're f***ing bothered about that, don't you?" Lineker responded: "Oh believe me. Everyone gets bothered about the running order, Al. You should see the mailbag."
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The Match of the Day running order has long been a source of debate among football fans, with many questioning the criteria used to determine which matches are shown first.
In the past, Lineker would announce the running order on social media ahead of the show, but the BBC has since canned this practice. He's previously explained that the decision ultimately rests with the editor.
They select the order based on a number of factors, including the importance and entertainment value of the matches. Lineker stressed that the most exciting match is always shown first, unless there are significant implications for another fixture.
