I THINK the standard of the BBC’s football coverage may just be starting to catch up with Sky.

It has lost out big time since the 1990s, when the public rejected the po-faced analysis of Jimmy Hill and pals, whose final days at the head of Match Of The Day coincided with a seismic shift in the game that left him looking like a relic from the era when footballers’ earnings were restricted by the maximum wage (something Hill helped to change).

In came Sky, with in-depth, fast-moving, witty analysis and the temerity to actually have a laugh in the studio.

The Beeb didn’t know what to do, so contented itself with simply ploughing on regardless, until Hill took up residence in the home for bearded ex-presenters and Adrian Chiles brought in some humour and a touch of zing to the analysis.

Now it’s Colin Murray and David Ginola and, with Sky’s Super Sunday — Wolves v Aston Villa and Newcastle v Stoke — proving anything but this week, the old show enjoyed a bit of a night under the stars.

Murray’s bright, funny, not afraid to tell someone when he thinks they’re talking absolute rubbish and, best of all, looks like someone you would expect to see getting excited at the sighting of a two carriage sprinter at Trinity Street train station.

Lee Dixon has improved dramatically — certainly better than the likes of the Pauls, Merson and Jewell, on Sky — and Ginola looks like a decent addition to the squad.

There’s serious discussion, an argument over Liverpool’s first goal against Sunderland and, when it’s revealed that David is an award-winning wine producer, Murray produces three bottles of rose for them to test out.

As Ginola swills the wine around his mouth, clearly lost in concentration, Murray offers “I think it’s important to savour the taste”, before wolfing down all three glasses in one.

Lee Dixon guesses which wine is the most expensive and takes the 20p prize, much to the Frenchman’s chagrin, before a male voice choir performs an amusing version of the ever-present Match Of The Day theme tune.

All of which, quite frankly, was much better than any of the football on offer.