New intro, new graphics, new presenters… same old Match of the Day .

Gary Lineker’s departure over the summer was supposed to herald a new era for the BBC’s flagship football show but what we really learned from its first renewal on Saturday night was that no one is bigger than MOTD .

Lineker was sacked over a controversial social media post that featured an anti-semitic trope. It was an inadvertent insult, and one he apologised for, but the blunder was the final straw in a long-running saga over whether a BBC presenter should be allowed to be so political.

His replacements therefore would have to be squeaky clean and Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan in rotation represent exactly that.

Giving “Chappers” the first start of the season was obvious too. He is the ultimate safe

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