Kate Abdo has been praised for the way she worked around the recent Jamie Carragher-shaped controversy.
The former Liverpool footballer recently took his foot, which had previously been used to kick spherical objects around on a grassy pitch, and inserted it into his mouth during CBS's coverage of Arsenal's Champions League clash with Porto.
Carragher had been wearing an Arsenal shirt and joked that Abdo ought to wear it, but the dedicated Manchester United fan said she was 'loyal' to her beloved club.
"Loyal to who? Not to Malik," Carragher said, referencing her relationship with boxing trainer Malik Scott, and it's safe to say things got rather awkward after that.
Advert
Carragher laughed nervously, realising he'd messed up quite significantly, while his fellow pundits Thierry Henry and Micah Richards didn't really know where to look.
Abdo fired back: "What? Why would you even say that?"
There was quite a backlash against Carragher, and Abdo has struck back in the best of ways as her response put the former Liverpool footballer on blast while also deftly moving on from the whole episode.
Advert
"After our road trip to the Emirates, we are back in our Champions League studio," Abdo opened, not shying away from addressing what could have been a scouse elephant in the room.
"This group, we have been together for three-and-a-half years, I grew up with a brother and I feel like I have gained three more here.
"Thierry Henry, of course, the golden child. He could do no wrong, always says the right thing, sets the example for the rest of us.
"Intimidating? Yes, he can be, but he is the big brother we all look up to and we all aspire to, Thierry."
Advert
You can probably guess where this is going as Abdo then took aim at Carragher and sent a well-deserved barrage his way.
"Then there is the middle child, Jamie Carragher, a chip on his shoulder, capable of saying anything for attention," she said as Carragher grinned and his co-stars laughed at the ribbing he was receiving.
"Does he go too far sometimes? Absolutely. But does he apologise? Yes he does.
Advert
"But we all have that one annoying family member that we still love and accept."
"And then there's little bro, Micah," she continued as the former Manchester City defender tapped out a drumroll on the table in anticipation of his description.
"Loud and loveable, easy to pick on, impossible not to love and everybody's favourite.
Advert
"Like a good family, we stick together. Another day, another show. Good to be with you all."
There was applause in the studio, Micah immediately proved his description spot on as he shouted 'yes' while Abdo was talking.
But of course he's the funny man of football punditry and nobody could ever stay mad at him for any time at all.
Plenty have praised Abdo for this, with viewers saying she 'washed away that Jamie stinker' and that it was a 'PR masterclass'.
Someone else said that Abdo was 'magnificent' while plenty more commented that she'd 'saved his career'.
Featured Image Credit: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
