Maybe the user group example wasn't my best work; generally speaking anyone there will be sufficiently versed to know what you're talking about. I could present to Google but, yeah, it wouldn't be anything ground breaking to them :D
The point was that you don't have to have a playing career at the top levels to go on to become a successful manager. I'd wager the same applies to punditry. It's studying the game. We all do that. Whether we'd be good pundits is debatable of course.
It's not just football the idea applies to...
I don't think levels of play have anything to do with understanding the game.
Mourinho and Wenger hardly kicked a ball in their careers and did alright for themselves.
It's also why we can look at games and have opinions and ideas on tactics or players or the financial state of global...