Bbc 'pundits' Predict...

[l'escardot]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36945066

Fresh up on BBC scottish football...

So far only one of the experts on the Scottish game predicting Jags for the drop season 2016-17. Is this a record?

 

Plenty time before KO on Saturday for the rest of the usual suspects (celebrity OF fans) to agree with Packy Bonner of course.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Cant believe he even suggested Thistle to go down.

 

Think everyone else got it spot on with Killie. They look like they will struggle. Hamilton have lost another few good players so may be a tough season ahead for them.

 

I would put us in the group with Dundee, ICT, Ross County and Motherwell. Out of those teams I only think Dundee maybe has a better squad than ours. If only we can get in an experienced CB then this looks like a team that can certainly be looking up at top 6 rather than below this season.

Edited August 3, 2016 by Zaphod Beeblebrox

[delurker]

Bonner with his head up his OF a**e as usual.

Was always stunned by his lazy ignorance on the unfortunate rare occasion I saw him pundit-ing last season.

[angry gaz]

The Great surprise is that he is even aware we are in the spl .

Last season he was always referring to our guys as "the Partick Player" because he didn't know the name of any of them but he is up to the standard of a BBC sports pundit, lazy and ill informed.

[Weebaw1]

Always rather concerned when they predict Jags to perform well.

 

It's good that Bonner knows nothing about our players though. Is he not a scout for the Irish to steal any young Scotsman with Irish lineage? Would much prefer wee Gordy to have 1st pick.

 

 

[chunky jag]

Pat Bonner has to be among the worst most cliche ridden pundit I have ever had the misfortune to listen to, a total bellend.

 

For what it's worth I think Killie and Hamilton will make up the bottom 2, with us being anywhere between 6th-10th.

Edited August 3, 2016 by chunky jag

[JeanieD]

In fairness to Bonner he is employed by that broadcaster to help tie-in a certain demographic of the footballing population - much like Derek Ferguson (who, conversely, is much more even handed), or sycophants like Chic Young (who for a so-called professional journalist (unlike Bonner) is an embarrassment).

 

In reality, pretending to be free of bias towards one or other of the bigoted/sectarian sides it is a bit of a thankless task but some do it much better than others.

Edited August 3, 2016 by JeanieD

[chunky jag]

I actually really like stevie thompson.

[Weebaw1]

Indeed there are some incisive pundits.

 

Bonner just happens not to be one of them. Thompson is good because he knows al the players and has played for other clubs than the OF. He's well spoken but retains the gallusness of a footballer.

 

IMHO the best is Neil McCann. He was on with Niall Quinn some time ago. Both very incisive and made me think more about the fayre on offer

[partickthedog]

In fairness to Bonner he is employed by that broadcaster to help tie-in a certain demographic of the footballing population - much like Derek Ferguson (who, conversely, is much more even handed), or sycophants like Chic Young (who for a so-called professional journalist (unlike Bonner) is an embarrassment). In reality, pretending to be free of bias towards one or other of the bigoted/sectarian sides it is a bit of a thankless task but some do it much better than others.

 

I like Derek Ferguson's enthusiasm for the game at all levels and he knows the names and abilities of players at clubs like Thistle and Hamilton. He may not be the most incisive and intellectual pundit, but you get the impression that he enjoys and enters into the spirit of every game to which he is assigned and is not thinking "I am a big time and big team Charlie who should not be forced to be here",

[Winter of '63]

Agree re Derek Ferguson who actually sounds more like an Accies Fan...Pat Bonner seems like a genuinely nice man and his function like Murdo McLeod is to be the Celtic View but he knows next to nothing about any of the other teams.

 

Jim Goodwin was the co-commentator on our recent League Cup game against Airdrie...he was excellent with informed opinions on all our players and our style of play.

[twinny]

I'm glad I never have to listen to open all mics anymore. We seemed to get Chic Young more often than not and he'd pretty much only report shots on target or goals unless asked specifically for an update. Ferguson on the other hand was always keen to say more whenever he covered us.

 

I'm not a fan of Thompson, but on the rare occasions I watched Sport scene I think it was always after a controversial St Mirren incident he or Jim Goodwin were involved in and he'd chicken out of answering any questions.

[Jagged Edge]

Decided to torture myself this evening at about 7pm during the 10 minute trip to the supermarket when I flicked the car radio to Radio Clyde - the feeling of nausea welling up was instantaneous, as the OF vomit entered my ears.

 

But then I nearly crashed the car when I was instantly transported to a parallel universe (the Earth in this universe could well have been flat for all I knew) when the presenter (don't know who, can't be bothered looking it up) said, "that a number of the pundits were predicting that Partick Thistle would be a top six finish this year. Alan Archibald has been steadily building up the team each year and were looking like contenders for top six"!

 

Having had my fill of Thistle astonishment, I switched the radio off.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I've never been able to ascertain whether or not English is his first language but Derek Ferguson is by far the most proficient reporter within the BBC Sportsound/Sportscene confines.

[jagfaelivi]

I agree wholeheartedly on the Derek Ferguson front. He comes over as a warm and knowledgeable man who is a spokesman for the wee teams as well as having fair minded views on the teams that are more likely to win things. Certainly a Rangers man but able to look objectively at a situation most of the time. That he is grammatically challenged does not seem to matter as much in his case.

 

Thompson's start on the radio is extremely promising. I agree that on TV he seemed a bit of a fence sitter but just in the last couple of weeks I have had the feeling that he will develop into a fearless observer with more of a manner about him than Michael Stewart ( I also like Stewart, who, I believe, is not popular among "football people").

 

I agree about McCann. He is improving by the year and I note that the pundits who "go national" largely (Charlie Nic apart) are those who have a grasp of the English language - Davy Provan is a good example of this and I fully expect Stewart to go further for the same reason though his lack of a national playing profile, relatively speaking,might hold him back.

 

I quite like Willie Miller usually but I had the earphones on at the match last Saturday where he was in attendance and I didn't agree much with his summary of the game. He insisted at several points that we totally dominated and QP offered nothing, forgetting totally Tomas' two wonderful saves and the several corners later on when they looked a bit dangerous.

 

I do quite enjoy the open all mics bit when I am not at a match and I think Richard Gordon holds it all together pretty decently. What I don't like about him is the speed with which he rattles through all the scores - far too quick for this pensioner to take the info on board. I'm surprised nobody has said anything to him about this before.

 

Pretty good coverage overall for a wee country, though, of course, still the horrific OF bias which we'll never stop. And don't get me started on the world from the the Saintees of Perth and the the 'well point of view. It gets worse though I suppose it is the terrible two's only "proper" frame of reference!

 

What about the Jags?!?! We suffer from not having a media oriented manager or a fan who is involved on the media front. Could the very coherent Michael Max get involved somehow?

[Graemei]

Thing about Pat Bonner though, is he's an absolute bellend. So Couldn't really care if he thinks we'll win it or go down. Show's how much he knows about Scottish football.

 

Based on pre season and previous seasons it's got Killie going down written all over it, which means they'll most likely stay up.

[Barney Rubble]

Re Steven Thompson chickening out of commenting on St. Mirren incidents - that was likely influenced by him still being a signed player at the time, making any comment he made liable to close scrutiny under the SFA code of conduct.

 

Now he has retired he no longer faces such restrictions.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Barney Rubble

[Dick Dastardly]

It is predictably unpredictable to say who will struggle. Pre-season, who would have thought that Dundee United or Hibs would have been in trouble the years that they went down. Rarely do the favourites for relegation end up at the bottom.

 

Kily look like the favourites for now, so they will probably survive. I think we have 4 teams who will be cast iron safe (OF, Aberdeen, Hearts), so perhaps Saints, Dundee or ICT should be worried

Edited August 4, 2016 by Dick Dastardly

[Graemei]

ICT could be a shout for relegation and perhaps Dundee if they lose any more decent players.

 

I agree in other words.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Graemei

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I do quite enjoy the open all mics bit when I am not at a match and I think Richard Gordon holds it all together pretty decently.

 

I like him as well and think he's a decent anchor man.

 

The one thing tho' that really gets on my goat about Richard Gordon is the sheer regularity he "sells" the so called excitement angle of the various leagues. He's forever harping on about how close this or that division is. How only a few points separate top from bottom, from being involved in a promotion play off spot to being in the relegation zone. That's because we have such small inane claustrophobic leagues, Richard. League models that virtually no other country has or would ever want.

 

I realise that adding a bit of perceived excitement is natural to a broadcaster and could be even argued as part of his job. It's just the year on year overkill that riles me.

[Vaila Street]

 

That's because we have such small inane claustrophobic leagues, Richard. League models that virtually no other country has or would ever want.

 

A quick check reveals Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia have leagues of 10/12. Countries of similar size to Scotland.

 

ETA: and all went to Euro 2016.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Vaila Street

[Barney Rubble]

You can add Albania and Iceland to that list.

[Gary Peebles Tackle]

Evening Times currently running a live Premiership preview thing on Facebook - Davie Hay & Derek Johnstone - no questions allowed unless it's Rangers or Celtic related - and I thought Thistle were a Glasgow club too?!?

 

ETA - they ignored all my posts (was only about 7 in total), Derek thinks Rangers will win the league & Davie thinks Celtic will win the league. In more shocking news, DJ seemed to be wearing ice white trainers with a suit?!? Perhaps surgical, I don't know.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Gary Peebles Tackle

[sandy]

The 'Old' Firm media love-in this season is going to be truly tedious. Let's hope we disrupt the narrative with some great Thistle results

[Vaila Street]

Ye gods - why would anyone of a PTFC persuasion wish to participate in a DJ web chat organised by a comic with a readership of halfwits. The same apparent mindset to settling down to watch RFC v. a Brownie XI on BT Sport then complaining about it.