Football Pundits

[Wimbledonblue 94]

Let's be honest, the world of football punditry is a bleak landscape predominantly populated by semi-intelligent ex-footballers who offer the same boring bile week in, week out. This increasingly dreary world is occasionally punctuated by the stupid, the annoying, the absurd or the arrogant opinions of certain Sky Sports / BBC pundits.

However, on the rare occasion, a 'Rachel Riley' escapes from the plethora of 'Anne Widdecombes' in the world of football punditry an offers intelligent, insightful analysis and fair opinions.

So, who are your favourite/ least favourite TV football pundits or personalities?

I'll start:

(Favourites)

Gary Neville - The only Sky pundit who articulates well and offers interesting insightful opinions. He always roots for the English team and clearly has a passion for the game. His analysis is generally excellent, he is actually quite funny and has been a breath of fresh air for Sky.

Pat Nevin - The only BBC pundit who talks sense. Simple.

(Least Favourites)

This list could go on and on and on. So I'll only name one:

Garth Crooks - I find it hard to fathom that this arrogant wanker still has a job as a football pundit. I can remember being 8 years old watching Final Score and thinking, 'Mr Crooks, you're a tit.' And now, here we are 14 years later, watching Final Score and I'm still thinking, 'Mr Crooks, you're a tit.' I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Not that anyone could lift him.

[Strike 7,489]

Pat Nevin is heavily biased towards Chelsea

and yeah, the Garth Crooks guy has been writing every week on BBC about how Luiz is useless and Cahill should start over him. Clueless

[NishC300 1,865]

Gary Neville is awesome! I love hearing Pat Nevin too.Martin Tyler's one of my fav commentators.

Martin Tyler-Gary Neville=Deadly Combo!

Paul Parker is a terrible pundit and I despise Mark Lawrenson! Seeing that cunt's face makes me angry! Never heard of this Garth Crooks guy......

Ruud Gullit is quite nice and Michael Ballack is awesome (shame he's only in the studio occasionally). Jamie Carragher's also really good. He makes a good combo on MNF with Gary Neville.

EDIT: Just saw Garth Crooks used to play for United..... no wonder him and Parker r terrible. Same applies for Schmeichel (saw him only in last year's UCL tie and he was complete rubbish). Gary Neville might be a United player but I still absolutely love him! Roy Keane seems good too.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Andy Gray, Townsend and Craig Burley are among my least favorites, although the list can go on forever.

Nevin is the most biased to Chelsea so I automatically love him. Garry Neville has been surprisingly good. Actually makes sense and knows his stuff. Can't think of many more I actually like. I actually think Carragher has actually been decent, but that's probably mainly due to the fact that I can't make out half of what he's saying

EDIT: Left out Guillit. Hate him as a pundit. Never knows what he's talking about and just repeats what the papers write.

[Tomo 21,751]

Hardly any of them have a unique opinion, it is just sheepishly following the same general shit, week in week out.

[Spike 12,049]

Martin Tyler is the voice I believe a lot of people associate with football. I know I do. He has a bit of a soft spot for Chelsea too. Nothing like watching him interview the players and call the FA Cup final.

[We Hate Scouse 10,326]

I remember when Neville was first appointed and everyone was in uproar at how bad he was going to be.

I think he won everyone over with his ejaculation over Torres' goal vs Barcelona. The guys a brilliant commentator.

Mark Halsey and Michael Owen as pundits?....Just no.

[Rmpr 8,977]

None of them are worth our time...

[NishC300 1,865]

Hardly any of them have a unique opinion, it is just sheepishly following the same general shit, week in week out.

I guess it's cos they are scared?

[Wimbledonblue 94]

Michael Owen... forgot about him. Woeful pundit. Graeme Souness is another.

As for commentators, Martin Tyler, Guy Mowbray and Steve Wilson are my favourites. As for Jon Champion...

[Tomo 21,751]

Also does any one else notice how many mistakes they make, well paid 'experts' not even doing their research. Lawrenson for example in the Spain vs Uruguay match at the confederation's cup, said "would be nice to be Isco for a bit, wouldn't it?" yes Lawro, the same Isco that's thousand's of miles away playing at the under 21 tournament

@NishC300, They would get a lot more respect if they actually offered their own opinion (especially if he went against the general consensus) and explained why they believe that, i mean it wouldn't have taken that much research and analysis to disprove the Luiz myth, for example.

Look at Gary Neville's superb analysis on the Classico at the end of 2011 (youtube it if you want) that brought a completely new perspective for me on the way Barcelona play, the pundits that enroll the same old myth's make me sick.

[The_Flash 1,144]

They are all pretty terrible, lol,

Redknapp, Carragher and Souness are all very pro Liverpool obviously and Neville got Utd but occasionally can be ok

I really dislike Tyler, Townsend and Southgate, Burley

Let me just also put in a side not for a horrendous commentator that is Andy Walker

[The only place to be 11,313]

Neville is a fantastic analyst and a decent commentator.

Garth Crooks has a job because he's black - there is no other reason.

Shearer is as good a pundit as he was a manager.

Lee Dixon is occasionally interesting.

Hansen is just phoning it in nowadays.

Clarence Seedorf was fantastic when he worked during the World Cup. Same goes for Klinsmann.

Souness is actually alright.

Carragher I haven't seen enough of yet.

Jamie Redknapp is an utter cunt. Completely bland, uninsightful and only on tv because he wears a suit well. Seeing Jose put him in his place was a delight, although he should have had a right of reply purely so Jose could embarrass him further.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

I nominate myself .

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Jamie redknapp

[The_Flash 1,144]

Alan Shearer forgot about him

[Wimbledonblue 94]

Alan Shearer forgot about him

Forget the electric chair, just get Shearer to talk about zonal marking, that'll do it.

[Billy. 2,742]

Gary Neville is the best out there ATM, John Mostson is a legend.

Owen is dull as is Clarke Carlisle, Garth Crooks is a usless cunt who does not have a clue.

I dont mind Alan Shearer.

Martin Tyler is good also, two of his most recent excitement moments are great

And of course the best one ever

[Stingray 9,441]

To be honest .... we should get some dutch pundits ....

Pure Punk attitude! Those guys debate the shit out of each other :-) They go overboard sometimes, but no topic is taboo.

I love it.

Ask @skipper :-)

Edit: this was hilarious: you probably don't understand the language, but just look what happens at 00:33 when the dutch pundit criticizes Boskamps points (when he tries to argue a point). awesome and all in friendliness :-)

[Tomo 21,751]

If im about to make a post that was factual, i double check if im unsure if what im about to say is correct and won't make me look like a tit.

It baffles me why some of these don't do the same, it wouldn't get me so annoyed if they were on a wage like the rest of us. But Garth Crooks is probably picking up 5 figure sum's monthly, that alone shows what is wrong with this country.

I use to work in a Garden Centre, if i told a customer that this plant was a certain type and it wasn't, i would have got the sack, so how did Garth keep his job (or even avoid a huge bollocking) when he made such a huge blunder with the Morrison thing?