Part-time Pundit Part-time Pundit. Pundit. Predictionist. Raving lunatic... 2011-02-06T07:34:30Z http://www.part-timepundit.com/feed/atom WordPress parttimepundit <![CDATA[CR7 Camping Out, On Safari]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2955 2010-10-28T15:10:08Z 2010-10-28T15:03:55Z Cristiano Ronaldo in his leopard print tighty whiteys and new Nike Mercurial Vapor II Safari boots... inspired much!?

My inbox has been absolutely slammed lately with press releases and jargon and all of which point to the fugly and possibly camp new Nike Mercurial Vapor II colourways that have been:

“…designed to the exact specification of Cristiano Ronaldo”

REALLY!? All the money in the world and Nike’s brilliant (now questionable) designers at his fingertips and this is what Cristiano Ronaldo’s “exact specifications” were!?
Please just come out with it already!

A year round tan I can deal with; metrosexuality that makes even David Beckham look like a neanderthal, hey I respect that; LEOPARD PRINT FOOTBALL BOOTS!!!… *Slaps forehead* OK now he’s just taking the piss!

Surely this is a joke right and another pair of boots are going to come shooting out of these images… please let that be the case! If not, these could possibly be theeeeeeeeeee worst boots Nike has ever put it’s slick swoosh on. This is a massive Nike = FAIL moment.

As for CRon… dude, pack your glow sticks, tighty whiteys and leopard print boots and head for the Jersey Shore, there’s no doubt Mike ‘The Situation’ and his crew will be able to accommodate you there; or simply stay in Madrid, I only recently found out it was considered Europe’s gay capital… which actually explains a lot more than just these boots.

On a side note, why is Ronaldo going on Safari in October anyway? Wasn’t everyone else in Africa in June?… I know I was!

]]> 1 parttimepundit <![CDATA[It’s Finally Here!]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2943 2010-06-11T07:30:19Z 2010-06-11T07:30:19Z Spectators wave their flags during the opening concert for the soccer World Cup at Orlando stadium in Soweto, South Africa, Thursday, June 10, 2010. The Soccer World Cup kicks off on Friday, June 11.

Lost in the end of season abyss for the last few months (aka my bosses fist has been so far up my ass I could taste his misses), I’m now back and what better way to return than by coming to you live and full-time from the actual World Cup. On the 16th June myself and my British counterpart Sparky (of Totally Football fame) will be heading to South Africa for two weeks of bullet dodging madness and debauchery of the footballing kind… sound exciting? Well It couldn’t come quick enough and we can’t f*ing wait!

Our ear plugs for those God-forsaken Vuvuzelas and kevlar raincoats are packed!

Oh, and you may have also noticed that the site has undergone a bit of a Beckham-esque type facelift, you know the one where you go in for a massage and leave with a frozen brow. Feel free to leave a comment in the improved comments section or drop me an email if you simply want to tell me how good I am. Go on, you know you want to!

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 38]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2939 2010-05-16T13:00:05Z 2010-05-16T12:58:40Z Xavi Hernandez (C) of Barcelona celebrates with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Seydou Keita after scoring Barcelona's first goal in the La Liga match between Valladolid and Barcelona at the Jose Zorilla stadium on January 23, 2010 in Valladolid, Spain.<br /> (January 22, 2010 - Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images Europe)

These predictions may be a little late, but they’re up and being the last game of the season ‘n all, I think I could be forgiven. Our friends at Heads or Tails, who have done a remarkable job all year providing us with La Liga predictions suggest that even though the title will stay in Barcelona, they have to be weary of Valladolid who 4 years ago foiled the Blagauruna’s attempts at claiming the title, allowing Madrid to celebrate instead.
Lastly, seeing as none of the other positions have been decided going into the final round, this weekend is definitely going to see some tough battles and possibly even some surprises.

For the last time this season, here’s how they picked the rest of ‘em.

Predictions:
Atletico Madrid 1 v 2 Getafe
Almería 1 v 2 Sevilla
Osasuna 1 v 3 Xerez
Valencia 1 v 2 Tenerife
Malaga 1 v 3 Real Madrid
Barcelona 3 v 1 Valladolid
Athletic Bilbao 3 v 1 Deportivo
Zaragoza 1 v 2 Villarreal
Mallorca 3 v 1 Espanyol
Racing Santander 2 v 0 Sporting Gijón

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – Premier League – Week 38]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2936 2010-05-09T10:46:25Z 2010-05-09T10:46:25Z John Terry (C) of Chelsea celebrates with team mates after scoring during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge on February 28, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** John Terry<br /> (February 28, 2009 - Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

With the final game week of the season only hours away, all eyes are on two teams… well four if you count their opponents. As for me, I’ve decided to allow my predictions to speak for themselves and for the last time this season, this is how I’ve picked’em.

I predict:
Arsenal 3 v 2 Fulham
Aston Villa 2 v 0 Blackburn
Bolton 1 v 1 Birmingham
Burnley 0 v 3 Tottenham
Chelsea 4 v 1 Wigan
Everton 2 v 1 Portsmouth
Hull City 1 v 1 Liverpool
Man Utd 3 v 0 Stoke City
West Ham 1 v 3 Man City
Wolves 1 v 1 Sunderland

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 37]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2933 2010-05-08T19:50:16Z 2010-05-08T19:50:16Z Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal during their Spanish first division match against Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, May 8, 2010.

As we prepare for the second last round of the La Liga season, our friends at Heads or Tails claim that Real Madrid are Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and 9 other players… and given the Portuguese poster boy’s excellence against a second rate Mallorca, if Sevilla can do the job against Barcelona this weekend, Real might just be in with a sniff at the title. Things are still very alive at the top!

And here’s how he predicted the rest of ‘em.

Predictions:
Sporting Gijón 2 v 1 Atletico Madrid
Sevilla 2 v 1 FC Baracelona
Real Madrid 3 v 1 Athletic Bilbao
Villarreal 3 v 1 Valencia
Xerez 2 v 1 Zaragoza
Getafe 2 v 1 Malaga
Deportivo 1 v 1 Mallorca
Tenerife 2 v 1 Almeria
Valladolid 3 v 1 Racing Santander
Espanyol 1 v 1 Osasuna

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – Premier League – Week 37]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2930 2010-04-30T02:15:24Z 2010-04-30T02:15:24Z Carlos Tevez of Manchester City competes for the ball with James Milner of Aston Villa during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Villa Park on October 5, 2009 in Birmingham, England. (October 4, 2009 - Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

As the race for 1st and 4th spot’s heats up, this weekend will see some crucial matches being played… fortunately for me, I’ll be watching them in Europe… so there!

And this is how I picked ‘em this weekend.

I predict:
Birmingham 2 v 1 Burnley
Man City 2 v 2 Aston Villa
Portsmouth 1 v 1 Wolves
Stoke City 1 v 3 Everton
Tottenham 2 v 0 Bolton
Liverpool 1 v 2 Chelsea
Fulham 1 v 0 West Ham
Sunderland 0 v 2 Man Utd
Wigan 3 v 1 Hull City
Blackburn 1 v 3 Arsenal
Fulham 2 v 1 Stoke City
Man City 2 v 1 Tottenham

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 35]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2927 2010-04-30T02:04:18Z 2010-04-30T02:04:18Z Referee Bernardino Vazquez shows Zlatan Ibrahimovic (R) of FC Barcelona a yellow card for fouling Villarreal's Diego Godin, who lies on the ground during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Villarreal at the Camp Nou Stadium on January 2, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.<br /> (January 1, 2010 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)

My Spanish counterpart over at Heads or Tails is claiming that not only did the ‘The Special One’ leave the Camp Nou with a place in the UCL final, he also left Barca down and out for the count, which is perfect for a ready and waiting Villareal this weekend… need I say more!

And here’s how he picked the rest of ‘em:

Predictions:
Deportivo la Coruña 1 v 2 Zaragoza
Espanyol 1 v 2 Valencia
Villarreal 2 v 1 FC Barcelona
Malaga 1 v 0 Sporting Gijón
Valladolid 1 v 1 Getafe
Real Madrid 4 v 1 Osasuna
Sevilla 2 v 0 Atletico Madrid
Xerez 1 v 1 Almeria
Tenerife 2 v 1 Racing Santandar
Athletic Bilbao 3 v 1 Mallorca

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – Premier League – Week 36]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2923 2010-04-24T04:20:33Z 2010-04-24T04:16:55Z Emmanuel Adebayor (R) of Manchester City is challenged by Alexandre Song Billong of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the City of Manchester Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Manchester, England. (September 11, 2009 - Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

After a couple weeks of sloppy punditry and ill timed posts, I have returned to step my game up for the ass end of the season (I’ve always been an ass man)… and what a weekend to pull the finger out for!

Along with battles for the title and relegation shit fights, there has been a huge amount of focus on the much sought after fourth and final Champions League spot that is still up for grabs, amazingly by four teams! My focus this weekend however takes us to Arsenal’s Emirates stadium in what will not only be a battle of the Emirate Arab shirt sponsors, Emirates (Dubai) v Etihad (Abu Dhabi), but also the return of Emmanuel Adebayor to his old stomping ground… aka. Round Two mother f*cker!

After celebrating like a right royal jack-ass when scoring at the Midlands last September, I look forward to seeing how the Togolese bean pole is received by Arsenal fans this weekend (more so than the match itself), however on a footballing front, I fear that the Gunners just won’t be equipped to handle what the Citizens throw at them (possibly spears?) and unless poster-boy Robin van Persie steps up and takes this match by the scruff of the neck with a hat-trick Arsenal could well be pulled into that fourth place show down for the final few rounds of the season and that’ll be tighter than a nun’s nasties!

Here’s how I picked the rest of ‘em:

I predict:
Man Utd 1 v 1 Tottenham
Bolton 2 v 1 Portsmouth
Hull City 1 v 1 Sunderland
West Ham 2 v 2 Wigan
Wolves 1 v 1 Blackburn
Arsenal 2 v 2 Man City
Aston Villa 3 v 2 Birmingham
Burnley 1 v 4 Liverpool
Everton 1 v 0 Fulham
Chelsea 2 v 0 Stoke City

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 34]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2920 2010-04-24T03:07:07Z 2010-04-24T03:07:07Z Lionel Messi (L) of FC Barcelona duels for the ball with Aythami of Xerez during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Xerez at Estadio Municipal de Chapin on December 2, 2009 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Barcelona won the match 2-0.

“Mou” is the word across Spain at the moment and after Inter’s mauling of Barcelona in the UCL midweek our amigos at Heads or Tails suggest it may have shown the rest of the footballing world how they can put a stop to the well oiled machine and it’s pint sized star Leo Messi. Next up for the Blaugranes is Xerez although somehow I don’t even think that the arrival of new Argentinian coach Gorosito will even make a difference.

And here’s how they picked the rest of ‘em:

Predictions:
FC Barcelona 3 v 0 Xerez
Zaragoza 1 v 3 Real Madrid
Valencia 3 v 0 Deportivo
Mallorca 2 v 0 Málaga
Sportin Gijón 1 v 1 Valladolid
Racing Santander 1 v 2 Villarreal
Almería 3 v 1 Espanyol
Getafe 1 v 1 Sevilla
Atlético Madrid 2 v 0 Tenerife
Osasuna 3 v 2 Athletic Bilbao

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 32]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2917 2010-04-13T15:55:28Z 2010-04-13T15:55:28Z Real Madrid Chilian coach Manuel Pellegrini (R) reacts during the 'El Clasico' Spanish League football match Real Madrid against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on April 10, 2010. Barcelona won 0-2.

Uh oh, Pellegrinios! Somebody’s in trouble and our amigos at Heads or Tails (along with the rest of the Spanish media) are pointing their fingers at the man in the hot seat. And the question being asked is who will replace him? More importantly though, I ask who would want to replace him? Real Madrid seems to be one of the hardest teams in world football to manage and even if he were to win the title or Champions League, he’d probably still have to watch his back… heck Capello did after winning the title in ’08.

And here’s how they picked the rest of ‘em this mid week:

Predictions:
Almería 1 v 2 Real Madrid
FC Barcelona 4 v 1 Deportivo la Coruña
Sporting Gijón 3 v 1 Tenerife
Getafe 1 v 2 Villarreal
Zaragoza 3 v 2 Mallorca
Valladollid 1 v 2 Sevilla
Racing Santander 1 v 1 Espanyol
Atletico Madrid 3 v 1 Xerez
Osasuna 2 v 1 Malaga
Valencia 3 v 1 Athletic Bilbao

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 31]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2914 2010-04-10T06:44:28Z 2010-04-10T06:44:28Z Coach Manuel Pellegrini of Real Madrid looks dejected during the La Liga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou Stadium on November 29, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona won the match 1-0.

Finally the big kahuna is here! The match that will almost certainly decide the winner of the 2009/10 La Liga season. Our amigos at Heads or Tails say it’s going to be a tough one to call. Sure both teams are kicking arse in their own respective ways with their own superstars, but how can you resist the form of Lionel Messi at the moment or even deny Manuel Pellegrini’s mistakes in big matches so far this season. Whatever the case, this match is set to be the showcase of the weekend so forget measly FA Cup semi-finals or even the rest of the matches taking place this weekend around the world… there is only one games this weekend!

Predictions:
Málaga 1 v 3 Sevilla
Osasuna 3 v 2 Zargoza
Athletic Bilbao 1 v 0 Almeria
Xerez 1 v 1 Getafe
Villarreal 2 v 1 Sporting Gijón
Espanyol 1 v 0 Atlético Madrid
Deportivo 1 v 0 Rácing Santander
Real Madrid 2 v 2 FC Barcelona
Tenerife 2 v 1 Real Valladolid
Mallorca 2 v 1 Valencia

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – Premier League – Week 33]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2911 2010-04-03T10:03:18Z 2010-04-03T10:03:18Z Didier Drogba of Chelsea battles for the ball with Ryan Giggs of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on January 11, 2009 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Giggs;Didier Drogba(January 11, 2009 - Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)

This weekend sees a match that needs little introduction and has become one of the most anticipated across the globe. Whether it be Drogba lying on the ground twitching his leg like he’s having an epileptic fit or controversial late goals by cheating captains, there is never a dull moment when these two teams meet and frankly I don’t see things changing todya… especially with so much riding on the outcome of this match! Rooney’s injury could be a blow to United so late in the season, but Dimitar “I won’t chase the ball for a minimum 150k a week” Berbatov should step and deliver, right?
Err, I doubt it; what I don’t doubt though is Drogba’s return to the squad and his hunger for goals to pull Chelsea over the line and a step closer to the title… something they should of had locked in months ago!
And here’s how I picked the rest of ‘em:

I predict:
Man Utd 1 v 2 Chelsea
Arsenal 2 v 0 Wolves
Bolton 1 v 3 Aston Villa
Portsmouth 1 v 1 Blackburn
Stoke City 2 v 2 Hull City
Sunderland 1 v 3 Tottenham
Burnley 0 v 2 Man City
Birmingham 1 v 1 Liverpool
Fulham 2 v 1 Wigan
Everton 3 v 0 West Ham

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 30]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2908 2010-04-03T09:24:33Z 2010-04-03T09:24:33Z Gonzalo Higuain (C) of Real Madrid duels for the ball with Henrique Buss (L) and Christian Fernandez of Racing Santander during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Racing Santander at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on November 21, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. Real Madrid won the match 1-0.<br /> (November 20, 2009 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)

While the world awaits the decisive La Liga battle next weekend at the Santiago Bernabéu, our amigo at Heads or Tails talks to us of the new journalistic opportunities he will be pursuing in the crazy and unpredictable world of Spanish sports [Factual.es]. Well done Juan, we look forward to Google translating your articles!
He also mentions the walk-overs that Barca and Real will experience this weekend in preparation for their mammoth battle next week. Look out Bilbao and Racing, this weekend you will be no challenge for The Blaugrana and Los Merengues. And here’s how he picked the rest of ‘em:

Predictions:
Zaragoza 3 v 1 Malaga
FC Barcelona 3 v 0 Athlétic Bilbao
Sevilla 2 v 1 Tenerife
Getafe 3 v 1 Espanyol
Atlético Madrid 1 v 0 Deportivo La Coruña
Racing Santander 1 v 3 Real Madrid
Sporting Gijón 1 v 1 Xerez
Valladolid 1 v 3 Villarreal
Valencia 2 v 1 Osasuna
Almería 2 v 1 Mallorca

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – UCL – Quarter Finals]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2898 2010-03-30T16:23:44Z 2010-03-30T16:21:36Z Getty Images - MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 29: Louis van Gaal (2nd L), head coach of Bayern Muenchen plays with the ball during the Bayern Muenchen training session at Bayern's training ground 'Saebener Strasse' on March 29, 2010 in Munich, Germany.

I predict:
Lyon 2 v 0 Bordeaux
Bayern 1 v 1 Man. United

Predictions - UCL - Quarter Finals Predictions - UCL - Quarter Finals Predictions - UCL - Quarter Finals Predictions - UCL - Quarter Finals Predictions - UCL - Quarter Finals

Champions League Final 1999:
Up there as one of the greatest finals in Champions League history.
Where did you watch this match?

]]> 0 parttimepundit <![CDATA[Predictions – La Liga – Week 29]]> http://www.part-timepundit.com/?p=2894 2010-03-27T16:54:19Z 2010-03-27T16:54:19Z

While I begin to prepare for the week leading up to the match that will most likely decide the La Liga title this year, ie. Real Madrid v Barcelona next weekend, our amigos at Heads or Tails are looking at the now and suggest that perhaps Sevilla may made a critical long term error by only offering Luis Aragonés a contract till the end of the season, when he was actually after some thing a little more long term.
My question is why would you even hesitate about bringing on a European Championship winning coach for 2-3 years and could this decision by the ignorant fools at Sevilla come back to bite them in the behind? I’m not sure about that, what I am sure of though are their predictions for this weekend.

Predictions:
Mallorca 1 v 2 FC barcelona
Real Madrid 2 v 1 Atletico Madrid
Málaga 3 v 1 Tenrife
Osasuna 2 v 1 Almeria
Espanyol 1 v 1 Sporting Gijón
Zaragoza 1 v 2 Valencia
Xerez 1 v 1 Valladolid
Deportivo La Coruna 1 v 1 Getafe
Athletic Bilbao 2 v 1 Racing Santander
Villarreal 2 v 1 Sevilla

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