The Barclays Premier League Thread 2013/14

[stokeriño]

It's sort of necessary with Manchester United/City though, there being two of them in one city, because like hell am I saying their full names all the bloody time.

[MDK]

Man U is easier to say that United. Less syllables.

[Baddar]

Alternatively, "Scum".

[MDK]

I have more class than Matt

[brenchill]

Chelsea parked the bus, alright.

On the half way line and played in Man U's half.

[Crybaby Bunting]

One thing I found weird was that these sort of games are the games where Anderson would have actually shone, being something marginally different enough to mix things up despite not being their best on paper midfielder.

[brenchill]

Anderson would have shone the game after he left after 7 years of doing precisely nothing?

[stokeriño]

In the same way that I'm more likely to win the lottery next weekend because I've already spent 10 years not winning it.

[Colly]

I've been shit at football for way longer than 7 years, they should've given me a start.

[brenchill]

He was due a good game, I guess.

[MDK]

Anelka is an anti-semite now

[Baddar]

Come on now guys, Anderson did score that one goal, one time. Remember?

[King Ellis]

Anelka is an anti-semite now

So is Big Sam, that's why he threw the Man City game.

[Starvinho]

The FA has charged the West Bromwich Albion player Nicolas Anelka following an incident that occurred during the West Ham United versus West Bromwich Albion fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 28 December 2013.

It is alleged that, in the 40th minute of the fixture, Anelka made a gesture which was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, contrary to FA Rule E3[1].

It is further alleged that this is an aggravated breach, as defined in FA Rule E3[2], in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.

Anelka has until 6pm on 23 January 2014 to respond to the charge.

So that means he'll get a minimum of a five match ban.

[stokeriño]

I'm sure that it was Zoopla's decision to end their sponsorship of WBA at the end of the season that did this. It can't be coincidence that this whole thing drifted for so long (nearly a month!) but suddenly there's a charge the day after.

It seems as though both the FA (and of course West Brom) were happy to let the matter drift in the hope that it would eventually go away... But Zoopla's move woke WBA up to it potentially having serious consequences for them and they will likely have gone to the FA to press that "we need this dealt with NOW".

So yet again the FA exposes itself as motivated only by the level of media and/or commercial pressure rather than acting as any real bastions of decency. But of course, this is only way #17 in which the FA is a mismanaged sham of an organisation.

[Colly]

Or it could be a coincidence.

[Mad Jack]

Complete bullshit move by the FA. It's an anti-establishment signal, associated just as much with young leftists in France as the far right.

[brenchill]

I'm no expert, but it also has deep-ties to anti-semitism. It's pretty much a reverse nazi salute.

[Mad Jack]

Deep ties is a bit much. It's been appropriated by some far-right wingers, but the assumption that it is an anti-Semitic gesture totally ignores its creator own ties to the anti-racist left wingers he stood with when he ran for European parliament, and the nature of anti-establishment protest within French politics and society.

[brenchill]

The swastika use to be a good luck symbol...