How nice to see that our very own daily London newspaper wants to see us go down. Muppets.... Patrick Barclay 10 May 2012 As we approach the Superest Sunday of them all, on which three crucial issues â those of the Premier League title and the remaining places in the Champions League and Championship next season â will be settled beyond speculation, the image of Fabrice Muamba ought to loom ever larger. It might be a good idea to suspend the word âvitalâ. For Bolton Wanderers will be relegated if they fail to beat Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. They might even go down if they win at Stoke while Queens Park Rangers are lending the Mancunian title narrative a final twist by denying City at the Etihad. In either case, the question might occur of whether even the minor fixture congestion caused by the wait for Muamba to begin his recovery from heart arrest at Tottenham was a factor in Boltonâs inability to beat the drop. If it were asked of Owen Coyle, the admirable man who manages Bolton would no doubt swat the notion aside, emphasising its insignificance next to the near-miracle of Muambaâs survival; to judge from what we have seen of Muamba over the past few weeks, it would not be the greatest of surprises if one day he resumed his career, and then the division in which it took place would hardly be the point. But we, the great body of neutrals, would not be human if we didnât wish Muambaâs clubmates well at Stoke and QPR fans ought to be prepared for that. To an infinitely lesser extent â and I donât expect Arsenal supporters to be remotely as sympathetic to this view â there will be human interest in whether Harry Redknappâs season comes to a happy ending with victory at home to Fulham while Arsenal slip at West Brom, not so much because of the England job that wasnât but because one day the Spurs manager went to court prepared to spend the night in prison and, unless I am mistaken, the relief of avoiding such a fate did not wholly ease the shock. He could do with a restorative summer. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport...-in-premier-league-survival-race-7733681.html
The admirable Owen Coyle meekly and humbly dismissing a rearranged fixture as an excuse... Playing a part in Bolton's inability to beat the drop (something that they've been struggling to do all season)... OH PLEASE!!!! Are you sure this wasn't written by Vernon Kaye? I'm surprised he didn't wax lyrical about the golden days of Nat Lofthouse. It's cringe worthy at best. I think he's underestimated the Manchester divide and the marmite-like opinion of United (and City for that matter).
Is this the same Patrick Barclay, Chelsea supporter and finger-on-the-pulse of all things happening at Stamford Bridge?...
Maybe you remember his face spouting bollox on TV. please log in to view this image Just in case you actually see him at a game ...........
Surprise surprise - he wants us to be relegated and Spurs to pip Arsenal for third spot. Who cares what he wants - that's not the point at issue here. He's justifying his 'opinion' by playing the Muamba Card - and that's sickening. Everybody wishes Fabrice well and everyone joins in in being truly thankful for the recovery he has made - about which the word 'miraculous' isn't an exaggeration. But to use his misfurtune and near-death experience as justification to back up your own biased opinions? Shame on you, Patrick Barclay. Shame.
I don't think we should be getting upset at this at all. Anybody looking at the league table who has no direct interest in or knowledge of either side would find it more satisfying for the club 2pts behind to overtake the other at the last gasp. It's nothing personal against QPR. Mr Barclay may have his own agenda but I believe most people would see it like that.
I thought he was going to say this was because most people would prefer City rather than United to win the title. But no, its about the cloying and anodine sympathy that that the public has expressed for Muamba. I'm sure he's right but this just underlines how ridiculously embedded we all are in the so called 'culture' of celebrity. Muamba is a very well paid footballer who will no doubt have a very lucrative insurance policy to fall back on should he not be able to play again. Contrast and compare to the working people who suffer heart problems and similar around the country every day without publicity, public sympathy or recompense. What on earth would lead people to place this cosseted foreigner's interests over ordinary folks with much larger problems. So, come on Britain, prove me wrong, suspend your gullability in regard to the fame game and get behind QPR!
THIS!! - Patrick Barclay? - never heard of him? but he does look like the guy who helps to cook fry-ups on Sunday mornings with that other Chelsea muppet.
Ask most neutrals - "Do you want Man Utd or Man Citeh to win the title?" and you'd probably get more people wanting Citeh to win. We stand in the way of that happening so that will cause an anti-QPR feeling among many. Ask the same neutrals - "QPR or Bolton to go down?" and the sympathy factor would clearly lie with Bolton and the near-dead Muamba situation. As far as I am concerned it is all about your performance over the season, we could just as easily boo-hoo about the late take over, change of manager, three teams over the season, ghost goals, ludicrous red cards and woeful referees etc. If we go down it is because we didn't have enough about us to get over those sorts of challenge. If Bolton drop they can blame the shock of Muamba's heart failure all they like but it is more to do with their results. It's not the X-Factor or Britain's Got (no) Talent and isn't a popularity contest. I can sleep well knowing we stayed up at the expense of the more popular choice. The article in the Standard is the lowest of low hanging fruit. About as incisive as a baseball bat.
Is that him?! It's the same t**t who was sitting in the Premier League studio slagging us and all our signings of in January. Disgraceful human being, who cares what that scum sucking w***er thinks. Can't even speak English, thought he was French at first. The R's are staying up, get used to it!
