AyeDubbleYoo

Amazed they would ask Pards to leave like, you would have thought he could do pretty much anything.

I don't think we can read much into how often HBA has started games at this point, he was returning from a major injury at a time that the team was achieving a lot of success. I wasn't a simple case of comparing his ability to Obertan's.

The weight that's been placed on that throw-away statement is way over the top IMO.

Agree, I'm a massive Best fan but against Man Utd I would let HBA continue in the team, see what he can produce. Against Chelsea I'm not sure, their defence can be vulnerable to direct play so Best might play a part.

I think he's capable of offering more in attack, but in our team and system I'm not bothered that he doesn't.

I always like him when he was manager of both those clubs. From what I remember, his manner in front of the press was pretty similar, maybe a bit more mature now. Either way, what he's doing now is working, and I don't see many people in the Premier League I would rather have as manager.

And how does that make it less bad for those poor overweight/ginger/illegitimate sods who are copping all that stick? Yeah, I'm biased: I spent the whole of grammar school with the nickname "Northern Bastard" (thanks Hale and Pace). It wasn't used affectionately, and while the teachers didn't use that particular name, they often ribbed me about my origins, too (What did he say? I don't understand him! I think you mean <insert word that southerners pronounce differently>.) Not as bad as "black bastard" by any stretch, to be sure, but I will never understand or accept why this kind of shit is seen as perfectly acceptable, when it would never have crossed the minds of any of those kids or teachers to openly call one of the Asian or black guys in our year "brown/black bastard". All personal abuse is bad and can cause pain, I'm not arguing against that. And it shouldn't be seen as acceptable at all, obviously. I'm just saying that abusing someone by suggesting their ethnic origin is inferior to yours is a much more fundamental form of belittling them, and is also supporting with generations and generations of oppression. I cant believe you equate the two so exactly.

I felt the same a while ago, but it's been clear for ages that he's a Brighton player now. I just hope the people making the decisions have assessed this decision correctly.

How can he sign for them outside of the transfer window?

Just immense to have Ben Arfa back fit and even in contention to start. Great that he came through the Man City game so well.

Wacko, is the term 'negrito' regularly used to mean "mate" in all sections of society - and among white people too?

When is Van Persie going to get injured? He's killing me.

This comparison of racial abuse to other forms of abuse based on other personal characteristics is one of my pet hates to be honest. As if calling someone 'fatty' is the same as calling them something racist. The world doesn't have 100s of years of history of oppression of fat people, or ginger people, or people born outside of marriage, or whatever. The comparison is ridiculous.

So four out of those are demeaning someone because of their race directly, and the other two are talking down to him in a way indirectly related to race? Don't see how those definitions help Suarez that much.

Theres no pain, no shame, in losing this. Its meaningless as far as Im concerned. They are honestley a joke club to me. They didnt win three points they bought them in the transfer market. They have taken the buying of the league to a ridiculous un competative level. They have taken thier club to a place- where the games against them just dont matter anymore. they will claim sour grapes, cos we lost, or havent spent as much, but its not its far more fundemental than that. They will probably walk to thier bought league title this season- but in all honestey it will be worth nothing- Its not even Manchester City anymore- its some super expensive plaything for some business called Etihad? what are they an airline? come to think of it, I watch football and I dont even know what they do? despite spending a billion, and changing stadium names for marketing , I dont know what they do. In a couple of seasons thier big time charlies will get ahead of themselves , start beleiving they just need to turn up, problems in the camp, cracks will appear, and Manchester United will pick up the pieces again. Basically spot on IMO, losing to Man City is meaningless - they don't even play the same sport as us. They've just proved that if you have infinite wealth you can assemble a world class team in a season or two. All it does is devalue the game.

Dunno, we don't even know that's the decision yet.

Yep, just hope he seizes this opportunity to forget about everything except football. Hopefully playing more regularly will help him to just concentrate on his game.

Aye it is. Respect.

Is that his actual family as well?! Class if so!

I hope he sorts himself out and comes back to be a good player for us. Leon Bests don't grow on trees you know.

Think this is the most impotant point TBH. Even if Suarez didn't "mean to be racist", why is he even thinking to notice and comment on Evra's colour as the first thing to have a go at him about? And when he instinctively thought of it, why didn't he use his reason to stop himself actually saying it? At the least that terms strikes me as incredibly patronising and demeaning when used by an opponent especially.

If Santon's ready I wouldn't be against playing him on the right. I just really dislike playing central midfielders out there, especially ones with average mobility like Guthrie and Gosling.

This used to be the best thread on the forum. Ah, the Newcastle Airport photos, the Hatem in sunglasses watching tiny monitor moment, the memories....

I think that too, it's an often-overlooked point I think. People are just going to be getting used to the Sports Direct Arena when it becomes the Easyjet Arena or the Sainsburys Taste The Difference Arena or whatever the fuck else.