The Barnes Enigma
What the hell has happened to Ashley Barnes?! This time last year I’d have laughed at a future me if I told me (I think that’s right) that Ashley Barnes would be one of my favourite players this season, but that is exactly what he is. I can’t put my finger on why though. He reminds me a little bit of Jon Walters when Jon Walters was the prick who terrified defences for Stoke a few years ago despite clearly being no better than the best Championship striker, and I can’t fucking stand Jon Walters. Barnes has given Burnley important goals at vital times and is the perfect foil for either Chris Wood or Sam Vokes. His work rate and ability to remain hidden in plain sight is probably what has seen him get so many goals. So, yeah, Ashley Barnes, possibly Austria’s and Chelsea’s next number nine, and my new favourite player. WTF?!
Advertising Gone Mad
Any keen followers of my writing under the RonnyDog Media umbrella will know that I am keen Dortmund fan as well as Liverpool, so I was spoilt for games to watch on Saturday. After watching the Mighty Reds (defo our year might I add) heroically defeat Crystal Palace in the early kick off, I was able to watch my second team in the late kick off. The only problem here is that Dortmund have had a dicky season and Bayern are about twenty points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. While watching BVB’s 6-0 thrashing in Der Klassiker (more on that over at Borussia Dortmund UK in ‘The Optimist’ #shamlessplug) I noticd something very strange. T Mobile, Bayern’s short sponsor, has created a crowd mosaic consisting of people wearing white ponchos right in plain view of the hard camera. At first I thought that football had clearly lost its mind, but then I gauged the reaction. Not a sniff from the commentators, nothing in Sunday morning newspapers. Just silence, as if I was the only one that saw it. If this would have happened in Britain you could put your house on there being murder in the press and people giving back season tickets to cries of “it’s not the same game anymore”. Look fellas, the best league in the world is doing it without fuss so let’s just concentrate on what’s going on on the pitch, eh.
The Ev (again)
Right, to be fair, I haven’t done this for a few weeks now so I think I am allowed a little relapse back into Everton bashing. In the latest case of ‘The Ev Files’, Manchester City visited Goodison Park looking to put themselves within touching distance of the Premier League trophy. A motivated and focussed Manchester City team, possibly one of the best teams in Premier League history, against a mediocre and substandard Everton side who having one of their worst seasons since the turn of the millennium – the writing was on the wall really, weren’t it lads? The pin drop silence around Goodison Park throughout the game told you all you need to know about the poor blue noses this season. There was no anger, no frustration, just apathy. And how can you blame them when they have a manager who comes out with the following post-match comment: “My theory is if you can’t beat them, kick them”. That is a verbatim quote, lads. Big Sam attempting to drive another nail in his coffin so he gets sacked in the summer, picks up a lovely little £9 million retirement fund, and never gets asked back into football again.
The post Is Right La! – The Barnes Enigma, Advertising Gone Mad, The Ev (again) appeared first on Tales From The Top Flight.
