The Chelseas and the Man Uniteds

[Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson on MOTD]

Here’s another example of football pluralism creeping into the vernacular. On BBC’s Match of the Day last weekend, host Gary Lineker and pundit Mark Lawrenson are discussing Arsenal, following their 1—1 draw at Sunderland in the English Premiership.

Lawro: Have they [Arsenal] still got a soft centre? Can they win the league?
[Shugs and indicates that he’s not sure that Arsenal can win the league]

Lineker: I suppose the real test will be where they fell down last year, against the big teams. Against the Chelseas and the Man Uniteds they just got pulverized didn’t they?

Lawro: Well yeah and if you remember Chelsea played their football almost as well as Arsenal and they were so much more physically strong that they absolutely dominated them.

Let’s see how many other unsuspecting people within the football fraternity (like Gary Lineker) start to use pluralism.