I missed the entire game this morning, bar the final 30 seconds and Ronaldo’s free kick that didn’t go in.
It would have been sweet revenge had it did, as it would have redressed an injustice for the last time United faced Jose in the competition. That morning, four years ago, I dragged myself awake and switched the television in time to see Tim Howard fluff a routine free-kick and United kick out of the competition with the last kick of the game.
Howard was subsequently moved on to Everton, Jose earned his Chelsea contract and the rest is history.
Anyway, I compensated myself with Sky Sports’ post-match review programme with Richard Keys chairing Jamie Redknapp, Gary McAllister and Avraham “Avram” Grant. To no-one’s surprise, the two younger pundits gave it their usual all, which is to say, not much at all.
The former Liverpool midfielder without the hair said nothing intelligent and resorted to the tried and tested Scottish mode of analysis, while the former Liverpool midfielder with the hair did not say anything intelligent and resorted to the tried and tested English mode of analysis.
What came as an enormous surprise to me, however, was the way Grant, the former Chelsea manager ridiculed in the English press, carried himself. He was marvellous, cutting Richard Keys’ banal questions effortlessly, refusing the opportunity to air trite opinion (seized on by the former Scousers), redirected cliches into analysis and debate. In his hands, analysis came closer to its truer, intended meaning.
All this explains why the local press didn’t take to Grant; how could they? He didn’t speak their language.
Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!
He’s at it again!
Actually, no, this is one of his earlier rants on FACTS! (*snigger*)
In anticipation of their UEFA game vs citeh, Stale Solbakken, manager of FC Copenhagen, declared the following:
The amounts of money that have been mentioned are incredible. I think that such incredible sums will take part in destroying football. They are creating too big a mental distance between what we call reality and then Manchester City.
Warming to the attention, Solbakken continues:
The hardest part for City is that they, by tradition, are not a big football club and therefore all the money in the world does not make a difference for them
Oh how I laughed! While plenty of column inches have been devoted to our Danish friend, it pales in comparison to year’s comments by the Bayern Munich general manager. While columnists (Jim White, for example) have previously stated much of the same (although in better taste; see for example, Money cannot buy class at Chelsea), Uli Hoeness, irked by the rising cost of his petrol bill, embarked on a full frontal assault on the owner of Chelsea Football Club and the boys down the King’s Road.
The current General Manager of Bayern Munich makes a shrewd observation about the state of European football:
Thanks to the huge investments many clubs make, there are no longer any serial European Cup winners similar to Ajax and Bayern in the Seventies. The old hierarchy has been abolished. A better-balanced competition sounds tempting, but I don’t know whether the investments have been good for football.
I get annoyed every week when I go to fill my car up with petrol. The oil Mafia is taking money out of my pocket to invest it in footballers. To my mind this stinks to high heaven, and this applies to Mr Abramovich among others.
He is certainly no friend of mine. This Mafia controls the entire world, and manipulates the price of oil. I won’t stand for it any longer. What can we do? We simply have to defeat teams like Chelsea on the field of play. That would give us great satisfaction. (All quotes from The Daily Mail)
Hmmm. Herr Hoeness is obviously blissfully unaware of Russia’s mighty armed forces (their CV includes Chechnya, Georgia) and what they can do.But more seriously, although I applaud his rallying cry “to defeat Chelsea on the field of play”, I sense a deeper Aryan jingoism targeting the hordes to the east. Perhaps he feels Napolean should have completed the task before Adolf, eh?
There’s not much that goes on in local (Singapore) football that isn’t covered by the three toilet papers masquerading as “newspapers” – really, if you think the red-tops are a pile of dung, try the straitstimes.com or the new paper. *shudder* both are abysmal.
Anyway, coming back to the point, if you prefer a grounded view of local football, have a look at BoLASEPaKO. It poses as providing “a simple view on Singapore soccer” and, I hasten to add, a more authentic read than the toilet papers above.
In case you need to know, bola sepak is Malay for “football”, though it’s literal translation is “kick ball”.
I’m sure most of you have heard of and the independent football monthly When Saturday Comes.
Until recently, when an already poor distribution network of the fanzine into South East Asia further deteriorated and thus limited availability, WSC was the football read not to be missed. Fortunately, their site has seen a tremendous re-design with the added benefit that some of its quality content is now accessible to readers on the net. There is no undue concentration of coverage on The Big Four, thankfully, and the humour is choice.
In the era of the polish lads’ mag and mind-blowing hollowness of football punditry in general, WSC remains first amongst equals in the quest for football as it is actually played.
The always excellent United Youth site has an article about a former Red, Christy Fagan, and his call up to the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21 side.
It’s always great to keep track of former Reds, however minor or trivial their contribution to the history of the Club.
Re. the United Youth article, it seems to me that there are intriguing possibilities with the concept behind the Glenn Hoddle Academy (GHA)
Presumably, the GHA’s facilities at the “plush Montecastillo Resort in southern Spain” costs money to set up and run. How does it finance itself? The site indicate that successful applicants are provided with a full scholarship “with free board and accommodation” but the scholarships are granted “subject to contract”.
In addition, the GHA playes matches against unnamed Spanish sides. Does anyone know whether the GHA are in a competitive league? If so, does it mean that the GHA owns the players’ registrations?
Regardless, the concept behind the Academy sounds like an interesting alternative to the standard player-football club model.
The Arse Legend was sacked from his post as “manager” of Portsmouth Football Club last night. Former Portsmouth Legend Steve Claridge chimed in with
Tony Adams … was a victim of circumstances
I can only agree; Adams found himself manager of a Premier League club.
WANTED: Young, untested, ex-player, on the cheap, to manage debt-ridden, under-performing club with huge expectations after a fortuitous FA Cup win. Owner known to be willing to sell said club. Players will be sold to ease liquidity problems. Apply within (*snigger*).
