Virgin On The Absurd
May 24th, 2010 by 'holic
Firstly, a bit of an apology. I was hoping to do something yesterday, but to cut a long story short I was having a weekend of issues with my broadband connection. These days that is akin to losing a limb. I had struck a deal with the management so she had the tv on Saturday night and I would watch the Champions League Final on a stream. Instead I was doing all sorts of geeky things about which I knew little and this turned into the story of the hottest days of the year thus far.
It has to be said I wasn’t really that fussed about missing the football. Inter v Bayern was never going to be an exhibition of flowing carnival football. I will hasten to add though that when we first win the damn thing it won’t bother me if it happens after our injury-ravaged team has been battered for 120 minutes and we stroll the penalty shoot-out a la Cardiff 2005. The one missing piece in the jigsaw can be hammered into place any old way you like, Arsene, if you please.
Actually although tonight is improved, I am still only seeing about a tenth of the England game in between buffering. If it is the same tomorrow when there is no big game I will be firing some more choice words into what passes for customer service at the company who are more than happy to relieve me of over a grand a year for phone, tv, broadband , and mobile phone.
Actually, let me change that. My download speed is abysmal again, as in less than three percent of what I am paying for. I have spoken to the customer service operation again, and been referred to someone who thankfully advised that I had been given the number of a service I have to pay for. Someone will be sorry tomorrow, I’m not messing about at ten at night.
Hopefully I will have something for you, other than a grizzle about my trivial problems, later this week ‘holics.
Cheers for now.
85 Responses to “Virgin On The Absurd”
Pointless.
Fair comment, Yuri, and one that occurred to me before I hit publish, but at least people know why I’m not posting as I would like to.
For all that Holic does for us he is allowed a vent Yuri
Looks like Vela and Walcott did well in that game. Did not bother to watch it either.
Now if Angel Di Maria is worth €40 mils to Fake Madrid surely Cesc is worth more? The offer from Barca is borderline insulting. I really hope Arsene and Ivan will play hardball with both Barca and Cesc.
Is this Virgin media fibre optic you are reffering to? Just that im think of switching over to them.
I feel an angry letter coming on – they are remarkably satisfying. I penned one recently to TalkTalk, who accidentally terminated my broadband connection and then sent me a letter a few days later saying the deal I was on was not available to new customers, and therefore I would not be reconnected. Despite not being a new customer. That battle continues.
Go on, write the letter. You inevitably miss out stuff on the phone and it tends to get more notice if you make it clear you are capable of writing coherent complaints and aren’t going away.
Judging by today alone, maybe we can do a swap deal: Vela for Green?
Sorry bout the problems, Holic. They really do have us all by the balls.
Cheers.
Know how you feel, my broadband keeps cutting out for no reason. At least I don’t have to pay for ITV’s shockingly budget coverage so it’s not all bad. I’ll have anything other than the budweiser I’ve been orced to drink tonight please.
Get another telly
Nexus6, you have spotted the clues then?
To be fair they have for about five years now been a first class provider, and I am probably just hugely unlucky to come across the worst that their customer service has to offer for something that will probably be relatively simple to solve.
Jackster, thanks. I was in need of a chuckle.
Sorry again, all. Bad night at the office 🙁
Holic. I had massive problems with Virgin a while back. Culminated with me saying that I had had enough and was going to Sky. Within minutes I had my own personal contact within the Virgin Customer Support section and all sorts of freebies chucked my way. Just tell them you have had enough and are leaving. That should achieve something…..
Keep smiling old son. The Pride is still tasting good. Join me in one to chill out?????
Oh Herbie,
There is nothing worse than being ‘orced’ to drink anything 😉
Have a Bushmills on me…
In fairness, Jackster makes a very good point. Basics really…….
Interesting, I didnt have broadband connection at my place either this weekend.. Infact since last Friday due to a major fuck up by the company.
Incidentally they were voted as the worst company in USA but too much of sunk cost , so cannot afford to change it now! Crap.
As Steve said ‘holic. These games were on terrestrial TV. With all the gadgets in the ‘holic rest home, surely there’s a cheeky portable knocking around.
Perhaps they lost the remote with those extra large buttons????
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-transfer-news-Arsene-Wenger-makes-last-ditch-bid-to-keep-Cesc-Fabregas-article438301.html
If there’s someone I respect it’s John Cross who is writing about Cesc that he’s 500 percent sure about wanting to leave.
Now that’s a bit concerning…
the best thing about VM is the button that allow you to switch over to the last you watched…handy if you are watching c5 and itv4….
poo fans may find it handy..the spuds will later in the year..around later oct…..
Interesting article. Must admit that the young Mr Fabregas is starting to piss me off a bit. If he is really that desperate to leave then put in a transfer request and admit in public that he wants out. A long drawn out saga does no one any favours. So Barca, £60 million, in cash, deal to be completed in 10 days? If not then sod off…….
has a few watching the darts…2 9-darters from the POWER… should read
the best thing about VM is the button that allows you to switch over to the last channel you watched…handy if you are watching c5 and itv4….
poo fans may find it handy this season..the spuds will find it handy later on in the year..around later oct…..
Holic:
Must be the silly season for the customer relations departments world wide, cos I had to listen to a young lad on my team today in work grizzly & gripe with Mr Branson’s company all day, where they had managed to cancel his seats that he had booked & paid for five months ago for a trip to the US.
As I say he was speaking to the Asian mafia all day & apparently no one in their office had the ability/awareness to get his seats back for him.
Don’t you just love the new age of customer relations, where the punter just has to pay-up & shut-up in the vain hope of getting SOME service @ some point in their life???
Come on Jackster and Steve, I have televisions (plural) but I want to watch non-Arsenal games on the computer and chat with people at the same time. Fuck all that naffing around with a laptop on the bed. As I said, I didn’t miss the Champions League Final, and I doubt I missed much tonight.
But come the World Cup I will want to be doing what i did in the Euros, and have multiple games in multiple windows on the iMac. That ain’t going to happen if I can’t even get one game now 🙁
mornin ‘holic
I feel for ya with connection problems. The street where I live on the Gold Coast in Australia is part of a brand new estate – all the mod cons and swish houses – you know the marketing bullshit that goes out!
Well, there are NO ADSL lines available and the 3G wireless connection that I’m on right now frequently decides its had enough for the time being and has a smoko for a few hours.
Talk about a disaster! For a modern 1st world nation, this is like being in the Peruvian jungle! Telstra are SHITE!
If ya know anything about negotiation, its that parties always start with aspirational bids. So for Barca to start with a bid of 30mil is only that – their aspiration. Its now up to AW and the board to make a counter claim and state our aspiration – Almunia and Denilson as part exchange – PLEASE !!!
Tequila please sir
As for the Fabregas saga as usual the silence is deafening again, my attitude will NEVER change if they don’t want to play for The Ars then fuck them off, but in this case (& I hope I’m wrong) we may be getting screwed-over with the price, depending on how Fab reacts in the next month or so.
Cos if we don’t get a very healthy return for him & I’m talking Ronaldo type returns here not a measaly £30million, we are just going to look like cxxts to the rest of the worlds football clubs!!!
Holic
What about dear old Blackpool entering the promised land.!!
Marvellous that even in these rapacious money driven days,dreams can still come true.
Last time we saw them in the top flight was in the old First Division in 1971 the year we did the double.
I was at both games,we won the away fixture in the autumn 1 nil and played them again in March at our place,again it was 1 nil and the goal was scored by Peter Storey,do you remember what was unusual about the goal.??
regards
clive
Clive, I can tell you for sure I was there. The memory isn’t so good on the goal though. They wore white shirts and orange shorts, and if I am not mistaken? Tony Waiters was in goal, and I suspect Tony Green was the playmaker?
I’m guessing, as it was Peter, that the goal was a twice-taken penalty?
Later in the seventies we played them in a League Cup tie, drew up there (I went and it pissed down all day so we just saw the lights at the bottom of the road from the ground) and I think won at home. Alan Ball played against his old club. George Wood may have been with us by then, rather than them?
Bloody memory 😉
Figures are bandied about £ 30 million ? £40, I’ve seen £60 and even £ 80. However tonight I read on another site that Barca still owe something like £ 10 million on the Henry / Hleb deals .Surely this can’t be true , they owe fortunes at the bank ,are unable to pay their previous debts and now offer a sum which is not only an insult to The Arsenal but tells Cesc that they only want him if they can get him on the cheap. Just tell them that the rest of May and the first two weeks of June are bank holidays in England and that we will negotiate on the 14th June after their presidential election and give the new incumbent 1 week to see their books and come up with the cash for both Cesc and the previous debts or else just go away.
Got that of my chest and will take a pint of Humpty Dumpty and a Nelson’s blood chaser.
Holic old son,
it was the first and only time PS ever scored with his head.!!
Bit like that plonker Brooking in a certain FA cup final.!!
Do you remember who Blackpools manager was,??who came back to haunt us in a certain FA cup semi final,with a certain Mr Blockhead pretending to be a central defender.
Like me you were probably at that semi final ,who knows we might have been close to each other on the terraces crying tears of fucking despair.!!
Long live the holic management but curses to corporate public service. I actually missed Inter v. Bayern to attend a technological inventions fair with the 6 year old daughter and her friend who spent the afternoon hula hooping in the sunshine. Did I miss the football? Not too seriously especially considering Arsenal were not involved. Did I learn anything about broadband that I can share to be of help? Well, no actually. Sorry!
This is proving to be quite something really – 29 (30 now), so far, comments on an article explaining why you can’t do an article. Now that is popularity, i would say, and richly deserved.
Actually I had trouble with my broadbeans last year, – turned out to be a faulty earth, they said. (Just in case it helps).
Barthelowna seem to have dug themselves a bit of a hole, maybe, in this whole Cesc saga.
Last summer they swapped Eto’o and £45,000,000, if my memory serves me well, for Zlatan Ibrahimovic – valuing the latter, in total, at £70,000,000.
There cannot be a sane person alive who thinks Cesc is a worse player than him, so demanding at least £70,000,000 for Cesc should not be a problem.
They apparantly thought that by getting Cesc to ask for a transfer, that they could get him on the cheap, and accordingly bid £30,000,000.
Or, maybe, they are only able to bid £30,000,000 because, in the meantime, their debts now stand at 490,000,000 Euros, and new boss elect Rossell, is panicking at trying to get the whole situation under control.
If Arsenal stand firm and demand a fee comparable to that paid for Ibrahimovic, and Barca refuse to pay up, what message does that send to Cesc?
That, maybe, Barca don’t want him as much as he wants them.
Only problem left then is, does he still want us, if he can’t go?
God, won’t it be great when this is all over.
Will there ever again be a summer that Gooners can just sit back and peacefully enjoy?
It’s a good thing that the defection from Cesc happened after Gazidis joined the club. If you remember the Arshavin deal, we bargained really hard and the end price was really close to our valuation of the player. Barca may not know what hit them on this one, as Trev said above we don’t know exactly what is the price tag Arsenal has put on Cesc but in the end they’ll have to match it pretty closely.
I’m afraid this looks like it will be a summer-long negotiation though.
Gooner since 54: The resurgence of Blackpool is a pretty good omen then 😉
It also needs to be said it’s heartwarming to see Newcastle back, even more so at the expense of Hull.
My first ever match at Highbury was against Blackpool, in the 70-71 double winning season, and yes i think it was PS who scored. Cant remember too much about the game but I know I stayed on right to the end hoping for a second goal. I guess at the time i wasn’t too familiar with the “1-0 to the Arsenal” scoreline!
KL Gooner, how I envy u. Back then in 1971 the first encounter I had with Arsenal was watching them on TV in black n white taking on Liverpool in the FA Cup final and it was luv at first sight especially with CG!
Here’s the wise advice from Hleb to Fabregas:
I stay in touch with Cesc a lot and it’s hard for me to judge what he should do.
He and Gael Clichy are both very good players who must make their own decisions about their future. But I would advise them to stay.
It didn’t work out for Arsenal this season but, if Arsene Wenger keeps the side together, they can really go far next year. They play great football.
It’s partly a question of experience and next season Arsenal will have more of it if everyone stays.
All things being equal, I think they have a very good chance of the title next season.”
30>Trev,
I’ll tell you when we can as Gooners sit back and peacefully enjoy the summer?
when the governing world body’s actually agree how to act on clubs tapping-up player & hitting them with massive fines-chucking them out of competitions or relieving them of domestic points, but as we know this will never happen unless it’s an English side that’s found guilty of course.
We will just have to hope Barca & Real Madrid both go skint very very soon………
‘holic – every sympa my son re broadband
in french cntryside BB is so slow and watching footy on internet is seeing every 10th frame if your lucky
try the other world solution – Freeview HD + 1 satell dish and 2 tvs, a bit more up front (over here anyway) but no on-going charges
simple decoder for Freeview and
satellite motorised with sophisticated decoder allowing good choice of channs around europe and beyond, subject to patches which release channels for sports etc (ever changing situation)
reckon I watched 90% of our matches on tv last yr, with ‘er undisturbed…….
saw highlights(?) last night Theo was good going forward but looked lost otherwise, and was replaced by the spud who is more able to dribble and looks better for Engurland
Vela did his bit well against a sluggard defence and may do well against Gallas in SA if WG is fit after his roll over whilst team building for France
is that all
Snir Gueli
In response to your question in the last post about whether the Barca fans expect him to sign; Imagine you have an all singing all dancing Mac. You also have the very latest iphone. Then someone says – would you like an ipad? Of course you know you don;t really need it, but it’s a shiny new gadget, so of course it would be nice to have. If only to show your mates down in the pub in the traditional boys toys bragging game.
And that about sums up how they feel about Cesc! Fun to have, undoubtedly cool. Not massively necessary.
I had a fair share of ISP problem they have told me they will charge me for BT engineer to come around to my house to have a look what the issue was as from their end it was perfect.
Strangely enough someone at the local BT exchange unplugged me from working equipment to a faulty one. They wanted to charge £100 I told em up yours 🙂
To be honest I’m sick to my stomach with this Cesc this, Barca this, Hillwood that, Wenger is begging him to stay, bollocks to that!
I have had enough of this shyte if he wants to go then he might as well say he ain’t no baby anymore and this is not a game of poker!
Just to add if he was so committed then why doesn’t he counter attack these reports like he use to, end of stroy.
Don’t get me wrong fellow Gooners but I thought he had more loyalty in him than this.
Arthur @ 41 – the fact that Cesc has not put in a “counter statement” is the telling factor in all of this for me – he wants to go.
And if he wants to go then that’s a shame but we don’t want players that don’t want to be here.
The Arseblog suggests the media are being used to drive a wedge between the player and the club – but if Cesc is as intelligent as everyone says he is, he wouldn’t let it happen (unless of course it was in tune with his own agenda…..hence the silence from Cesc in my opinion).
We love the club more than any player will ever really understand and I am in the same camp as Steve T these days around modern pampered footballers who “kiss the badge”….they’re in it for themselves.
PS ‘Holic – whatever you do – do not go anywhere near BT however much Virgin may piss you off. I had the worst customer service experience ever when BT were my Broadband provider….. I would need my own blog to list the number of things they got wrong….
pity I had to move to Murdoch’s evil empire to get everything sorted….hope you get yours fixed soon – we’re all in need of a fix!
Zico
Agreed on that one mate, spot on!
Yes stay away from BT I’m with Plus.net but use a BT phone line.
I had a sales person from BT call me the other day and I was asked by a very polite lady if I wanted Broadband with them, I asked do you provide a Static Public IP Address and the lady on the phone didn’t know what I was talking about, abysmal.
Anyway I miss our football badly never mind Cesc fiasco it’s getting boring now.
Catalan Gunner:
Get your point re- the “shiny new gadget” from a fans perspective because we all think like that to a degree, but what about from a business perspective.
The Metro’s now running a story saying that we are demanding £80m, now we all know that’s never going to happen, but for me that’s what we should be asking if they ever get to the table just to show them how far they are off the mark on this one….
Can you shed any light on the supposed yet unpaid transfer deals Barca have outstanding, currently doing the rounds?
Lee.
Not sure that I can add more than others have already mentioned as a) my Catalan isn´t up to much and b) their propaganda rags / papers aren´t too keen to publish anything remotely anti-Barça.
I can tell you that the ecnomy is up a creek without a paddle and banks are calling in all favours. Whether they will dare apply those rules to Barça and Madrid, who knows. It would be highly amusing though…
I agree totally that we should play hard ball and see exactly how much they want him. If you compare how quickly the Villa deal was sown up to this one then you´d have to guess that we will come out the winners one way or another.
We hold the aces, I just hope that we have the balls to call them….
Here we go again Cesc’s old man is getting involved now, Cesc you should set the record straight asap!
Quoted form The Telegraph website:
Meanwhile, Fabregas’ father Francesc Fabregas has said his son is looking for negotiations to be concluded as soon as possible and that in such situations the player’s wishes shuold be respected.
“He (Cesc) is focused now on the Spanish national team but what he wants is for the transfer to be concluded as soon as possible,” Francesc Fabregas said.
“The negotiations between Arsenal and Barcelona will be very long and both parties are going to have to sit down together a few times because the issue is a complicated one.
“I don’t know how this is going to pan out but I believe you have to respect the decision and the wishes of the player.”
Afternoon Holic & Holic`s
The usual bollox`s by the press is continuing on the fee for Cesc ranging from £30m to £80m. Why discuss a fee I do not see him leaving, as they will not match are evaluation so there fore he stays. I believe it is that simple, regardless of transfer fee`s. Cesc can hand in a transfer request dose that mean we have to accept ? NO we dont.
I would be a little surprised if he did hand in a transfer request as if no deal is done he would feel the full force and backlash from the fans who deserve better. When these transfers are discussed and are full of hypothetical out comes one thing remains constant, he has 4 years remaining on his contract and regardless of transfer request`s and barca`s bullshit of he is are player any way as we found him ( but did not nurtor his talent )
Cesc himself has stayed quite about the whole thing as he stirred up the hornets nest and walked off to the world cup. I can 100% understand his frustration of lack of trophy`s at Arsenal but that is no excuse to turn you back as soon as barca raise their ugly little head above the parapet and declare the interest out loud.
The last thing I would want to see is another Helb press conference in front of the barca fans when he was unveiled kissing and licking the badge he has just come face to face with 30 seconds previously. If Cesc done that it would make me loose any respect for him, even thou he has much more reason to do so. I only say this as Cesc has spent most of this season kissing the badge on his shirt a Arsenal shirt.
In conclusion I dont see him leaving.
With elections looming in June the entire Barca board resigned yesterday, so the chances of Cesc and his old man’s wishes to have the transfer done by the beginning of the world cup look slim indeed, notwithstanding the argument made by others about the player’s value likely to increase after the WC.
Meanwhile Barca’s director general (is that their Gazidis?) Joan Oliver said “There is no offer yet. It’s true the player has expressed his wish to play for Barca, perhaps this coming season. We have had first contacts with Arsenal in which we made known our intention to talk and that’s the current situation. We are not in any hurry and you never know how long these operations can take. There is no time-frame. The period is from today and until the deadline for registering players at the end of August.”
I note the “perhaps this coming season bit”. We definitively have to play it hardball and like 1971, I’m still of the opinion he will stay at least one more season.
This one made me laugh, I’m sorry but he can only blame himself for all of this, does he not understand what contract means and what was he on about throughout last season? Also say a BIG thank you to all the crap that came from Barca to start with.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2010/05/25/1942083/barcelona-defender-carles-puyol-cesc-fabregas-is-suffering
I don’t really think anyone can blame Fabregas for wanting to leave or not saying a thing, the guy supports Barca, just imagine what’d have happened if Arsenal would want you to play for them!
He’s just been 2 months with his family and friends who I’m sure came up with all kinds of “won’t it be great if you stayed, we’ll have so much fun”…
I don’t blame him at all, but I do blame the media and Barca on how it’s done.
I’m sure Barca called Fabregas Snr. after seeing they won’t get an easy bargain and add some pressure.
But it shouldn’t change anything cause all he said is that Arsenal should respect his will, well, we know what his will was before his dad was on the radio so it didn’t change a thing… If he would have said Cesc is reluctant to the idea that Arsenal will hold on to him and will not agree to play at Arsenal next year at any cost, now that would have been something different – but it’s not, so we shouldn’t even take this article seriously since it didn’t change a thing.
Fuck Barcelona. stuck up c**ts. that is all.
What’s that you say Sooty?
Sooty! That’s not very nice!
Very well then, but the nice Mr “Holic may object to an ‘Eat Shit’ list…
01 Barcelona FC
02 Darren Dein
03 Guillem Balague
04 The News of the World
05 The Sun
06 The Mirror
07 Sky
08 The Entire Barcelona Team (Fucking DNA my Arse)
09 Joan Laporta el fucking presidente
10 as.com
Ok Sooty, that will do for now. I’m sure the lovely ‘Holics can add to your list.
Arsenal 71
Following your views of badge kissing…you´ll find the quotes in Sport (Barça owned paper) from the recently signed Villa amusing: “I´d give my life for Barça!”. To which the response should have been; “why?”
Seems as though the nearer it comes to Barcelona putting their money where their rather over-large mouths are, the more diluted their desire for Signor Cesc becomes.
We are now treated to quotes (we should be so grateful) from their various new management bods, as to how they would like to have the player but there is “no hurry”, and “perhaps this season”.
Hardly sounds like they are ready to make an offer – much less a comparable one to the £70,000,000 they wasted last year on Ibrahimovic.
Cesc’s father now joins the party with his contribution being that negotiations will take a long time because it is all very complicated.
Actually mate, it isn’t.
If Arsenal are prepared to do a deal, Barca must pay the asking price.
If they won’t, no deal.
Doesn’t seem to me, to require an entire summer to understand that.
More likely outcome to me is that this is softening up year so that the deal can be done next summer, when they have acquired another £125,000,000 TV money.
The tricky bit is what happens to next seasons relationship between Cesc and fans, and Cesc and Arsene.
Snir Geuli
“I don’t really think anyone can blame Fabregas for wanting to leave or not saying a thing, the guy supports Barca”
I have to disagree with you on this one, he may well support Barca which no one would deny but if you only just recenlty extended your contract and you go kissisng your badge almost in every game then somthing tells me he hasn’t really thought about what he really wants in his career or life.
I’m sorry but if at 23 years of age you are the highest earning player in the club, you’re the captain and this ‘sinking ship club’ took you on from a very young age, gave you everything and made you for who you are now. You go through the seasons denying every single media hunt, you would think there is loyalty in the lad, something tells me he’s either shitting it and has no balls now or someone has got a lot of influence on him. I have always thought that person was Arsene, however I believe I’m very much mistaken now.
Puyol goes to add poor baby Cesc he’s nervous and can’t sleep at night. Well he should have made it clear to everyone I wanna leave I have had enough of it at Arsenal. I’m sorry but I have thought about it long and hard and deceided I needed a change.
Even if he stays at Arsenal do you honestly think we will drop to our knees and praise him for staying? I think he has already burnt some bridges with all this shit stirring and not having enough balls to be honest with his fans. Silence is worst than being honest I’m sure some of us have been there and know what it’s like.
This is just being ignorant to your current club, boss, team mates and most of all your fans!
This is exactly what Barca want, to drive a wedge between Cesc and us. I hope we give him as rousing a reception next season as we have done all these years. As long as he is still with us, ie.
Totally agree with Sajit, it’s a concerted effort by Barca to make it impossible for Cesc to stay at Arsenal. Considering the state of their finances that’s the best they can do to be able to afford Cesc.
Looks like Merida is gone to Atletico Madrid too so that leaves us with one Spanish player in the team 😉
So we lost two midfielders now who is going to replace them?
Great article by Mike Urbanski…
Cesc is leaving. Or Cesc isn’t leaving. Barcelona say they can only pay £30m for Captain Fabulous. Arsenal are said to be demanding £80m. Cesc and Arsene have sat down and discussed his potential transfer to Barcelona. Or they haven’t sat down because Le Boss was actually away on holiday.
Barcelona are skint. Or Barcelona are flush. Barcelona are carrying some £420m of debt. Or Barcelona have debt similar in scope to Arsenal and are servicing it easily. Even a thorough examination of Barca’s accounts leads to the conclusion that all 4 presumptions are in some way accurate.
Somewhere amongst all this chaff are kernels of truth. While I lay no claim to insider knowledge on whether or not Cesc will actually leave or what Barca’s current debt level is, I can say with some certainty that Spain, as a national economy, are staring down the same double barrelled shotgun that Greece are facing. And Sandro Rosell may just have let the most important footballing cat out of the bag without realizing it.
Labelling his club’s debt level “Stratospheric” , Sandro Rosell put a rather emphatic damper on Barcelona’s financial ability to acquire the services of Cesc Fabregas. While we’re all used to hearing unimaginable numbers concerning footballing debt, what we’re not used to hearing is a candidate for the Presidency of one of the largest football clubs in the world stating so clearly just how much of a threat that debt is to the club.
An interesting tactic for the candidate, no? Hey voters of Barcelona – my platform for the Presidency is this: “We Can’t Afford Cesc!” Vote for me!
My suspicion though, is that the warning sounded by Rosell has less to do with the current silly season shenanigans in Barcelona than it does with a much broader fear. The salad days of easy lines of credit and notes that never get called in at more-than-willing Spanish banks are about to come to a screeching halt.
They’re called PIGS. Portugal, Italy, Greece & Spain. The four countries that could bring down the Euro. Literally. Greece is already suffering from civil unrest at the looming prospect of either an IMF or EU intervention. And if you think the Eurozone is having problems over Greek debt, just wait til the EU or IMF have to step in and bail out a Spanish economy that is several orders of magnitude larger than Greece’s.
Here’s a newsflash: Neither the IMF nor the EU give one toss about football. Not as it concerns national economies, and definitely not when it concerns their money. If you’ve never been to a country that is under IMF austerity measures and the full blown horrors of Keynesian economics, let me give you a little preview:
Whatever the unemployment rate was before the IMF stepped in, expect it to increase significantly after they arrive. Expect taxes to increase across the board. Expect social and public services to be cut to the absolute minimum. Expect inflation and interest rate increases. Expect a large portion of the GDP to leave the country in question as it struggles to meet IMF repayment covenants.
Expect both a great restriction in available credit and humourless IMF debt collectors to start paying visits to deadbeat bill payers. If you thought the Glazers or Hicks & Gillett were good at asset stripping, you’ve never seen the IMF strip out a country that owes them money.
The IMF and EU are not sugar daddies and they will definitely want their money back. With interest. Germany and France are not willingly going to fund an EU bailout tranche, hand over billions of Euros to the Spanish government and allow that money to be lent to football teams so they can buy new players.
And while England is resisting any such involvement in a proposed EU bailout fund, eventually they’ll be swung ’round to chipping in. And where does this EU money come from to bail out Spain? It comes from you, dear reader, through taxes. Do Gooners want to fund, personally, the purchase of Cesc Fabregas by Barcelona? How about United supporters chipping in to that fund only to have a Spanish bank lend to Real Madrid so they can buy Wayne Rooney? Thought so. Not gonna happen.
So what does this mean for Spanish football? Well, Sandro Rosell knows what’s coming. Spanish football lives on bank funding to buy new players. Real Madrid and Barcelona make a few phone calls and – viola! – they have an extra £45m to buy that shiny new midfielder who will help them win trophies. The threat to this, however, is not the current amount of debt that Spanish teams may be carrying, but that continued borrowing to afford new players will soon come to an end. And shortly after that end comes, so will the bill collectors, with their higher interest rates, on whatever notes are outstanding at those oh-so-eager Spanish banks.
The next European domino to fall will be Spain. Sandro Rosell may not win the Presidency of Barcelona, but in the future should be looked on as an unintended prophet for sounding the alarm bell on the “borrowed-with-interest” financial might of Spanish football.
Interesting stuff AFC1974, thanks for that.
Maybe Ivan could demand, as part of any negotiations that may eventually take place, that we take either Xavi or Iniesta in return for Cesc.
We would, thereby, either acquire a pretty handy replacement for Cesc, or be able to provide our captain with a fair assessment of his chances of being a regular starter for Barca.
Assuming, of course, that they ever do make a sensible bid.
And how, exactly, do they get away, year after year, with their blatant breaches of the rules on conducting possible transfers.
When you think of the unbelievable hounding of Eduardo following his alleged dive against Celtic this season, it is quite astonishing that such an eminent club can so deliberately and repeatedly break the rules, with no word ever being said.
Still what can you expect? I emailed UEFA at the time of that incident and asked why other serial divers in our game, of both English and Portugese origin, were not similarly targeted, and was it just pure coincidence that so many senior positions in UEFA were occupied by Scots, etc. etc?
I did not expect to receive any sort of reply, of course, but to my utter amazement, the very next day an email from UEFA was waiting in my Inbox!!!
I opened it to find a list of UEFA job opportunities, and no response to any of my questions whatsoever.
Won’t, therefore, hold my breath that they may be interested in bringing the mighty Barcelona to account.
Tossers.
1974: The article comes from Untold Arsenal and it would be fair to link it as it’s a good blog, not a vile tabloid.
Anyway in it there’s a link to a gem of an article with a very very thorough comparison of Arsenal and Barca’s finances:
http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-can-barcelona-afford-cesc-fabregas.html
The Swiss Ramble is from far the best blog about club finances there is. And being swiss it is among the least sensasionalist too. So it paint a different picture than the Untold Arsenal article and yes in short, Barca could splash the dough (and pay the remaining due for Hleb and Henry). We definitively have no reason to give an inch.
Anyway if you want the best insight there is in football finances, head for a few reads there, Arsenal is often featured.
Arthur, you’re looking at it the whole way.
True, he did kiss the badge and that was at the Blackburn game after all the rumors were really strong during that week so he justed wanted to say “thank you for everything you gave me and I love AFC” to the fans by kissing the badge, which I have no doubt at all – The guy DOES love Arsenal.
But, the guy’s family is from Catalunya, so are his childhood friends etc etc… He’s only 23 YO, pressure like that from family and friends whether you like it or not.
If he was moving to Inter, City, Real then I would have called him a traitor with all my heart but with Barca it’s differnet.
We all knew we would move eventually we just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon…
I think he’s very loyal by saying if he ever leaves AFC it’s only Barca and no other club.
It’s like the fact that first love will always be a bigger one :).
*whole – wrong.
Adios Fran y que te vaya bien en Madrid.
Matt – The Swiss Ramble is another good one. Not enough decent blogs with this ‘holistic perspective (couldn’t resist)!
Thanks Matt,
Untold Arsenal is indeed a very fine blog and the link is entirely warranted.
Update on my situation. Finally got a response from someone helpful yesterday, and a new modem is going to be sent here, hopefully this week. A couple of tweaks to the old one haven’t helped. I get some sort of internet capability for anything between ten minutes and an hour at the moment.
Thank heavens for the mobile broadband dongle, even if it does cost a couple of quid a day!
Snir Geuli
I only want some straight forward answers either from Cesc or Arsene.
We were just linked to Mertesacker from Werder Bremen and their coach as soon this hit the papers came and said: He’s not going anywhere, I’m just astonished why our club is behaving like a whimp in this when we hold all the aces and we decide what is going to happen. Something tells me this battle is lost already as to the financial situation, well no one is going to stand up to Barca and say hold on can you afford him? They will get their money from somewhere and as soon as this deal gets done once again we will br branded a feeding club.
The full transcript of Cesc’s father’s interview is available here: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Read-the-full-translated-transcript-of-Arsenal-captain-Cesc-Fabregas-s-father-s-interview-on-Spanish-radio-about-his-proposed-move-to-Barcelona-right-here-article438887.html
It’s simply UNBELIEVABLE how the press has distorted the full interview. Let me do a similar job:
“Whatever happens, he has great respect for Arsenal…They have looked after him so well and turned him into a man and his game has improved so much.”
“We find ourselves at a moment when we have to start talking about money and the situation could change. Arsenal should understand that Cesc has been and is, because now I am talking about this but he could still be there next season, always giving his best to the club that have made him their captain.”
“What Arsenal has done is normal. I cannot justify or go against what they are doing. Now it is a question of how they feel, what they say and how they see things. They need to talk.”
“Barca have said not to listen to anyone else that is not Barca. “That means that evidently there are other clubs that are interested and would not have the difficulty that Barca would have to pay the amount that Cesc would currently cost. To avoid that he wanted to clarify that he will only either stay at Arsenal or go to Barca.”
“Will Cesc end up at Barca? I do not know what to say. I do not want to say either way because I don’t know. We have no experience in all this. I would like Cesc to leave Arsenal with his head held high because they have given him everything.”
“As his father I am very grateful for the way that Arsenal have taken care of him.”
As you can read it tells a totally different picture, doesn’t it? Cesc and his father know who’s in control. It ain’t Barca.
Matt
Thanks for the link, a very good find indeed. After reading this article I think Cesc himself has a lot to say in this, which pretty much sums it up.
God knows I don’t want him to leave I know he will one day but to me this summer was like kick in the balls or even worse.
Good Morning Holic & Holic`s
Some very good points and interesting reading as per usual on this blog.
@Matt Agreed ! Cesc will be in a Arsenal shirt this coming season. I am glad he is keeping his own council at the moment and not spouting barca propaganda in the press as this may well back fire big time.
@AFC1974 I am glad sooty had the good sense to write his top 10 arsehole list. As Sue`s was far to harsh to put into print.
@Catalan Gunner Badge kissing should be banned by law as it makes a fool out of them and us when they demand a transfer a few days afterwards ( not saying cesc demanded a transfer request ) just players in general. Dose anyone remember Mr Arsenal kissing his badge every other game. No ! nor do I as every fan knew his loyalty and didnt need any reminders.
Here ‘s a new one peeps this one certainly looks a bit more positive!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/26/arsene-wenger-cesc-fabregas-barcelona
Thanks Arthur, a nice “pick me up”. Positive stuff as you say.
@Arthur: and here’s the interview itself, it’s in English from a press conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B9_Mh9lGL4
The way I see it, you can interpret the “Wenger will deal with everything” both as “I told him I want to go and he’ll sort it” and as “if he says the best thing is for me to stay I’ll stay”. Let’s just hope it’s the latter and that Wenger tells him to stay put.
Thanks Lars
Agree with you on this one, after watching it I have a feeling his mind was already made up, he carefully didn’t mention Barca when he said:
“It’s now all between Arsenal and whoever it has to be (Barcelona)”
It will be a real shame if he leaves but hey let’s hope Arsene can talk him into staying another season.
Why must the gutter press reel out every tom,dick and harry when it comes to transfers ?
My cousins uncle`s budgie said cesc should join barca. I don’t want to seem harsh but isn’t the transfer between Arsenal,barca and cesc. I fail to see why others have to put in their two penneth.
Of course his father would like to see his son back in Spain and as a parent I really do understand. However his comments or interference will not help his son in the long run.
It must be in only football that the press look to trip up or coerce family members to reveal all the players dreams and ambitions for the future, then twist the interview into a paper selling story. Cesc has made no secret of his desire to return to Spain one day and play for his boyhood team, and I wholeheartedly would do the same if my feet were in his shoes.
But Cesc is only 23 a good 10 years plus remain ahead of him in what I am sure will be a outstanding career. So the press should slow down and stop putting words in other peoples mouths just for the sake of selling their two bob newspapers.
Totally agree Arsenal 1971.
Was about to make a similar comment myself, specifically regarding Carlos Puyol’s comments today.
He wanted to say that he didn’t want to put pressure on Cesc, because he has a contract and a manager and fans at Arsenal.
He tried to achieve his aim of creating ‘no pressure’, by saying that Cesc is a great guy, and a great player, and a great friend, and that it would be fantastic to have him at Barcelona – and he remembered just in time, to say that, of course, he didn’t want to talk about it, out of respect to his (Cesc’s) current club.
So, Puyol, here’s a piece of advice to help you achieve your aim –
“Shut the f*ck up, you idiot”.
Seriously, are they really that stupid, or do they just believe that we are.
And WHEN are the authorities going to take steps to stop this blatant tapping-up of players who are under contract?
Hi Holics,
It’s the ‘liked to be scared as a kid’ one back (thanks Matt). Despite major distortions in quotes, fanatical ramping up by the press for their own sacrificial pleasures, and Barca’s inadequate finances, AND that Cesc is a contracted player, I think it’s time we begin to think about what to do this summer IF he leaves. Judging from what I’ve seen of Cesc’s comments in spanish, it is a distinct possibility that he will go. The question would then be: who is brought in this summer to re-balance the team without Cesc pulling the strings? I see no player currently at Arsenal ready this next year to fill that gap. I know he’s ‘one of a kind’, but also not the only playmaker in the world.
Maybe it’s taboo, but awake from my nightmares, I see Cesc is as likely to go as not, and I have no answer to that problem if he does…
Two cents.
And now for the bad news. . . . .
Mystic Trev has looked into the future and seen May 2011.
The scene is as follows –
Juan Frigginthinafteranutha, new Barcelona vice-president, has discovered that in 1793, his great-great-great-oh-bloody-great grandmother, a smelly old sour-grape grower from Bath-Alona, had a cousin who knew someone, who lived next door to a Dutch mountain-guide’s sister, name of Hertzinda Reitplatz.
As a result, Robin van Persie, has Barcelona DNA, and must be allowed to leave Arsenal immediately. –
Well, could you really bet against it?
Trev good try my man….
Tell you what not a chance, Van Persie loves Arsnenal too much!
It’s funny how things turn out, one month we’re all happy with Cesc commiting to the club then summer kicks in and he wants to have his future sorted out before the Word Cup!!??!!
Now obviously we don’t know what has been said between him and Le Boss we definitely know that it was something about him leaving Arsenal as I would speculate what else woud it be? Perhaps Wenger will join him there next season? Only kidding but then again who knows anything these days?
Why would you have one of the longest and greatest conversation with your manager if you are not going anywhere? Surely you will have plenty of time to do that during the coming season right? Correct me if I’m wrong here, but Cesc probably did say I want to go back home, how can we do this and Wenger replied leave it to me.
Yes the Spanish media including all Barca players have put extra pressure on Cesc and are only making excuses for him just to undermind what great player he is and how perfectly he would fit in the squad. Saying that we can’t blame all of it on them as it would have taken one interview for Cesc to say:
“I’m under contract with Arsenal so that makes me an Arsenal player as far as I’m concerned until then my future is with Arsenal”
End of…that would put alot minds to rest don’t you think?
another puyol interview on cesc dna today
and all the cesc: future is out of my hands are all bloody hilarious
instead of arsene said “leave everything to me”
i wonder when this will happen to one of our transfer targets
in my opinion, not that its worth twat
cesc and rvp wont leave yet. them and vermaelen have that exra something we need
and it’ll be brilliant if cambell stays and keeps his attitude going
Thanks Arthur and Lars for the interview links. Between what he said and his old man’s interview, it now certainly looks like they’ve understood the decision is not in their hands.
It’s also clear that the negociations (if there are any) will happen: After the WC (that would be July 11th if Spain reaches the final)
and until the first round of the CL (around mid-August), after that Cesc would be unable to play for Barca in the CL.
Many many things can happen during the WC which makes it really hard to make a reliable prediction:
If Cesc has a wonderful WC, his valuation will increase as does the likelihood of him staying with us.
If either Iniesta or Xabi gets badly injured, Barca’s motivation increases so does the chances of them meeting our price tag.
If Cesc gets injured, who knows?
I still stand my ground with 1971 and dublin gooner for what it’s worth: Cesc will stay at least one more season or we get so much money no one can refuse. We have all the trumps and if you remember the Arshavin transfer saga, I don’t think Barca is rejoicing at the thought of negociating with our own Ivan the Terrible…
Am I alone in thinking that Fake Madrid is the most despicable club there is in modern football?
– Team of mercs
– A football-ignorant president
– Ever-increasing debt, much of it financed by taxpayers.
– No class, horrendously undignified handling of coaches, players and employees
– The most arrogant fans there is
– And now Mourinho which is a good match (that is until they see the style of football he’ll bring to the team, remember Capello…)
There are clubs I dislike (CSKA London, clubs managed by Allardyce, most Italian clubs, Paris SG) but nothing comes close to the contempt I have for Fake Madrid.
@Matt I can assure you Matt that you do not stand alone in the hatred of fake madrid ( among others )
But I must say the vultures of barca now out way that hatred ten fold. I am sure the barca players got the orders from the sweet and innocent pep prior to the spanish squad meeting up before the WC.
All to chip away at a young lad who has had his head turned by there constant DNA bullshit. By the end of the WC the poor lad may turn up for pre season training at barca by mistake.
I cant say I am too bothered by there posturing as if hard ball they wish to play then hard ball will be the game of the summer.
As previously posted we hold all the cards and they dont have a gammy leg to stand on. Its not as if they can come back next season with a reduced offer as he will still have 3 years left on his contract.
So put up or shut up barca you are boring me !
Arsenal 1971
We may hold all the Aces as you say but what the player wishes is another reason, you seem to forget that contracts these days mean nothing!
That’s 2 things I made up, it’s not Cesc father who said it. I think I need another bourbon shot to clear up my memory 😉