Cesc A World Cup Winner, But Football Is The Loser
Jul 12th, 2010 by 'holic
It is, without doubt, good that I refrained from staying up when everybody else had gone to bed, or headed back on to the M6 and M5 last night. Any attempt at recording my observations on the World Cup Final would probably have caused great offence to regulars in Spain and the Netherlands.
My Sunday had started early. We were in the Midlands for a surprise birthday party, and a very rare meeting with all six grandsons. The first Guinness tickled the tonsils at lunchtime, and thereafter the black nectar alternated with several healthy glasses of red wine (and a couple of pints of water, honestly!).
Kick-off time arrived and a dozen of us were scattered around two televisions. The stepson was cheering for the Dutch, having drawn them in the sweepstake at work. Fifty quid would be heading his way if they won, so I had to keep quiet about the ‘holic pound, so judiciously wagered on Spain at 4/1 before a ball had been kicked in the tournament.
What followed was such an awful anti-climax. The pained expressions of those from six to sixteen will be my lasting memory of a Final that rarely threatened to surpass the 1990 clash between Argentina and Germany as the worst I have had the displeasure to witness.
The premeditated assaults of van Bommel and De Jong, the play-acting, diving, and surrounding of the referee at every stoppage accompanied by the imaginary waving of cards that was supposed to be outlawed at this tournament. At each new outrage I looked at the kids who play schoolboy football and who are being coached in a game that bears no relation to what they were watching.
They are told to respect opponents and referees, and that foul play and fouler language is unacceptable. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect ninety minutes of ‘after you Claude’ in a World Cup Final, but neither did I expect to see a demonstration that belonged more in the theatre than on the football pitch.
I can’t help feeling that if Howard Webb had found his other card a little earlier then a healthier contest would have ensued. He’s an easy target though, and shouldering far too much of the blame for the inability of professionals on both sides to behave as such.
I have to say my mood wasn’t helped by the gibbering idiots suited and booted in the BBC studio, and I doff my smouldering cap the the inimitable Arseblog for capturing the full extent of the disgusting irony that underpinned their contribution to the evening. I could certainly not have put it any better than he.
Enough of the negative. I was also obviously delighted for Cesc Fabregas. Delighted that he got a chance to experience the biggest game of them all. Delighted that he set up the winning strike for Iniesta. If any player has earned the medal that came his way last night, it is Cesc. Thrust into captaincy at a young age, he has shouldered responsibility whilst developing into a remarkable talent, and one I hope will be with us for at least another season or two.
A thought too for Robin van Persie. The Dutch squad may have been more united than some of the great Netherlands sides of the past, but that did not show itself in any sort of service for their most lethal attacker. Hopefully a short break from the game will enable him to return with a burning ambition to go one step further in the red of his club than the orange of his country.
So now we can forget the instantly forgettable, and start to focus on the remainder of the summer. There should be some acceleration in transfer activity in the coming days, and I am looking forward to my first pre-match pint of the new season at Underhill on Saturday.
At last, we can get back to putting the focus fairly and squarely on Arsenal. I, for one, am delighted at that.
97 Responses to “Cesc A World Cup Winner, But Football Is The Loser”
Afternoon ‘Hols.
I think Cesc will stay. He’s just bagged the biggest medal in football. Dedicated it to us and is still picking splinters out of his arse. Barce-loan-a are a busted flush (well we can all wish) and he knows that Arsene is/has the funds now to replenish this squad.
And he’s got a European Championship medal as well. Not bad for one so young.
Cup of tea please ‘Hols, and can you dig out some Hobnobs?
Right on the money, ‘Holic. Be back here on August 14. Any sign of Felipe Melo yet?
Well put Sir,
To see 2 teams go out and see who could cheat the best in a world cup final was beyond stomach churning, Ive loved Dutch football from when I was a young chippy and stll to this day hold a fondness for Ajax and what they’ve produced for the game,but last night something inside died watching van pummel and de Jong kick gifted playmakers all over the shop, No wonder the legend that is Cruyff told all and sundy beforehand that although he was born Dutch he loved spains football, Spain were no means whiter than White last night with the blatant diving and begging for cards whilst also slyly kicking out now and again,
The final just about summed up the whole tournament for me and will be instantly forgettable,
Totaly agree also regards the commentary and the papers today what hypocritical scumbags they mainly are, Anyway onwards and upwards 4 working days till Barnet meant to be going to a party sat night so may have to do a Houdini impression!!!
Well blimey! The artist formerly known as BtM is alive and kicking. Great stuff!
Roll on the new season when I will have your bar stool polished to perfection, maestro 😉
Good day Mr Holic,
Another diamond post. I tend to agree with those who feel Cesc will stay AT LEAST another year as it is apparent that Barca cannot afford him at his WC winners market value. They obviously gambled of bullying early doors (tips hat to Ron) and it back fired by Arsenal resolute stance and no nonsene PR bullshit.
I for one am looking forward to cheering Cesc on when I go to the Arsenal v Celtic game.
Now, where did I put that photoshop….
ah there is it..
Daryl Booth
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=152709&id=100000759193917&ref=notif&fbid=131396276895678
Great blog! Looking forward tot he start of the Arsenal season now that the WC has come to an end.
Cheers from Eastern US..Boston!
anyone noticed the latest cesc comment”im proud to have been an arsenal player” thats not sounding good
Final? What final?
Nah, seriously, that was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen, highly disapointing, not helped in the slightest by Webbs desire to blow his whistle for every little niggle. I watched the game (from behind the bar) on Dutch tv, but recorded it on BBC to watch it in it’s intirity later. The anti dutch/pro Spanish anaylisis was disguisting, Hanson the hypocrite was the worse, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Of course I’m biased towards Oranje, I’ve lived here for years, and I’ll be the first to admit that they were no angels last night, but they have been painted as the founders of anti football and Spain made out to be the sun that shines out of a diety’s backside.
Spain were ok, but they were hardly Brazil anno 1970, for all their tippy, tappy, tiki, toki, walki talki (or whatever it’s called) footy, how many goals did they manage? Most of their passing was square and across the middle, and not forward penetrating passing. They looked lost untill Cesc came on, he was their only forward thinking player and this with a midfield containing the now extreamly cleaned bottomed (get your toungue out Hanson) Xavi and Iniesta.
Speaking of the latter, I read a truly unfortunate blog, again on the Beeb website, hailing Iniesta as the “Mr Integrity” of football. I’ll be the first to admit that Iniesta is a great player and he doesn’t hog or seek the spotlight like many of his peers, but I don’t see how failing down when hardly touched, feigning injury and hounding the ref waving imaginary yellow cards can be construed as “having integrity”.
Watching and reading this utter tosh makes me glad I’ve never paid the tv licence fee.:)
Anyway, before I start to come over as a sore loser I’d like to congratulate Spain and her fans, well done and enjoy the party.
A nice cold pint of Lager please sir.
Cheers.
Pint of your finest cider please, guv.
“I had a text message of congratulations from Arsene Wenger. He said I deserve it. I just think this is for everyone at Arsenal who helped me get to where I am now. I am an Arsenal player and proud to be.”
check out sporting life .com
The press obviously move and change words around sometimes. Not sure who to rely on nowadays. Just have to be patient about it IMO.
@ Loft
Can you link the actual source for that text?
Sure thing. Here you go…
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=808372&sec=transfers&cc=5901
another site trying to make a name,funny after the line has been proud they say how it will fuel the fire on cesc looks like ive walked right into that one
John – not sure where you got that from? But my understanding is he actually said “I am an Arsenal player and I am proud to be.”
No ambiguity in that.
@ Loft Cheers fella
John, hahahaha…true! I have fell for many of those stories. I gave up awhile ago on the, Cesc saga until he says it himself! I thinking riding the bench has given him a wake up call, though. I do hope he stays and if he does then I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Sad..I will be!
if he “doesn’t” I meant.
Not sure why people are surprised that the 2010 world cup winners are underwhelming. It was the same in 06 and 02. It was the same in 94 and 90.
I was totally rooting for Spain as I’ve been appalled at this Dutch team throughout the tournament–incl. at least 3 clear leg-breaking tackles that were never punished. I say that as a longtime admirer of Dutch football.
And the Dutch complaining about Spanish diving and trying to influence the referee is a case of breathtaking hypocrisy. I had no sympathy for the Dutch when the Spanish started their antics (which started in retaliation), they deserved it entirely.
In the final, in the first 15 mins, Spain dominated by playing their football per usual. They weren’t diving or fouling. Then the Dutch started to kick their way thru the game as usual, and then Spain started to retaliate and dive.
The Dutch gameplan worked against Brazil, it didn’t against Spain.
And thank the football gods that Webb didn’t allow it to work. Webb in fact was too generous to Holland. They should’ve been down to 8 men. They should’ve been down to 10 men early in the Brazil game. They should’ve been down to 10 men early in the game v. Uruguay. They should’ve been down to 10 men midway v. Denmark.
2010 world cup final:
Thuggery 0 – 1 Football
The better game, as always, was the 3rd place match.
afc1974 i read the article on sporting life.com under title of fabregas win is for arsenal i hope its the site mischief making
John – that’s ok, I posted just after you replied anyway.
Hacks are pretty low in the great literary food chain with few exceptions. Amy Lawrence comes to mind and on occasion Martin Samuel.
The boy is staying and not just for next season – just ask Paul the Octopus 😉
Two wrongs dont make it right. Just imagine the kids watching, what would they have got out of the match?
Top post. Those were my thoughts exactly on the match. Bring on club football.
‘anyone noticed the latest cesc comment”im proud to have been an arsenal player” thats not sounding good’
John. You are a fail he said something along the lines of ”I won the world cup for the Arsenal players and for the Arsenal fans, I am proud to be part of such a great club”.
its no point arguing with John, he loves it, everytime you answear his stupidity you fuel his fire. His biggest goal is to anger arsenal fans, that is what he lives for. He sits at home 24/7 writing and screening arsenal blogs to spew on. Some play wow, John has found his niche in abusing arsenal fan pages. he is truly ” he who has no life”.
So leave the troll be, let him spew and be nasty, thats what trolls do.
just remember: dont feed the troll!
He said she said 🙂 I’ve given up Reading into footballers comments ! The one difference between Cesc and 90 percent of players is that he has a brain and that may well work in our favour if not The Arsenal have been just fine for the last 100+years and we are more than set for the next 100 🙂
Changing tact slightly if was Roy Hogson I’d sell Toress for as much as possible Hes a great player of that there is no doubt but he’s got serious hamstring and groan problems, There Is no way he will ever last a season in a high tempo league, Ive never in my life seen a player do an hour long warm up only to come on and then in his first serious sprint pull up injured, It goes to explain his poor lethargic displays mind as he must have been scared shitless of what was to come,
Groin even poxy phone 🙂 He does groan alot as well mind lol
Sorry but cannot go for this Spanish love in that has appeared all over the blogosphere.
7 of these twonks have taken their turn to tap up our Captain all summer and we should be pleased that Spain won for “football”?
Feck them I say (Cesc excepted).
It’s been a crap world cup anyway. Again.
Bring on the real stuff.
As I said in the previous blog post – it was very kind and classy of Cesc to remember Robin and dedicate the victory to long suffering gooners.
Now take some rest and come back – coz we need you & Robin..
Blimey Chippy, if you must be make post on here, then English I’s language to choice. The words of order is key here or confusion rains.
Ice cold point of larger please, barspeek.
🙂 The comment sections Yoda I am!
Am I the only one happy for Diego Forlan? Classy player in all regards, well deserving of the Golden Ball imho.
Marcus is right most world cup teams are underwhelming and most WC games are poor. This WC was no exception only worse because of a poor ball design and the vuvuzelas.
Still I disagree the lumping of Spain with last WC’s Italy. At least Spain were positive whereas Italy were simply another catenaccio team.
Cesc will come back and instill his winner’s mentality in the team, exactly what we needed for silverware this season!
jack and gulp please can i point out i commented on a post i saw ,if you feel the need to slag off a fellow gooner of 40 years thats your choice.i like many others hate those spanish twats and im not sitting at home fuelling the fire,afc1974 pointed out these shit reports and that was good to read i can understand where your coming from but your way off the mark
Lol it’s always twisting round to good old arsenal fans
playing the victims, u guys really r sommit!
Good point on Forlan, Matt.
I have emailed you as well, assuming the mail address you leave here is legit?
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Matt, agree about Forlan. Have to say he appears to have matured a hell of a lot since he was a ManU player, he not just played great but his general behaviour was honest and dignified.
Just read this – – – http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11781_6257761,00.html
Could it be that we are in for Seb Frey? 😉
Likewise. The WC has been a proper tits-up pissfest.
Wow! Johan Cruyff came out with all guns blazing:
“Sadly, they played very dirty. This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style… If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they lost. They should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two [such] ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage. It hurts me that Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title.
On Thursday they asked me from Holland ‘Can we play like Inter? Can we stop Spain in the same way Mourinho eliminated Barca?’
I said no, no way at all. I said no, not because I hate this style, I said no because I thought that my country wouldn’t dare to and would never renounce their style. I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style.
I was wrong. Of course I’m not hanging all 11 of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn’t want the ball.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8812484.stm
That one is for Snir:
“Fabregas came on and we began to dominate,” commented Del Bosque. “We had greater ball possession and depth in our game. We created chances for Cesc and David Villa which we could have converted.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8808991.stm
I do accept Cruyff as an example of those that highlight the Dutch approach last night and disregard the contribution of Spain’s assorted divers and actors and sly footsteppers.
I also feel the whole tournament was tainted by similar performances from many others. I have always argued that at the end of any competition the best team wins. That belief has been tested here.
Neither finalist was the bast team we had seen prior to this last week, but as I said last weekend, “Be aware though that the tournament will now be won by the team in the best form in this last week just starting, not the last three weeks.”
South Africa deserved better from their superbly organised tournament than that which has been served up by their ungrateful guests.
has anyone seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C36LisjvNuA&feature=player_embedded
Like many I was also very disappointed with the final. Very disappointed with the Dutch as I feel they are a far better side than that performance demonstrated. I really do not get the criticism of Webb and his colleagues. I agree with many who have said that the players throughout this tournament have not done themselves justice with their petty fouls and play acting. Apart from being completely wrong it makes the officials jobs much tougher. I really do not get managers that constantly moan, when they send their players out with that kind of attitude.
H2H. I admire your passion for your adopted homeland but think you are way off the mark. If it was not for Webb’s leniency the Dutch could have been down to 8 quite easily by the end of the game. Can someone please explain to me how Van Bommel actually manages to stay on the pitch? I have watched several games he has played in this season. I have never seen a player commit as many fouls in a single game.
The one positive for me has to be various comments made about the Spanish style. I accept there has been a lot of shite spoken in the media but most seem to agree that the Spanish were the best passing side and very good to watch. Now do those comments sound familiar to anyone out there????? I guess they should do. The popular view seems to be that as a result of the display last night that more and more are coming round to the idea that constant fouling to stop sides actually playing should be stamped down on with a lot more authority than it is currently. I am sure that I do not have to point out the potential benefits to an Arsenal side that has lumps kicked out of it at almost every venue it plays in.
Keep the faith.
Usama. Just watched that. Utter shite. When will someone actually teach these twats how to behave? They really need to be taken to task over this. FIFA, do your job…….
Usama, is that you mate? Haha, it would be funny if it was!
I saw the video it is pathetic! Barca is a POS!
@Loft good to see u posting here
Hahaha! Likewise.
Well guys yet another final the Dutch did not turn-up for they still hold their 100% record then.
No arguments the best team not only won the game but the whole tournament, these Spanish players are just that much better all over the park then any other team in the world @ the moment, well spotted Holic spend the £4 winnings wisely.
As for the game not much in the way of entertainment (until Cese came on anyway) with the Orange men doing their best to take-out the little wizard in the middle of the park, & just about anyone else with a blue shirt-on it seems. It surprised me as much as everyone because I actually don’t believe they (the Dutch) needed to resort to the tactics on the night, cos they are MUCH better players then that.
Yep & could not agree more the absents of passes going the way of VP all night was mind blowing & frustrating @ the same time, WHY WHY WHY would you NOT want to get the ball the your most dangerous player it fucking beats me???
Totally agree, it was a terrible advert for football but a fitting end to a tournament of similarly terrible football.
Looking forward to real football beginning again, hopefully Cesc will be lifting more lumps of metal above his head in 10 months or so for us.
Great blog, keep it up.
I take little pleasure from the fact I wagered more than a solitary pound, Lee.
Felt for H2H, to be honest. Thought of him and Catalan last night when I decided not to do a ‘gut feel’ piece at midnight. Probably very wise as I was in vitriolic mood.
usama, thanks for linking to that video. It is all over the web like a rash at the moment, and once again some brief reflection helps. I was livid when I first saw it, but pretty sure it will be counter productive now in so many ways. Puyol and Pique have fucked up big time, and what was Reina doing? He must be so proud of his contribution to Spain’s hollow triumph.
@Usama: great find. Nice to see how embarrassed Cesc was.
Steve T: Arsenal have handled Barca very well so far but I simply can’t wait until we report Barca to UEFA. I know big clubs have agreements etc but I think even if Barca escaped punishment it would be very beneficial for us in the future to fire a warning shot.
@all! thank u guys but my mates at red london and goonertalk did the finding i just posted this.
@holic u are too true sir.
@usama – am guessing the vid was 2 dicks putting a Barca shirt on Cesc as i just caught some of it on Sky Sports News.
Just noted ‘Holics comment – so it was.
Nicely summed up ‘Holic – afraid I gave up any interest in the whole thing before it even started.
So disappointed by the injuries and collapse at the end of last season, that, for the first time, I just wanted a complete break from watching football over the summer, so as to recharge for the new season.
Today’s comments from Cesc just prove what a class act he is.
Whatever the reasons and circumstances, i will just be delighted if he is still with us this coming season.
As Lars put it brilliantly recently (blonde vs brunette story), Cesc does love and respect Arsenal. It is not a surprise that any player would want to return to their boyhood club, one day, given a chance, but he has never, and will never give less than 100% for the Arsenal.
And so to perpetual gobshites Pique and Puyol. I am no international football coach but I do have some very good advice for both of them – just “fuck right off”. If you want to dress each other up, for god’s sake go and do it somewhere private – and leave a man like Cesc, who tries to behave with respect and dignity, to get on with it.
A year ago I admired Barcelona for their football.
One year on, they still play great football, but are, in my eyes, in every aspect, except Pep Guardiola, a classless rabble.
A classy, mature Red, if you have one Barman.
Kinda thought you had holic, are we talking enough to send 1 or 2 or more of those 6 six grandsons through Uni?
Ahhhhhhh just watched that clip posted by Usama, Barca wankers……
You could see by Cese’s face how impressed he was with it all, tells you a lot about the boy really.
The other good news today I suppose was that Wenger and Gazidis have told Rosell to “go spin on it”, so it would SEEM from that if there is any grain of truth in what has been reported in the month or so, then Cese will have to be the driving force in any move to Barca, personally I can’t see it happening this year & with any luck Barca will be skint next year so it won’t happen at all………
Good call Trev, re the “classless rabble” my experience tells me that THEY are all but ready to implode sooner rather then later if you ask me, because they no longer hold all the ace cards when it comes to buying the best players or keeping them for that matter!!!
I agree with you Matt but cant help feel that we will not report Barca. The longer this sorry tale continues the worse it is for us. I think that to date we have handled things very well but I do ask why we have not reported Barca to EUFA or FIFA? The only reason I can think of is that a deal is still a possibility and we do not want to prejudice our position. The worst case scenario as far as I can see is that this continues to drag on and a deal is done leaving us no time to bring in a replacement. I am sick to death of it all to be honest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2onN4AxazXo
they wont let go off him, will they? Puyol, Pique, Xavi and every other ***** breath ,.. I hate you with a passion!
Sorry, realise I am late to this but man……this is truly disgusting. Truly truly disgusting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C36LisjvNuA&feature=player_embedded
Even the worst World Cups have stuff to enjoy (even 1990!), it’s a shame the final was so poor as the knockout stages had been pretty decent. I think Spain deserved it anyway overall.
I’ll miss the World Cup, people here evidently don’t seem to like it much but watching football without having to support anyone for a few weeks is a nice change from the ups and down of the domestic season.
If I were to guess I’d say that that ridiculous shirt-pulling stunt does, if anything, indicate that Cesc may very well have told them he is staying at Arsenal. My hope of him staying has gone up considerably as of late, and that “I am an Arsenal player and proud to be” bit yesterday was really nice to read about. He has the potential to become a true legend at the Arsenal, I just hope he realizes and values that.
Oh, and since it’s quite early yet, I’ll just have a cup of tea with a shade of milk, please.
@ Usama (45). Bullshit like that is exactly why I want Barca-Loan-a to fail miserable and want Spain to follow. The cheek !! Utter cnuts!! Sorry for the language ‘holic.
Holic…Thanks for considering feelings…. but as long as you hadn’t thrown in any generalisations against the Spanish or Catalan people then I wouldn’t really have cared. You can say what you like about the team – that’s what the blog is about after all. Opinions.
Personally, I was jumping up and down in anger at some of the Dutch tackles, in disgust at how easily Inieasta went over for the red card, in mirth that the one time in his career Robben should have gone over he stayed on his feet, and finally in delight at the winning goal. In other words I was a neutral who overall wanted my family and friends to be happy.
That being said, you’d be hard pushed to know anything had actually happened here. The Catalans are, true to form, fairly underwhelmed by it all.
A pint of something strong for yourself and H2H.
Matt, I don’t really get why you wrote that, Del Bosque would have to be a fool not to recognize Cesc’s contribution, I was saying he should have played more but maybe that’s the conspiracy, ain’t it 🙂 ?
@Matt, Steve T and everyone really – I really think that we’re not reporting cause we’re guilty of tapping up too sometimes… I mean Chamakh talked to AW at the end of last year and I’m not sure that was totally legit, Koscielny also got the call from AW and then plead Lorient to release him.
If that’s not the case then I really don’t understand why we don’t report it… This definitely was the straw that broke… Way too much. Now I’m even more bummed they won the WC…
Mourinho, please slaughter them in La Liga and leave the UCL for us, we’ll take care of them.
(By the way, I’ve watched the 2-2 at Emirates vs. Barca – we gave them wayyyyyyyyy too much respect, cause when we did press the “gas pedal” they were all over the place)
I have never been more supportive of Real Madrid in my life… This is the time to break Barca’s hegemony.
And another thing – @ Lars – The more I think of it, I think you’re right, I really do think that they’ve understood that he won’t be joining Barca and “tried one last trick”…
And just to clarify, if anyone needed any more obvious comment that Cesc’s staying it’s AW’s comment on Gourcuff – “I like the player a lot but we’re sufficiently cover in midfield”…
Well if we wouldn’t have had Cesc we wouldn’t be sufficiently covered meaning we do have Cesc 🙂
Good points there Snir Geuli
ARGHHH!!! I just can’t stand Le Grove… If there’s one way AW will be fired/not extending his contract due to crowd pressure it will surely come from those posts on that blog.
They just poison AFC fans on everyone – AW, Cesc, Diaby, Koscielny, Gazidis…
I mean, c’mon… At least get your facts right… You can’t come down on the club for having good players that teams want to buy and say it doesn’t happen to Chelsea/Utd cause it does… Just look at Lampard/Cole/Ronaldo/Rooney etc… It’s perfectly fine to criticize but I feel like they’re criticizing Arsenal for everything, even if our players would start training at 11 they would criticize Arsenal for not training at 11:01.
I know I brought it up last week but I really think those posts are really not healthy for both the club and the fans that actually get influenced by that shit.
Snir
I know what you’re saying… but don’t go there! It only stresses you, and there ain’t nowt you can do about it, other than giving them more publicity. They don’t care, so neither should you (about them).
Really mate, take no notice of that site. Nobody with at least one brain cell does. Look at the standard of the comments and understand the retards that read the drivel posted by those bitter cunts.
Don’t read it.
Steve T, you’re probably right mate, as I mentioned I wasn’t exactly watching from a neutral perspective, it was just dissapointing to see such a toilet filler of a game to end the WC (all puns intended)
You’re spot on about De Jong he should of been off, Mr Mayagi would of been proud of that tackle, as we have seen on numerous occasions in the PL, he is a very clumsy player and gets tons of bookings, v Bommel on the other hand is not clumsy, he is cynical, I don’t really like the player that he is, but sometimes wonder if it’s the kind of “fire” that we miss in the Arsenal rear guard. Before I get hammered by the purists, many people thought Vieira was the same kind of player.
Holic’ don’t worry about me old mate, I’d never get offended over international football, I was supporting my birth nation, England, in the tournament too. You can’t get much more offended then watching that. 😉
Cheers.
And of course, pour a round from me for the lads.,
H2H
The bottom line is that if we want to play the beautiful game, and want to take the moral high ground against Allardyce and Pulis etc, then the last thing we need is Van Bommel or anyone like him.
Van Bommel of course would fit into the English game quite naturally – you would then see a complete change of tune from Messrs Hansen when he put a few Arsenal players into the treatment room.
Cheers, Holics. Thanks again for an excellent post, and conversation at the bar. Your particular pain Holic at the look on the young one’s faces stays with me- I was utterly disappointed with both sides lack of commitment to what it seems to me they could do best, play beautiful, effective football.
And I agree with Snir wholeheartedly that I have never liked Barca less…
A cheer for Forlan, thank you South Africa, and anything Snir wants on me!
(That video disgusts me- I’ll have a glass of Hennessy, if you will.)
With all that said, I have to say I was moved by Casillas’ response to victory. His tears where the only genuine thing I saw from Spain (short of Cesc). I’ve always hoped he’d consider a switch- but congratulations to him.
Cheers Pires…
Can anyone please tell me the whole “how we got Cesc at the age of 16” story?
I’ve heard from a friend it’s because in Spain you’re not allowed to sign professional contracts until you’re 18 while in the UK you’re allowed to sign such contracts when you’re 16 and we took advantage of that and Barca couldn’t do a thing against it even if they did want to keep him.
From this version of the story, it does sound like we stole him… Can anyone shed some light in this story?
If Barca wanted to keep him but couldn’t due to bureaucracy then it is stealing (Not that I really care, but the whole story has been interesting me for quite some time now).
Snir.
“Stole” maybe too strong a word, Cesc (and family) thought he’d have more of a chance of first team footy under the guidence of Wenger. Barca will tell you all the crap about DNA etc, but he has developed into the player he is today with us. Xavi and Pique can shove their DNA up their backsides, there’s red and white blood corsing through his vains.
Here’s something recent from the beeb;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/8718064.stm
H2H – Don’t get me wrong, I know he’s been the player he is thanks to us and not them… They didn’t regard him as a player with a future (as opposed to Merida) and now they’re chasing him like mad dogs.
But I really wanna know what happened there and how it was done, it’s not like Gai Assulin who didn’t renew his contract or is it?
If you turn down the sound of your computer and just listen what do you hear? Silence
If you tap up our best player constantly what do you hear from FIFA, UEFA or even our club Arsenal? Silence
Maybe we should do something about it. We are not only being disrespected by those B-arse-a cu Next tuesdays, by FIFA and Uefa but also by our own club for standing back and letting it happen.
I am going to set up a petition which we can send to FIFA and Arsenal demanding they report Barca for blatant tapping up. The petition will be on face book on the its up for grabs page – in discussions
Sign up and lets do something about it!
Snir, if Cesc would have wanted to stay at Barca he would have stayed, professional contract or not. That it should have ever had anything to do with the contract is something that Barca started to claim once they realized that they had messed up.
Congratulations to Pique and PooHole – they even managed to sour Cesc’s celebration for winning the World Cup in front of the king of Spain.
He looked embarassed enough at the time as the pair of twats tried to force their shirt over his head – when he shows footage of the celebrations to his own children and grandchildren one day, what will he have to show them? Two idiots embarassing him during his moment of glory – wonderful.
I agree with Lars that it makes them look increasingly desparate to try to force him into Barcelona.
And whether he goes or not, he has tried throughout to behave with total respect towards everything concerned with Arsenal. That’s why we genuinely value him more than Barca do.
Big bully Barca just cannot get over the fact that we “stole” him from them, and they cannot rest until they have him back. That’s why they are trying to force a steal of their own, by getting him on the cheap through the pressure they are trying to create.
Well here’s the thing – how exactly did we effect this theft?
Was Cesc snatched in the middle of the night with a sack over his head, drugged and thrown in a plane.
Or maybe he walked away from Barcelona of his own free will, having had what he considered to be a better offer.
That does not, in my book, sound very much like stealing.
The other point I wanted to make last night – but it got too late – has now been mentioned partly by Arseblogger today, but it is this:
I believe (but could be wrong) that Andres Iniesta is from Madrid, at any rate not a Catalunian.
What would have been the reaction of Pique, PooHole and Co. if Cassillas and Alonso had forced a Real Madrid shirt over Iniesta’s head during those celebrations?
A Real Madrid shirt on the scorer of the cup-winning goal, now of Barcelona.
Classless, ignorant, selfish bullies. Qualities Barcelona are breeding from the top down.
Guys, I just wanted to find out exactly what happened back then out of curiosity and mainly so I could use it against my Barca friends in our endless debates, I wasn’t stating we stole him.
@Trev – Did you find anything about that St. Albans thing?
http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/8267139.Fabregas_coming_to_St_Albans_/
So maybe he didn’t really say I wanna leave to AW in “that” talk they had cause it says here he bought the house 3 weeks (!!!) ago which in speculation land is like 3 years.
I’m starting to wonder what he did say to AW during that talk… Maybe somewhere around the line of “Look around and see what you can do about a move to Barca, as a general idea”.
And Trev, you got me wondering so I checked- Iniesta was born in Albacete, and played there from ages 10-12 and then moved to Barca…
Fuck him and his big mouth too.
Snir – will see my estate agent contact in the morning. Let you know.
Just to go back to the debate about the state of Barcelona’s finances, I just found this very interesting piece in The Guardian:
“It is very worrying”
Holic,
Not sure your about, But i was wondering if you would do a piece on the Littlewoods cup tie at the Lane in 87″
The reason i ask is i was watching some videos of it last night and it still brings goosebumps and if you were at the game it would be great to hear of your experiences,
Im sure some may be very surprised by how seriously the comp was taken in those days and of course the level of joy it brought when Rocky rammed the PAs words back down his throat :-),
Snir – saw my man this morning, and he has no knowledge of Cesc buying in St. Albans. If it has happened, it would most probably NOT be for Cesc to live in, because he already lives in a £6million high tech place in Highgate (London), and there are no moves afoot to sell that either.
Don’t know why the St Albans Review would make the story up, so maybe it’s just an investment.
I should say, in case folk from AFC read this blog, that I have known this estate agent for over 10 years – he does deal with AFC, but NEVER divulges names of players arriving until they are announced by the club.
Andres Iniesta, shown last night on Sky Sports News with the sole apparant purpose of promoting Barcelona’s latest piece of tappy-uppy, says that Cesc SHOULD join Barcelona, not just because he is a team mate (really?) and a friend, but also because he would give them a “big jump up” in quality, and would allow them to carry on competing for the biggest competitions.
Well, no conflict with our interests there then. I think we should let them take him for whatever paltry sum they feel good enough to offer!
And UEFA and FIFA – who license the clubs and agents who represent all these big-mouths – do their usual: absolutely nothing.
Cheers from Minneapolis where I watched the final at Brit’s Pub, an excellent spot if you happen to be coming through. Great atmosphere although mostly loser (on the day) Dutch supporters. Enough of the speculation about Cesc and let him enjoy his moment in the sun. Come on the new season and up the Arse!
Is their any chance to start a petition to hand the board stating the fans’ will to report Barcelona to Uefa/Fifa?
I’m asking cause I don’t know how petitions are taken at the Emirates and if the board even takes notice of fans’ petitions?
Seriously I can’t stand this anymore, I feel like I HAVE to do something to ease my rage.
Chippy – great idea, and one stored for future use.
Snir, rage not. The petition idea has a place, but not on this issue. The major European clubs have (or certainly had) an agreement in place not to take any action against each other and present a united face to the football authorities in the event that any breakaway were necessary.
Arsenal won’t report Barca directly, and the lack of any action from UEFA or FIFA tells you about the nervousness that both federations and the clubs have for each other.
Trev, thanks for that input.
@Lars: Interesting bits in that article on Barca’s finances.
They had no problem securing the loan though: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jKyGRySSYez6yVRen7HQU5rfVEtA
Now that they have the money they won’t relent. Considering we’re only mid-July there’s enough time left to piss off Gazidis and Wenger enough that they will complain to UEFA.
`Holic: it seems to me this is only true to a certain extent considering the CSKA London ban even if it was rescinded. And with the state of the clubs’ finances they don’t have as much leverage as they used to, the threat of a break away does not seem very credible at the moment.
FIFA and UEFAhave been focussing on the WC so far. In a few weeks they’ll be back to business as usual, which means we shouldn’t expect drastic action but at the same time surprises can’t be totally discarded.