Blades Preview – And Platini, The Pale Shadow
Oct 30th, 2007 by 'holic
Sheffield United is a name that stirs relatively few memories. They have flitted in and out of the top flight during my many years and the only memorable trip I made to Bramall Lane was to see Malcolm Macdonald at his peak in a seventies cup tie.
In recent years the most significant meeting saw us, quite rightly, offer to replay an FA Cup tie at Highbury after the infamous Marc Overmars ‘winner’ in 1999, and no, I haven’t forgotten their 1-0 win over us last season in Yorkshire.
With all due respect to our friends in the north this Carling Cup encounter will be all about those representing the current leaders of the Premier League. I’ll accept every charge of arrogance levelled at me, but the Arsenal squad players have a remarkable recent record in this competition, and their attitude will determine the result of this contest.
Arsene Wenger hints at some of the players who will feature on Arsenal.com, and his insistence that Gilberto will play will be welcomed by many who see the Brazilian World Cup winner challenging for a return to the team to face Manchester United on Saturday.
The line-up will remain a relatively closely guarded secret until shortly before kick-off, but won’t be too far from Fabianski ; Eboue, Gilberto, Song, Hoyte ; Walcott, Diarra, Denilson, Diaby ; Bendtner, Eduardo. I’ll wager at least eight of those will start.
There may be an element of weakness at the back if I am correct, so the ‘holic pound will once again allow for the opposition to score. I’ll take us to score three. Squad players or not that line-up looks to have too much firepower for a Championship side provided the attitude is right, and rarely does Arsene Wenger put a side out with the wrong approach.
I cannot let the day go without referring to the astonishing words of Michel Platini, as reported widely.
“I do not like the system of Arsene Wenger,” he said.
“In France, Italy and Spain it is easy to buy with money the best players at 14, 15 or 16. I don’t like that.
“If my son is playing at Millwall and at 16 Manchester (United) come in for this player then when will Millwall have a good team?”
Yes, these were the words of the former player who couldn’t wait to move from his first club, Nancy, to Saint Etienne, and then depart his country for Juventus! These were the words of a man in a position of responsibility who clearly does not realise that a youngster in the Millwall set-up could not move to a club in the north at the age of sixteen under the existing FA rules.
Platini gave pleasure to those of us who saw him ply his trade with the French side that won the European Championship in 1984. Quite rightly he has benefited from the money and fame that his skills treated him to. How remarkable that he should now be regularly associated with such absurd ramblings. A footballer you were Michel, an administrator and politician you are clearly not.
May I suggest you look a little more deeply into why we (and by we I mean all English clubs, not just Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal!) can bring young players into this country from the European Union before we can attract English lads who live less than a tank full of petrol from home.
Might I further suggest you look at why we can bring in a Fabregas earlier, and for one twenty-fifth the price of a Walcott, before you shoot your mouth off. May I ask you to name the clubs who are producing better English players than Arsenal, even though we are having to let them fulfill their potential elsewhere.
Platini, you are becoming a huge embarrassment to football. What a shame.
4 Responses to “Blades Preview – And Platini, The Pale Shadow”
Is there something wrong with Armand Traore? If not, surely he will start at LB, with Hoyte at RB.
Platini is a fool and to think I liked him as a player.
I understand that his responsibility is to the run the game for the good of the game and to take the high visionary ground but it is simply not good enough.
Because I cannot remember him winning the Champion’s League with Millwall.
He is also saying that he wants his son, if he has a football playing son, to stay at Millwall and not aspire to Arsenal. In five years at Millwall he will learn how to boot a ball into the clouds and win some headers at a corner. In 6 months at Arsenal he will learn to play football and grow into a valuable player.
He is also saying that he does not like youth playing football at the highest level. He would rather see an old Gary Neville chop players down than a young Armand Traore fill the stadium with free running and skillful football primed to attack.
He must also be quite jealous of AW. Wenger has done the most noble thing by lifting youth into playing for a great team at the highest level and in the most awe-inspiring fashion.
Anyway buying youth is harder than buying established players. So it is not easy to do. It is also harer to mould them into a team. If it were so easy and economical why doesn’t everybody do it? Oh no they would rather by Dwight Yorke or Andy Cole at 36 than try a Adebayor or Denilson.
If Platini was running Arsenal he would loan out Fab to Barnet, Denilson to Accrington Stanley, Theo to Bournemouth and on and on.
Platini looks like scoring an own goal; sixes and sevens.
Adam, Armand is away with the French youth squad I was told. I got Eboue wrong though, looks like Gavin Hoyte could make the step up possibly.
Arsenal Three, thanks for dropping by with a great comment.
433, I can’t be far wrong if you agree!