Arsenal's struggles this term have fostered a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the support towards some of the team’s perceived underperformers. Nicklas Bendtner, Emmanuel Eboue and Emmanuel Adebayor have been the three biggest victims of the boo-boys this season.
In a recent incident, Adebayor was apparently subjected to a verbal attack at Lagos airport. The disgruntled fan is reported to have yelled: “You get paid £80,000 a week to put the ball in the back of the net and you’re still fucking rubbish. I pay good money for a season ticket to pay your wages.”
The full story can be read here:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2259312.ece
The extent to which each player has earned this abuse differs. Eboue has been pretty poor, and his childish behaviour does nothing to help his cause; but in his defence he is clearly being played out of position.
Bendtner is another one whose attitude lets him down. At his best he is a great player, the problem is we rarely see his best. This is expected of a young player and does not in itself make him deserving of derision. What rankles with the fans is his apparent arrogance, which appears acutely unwarranted.
However, for all their flaws, it can at least be said of Eboue and Bendtner that they try hard, Bendtner especially. Adebayor, by contrast, seems to be living on passed glories.
Last season was a fruitful one for the towering Togolese. He stepped out of the shadows after the departure of T14 to plunder 30 goals in all competitions – a wonderful return.
It was off the back of this that he became a man in demand. Milan and Barcelona were among the clubs trying to prise him from Arsenal, with bids around the £25m mark being touted.
Arsenal, however, held firm. They demonstrated their intention to keep hold of their best players by offering the striker a sizeable salary increase to extend his contract. Despite the lure of two of Europe’s glamour clubs, Adebayor was persuaded to sign on.
This should have been springboard for another explosive season, yet it appears to onlookers that Adebayor has gone backwards. It’s not just that the goals have dried up, but the tireless running and harrying that was the basis of his success last term appears to have evaporated also.
It seems to many fans that Adebayor has fallen for his own hype. He is satisfied with his new contract and has simply stopped trying as hard. This has left some ruing the missed opportunity to cash-in on the striker during the summer, with media reports suggesting he may be shipped out this time round for significantly less money.
Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing. Although fans were upset by Adebayor’s apparent soliciting of new suitors to secure a bigger contract, there is no doubt that many were unhappy with the prospect of the club’s star striker being sold for the second successive year.
Arsenal were in serious danger of being labelled a selling club – the kiss of death for a team with ambitions to attract top players and challenge for honours. It was therefore imperative that Arsenal flex their muscle and resist the advances from Italy and Spain.
That the decision perhaps appears wrong in retrospect is irrelevant. The fact is that the Arsenal board had a very difficult decision to make.
In the end they decided to avoid the inevitable backlash that would have followed Adebayor’s departure. It is one thing to offload the aging legs of Vieira, Henry and Pires; quite another to be forced into the sale of player in his prime.
The only remedy for this situation is for Adebayor to pull his proverbial socks up. He needs to stop taking his place in the side for granted and show again why he has drawn the gaze of the likes of Milan. If he does this he will silence the critics and go some way to helping Arsenal return to the top four.
Saturday 21 February 2009
Thursday 19 February 2009
Eduardo’s return highlights Arsenal’s problem
The news is that Eduardo has suffered a setback in his return from injury. Thankfully it’s not directly related to the horrific break he sustained almost a year ago but the pulled hamstring is expected to keep him out for another couple of weeks.
Talking to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday, manager Arsène Wenger said these types of setbacks are to be expected.
“Nobody knows how it happened,” he said, “but I knew straight away after the game it would be a two-week job. It is nothing like he had before but I do know that little set-backs like this are part of being nine months out.
“After that long out, nobody plays six months on the trot. It is impossible.”
That will not change the fact that this is a blow to Arsenal. The dynamic brand of football that has become a hallmark of Arsène Wenger’s team has been missing of late, yet it appeared to have returned along with the reintroduction of Eduardo in Monday night’s rescheduled FA Cup fourth round replay against Cardiff.
His smart link up play and off-the-ball running opened up the away team’s defences again and again, and showed everyone exactly what the team had been missing since that fateful day in Birmingham.
Indeed his impact was such that it made me wonder how the team might have fared if the terrible injury had never occurred. Might Arsenal have won the league last year? The question is academic, but there’s every possibility.
Some people will argue, however, that injuries are part and parcel of the game and that a squad needs to be able to cope with them. Indeed I often hear it said these days that it’s the team with the best squad that wins the league. Man United being a case in point.
There is a large dollop of truth in this argument, but what it fails to take account of is the fact that a top football team is like a well-oiled engine.
You get the desired result only if all the constituent parts are operational. If a part is damaged, a skilled mechanic may be able to find a temporary solution, but the engine will only return to full working order if the broken part is either replaced or fixed.
It is practically impossible to have a direct replacement for every player in the team. Most managers could not afford it and, even if they could, there would be the added problem of having to rotate to keep players happy.
Having a good squad therefore means having a good balance of players that can deputise for each other on a short-term basis. With long-term injuries, however, the only ways to restore equilibrium are to purchase a direct replacement or wait until the injured player returns.
Arsène Wenger parted with significant funds to bring Eduardo to the Emirates to perform a specific and crucial role in his team. When Eduardo got injured, his team suffered a breach that it was near impossible to repair.
Not having the funds to replace the player, Wenger was forced to make do with an unconvincing patch-up job until this week. Unsurprisingly this has had a massive impact on the fortunes of his team.
Much has been made of Arsenal’s poor form this term, but it is easily overlooked just how beset by injury the squad has been.
Another key figure out for over a year has been Tomas Rosicky. ‘The Little Mozart’ so nicknamed has been in and out of the team with injuries so often that people forget just how big a loss he is, yet we’re talking here about the captain of the Czech Republic.
The injury woes suffered by Robin van Persie in past seasons are well known. Thankfully, this season, he seems okay, yet the club have instead been hit by long-term injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas. To compound the situation, the injuries seem to be unduly concentrated on the team’s attacking options.
You can say a title-winning manager needs a squad that can cope with injuries, but no manager can possibly legislate for the number of injuries Arsenal have had all at the same time.
The extent of the problem is highlighted by the fact that when the injured return, Arsène Wenger will have to pick from an attacking line-up of Van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo, Bendtner, Vela, Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas, Arshavin and Nasri. That’s one short of an entire team.
I’m just hoping the manager get’s the opportunity before the season is out.
Talking to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday, manager Arsène Wenger said these types of setbacks are to be expected.
“Nobody knows how it happened,” he said, “but I knew straight away after the game it would be a two-week job. It is nothing like he had before but I do know that little set-backs like this are part of being nine months out.
“After that long out, nobody plays six months on the trot. It is impossible.”
That will not change the fact that this is a blow to Arsenal. The dynamic brand of football that has become a hallmark of Arsène Wenger’s team has been missing of late, yet it appeared to have returned along with the reintroduction of Eduardo in Monday night’s rescheduled FA Cup fourth round replay against Cardiff.
His smart link up play and off-the-ball running opened up the away team’s defences again and again, and showed everyone exactly what the team had been missing since that fateful day in Birmingham.
Indeed his impact was such that it made me wonder how the team might have fared if the terrible injury had never occurred. Might Arsenal have won the league last year? The question is academic, but there’s every possibility.
Some people will argue, however, that injuries are part and parcel of the game and that a squad needs to be able to cope with them. Indeed I often hear it said these days that it’s the team with the best squad that wins the league. Man United being a case in point.
There is a large dollop of truth in this argument, but what it fails to take account of is the fact that a top football team is like a well-oiled engine.
You get the desired result only if all the constituent parts are operational. If a part is damaged, a skilled mechanic may be able to find a temporary solution, but the engine will only return to full working order if the broken part is either replaced or fixed.
It is practically impossible to have a direct replacement for every player in the team. Most managers could not afford it and, even if they could, there would be the added problem of having to rotate to keep players happy.
Having a good squad therefore means having a good balance of players that can deputise for each other on a short-term basis. With long-term injuries, however, the only ways to restore equilibrium are to purchase a direct replacement or wait until the injured player returns.
Arsène Wenger parted with significant funds to bring Eduardo to the Emirates to perform a specific and crucial role in his team. When Eduardo got injured, his team suffered a breach that it was near impossible to repair.
Not having the funds to replace the player, Wenger was forced to make do with an unconvincing patch-up job until this week. Unsurprisingly this has had a massive impact on the fortunes of his team.
Much has been made of Arsenal’s poor form this term, but it is easily overlooked just how beset by injury the squad has been.
Another key figure out for over a year has been Tomas Rosicky. ‘The Little Mozart’ so nicknamed has been in and out of the team with injuries so often that people forget just how big a loss he is, yet we’re talking here about the captain of the Czech Republic.
The injury woes suffered by Robin van Persie in past seasons are well known. Thankfully, this season, he seems okay, yet the club have instead been hit by long-term injuries to Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas. To compound the situation, the injuries seem to be unduly concentrated on the team’s attacking options.
You can say a title-winning manager needs a squad that can cope with injuries, but no manager can possibly legislate for the number of injuries Arsenal have had all at the same time.
The extent of the problem is highlighted by the fact that when the injured return, Arsène Wenger will have to pick from an attacking line-up of Van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo, Bendtner, Vela, Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas, Arshavin and Nasri. That’s one short of an entire team.
I’m just hoping the manager get’s the opportunity before the season is out.
Monday 16 February 2009
Writer's bollock
Hi guys! So look, here’s the deal. I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with something good to write. It’s been hard going.
There’s always the failsafe formula: a drawn-out diatribe about the increasingly un-mighty Arsenal.
Scribing something with genuine insight and originality is rare, but knocking out the kind of throwaway tat you’d think twice about using to wipe your arse is as easy as… well… wiping your arse.
It’s the journalistic equivalent of heading down the pub with the lads, sinking ten pints and putting the brain on autopilot. I wonder what percentage of pub-based interactions begin with the hook: so, did you see the match? It’s a straightforward icebreaker. It puts men at ease because there’s just always more worthless drivel you can spout about football.
Sadly, however, there is only so much one can read, which is why I am attempting to free myself from the stifling embrace of football chatter. But it’s hard. I feel lost and emasculated. I’m kicking frantically but I’m barely able to keep my head above water.
Death is hastened by the downward thrusts of those kicking alongside me. Natural selection at its cruel best. To make matters worse, some make it look easy. Effortlessly they rise, their winged silhouettes just visible against the brilliant sunlight. Every beat lifts them further from the dead and dying.
Fjhdeoffeujdefwui9j pujrgfujro9ujre ujwqu9y549uf. What the… Oh… I’m sorry. It appears I stopped writing for a second and involuntarily started beating myself about the head with my keyboard. Where was I? Ah, yes, writing.
I don’t know why, but I do sometimes find it really difficult write. It’s not that I have difficulty finding the words to express myself, I just don’t think I have anything worth saying. Perhaps I’m being harsh on myself – or perhaps I do in fact lead a life so boring that I can’t even be bothered to fin…
There’s always the failsafe formula: a drawn-out diatribe about the increasingly un-mighty Arsenal.
Scribing something with genuine insight and originality is rare, but knocking out the kind of throwaway tat you’d think twice about using to wipe your arse is as easy as… well… wiping your arse.
It’s the journalistic equivalent of heading down the pub with the lads, sinking ten pints and putting the brain on autopilot. I wonder what percentage of pub-based interactions begin with the hook: so, did you see the match? It’s a straightforward icebreaker. It puts men at ease because there’s just always more worthless drivel you can spout about football.
Sadly, however, there is only so much one can read, which is why I am attempting to free myself from the stifling embrace of football chatter. But it’s hard. I feel lost and emasculated. I’m kicking frantically but I’m barely able to keep my head above water.
Death is hastened by the downward thrusts of those kicking alongside me. Natural selection at its cruel best. To make matters worse, some make it look easy. Effortlessly they rise, their winged silhouettes just visible against the brilliant sunlight. Every beat lifts them further from the dead and dying.
Fjhdeoffeujdefwui9j pujrgfujro9ujre ujwqu9y549uf. What the… Oh… I’m sorry. It appears I stopped writing for a second and involuntarily started beating myself about the head with my keyboard. Where was I? Ah, yes, writing.
I don’t know why, but I do sometimes find it really difficult write. It’s not that I have difficulty finding the words to express myself, I just don’t think I have anything worth saying. Perhaps I’m being harsh on myself – or perhaps I do in fact lead a life so boring that I can’t even be bothered to fin…
Monday 9 February 2009
The Demise of Arsenal?
The myriad football forums and message boards on the internet do not make pleasant reading for Arsenal fans. With the exception of a few doughty souls, those with the will to pass comment speak in unison: Arsenal are a team on the slide.
Our best days are behind us, we are told. Our team is too young. Our new stadium has crippled us financially making us unable to compete in the transfer market.
We are, apparently, no longer a top team. We will soon be relegated to a meagre existence of UEFA Cup football, unable to gorge on the luxuriant delights served on Europe’s top table. In our place will be everyone’s new favourite second team: Aston Villa.
Villa are loved almost as much as Arsenal are despised. Crudely, this is because Aston Villa, unlike Arsenal, have the celebrated “English core”. You see, you can’t win anything with pampered foreign pansies. Some people want nothing more than to see the stoic English lionhearts put one over the cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
What interests me is whether the doom-mongers and gleeful opposition fans are right? How much of the talk can be put down to sledging tactics, media hyperbole and latent xenophobia, and how much is sound judgement based on good evidence?
Honestly, I think there’s little of substance in all the chatter.
Clearly, Arsenal have had a poor season. Their underachievement is marked against a previous season in which the club flirted with success and is highlighted still further by the strides made my Villa in the current campaign.
Much of this poor form can be attributed to bad luck with injuries. To be without four key attacking outlets – Rosicky, Fabregas, Walcott and Eduardo – for significant lengths of time is something the manager could not legislate for.
This lack of potency is evidenced by a worrying goal drought and partly explains the club’s decision to depart from the established transfer strategy and spend big on the relatively ancient Andrei Arshavin.
In addition to the unforeseen problems, there are problems that Wenger has brought on himself. Even my pet mole could see that last season's progress was founded largely on the superb midfield combination of Fabregas and Flamini… or Fabini… or Flabregas.
Flamini’s tireless running and tackling gave Fabregas the time and space to work his magic. Given the opportunity to get his head up, Fabregas was able to pick out the willing runs of Adebayor and Eduardo time and time again. The supply line was so bountiful that the naturally profligate Adebayor was able to plunder 30 goals.
Wenger clearly did not expect Flamini to leave – I’m sure he would have held on to Diarra otherwise. Yet once it became clear that Flamini was to accept the advances of Milan, Wenger should have made it his number one priority to find a suitable replacement.
If reports are to be believed, Wenger did indeed try to find a successor in the form of either Gokhan Inler or Xabi Alonso. However he made it clear that he would not pay over the odds for his man, assuring us that he had confidence in the players already at the club to rise to the challenge.
Though he would never admit it, that confidence appears to have been misplaced. Perhaps in contrast to the majority, I actually think Diaby and Denilson – the two players most frequently deployed in defensive midfield this season – are both good players. In fact, I’ve seen enough to think they have the potential to be great players.
That said, I don’t think they are very good defensive midfielders. Denilson does not have the physicality to defend and Diaby does not have the inclination. Had Wenger purchased the right kind of player to partner Cesc, the season may have been different.
Wenger would also have done well to purchase a real battering ram of a defender. Like good centre-mid partnerships, a good defensive pairing will compliment each other's talents. One to get to every first ball and one to mop up and bring the ball out of defence. Arsenal have several players who fit into the second mould but none who fit into the first.
Given these problems, why do I think the prognostications of demise are premature?
Well, simply, because the problems Arsenal have are easily remedied. There is clearly a lot of talent, both current and future. All that is needed are a number of choice acquisitions in the positions already mentioned. Given what the team nearly achieved last season, there is no reason to think they cannot do one better once the deficiencies are properly addressed.
The team may be hard pushed to make the Champions League this season given Villa’s relentless form, but Villa’s form must be seen for exactly what it is: form.
Things can change very quickly in football and there’s no reason to think Villa have what it takes to permanently deprive Arsenal of their top four status. Class, as they say, is permanent, and people are quick to dismiss the fact that Arsenal’s success is build on years of experience in the top echelons of the league.
Financially too the club is extremely well managed. The new stadium may have required a tightening of the belt, but the loan repayments are manageable. Just like a homeowner repaying a mortgage, Arsenal still have disposable income. What is more, this is income generated by the club itself and not gifted by a wealthy benefactor.
Unlike like Leeds, the club’s business model is not dependent on Champions League qualification. Although the loss of the Champions League revenue would be harmful, it would not be mortal.
People have suggested the greatest danger would not be loss of income but the loss of prestige and the loss of players that would result in failure to reach Europe’s premier club competition. There is always this possibility, but I’m confident that Arsenal’s players would choose to stay.
Firstly, they would shoulder some of the blame for the club’s failure to qualify and I think professional pride would motivate them to stay and put the record straight.
Secondly, the majority of Arsenal’s players are young enough that a season out of the Champions League would not be a disaster. If the team failed to qualify for successive seasons, the situation would change.
There are recent precedents in the form of Bayern Munich and AC Milan that a single season without Champions League is not fatal. Indeed, Bayern Munich successfully recruited Franck Ribery and Luca Toni without the lure of Champions League football and Milan captured both Flamini and Ronaldinho.
If Arsenal continue to adopt a long-term prudential strategy there is no reason to think they will go the way of Leeds and every reason to think that they will resist the challenge from below and get back to challenging for domestic and European honours.
Our best days are behind us, we are told. Our team is too young. Our new stadium has crippled us financially making us unable to compete in the transfer market.
We are, apparently, no longer a top team. We will soon be relegated to a meagre existence of UEFA Cup football, unable to gorge on the luxuriant delights served on Europe’s top table. In our place will be everyone’s new favourite second team: Aston Villa.
Villa are loved almost as much as Arsenal are despised. Crudely, this is because Aston Villa, unlike Arsenal, have the celebrated “English core”. You see, you can’t win anything with pampered foreign pansies. Some people want nothing more than to see the stoic English lionhearts put one over the cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
What interests me is whether the doom-mongers and gleeful opposition fans are right? How much of the talk can be put down to sledging tactics, media hyperbole and latent xenophobia, and how much is sound judgement based on good evidence?
Honestly, I think there’s little of substance in all the chatter.
Clearly, Arsenal have had a poor season. Their underachievement is marked against a previous season in which the club flirted with success and is highlighted still further by the strides made my Villa in the current campaign.
Much of this poor form can be attributed to bad luck with injuries. To be without four key attacking outlets – Rosicky, Fabregas, Walcott and Eduardo – for significant lengths of time is something the manager could not legislate for.
This lack of potency is evidenced by a worrying goal drought and partly explains the club’s decision to depart from the established transfer strategy and spend big on the relatively ancient Andrei Arshavin.
In addition to the unforeseen problems, there are problems that Wenger has brought on himself. Even my pet mole could see that last season's progress was founded largely on the superb midfield combination of Fabregas and Flamini… or Fabini… or Flabregas.
Flamini’s tireless running and tackling gave Fabregas the time and space to work his magic. Given the opportunity to get his head up, Fabregas was able to pick out the willing runs of Adebayor and Eduardo time and time again. The supply line was so bountiful that the naturally profligate Adebayor was able to plunder 30 goals.
Wenger clearly did not expect Flamini to leave – I’m sure he would have held on to Diarra otherwise. Yet once it became clear that Flamini was to accept the advances of Milan, Wenger should have made it his number one priority to find a suitable replacement.
If reports are to be believed, Wenger did indeed try to find a successor in the form of either Gokhan Inler or Xabi Alonso. However he made it clear that he would not pay over the odds for his man, assuring us that he had confidence in the players already at the club to rise to the challenge.
Though he would never admit it, that confidence appears to have been misplaced. Perhaps in contrast to the majority, I actually think Diaby and Denilson – the two players most frequently deployed in defensive midfield this season – are both good players. In fact, I’ve seen enough to think they have the potential to be great players.
That said, I don’t think they are very good defensive midfielders. Denilson does not have the physicality to defend and Diaby does not have the inclination. Had Wenger purchased the right kind of player to partner Cesc, the season may have been different.
Wenger would also have done well to purchase a real battering ram of a defender. Like good centre-mid partnerships, a good defensive pairing will compliment each other's talents. One to get to every first ball and one to mop up and bring the ball out of defence. Arsenal have several players who fit into the second mould but none who fit into the first.
Given these problems, why do I think the prognostications of demise are premature?
Well, simply, because the problems Arsenal have are easily remedied. There is clearly a lot of talent, both current and future. All that is needed are a number of choice acquisitions in the positions already mentioned. Given what the team nearly achieved last season, there is no reason to think they cannot do one better once the deficiencies are properly addressed.
The team may be hard pushed to make the Champions League this season given Villa’s relentless form, but Villa’s form must be seen for exactly what it is: form.
Things can change very quickly in football and there’s no reason to think Villa have what it takes to permanently deprive Arsenal of their top four status. Class, as they say, is permanent, and people are quick to dismiss the fact that Arsenal’s success is build on years of experience in the top echelons of the league.
Financially too the club is extremely well managed. The new stadium may have required a tightening of the belt, but the loan repayments are manageable. Just like a homeowner repaying a mortgage, Arsenal still have disposable income. What is more, this is income generated by the club itself and not gifted by a wealthy benefactor.
Unlike like Leeds, the club’s business model is not dependent on Champions League qualification. Although the loss of the Champions League revenue would be harmful, it would not be mortal.
People have suggested the greatest danger would not be loss of income but the loss of prestige and the loss of players that would result in failure to reach Europe’s premier club competition. There is always this possibility, but I’m confident that Arsenal’s players would choose to stay.
Firstly, they would shoulder some of the blame for the club’s failure to qualify and I think professional pride would motivate them to stay and put the record straight.
Secondly, the majority of Arsenal’s players are young enough that a season out of the Champions League would not be a disaster. If the team failed to qualify for successive seasons, the situation would change.
There are recent precedents in the form of Bayern Munich and AC Milan that a single season without Champions League is not fatal. Indeed, Bayern Munich successfully recruited Franck Ribery and Luca Toni without the lure of Champions League football and Milan captured both Flamini and Ronaldinho.
If Arsenal continue to adopt a long-term prudential strategy there is no reason to think they will go the way of Leeds and every reason to think that they will resist the challenge from below and get back to challenging for domestic and European honours.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Sue Barker fellating a dolphin...
I’m not a fan of cannabis. It just doesn’t really do it for me. I have had plenty of good times after hitting up the cheeba, but these days, more often than not, the effect is unwelcome.
I’m not prone to involuntary facial contortions and maniacal flailing of the limbs whilst babbling uncontrollably about the people who are quite clearly out to get me, but I do feel as though the slight heady feeling from a few puffs of the funky stuff does not adequately compensate for the self-loathing and crushing paranoia.
That being said, I appreciate that this is merely my personal experience. Some people clearly enjoy the effects of "blazing the chronic". I don’t presume to tell these people how they ought to live – especially as the pastime has minimal impact on me and everyone else.
The sanctimonious finger-pointers who get high on a homegrown strain of holier-than-thou smuggery while blowing caustic smoke in the faces of the less pious are an odious bunch of self-congratulatory hate-pushers. Keep your damn noses out of other people’s business!
It is with this in mind that I address the recent scandal over Michael Phelps. Here is a man who is considered a national hero for what he did in Beijing.
I think perhaps the media may have gone a tad overboard with the eulogising – the BBC’s coverage stopped just short of Sue Barker openly fellating Phelps as Stevie Cram massaged his cetacean sack to bursting point. Yet whichever way you looked at it, eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games is an incredible achievement.
Should a man who has achieved so much be so readily castigated for so minor an indiscretion? Is it even an indiscretion? Setting aside the legal issues, surely Michael Phelps deserves to unwind in whichever way he sees fit – he’s earned the right.
Of course, the reason for people’s indignation is exactly because Phelps is a national hero. He is an American poster boy, an embodiment of the way America views itself. His story illustrates what can be achieved through hard work and determination – the quintessential American Dream.
But just as his successes are America’s successes, so his ‘failure’ is America’s failure. Is this fair? No, of course not, but that’s reality. Phelps has learned the hard way that with his status as an American idol comes the unrealistic – perhaps unattainable – expectation of moral piety.
I’m not prone to involuntary facial contortions and maniacal flailing of the limbs whilst babbling uncontrollably about the people who are quite clearly out to get me, but I do feel as though the slight heady feeling from a few puffs of the funky stuff does not adequately compensate for the self-loathing and crushing paranoia.
That being said, I appreciate that this is merely my personal experience. Some people clearly enjoy the effects of "blazing the chronic". I don’t presume to tell these people how they ought to live – especially as the pastime has minimal impact on me and everyone else.
The sanctimonious finger-pointers who get high on a homegrown strain of holier-than-thou smuggery while blowing caustic smoke in the faces of the less pious are an odious bunch of self-congratulatory hate-pushers. Keep your damn noses out of other people’s business!
It is with this in mind that I address the recent scandal over Michael Phelps. Here is a man who is considered a national hero for what he did in Beijing.
I think perhaps the media may have gone a tad overboard with the eulogising – the BBC’s coverage stopped just short of Sue Barker openly fellating Phelps as Stevie Cram massaged his cetacean sack to bursting point. Yet whichever way you looked at it, eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games is an incredible achievement.
Should a man who has achieved so much be so readily castigated for so minor an indiscretion? Is it even an indiscretion? Setting aside the legal issues, surely Michael Phelps deserves to unwind in whichever way he sees fit – he’s earned the right.
Of course, the reason for people’s indignation is exactly because Phelps is a national hero. He is an American poster boy, an embodiment of the way America views itself. His story illustrates what can be achieved through hard work and determination – the quintessential American Dream.
But just as his successes are America’s successes, so his ‘failure’ is America’s failure. Is this fair? No, of course not, but that’s reality. Phelps has learned the hard way that with his status as an American idol comes the unrealistic – perhaps unattainable – expectation of moral piety.
Thursday 5 February 2009
Stupid people
Turning away from the endless and rather tiresome rants about football, I want to pick up on a point raised by my friend and erstwhile class-mate Charlie, in his fantabuluously well scripted blog charlie farlie's boozy thursdays (http://boozythursdays.blogspot.com/).
In his There’s no business like Snow Business entry from February 4th, he talks, among other things, about the crippling negativity that seems to have infected our nation.
On a day in which London’s children – and many of its “adults”, such as me – awoke spellbound, desperate to cling to the one outpost of joy amid the procession of gloom that has swept over this country in recent months, the main news items were all about disgruntled commuters who couldn’t get to work and the damage that would be done to our already ailing economy.
This is to be expected. Plainly, disaster sells. What annoyed me, however, as Charlie points out, is how stupid some people are.
I heard one woman say on the Ten O’clock News: “It’s ridiculous, it’s like we’re living in a third world country.”
No it’s not, you insufferable ignoramus. What’s the point in having expensive contingency plans for something that very rarely happens? It’d be like carrying round a fully-functional bionic limb in your handbag just in case your leg decides to fall off.
Of course it’s frustrating to be thwarted by factors outside of ones control, but surely there are better things to be annoyed about than having to take a day off work.
In his There’s no business like Snow Business entry from February 4th, he talks, among other things, about the crippling negativity that seems to have infected our nation.
On a day in which London’s children – and many of its “adults”, such as me – awoke spellbound, desperate to cling to the one outpost of joy amid the procession of gloom that has swept over this country in recent months, the main news items were all about disgruntled commuters who couldn’t get to work and the damage that would be done to our already ailing economy.
This is to be expected. Plainly, disaster sells. What annoyed me, however, as Charlie points out, is how stupid some people are.
I heard one woman say on the Ten O’clock News: “It’s ridiculous, it’s like we’re living in a third world country.”
No it’s not, you insufferable ignoramus. What’s the point in having expensive contingency plans for something that very rarely happens? It’d be like carrying round a fully-functional bionic limb in your handbag just in case your leg decides to fall off.
Of course it’s frustrating to be thwarted by factors outside of ones control, but surely there are better things to be annoyed about than having to take a day off work.
Arshavin' a laugh?
On Sunday night, as Mother Nature unfurled her wondrous white robe over our nation’s capital, grinding it to an abrupt halt; a small part of North London was a hive of activity, frantically trying to conclude the most protracted transfer saga in the history of Arsenal Football Club.
Finally, on Tuesday February 3rd, after a month of hot air and unrelenting media attention, and almost 24 hours after the transfer deadline had passed, the marathon game of brinkmanship was over. Arsenal announced they had signed Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg.
The question is, does it represent a sensible piece of business?
Had you asked me the question six or so weeks ago, I might have been inclined to say no. Limited funds mean Arsenal must prioritise, and, although Arshavin is an excellent player, our main problems six weeks ago were most certainly defensive.
To be sure, this deficiency still exists. We still require a midfield metronome to replace the tireless Mathieu Flamini – and we could also do with another top centre back. However, these are no longer the priority.
Over the past month and a half, the biggest threat to our top-four status has changed from being our defensive ineptitude to an offensive impotence.
This is not just about scoring goals, which is linked to confidence and can sometimes be a problem. Now, worryingly, we struggle even to create chances. For a team that used to be the most dynamic in the league, this is a major worry.
To be fair, a lot of it is simply bad luck. How would other teams fare without the likes of Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas, Eduardo and now Diaby? Would Liverpool have reached the league summit without Gerrard, Alonso and Riera? One doubts it.
However, this doesn’t change the position we are in now. We’re failing to make ground on Aston Villa because we’re not able to break down inferior opposition. We need to start making chances and scoring goals, and in the absence of those mentioned above, Arshavin looks a good bet.
People have questioned what will happen when everyone comes back, but I’d suggest that having a selection problem like that is a good problem to have. It keeps everyone on their toes. Some players – most obviously Adebayor – could do with having to look over their shoulder every so often.
This season is pretty much a write-off, but next season, if we strengthen in the other areas noted, looks promising.
Although we have spent significantly on Arshavin, the deal represents very good value for money, and there should still be money in the bank for some more typical Wenger buys during the summer. This should be made easier with the installation of new Chief Exec Ivan Gazidis.
Finally, on Tuesday February 3rd, after a month of hot air and unrelenting media attention, and almost 24 hours after the transfer deadline had passed, the marathon game of brinkmanship was over. Arsenal announced they had signed Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg.
The question is, does it represent a sensible piece of business?
Had you asked me the question six or so weeks ago, I might have been inclined to say no. Limited funds mean Arsenal must prioritise, and, although Arshavin is an excellent player, our main problems six weeks ago were most certainly defensive.
To be sure, this deficiency still exists. We still require a midfield metronome to replace the tireless Mathieu Flamini – and we could also do with another top centre back. However, these are no longer the priority.
Over the past month and a half, the biggest threat to our top-four status has changed from being our defensive ineptitude to an offensive impotence.
This is not just about scoring goals, which is linked to confidence and can sometimes be a problem. Now, worryingly, we struggle even to create chances. For a team that used to be the most dynamic in the league, this is a major worry.
To be fair, a lot of it is simply bad luck. How would other teams fare without the likes of Rosicky, Walcott, Fabregas, Eduardo and now Diaby? Would Liverpool have reached the league summit without Gerrard, Alonso and Riera? One doubts it.
However, this doesn’t change the position we are in now. We’re failing to make ground on Aston Villa because we’re not able to break down inferior opposition. We need to start making chances and scoring goals, and in the absence of those mentioned above, Arshavin looks a good bet.
People have questioned what will happen when everyone comes back, but I’d suggest that having a selection problem like that is a good problem to have. It keeps everyone on their toes. Some players – most obviously Adebayor – could do with having to look over their shoulder every so often.
This season is pretty much a write-off, but next season, if we strengthen in the other areas noted, looks promising.
Although we have spent significantly on Arshavin, the deal represents very good value for money, and there should still be money in the bank for some more typical Wenger buys during the summer. This should be made easier with the installation of new Chief Exec Ivan Gazidis.
Back in the game
I've been away from the blogging for a while on account of my single-minded pursuit of NCTJ glory. Having now completed exams and simply awaiting results, I am left with the even more miserable prospect of having to find a job.
This isn't going particularly well at present but at least I can allay the boredom by waxing lyrical about stuff that no-one has any interest in reading! Great!
This isn't going particularly well at present but at least I can allay the boredom by waxing lyrical about stuff that no-one has any interest in reading! Great!
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