Archive for October 15th, 2008

West Ham are attacking their supporters away to the right

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

There are moments in life where words are not enough.

However that’s never stopped me before, and it won’t today.

If you have had a chance to see Ramsey’s goal against Inkyland in the under 21’s game, or if you took in the highly competent displays in the reserves by Bischoff and Coquelin you’ll know that behind the current midfield of four we have an extraordinary bundle of talent.

Wilshere is looking a dream come true, and Song and Nasri are just finding their feet.

Had the mighty Lord Wenger actually purchased anyone for the midfield during the summer it is just possible that the new signing might have reactivated the team again Fulham or Hull, but that is a lot for a single new player to do, and I have my doubts.  But that is a possible upside.

On the downside, all these terrific players (and until you have watched Ramsey it is hard to understand just how good he is) would have been thinking “hang on, Arsenal are supposed to bring through players, I am doing my stuff, and I just get shuffled backwards down the order of the peck” (or whatever the phrase is).

“When,” one can hear the player moan, “will my chance come.”

And that is the point.  The midfielder that everyone wanted in the summer, the Flamini II (but not the Gilberto II) might just have given us a few more points to date - but that is a long shot.   What he would certainly have given us is a lot of disgruntled young brilliant players.

I ramble on in a similar fashion (although not on the same topic) in my newly created  and rather elongated exposition on the current state of Arsenal in the new edition of Highbury High which (I am overwhelmed to announce) is out on Saturday for £2. It includes everything you wanted to know about fish and chips….  no sorry, that’s not right.  But it is good.   Just like fish and chips.

There are of course other writers in Highbury High other than myself, and it would be wrong of me to try and hog the light of the lime.  Wrong, but that’s never stopped me in the past.

The subscription for six issues cost an unbelievably low £12 UK, £15 Europe, £18 World,  or one Ya-Ya Toure (who is, I am told, not happy in Barca).

“And its West Ham to start the second half attacking their supporters away to our right”  Radio 5 Live

They turned the tide of the game on its head

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

Fulham, home of the Knightsbridge Store, have found they are not immune to the end of money as a method of exchange, and the change over to the goat and the packet of tea as units of currency.

They have to sort out their finances since Fortis Bank (their banker of choice), was nationalised by the Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg governments last month. Apparently it will cost 18 chocolate bars or five rather dodgy looking ciggys to get into their next home match.

Bolton Wanderers meanwhile are starting to get twitchy. Their banker is Singer & Friedlander, which is or was part of the collapsed Icelandic bank Kaupthing. With the bank in administration Bolton now seem to owe a lot of money to a bunch of people (you, me, the British government, that kind of thing) and most of us (well certainly me) want the cash back now. If Bolton spend a penny on anyone, we might all have a case to take them to the European Court of Spending Someone Else’s Money.

The problem for us ordinary people is that KS&F has not ceased to trade, so there is no telling what they might get up to. On 8 October 2008 the High Court made an Administration Order under the Counter Terrorism Act in relation to KS&F.

Most worryingly on their web site it says, “Although Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Limited (“KS&F”) has gone into Administration, it is currently business as usual. KS&F has not ceased to trade.”

Frightening indeed since it is our money they are playing with. Entry into Bolton’s next home match is 15 sheep and a diesel engine.

Speaking of my money, Liverpool Insolvency are now demanding that UEFA pay Liverpool’s incoherent fans to travel to their next UEFA cup match, which was in Madrid and now isn’t.  UEFA gets its money by taking revenue from the TV Channels that show the Champs League games.   Since I have Sky Sports that includes me, so part of that UEFA money was given by me and I absolutely do not want a single groat of it given to anyone supporting a team north of Seven Sisters Tube Station.

Want more?  The new edition of Highbury High is out on Saturday for £2. It includes (you will be thrilled to read) an Untold Arsenal special which goes through all the reasons why Wenger is right, and the spivs and charlatans have got it wrong and I am a turnip.

There are of course other stories in the mag - so after you’ve read my piece six times and marvelled at my juxtaposition of verbal what not you can read the rest too and still have time to see us score 8 goals.

The subscription for six issues cost an unbelievably low £12 UK, £15 Europe, £18 World, 275 goat-heads (Bolton) 320 deciduous forests (Fulham)  or 14 bags of someone else’s money (Liverpool).

“Middlesbrough have turned the tide of the game on its head”. Jonathan Pierce.