Premier League Nonsense

Just found out the man who put Ipswich Town on the map has passed away. Certain sections of the English media showed why they are called gutter press when he was managing England and his own local side Newcastle United hardly treated him fairly but expect gushing tributes from those quarters anyway.

Like I said, for me I will always remember what he did with Ipswich.

I even have my own Bobby Robson story. I saw him once coming out of Arsenal tube station while he was managing England, he was on his way to a game of course. Seemed happy enough talking to the fans, and of course travelling on the underground.

Wonder if Fabio knows where to change to get to Arsenal's new stadium?

RIP Bobby

So Kolo Toure joins the Sky Blue Arabian Revolution in Manchester. Can’t say he’ll be missed. Yes, he used to clap his hands a lot and grind his teeth a lot, in some quarters the signs of a good captain, but he hadn’t been at his best for a while so when City came in with a good offer they bye bye Kolo.

Was it a good offer? One report has 16 million. Another 14 million. Meanwhile the Arsenal website announces an undisclosed fee.

What is it with these undisclosed fees? Someone got something to hide? What does the taxman think?

I live in Indonesia, supposedly one of the least transparent countries in the world. Yet the fact that its star footballer Bambang Pamungkas earns about 137,000 USD is out there in the public arena. How much will Toure earn at Eastlands?

Why the secrecy within the English game over transfer fees and salaries? It hasn’t always been this way. I remember Alan Ball writing in Shoot magazine that he earned 250 quid a week. I remember the Arsenal chairman Denis Hill-Wood proudly saying Malcom MacDonald had cost 333,333 quid.

Not now though. While people demand greater transparency in all areas of life, in football things get murkier. All those grubby hangers on lurking in back alleys and 5 star hotel bakeries want their cut but we, the mugs who pay the piper, aren’t allowed to know who gets what.

I'm gobsmacked by some of the dross I've been reading about the Arsenal recently. It would appear that selling Adebayor and possibly Toure and Eboue is consigning us to also ran status. And that, mes amis, is bollocks.

Two years ago Wenger frequently said the squad was the best he had ever put together in his time at the Arsenal. But it wasn't far from it and I think deep down he knows it. Look who's been moved on. Flamini, Hleb, Adebayor, and possibly the two Ivorians. And what exactly have they ever won with the Arsenal?

Apart from Toure very little. Hleb was so good at benchwarming at Barca now he's been given the same job in Italy.

Toure hasn't been the same the last couple of seasons so fine, someone comes in and offers daft money to both the Arsenal and the player, bite their bloody hands off. Anybody wants Eboue, take it.

Sagna, Clichy, Gibbs, Gallas, Djourou, Vermaelen, Song, Silvestre (!), Senderos (?), Traore
Fabregas, Rosicky, Arshavin, Wilshire, Nasri, Diaby, Denilson, Ramsey
Eduardo, van Persie, Bendtner, Vela, Walcott

I would lke to see a new keeper and someone else in the middle but there's lots of flexibility there. Song in midfield for example, Walcott wide or up top.

Also an injury free season would make a bloody great difference.

Finally the much maligned Emmanuel Adebayor has left the Arsenal and in his never ending quest to pad out his bank account moved to - Manchester City.

So much for all that bull about Barca, AC Milan...

Adebayor's last 12 months are a sorry indicment about the state football is in. Remember all those high faluting suits who talk about football being a business. It is. But it's like casinos. Instead of the house always winning in football, especially in the la la land of Premier League it's the player.

The Togolese arrived at Arsenal unheard of and to be fair he worked his nuts off in his early days. 30 goals in one season was a healthy return but he started to believe the hype.

He wanted more money last year and if he didn't get that he would leave. He got more money and played like a twat most of the season. In the big games he went missing time and time again. His body language showed he didn't give a shit and while fans can accept most things they loathe a player who don't perform and don't put in the effort.

So he gets another pay rise with his move to Manchester City and they inherit a sulker...the ego has landed. No one else wanted him, word had got around this guy was bad news.

Another pay rise in 12 months and what exactly has he done to deserve that? What has he won that places him in the high earning category?

Nothing...all Mark Hughes has done is buy himself a bundle of trouble later on down the line.

These people never learn, do they?