Premier League Nonsense

It’s been the worst of weeks. The transfer window slammed shut last Friday and with international duty occupying many minds headline writers have had their work cut out trying to fill the cavernous spaces the footballing public demand.

In the days of the cold war, old China watchers used to scan the pictures of the political elite looking for what was not there. Without an open press, without leaks or inside sources, governments had to rely on who was featured prominently in the papers and who was not to infer which way the wind was blowing in the secretive communist state. Policy would be dictated by someone’s pose or presence in a grainy black and white photograph.

You can imagine, then, many an editor and writer breathing a huge sigh of relief and offering a silent prayer of thanks to headline magnet, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo it seems no longer makes headlines for scoring goals. His brace last weekend made it 114 in 104 games for Real Madrid. Hitting the back of the net with such regularity is no longer enough though to make the news.

What grabbed people’s attention this time was the way the Portuguese striker celebrated. He didn’t. No ripping off his shirt to show off his six pack, no turning cartwheels, no bearing his teeth or punching the air. Nothing.

It was later revealed that Ronaldo was sad. That was enough to send people into a spin. For the vast majority of people struggling with a deteriorating economy the idea of a multi millionaire may be sad would be met with a shrug of the shoulders and who cares?

But this is football. We seem to allow footballers more leeway than businesspeople.

Many rushed to surmise why the poor dear should be so upset and most suggested money be the problem. As if 12 million Euros a year could cause anyone any hardship.

This was manna from heaven for sports writers looking at a quiet week. They put two and two together and decided Ronaldo was either angling for a move or setting out his stall in upcoming contract negotiations; suggestions the man himself was quick to deny.

It didn’t matter though what he said. Everyone was quick to link Ronaldo with clubs like Manchester City or Paris Saint German or any Russian club who could afford to better his current hardship allowance.

Hot on the heels of Ronaldo’s sulk came Cesc Fabregas. He hadn’t played the full 90 minutes yet in any of Barcelona’s opening three games and he went public saying he was unhappy with a bit part role at the Spanish side.

He went on to say that he would take his ‘unhappy’ face home if he had to rather than let his manager or team mates see it. Tellingly he added that he had moved back to Spain to ‘compete, to learn and enjoy, not sit wracking my brains’.

The headlines the next day? Cesc being linked with a move back to Arsenal!

A moan by Arsenal’s French full back, Bacary Sagna, in a French newspaper made it a hat trick of whines to dominate the headlines this week.

Sagna, recovering from a long term injury, said he was upset when Alex Song left the club in the summer. Not Robin van Persie which had been on the cards, but Song. He said that Alex leaving was a surprise saying that he was 24 years old and still had three years left on his contract.

‘In the street supporters sometimes come to see me,’ Sagna was quoted as saying, ‘I can understand they are annoyed. I’m like them. I don’t understand everything.’

Of course he doesn’t understand everything. It’s not his job to understand everything. It’s his job to play football. However having been injured for a long time, and not having the most demanding job in the world it is only natural to wonder what is going on.

Sagna’s doubts have been seized on by Arsenal fans, and the media, haunted by the last couple of seasons when players like Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie were allowed to have their contracts wind down meaning a summer of protracted rumour and he said, she said headlines.

Thankfully, next week the real business of kicking a ball around returns and we can start talking about what happens on the field!