The whole thing is grim. Everything about it just screams "wrong!". I hope it doesn't happen.

...and now Thierry Henry is off to Barcelona for £16m. There is a lot of speculation about Arsene Wenger now, as it seems Henry has left because Wenger couldn't guarantee how long he would stay as manager. If Arsenal don't have a good season, I think they might be fucked. If Wenger can hold the youngsters together (and buy a sodding striker) and deliver a cup, they should be okay.

From the 'Desperate Ideas' department, comes this:

Wise hopes new tactic will work

Sat 23 Jun, 03:45 PM

Leeds boss Dennis Wise is planning to introduce his players to boxing to ensure they will pack a punch in the promotion race next season. Wise visited the Hunslet Boys and Girls Club in south Leeds for the official opening of new £420,000 sports facilities built in conjunction with 'Barclays Spaces for Sports Scheme'.

The Leeds manager said: "My lot have been invited down here to do some boxing sessions and I am going to take up the offer.

"I have done it before when I was at Millwall with some players. The lads will come here and enjoy the facilities."

Dennis Wise wrote:"I have done it before when I was at Millwall with some players. "

I thought Millwall was a boxing club?

...Henry off to Barcelona is an interesting one. Arsenal has youth on their side, but without any real veteran leadership (including losing their talisman and captain) I expect them to do poorly next season, unless Wenger unearths another gem of a striker, and possibly a more commanding central midfielder. However, he may not care, as he's all but said that he's leaving at the end of next season.

If Arsenal can't compete at the top of the table, the season won't be that interesting, unless maybe Tottenham can step in and fill the gap?

Thanks Manchester City fc for being in the bottom half of the premiership still but at least being above West Ham.

Fuck you Man United, and Arsenal, and Chelsea, and Liverpool.


Thank you Celtic and Boca Jr's for keeping my football fan life from being a complete waste.

sleepkid wrote:The whole thing is grim. Everything about it just screams "wrong!". I hope it doesn't happen.

Me too, but like most things that I hope happen/don't happen to City, it looks likely that the opposite will happen.

It's weirdly upsetting - I want to just shrug it off, and say that I remember all the "Swales out" stuff, and being managed by Alan Ball and Brian Horton and sinking down to the third tier, but at least that all had some - well, I was going to use the word "dignity" but obviously that's wrong, but it was just City and it was fun and exciting and very very funny at times. I just find this deal really really depressing.

I don't want my club to be like Chelsea - I want to feel proud of it, even if we are shit, and people laugh at us or whatever. I'm used to that, but I don't want to be reduced to a bauble in some international carpet-bagger's tawdry crown, whether it's Shinawatra or whoever. I don't think anyone who has tried to buy one club and failed should then be allowed to buy another one - it's obviously currently in the I-Spy Book Of Plutocrats - make billions (five points), gain office (five points if legitimate, two if corrupt), buy English premiership side (five points) Fuck off and dabble in some commodity that millions of people don't give so much of a shit about. Buy a cosy for your latest yacht, or another round of eunuchs or something.

Fuck it, I'd rather slide down several league tables - fine with me. The Premiership's becoming a pointless private equity shit-pit. I'm stuck with City - I don't want to feel ashamed into the bargain.

Ignoring the elephant in the living room for a mo, the Erikkson part I'm not bothered about (as long as he doesn't buy Owen as rumoured) because a) we've had some really fucking shit managers and b) I reckon he's actually pretty good. I feel most people in this country got swept along with the anti-Sven "wasting the golden generation" shit, conveniently forgetting that he was the first manager in ages that actually made qualification seem automatic. All those "the manager should be English" people, well I hope they're happy with McClaren and the football his team are playing. The other choices? Stuart Pearce - he's not even our manager any more. Erikkson isn't thick. He knows he's going to take a beating from the moment he starts, so he's got something to prove, and either he's a glutton for punishment (well, it is City) or he'll do pretty well.

I read a good article today in the Sunday Herald about Sven. His record at club level is very, very good. 3 league and cup doubles in 3 different countries. That's impressive.

Henry to Barca is a great move for me, because I use Barca when playing Pro Ev. I look forward to having an attacking trio of Henry, Ronaldinho and Messi.

Hearts have signed Alex Hleb's younger brother and Laryea Kingston. Kingston was on loan with us for the 2nd half of the season, and was outstanding.

Does anyone buy FourFourTwo magazine? I'm bought a copy on holiday and it's really good.

100% great post, Dudley.

Ignoring the takeover, here's my concern about Eriksson: he's going to be managing Manchester City. I'm sure you know what I mean here. His record as a club manager is outstanding, I didn't have any major problems with him as England boss, and he's got plenty to prove in the Premiership - but City? I just can't see it doing anything other than crashing and burning. It seems like a doomed combination. It's no criticism of either side, it's just Man City with another big name manager and over-the-top expectations. I get the feeling, sometimes, that City could import Henry, Ronaldinho, Messi and Eto'o, but they'd still somehow fuck up. I hope not. The only football team from Manchester, after all, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend...

Nico, FourFourTwo - I've never read it regularly, but I got a pile of back-issues from a charity shop a few years ago and really enjoyed them. That was a while ago, though - what was good about it now? Is it worth picking up again?

From the Guardian, a few weeks ago:

3. 05/05/91: Inter 0-2 Sampdoria, Serie A

Back in the days when Serie A was as exotic, mysterious and inaccessible (it was on BSkyB, average viewing figures: 4) as women's underwear, this was a true classic that dripped operatic intensity and crescendoed unforgettably in the final quarter. As the Sky commentator Martin Tyler eulogised: "In years to come people will say, 'I was here, I was at that game' ... Grown men, hardened football watchers, are scarcely able to turn their eyes to this." It was a title decider in all but name: with four games to go Sampdoria, chasing their first-ever Scudetto, were three points clear of Internazionale when they went to the San Siro. They only realistically needed a draw yet, on the balance of play, they should have lost about 15-3. But with their keeper Gianluca Pagliuca having the game of his life, Sampdoria pulled off the definitive smash-and-grab victory. Just before half-time, and after ceaseless Inter attacking, Jurgen Klinsmann had a splendid goal wrongly disallowed for offside - he was actually played in by Gianluca Vialli - and, moments later, Giuseppe Bergomi and Roberto Mancini were ludicrously sent off for a spat that was less handbags and more lipstick cases.

It was 10-a-side after half-time, yet the game opened up like it was 5-a-side. Inter absolutely battered Sampdoria but, just after Alessandro Bianchi contrived to miss an open goal, Samp stung them on the break, with Beppe Dossena fizzing in his first goal of the season from 20 yards. Then it all went off. Lothar Matthaus, unthinkably, had his penalty saved by Pagliuca, with the rebound hitting his shin and rolling agonisingly wide; Attilio Lombardo hit the post on the break and, in the next wave of the same attack, Vialli's follow-up was miraculously cleared off the line by Andy Brehme. Moments later, it was over: Vialli took a long ball, muscled Ricardo Ferri aside and rounded Walter Zenga to score the 18th goal of a wonderfully redemptive season that washed away his Italia 90 regrets. Inter didn't go quietly, with their fans bombarding Pagliuca with missiles and flares. But when the dust and the smoke settled, Samp had all but clinched the title, and in circumstances they would never forget.

Thanks to the joys of Bittorrent, I watched this game this evening. Holy smokes. Best part perhaps was when the Spanish commentator, describing another save from the Sampdoria keeper, yelled:

Pagliuca, Pagliuca, Pagliuca, Pagliuca!

I also have a Ossie Ardiles' testimonial downloaded, with Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle and Diego Maradona playing together for Tottenham Hotspur. Yowsa.

DRC, you gonna come down for Forest v. Leeds or wot then?

Anyone else? Tommy? Electrical Day Out at the footie?

Sat August 25th.

I'd like that a lot. Sounds well worth the trip down to Blighty.

Super! It should be a sell-out.

God. Knows. Why.