February 20th
Quiet again this morning. It’s all very boring considering the game we’ve got tomorrow. The problem is the news will start breaking during the day but it’s too early for very much to be happening now. I should probably ease the tedium with something creative but it’s too early for very much to be happening now. In my brain that is.
There have been calls for the officials on Tuesday to be strong should there be any repeat of the racist chanting that was seen in previous games in Madrid. There was the England game when Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips got a hard time, then a week or so later there was a Champions League game against Leverkeusen when some of their players got stick from the crowd simply because of the colour of their skin. While I do understand where the campaigners are coming from I do wonder if it does any good to bring it up again after it had been forgotten. Certainly the people who would abuse somebody for being black are not going to stop just because some bloke from the Kick it Out campaign says so.
This wouldn’t even have been an issue had UEFA been strong the last time it happened in Madrid. As it turned out they got a measly fine which is no deterrent. Had they been made play a game or two behind closed doors you can be quite sure the chances of a repeat would be very slim indeed. Anyway, let’s hope nothing like that is even an issue on Wednesday morning when we’re celebrating our most excellent victory.
Hopefully we’ll get a proper squad list today. There was an article in yesterday’s Sunday Times in which Robin van Persie said he was still hopeful of making the squad for the game at the Bernebeu but his broken toe has been causing him big problems and I suppose the best we can hope for is that he makes the bench. With Reyes also struggling and Bergkamp unlikely to travel at this late stage we could be forced into playing the 4-5-1 we all love so much.
In other news: Alan Hansen says Arsenal need to buy English players again, David Beckham says Real Madrid could be devastating if they play well and Sven says Sol will go to the World Cup (provided anyone can find him, that is).
Right, I’m off to work. Till tomorrow.
