may 3rd
09.49 – After Arsenal’s Champions League game against Valencia, Patrick Vieira complained that UEFA were not doing enough to stamp out racism. In order to send just the right message to the football world, UEFA have decided to fine Valencia £9,250 (Stg), which is about 2 days wages for for ONE of their first team players.
Oh, and they’ve also fined Paddy £2,000 for criticising UEFA. The utter cunts. They have of course been added to The List. I think the days of punishing players, clubs and managers with fines must come to an end. Earlier in the week, Alex Fergson was fined £4,600 for saying the Champions League draw was ‘fixed’. IN all seriousness, what difference does that make to him? What difference does a £9,250 fine make to Valencia? What difference did a £14,000 make to PSV? The answer of course is ‘fuck all’.
It’s the equivalent of you or I having to pay a 20p parking fine. If they really want to punish somebody, they have to ban them from matches, make them play matches behind closed doors, make them play matches wearing burberry lounge slippers – something, anything that might be effective. Making millionaires pay tiny fines just isn’t going to work. Anyway, at the end of it all UEFA are cunts. So are the FA, FIFA and UB40.
AW says he will have money to spend in the summer despite the worrying financial figures of the last few days. He says “I know what I want to do and I know who I want to go for, and I know that the money will be available for what I want to do.”
Speculation will hit fever pitch once the season ends, but for the moment, there’s still a league title to be decided. Arsenal have got a full team out injured practically, the boss says “My memory isn’t good enough to list all the injuries. Between injuries, suspensions and tiredness we have a coachful of players.” Oleg Luznhy could play in central defence, Kolo Toure at right back and Giovanni van Bronckhorst could come into midfield to replace the jet-lagged and already knackered Gilberto.
United take on Chalrton this morning, and perhaps the curse of the Manager of the Month award for Demento, coupled with the player of the month award for van Nistelrooy could cause an upset of some kind. Yeah, I know….I’m still dreaming.
Fingers crossed anyway.
