“They are evil, dreadful, disgusting, moronic, the lowest of the low.”
By Tony Attwood
England’s “golden generation” have now had their final, finest hour. As the great guru, Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of Brooking, said recently, “There is an immediate void in the standard of the team. World Cup 2014 will be difficult for England. I don’t think there are the obvious quality coming through who can replicate what we have currently, unless we can fasttrack one or two of the younger ones…”
These are words to strike terror and horror into every Arsenal fan. England as we all know had the oldest squad in history at the World Cup. Some of them looked almost as old as me.
One thing is certain nothing can harm tax dodging Fabio Capello now – his reputation is in the dirt, so he can do anything – including demanding a full payment of his contract at £6m-a-year for two years. The FA is in so much debt after Wembley that money doesn’t matter any more.
We all know the reason why – England doesn’t have coaches. There was a piece on why England are so useless, including an analysis of coaching across Europe on Untold recently.
(It was so good the Guardian reproduced my facts and figures word for word a couple of days ago – which makes me feel rather warm inside.)
But what makes me feel decidedly queezy is the fact that the FA are now talking up the “youth development” angle. The 25 player rules that we have debated so much in the “Players” section of Untold are designed to force clubs to spend more time looking at the issue of the kiddies. And there’s only one reason for that – child farming, the new FA approach to paying dirty old men lots of money for doing nothing.
And we know where that goes – it leads to the insanity of picking Theo for the under 21s and the first team at the same time, injuring him, and then humiliating him by not taking him to the world cup.
The FA is in deep crisis, and it will do anything it can to deflect from the way the top brass are interested only in which secretaries they can hump. And if this deflection includes taking the bright young things who have been so brilliant for Arsenal on loan, in the reserve league and in the youth league then that is what they will do. The careers of these players will be wrecked, but if it keeps another FA Suite on the first class plane, let’s do it.
Wembley is the key to the problem. It cost £757m to build. It is costing £20m a year to cover the debt. The management is a shambles (Hungary at home in August when we all want to be seeing our club sides – what a lunatic decision – especially as there was always the risk that England would play badly in South Africa.) It is unlikely to be full for a long time to come.
The FA sponsorship deals have come to an end and the TV deals end in 2012. The FA Cup’s credibility goes downhill at such a rate that it now not far off the Earth’s core. The money has gone – and they haven’t paid off the manager yet.
So of course the FA will seek to deflect from its incompetence and insanity by trying to throw in the kiddies. After the oldest international team in history, let’s have the youngest.
Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Craig Eastmond and Henri Lansbury might well be picked for the under 21s, but Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott will clearly be in the eye of the FA’s maniacs and career wreckers.
All I can say to them is, watch out lads. These FA types pretend they are nice fellows, interested in your well-being. They talk a sweet talk. They talk of care. They chat up your parents. But really they are just grooming you for the future, for the day when on the back of your qualities they can buy another suite of luxury offices, lunches, and bimbos on money raped from football.
Please lads, don’t give in to their evil conniving. Don’t be sucked into to the downward spiralling whirlpool.
These men are evil, dreadful, disgusting, moronic, the lowest of the low.
When the FA come knocking, just say no.
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The whole world of Untold Arsenal can unravel before your eyes. Click on.
Get in touch with the Guardian threating plagiarism unless they acknowledge you Tony 😛
Unfortunately there is the ridiculous notion that a player “”is obliged to respond affirmatively when called up” according for FIFA. Players are allowed to retire from international football after a certain (unspecified) period but there has yet to be a case where a young, talented player has turned down an international call-up. I would love to see it happen. I do not know why a young player would risk injury playing a lesser level of football for free. Wilshire wouldnt turn out for a Sunday match on Hackney Marshes, why would he decide to turn out for England? There isnt much difference in the quality between the two after all.
Unfortunately the public has been sold on the idea that the World Cup represents the highest standard of football, which is of course one of the more ridiculous things ever proposed. Except for 3 or 4 international sides (Brazil, Argentina, Spain and perhaps Germany) an average club side plays better football and would destroy the typical international side. The top club sides would absolutely destroy EVERY international side.
nice article as always, i guess now is the start of a transitional period for the england team, and no doubt the media, pundits (who the majority are baseless morons) etc will have no patience. i still think its a matter of time before a lot of english players with higher playing standards will be arsenal based or arsenal products, and when this happens those who say arsenal are a french/foreign team will just say its about time and not acknowledge arsenal football club or arsene wenger.
hopefully something will be done with the FA and more importantly the youth/reserve leagues/players.
regarding the youth and reserve in eglish football i think the fa should ask themselves WWWD (what would wenger do). 🙂
The modern day English footballer has lost all touch with their roots, I saw them laughing and joking after they lost.
apparently a friend of a friend was at the airport and Rooney was sticking his two fingers up at people.
These are ,millionaire footballers and it just doesn’t mean enough to them. I can see why AW doesn’t want to buy English they are way over priced
who is better
Glenn Johnson or Eboue ( debatable but eboue costs alot less)
TV5 or john terry ( easily TV5)
Denilson or gareth Barry (about the same)
RVP or rooney ( I would take RVP every day of the week) he is much more humble
I am a believer in arsenal getting more English players but those over hyped wastes of space make it a simple choice of taking johnny foreigner
Do not ever suggest that Denilson is as poor as Gareth Barry. Look at their stats and don’t insult such a fine young talent. Oh and Eboue is in a different football universe from Glen Johnson.
But really I’m intrigued why you say “I am a believer in arsenal getting more English players”. Please, why??
The reason I believe in arsenal getting more english players is for one reason!!! they dont want to go to spain. The way I see it if you are english and play for arsenal the only way is down, we have never sold a player to man u under wenger and chelsea are not paying the wages they used to.
If you are english this is your home, not many english school boys dream of playing for barca.Too many of our players are playing for the chance to go and play for the big boys in spain even B52, I dont like losing players, I hated the fact that flamini screwed us,he realised he wouldnt get a good move so he played out of his skin for one season, same with adebayor;I have a feeling a few others will just have one good season and then I dream of playing for barca.
I guarantee if Arshavin has a really goood season and barca coming knocking he would be off in a strop.
I would like to see more english players that is why I putting all my cards on the next generation and I am wondering if this is AW’s plan,if he can develop some good english players they wont dream of playing for barca
Tony, Lord Atwood
I agree with so much of what you write. But I cannot agree with this. I have found it so difficult to invest emotionally with England compared with the Arsenal. I suspect that we are of an age, and we certainly live in a very similar part of the world. One of the things about Arsenal players (at least the ones who survive) is that they have a good and humble outlok on life, quite unlike the chavscum Terry’s, Rooneys, Gerrards and Cashleys of this world. This is why the current England team repels me. I would love to see an Arsenal team stuffed to the gunnels with English internationals, provided they were true, brought through the system, Arsenal lads. Where would you rather see our internationals going, to Paris, Mexico, Amsterdam and Africa, or to Wembley?
Ideal scenario – Arsenal win the quadruple and that summer England win the world cup with six Arsenal lads in the team.
You know you agree with me ….
Exactly! Just say No to drugs! (Cause that’s what supporting national teams are like — not just England).
I don’t rate Capello or Pearce as highly as Wenger, therefore if Sir Wenger does not think Walcott,Eastmond, Wiltshire and Gibbs are ready to automatically start for Arsenal, then they shouldn’t be playing for England.
The FA and manager should not be changing the focus to fast tracking young players who are not ready for the weight and recriminations of playing for England. What we should be talking about are the issues I have been going on a bit about for a while and this is the promotion of skillful football, intelligent play and better referees that do not allow thuggery. Before bidding for 2018 world cup, the FA need to look at themselves stop applying a plaster when serious surgery is needed. There are huge problems that they are given charge over and exchanging Capello for ‘arry will solve nothing.
I would hope that there was some way for the Arsenal players to turn down the meaningless friendly match. The boys need to focus on pre season training rather than be sucked into the circus surrounding the FA and manager.
@gooner80 – denilson is nowhere near as good as gareth barry. im an arsenal fan but even i cant deny that denilson is absolutely awful! however i actually like gareth barry because he is one of the only english players who actually cared about the WC and gave 110% for england. basically what im saying is that denilson is rubbish apart from his occasional great goals and gareth barry is one of the best holding mids in the prem along with essien, song and mascherano so please dont compare the 2.
Lee, are you sure you are on the right website? Denilson had a spell where he was not up to his game (mostly injury related, remember his sudden collapse against Everton?) around the turn of the decade. However, he was good at the beginning of the season, he was good 2008/2009 — even one of our best players that season — and he was good after he had recovered properly from injury this season. Aside from great goals, what does he have to offer? Great interception ability, good work rate, when he loses the ball it’s usually because he has been fouled and we get a free kick and while many people bemoad his “5 yard passes”, they are an integral part of our game. What would we do without Denilson, who can take a pass from Cesc, hold the ball a couple of seconds, and give it back to him after Cesc has moved in a better position? Denilson was a major influence in our great start to the 2009/2010 season and while his contributions are not show stealing like, says, Vermaelens, Ramseys or Cescs, he is like the oil that keeps the engine flowing — in our case the pass and move part of our game.
There was meant to be a fair amount of irony in that article, in which I was in part trying to develop the “international managers are car thieves” speech from Wenger. The issue for me isn’t especially England (look at what the Dutch did to Van Persie) but all of international football.
Did you notice that the Algerian team started one game with 10 players born in France. It is starting to become like club football, so maybe that is the way out.
i just love ‘fast track’ as if it were the visa’s of a certain argentine duo. real football men these are!
‘The FA is in deep crisis, and it will do anything it can to deflect from the way the top brass are interested only in which secretaries they can hump’. Brilliant Tony. The sad part is, however, that the whole of England now relies only on a certain nutty professor from France to develop English talent. Long live Saint Arsene.
Lee you are wrong about denilson, denilson is quality, Gareth Barry is apparently worth £30 million.
Denilson looks like the invisible man, but is pass completion tackles out perform gareth barry as Dm. Song is more physical than Denilson but for technical ability and doing the dirty work that is unglamorous and un noticed it is Denilson.
Gareth Barry is over rated, apart from that incident against Everton I cant think of a situation where Denilson has let us down, LEE you need to really take a look at Denilsons game, DM is not all about crunching people.
Have you seen Gareth Barrys touch compared to Denilson, Barry has the touch of a rapist. Denilson rarely losses the ball and the boy can tackle. I never thought I would be defending Denilson’s so hard but any fan questioning denilson doesnt realise what he does he is a major cog. You don’t start so many games for arsenal being rubbish
I believe arsenal need to follow the Brazil set up with two holding midfielders Song and denilson
I not sure I quite get what this article is about.
1. Walcott was injured for 6 months in the season prior to last summer, so to claim he was tired, burned out or injured due to playing for England in June is seriously lying. I repeat: lying. If he can’t do 5 months on the go, I repeat, 5 months on the go, then the injuries are not due to tiredness. They are due to just getting injured. And the injury happened when he came back to Arsenal……..and Wenger has a track record of pushing players too hard, too soon, so they get injured. Look at Gallas………
2. Jack Wilshere needs game time on the pitch. I’d like it to happen at Arsenal. But it doesn’t seem to be happening yet, does it? I don’t think people are suggesting he play for the England senior team in August, they are suggesting he may be ready for the next World Cup and he might be just coming into the squad for the Euros. If he continues to progress.
3. Gibbs would be No. 2 now if he hadn’t gotten injured playing for Arsenal. A few sessions with England won’t wreck his career. And if he’s bum warming the bench for Clichy, he won’t be burned out at Arsenal, will he? WILL HE????
Seriously. This is an article written with an agenda.
Arsenal no longer want international football.
Now if you are honest enough to say that, say so.
Man Utd and LFC’s finances are far worse than those of the FA.
I agree with you, Wembley was a farce. A stupid one. But it has nothing to do with a national team.
But this site constantly goes on about the diatribe of others.
It’s getting to a point where you need to look at yourself in a mirror and ask what lies you are writing to justify a story line.
Because if you can’t see it, shame on you………
ooh Tony! you hit Rhys’ sore point there.
Me I am club before country but Rhys is the other end of the spectrum on acid.
Rhys England were talentless, useless, boring….well boring is harsh because there was a certain hilarity to their exit in fairness. They are the move overrated underachievers in this temporal plane of existence.
The best way of neutralising talent and ambition in this modern age is to cover it with a 3 lions shirt because England lacked both.
I would love if Theo gave the FA the 2 fingers because his omission was a disgrace. Then again when a complete self absorbed fktard like Wayne Rooney gets to decide who he wants to play alongside what chance do players like Darren Bent, Scott Parker, Ashley young and Theo have.
I am glad that Theo wasnt there because he would have been a handy scapegoat for the pundits.
Still at least they didnt get reduced to 10 men and go out on penalties. That was getting old. This time the got beaten like a red-headed stepchild. Every player on that pitch with the exception of Ashley cole and Frank Lampard should be made wera a shirt for the rest of the summer that has “I am Germany’s bitch” on the front.
Good response Terence.
Ahh Rhys where have you been? Tittilating as usual.
It certainly seemed a blessing in disguise that both Theo and Samir Nasri were left behind by their respective national sides.
I hope Sagna, Clichy and Diaby have not suffered unduly in that wreck of a France team. Gallas I’m assuming is not coming back to England, and also that Gourcuff, a fine young talent, has not been undone by hanging out with the charmless Ribéry, Evra, Anelka & co.
This WC has been a revelation in terms of the numbers of players in the EPL taking part, and has reinforced Wenger’s claim about the lower level international football represents eg USA vs Ghana turns out to be Fulham (Dempsey) and Hull (Altidore) vs Portsmouth (Kevin Prince-Boateng).
I’ve enjoyed seeing the Arsenal/ex-Arsenal contingent pop up all over the place (pace Anelka), but it does raise the question if Gilberto Silva is still good enough for the Brazil team, then why oh why did we sell him? Denilson doesn’t get even picked for the squad (and I am not a Denilson hater, far from it).
The benchability of Cesc is also something to behold, I’m assuming it’s down to injury still.
Lilian Thuram (MOM in 2006 WC final, IMHO) wants href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/02/france-lilian-thuram-patrice-evra”>Patrice Evra banned for life from France squad. IAWTC.