Yet another cup final…

If you follow the women’s game you’ll know that for years we’ve dominated, going for century after century without being beaten by anyone.

But this year Everton have tried to match the record.  The Arsenal/Everton games have somehow slipped back to the end of the season, which is how we have Arsenal played 15 won 15, Everton played 13 won 13.

Now at last they have come together – for the Women’s Cup Semifinal – and Arsenal sauntered it 3-1.   Which means we are in the final where we play Sunderland who are in the Northern Section of the eighth division of the north west league division 3, subsection 12, department 9.   Well, you know.   They’re in the northern league.  It’s a bit like Arsenal playing AFC Wimbledon.   In the final.

Meanwhile, the Lord Wenger says that Diaby is a bit like Vieira – which is interesting because through most of his 2.5 years at the club the official word is that Diaby might look a bit Vieira-ish but he isn’t really like him.  Now the word has changed.   The Lord Wenger doesn’t normally say such things unless he is heralding something that is real, and that we need to note.   So, what does that mean?   Cesc and Diaby in the middle?  Then where does Denilson go?   God how I wish we didn’t have so many bloody midfielders.

And then, as noted in the comments column, the Tiny Totts are shouting a bit about building a new ground.   It will hold 60,000 people (I use the word “people” in its broadest sense), it will be much cheaper to build than the Ems, and they won’t have to borrow a penny.   We could interpret this as “Tottenham build new stadium on the cheap, after money lenders refuse to put up the loans” but that would be a little churlish wouldn’t it?  So…

Tottenham build new stadium on the cheap, after money lenders refuse to put up the loans

Nothing wrong with being a bit churlish every now and then.

And so we drift into the wasteland, the vortex, the mists of time, also known as International Week, during which time Arsenal players are removed from their natural habitat, injured and then handed back useless.  I’m not sure if Croatia have picked Eduardo – does anyone know?

Last point – back to saturday night.  On the Guardian web site they do chalkboard analyses of how players perform.  So this week they took a certain M Owen who was on the pitch for half an hour, and used their digital technology to analyse his shots on and off target.  The board is completely blank.

Now if that isn’t post-modernist irony I don’t know what is.  Actually I do know what is, but that’s not really what this blog is about.  Can’t start getting too silly can we?

PS: Do you remember when the Gooner brought out its “Meltdown” issue?   Will the next issue be headlined “We apologise”?

(c) Tony Attwood, floating high on the wind in a serene and joyous world of goals, goals and more goals. 2009.

9 Replies to “Yet another cup final…”

  1. Re: “Tiny Totts … cheaper to build than the Ems”.

    It’s probably worth remembering that of the quoted 400+ million cost of the stadium project, less than half (c. 190M I think) went on the stadium itself.

    A huge chunk of the balance went on building the new Recycling/Waste Transfer Centre for Islington and more went on paying for other local infrastructure improvements also insisted on by the council. The rest on property, including the Highbury re-development. The cost of redeveloping the old WHL doesn’t seem to be included in the figures quoted for the new Totts ground – but as WHL is only fit for landfill or an open sewer, it probably doesn’t count.

    Out of the Ems 190M, building the two bridges over the railway lines took a large bite – the Totts won’t have anything comparable to do. There’s also the money spent on relocating a number of businesses from Queensland Road, Ashburton Grove, Eden Grove and Drayton Park – again the Totts are unlikely to face such high costs.

    When it comes down to it, I reckon the money spent on the Ems itself is fairly comparable to what the Totts will spend on their looky-likey effort (if they ever get round to it).

  2. Frankly, I doubt these plans for new Totts and Liverpool stadiums will ever get off the ground. Liverpool’s finances are just too dodgy right now and the financial climate is just wrong to go on a huge project at the moment. Also, in order to build a new stadium you need a really good group of planers, and the Totts just don’t have that.

  3. I agree that these stadiums are unlikely to be built but then I didn’t think that Benitez would sign a new contract either. Both opinions were/are based on financial grounds.

    Just goes to show the unreal world that football seemingly continues to operate in.

  4. Well anything’s possible, CB, I just see this as more delusional glory hunting for the Totts, esp. given the fact that they have a much smaller waiting list than we do.

  5. I like your writing style. Informal it is but unlike other bloggers informative and thought-provoking. Good work. Anyway back to Vieira, I mean Diaby he is still 22 I think. We signed Vieira at 21 but that was in a different era so he was able to tear up the league. It was like taking a tank to when there wasn’t any tanks…..

    Anyway Flamini was 24 when he broke through last year, when people doubted he was good enough but he proved them wrong. Denilson, Song and Diaby are at least two years younger and nearly as good if not better individually.

    Apparently Hicks has assured Benitez of the long-term finance of the club so something must be going on.

  6. Yes Brain. There must be.

    As for the Totts though. I think NYM is right. It is just another dream for them, like Champion’s league football. Ha Ha Ha!

    Mind you, I have never understod how they manage to spend so much money with so little return year on year.

  7. The Totts’ apparently endless fountain of money is a constant mystery to many of us gooners. It’s one of those Great Football Mysteries that’s doomed to never clear up. I don’t know how they do it. Ok, they sell a lot of their players….but that just doesn’t sound like enuf of an answer to me.

  8. i’ll believe it when i see it. if it was us, now, thinking of doing this, we wouldnt be doing it. i’ts gotta be financial suicide. but, if, against all the odds, they both do decide to build new stadia, its gotta be good for english football. nevermind that neither will be as good as what we have.

    i thought pool had already borrowed money for a stadium and have already spent it.

  9. The Government wants the banks to start lending again in order to jump start the economy – jobs would be created in the building trade, which is really suffering. Since football seems to be living in a bubble, there seems to be a belief that the pot of gold will never run out. We’ll soon see if that’s really the case especially if Liverpool’s current purple patch doesn’t end with silverware!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *