Just Champion
The draw for the Champions League Quarter Finals has taken place:
Arsenal v Juventus
Lyon v AC Milan
Internazionale / Ajax v Villarreal
Benfica v Barcelona
The Semi Finals will be:
Arsenal or Juventus v Internazionale or Ajax or Villarreal
Lyon or AC Milan v Benfica or Barcelona
The draw is reasonable; Juve are in good form domestically but struggled to get past Werder Bremen in the last round, whose keeper will still be having nightmares about the fumble when he is eighty-five. Paddy returns to Highbury for the last time, which although during the game he will not be popular, will extend a red carpet welcome beforehand. Some positives; we avoided Barca, Milan and Lyon who are this seasons form teams in the competition whilst should Arsenal progress to the semi – finals, the potential opponents are eminently beatable. Of course, Juve relives one the clubs finest hours in Europe when having been held to a 1 – 1 draw in the first leg, Arsenal became the first English team to win in Turin when an 82nd minute Paul Vaessan goal sent The Gunners through to the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final. Fast-forward twenty one years to the Champions League Group stages when a storming performance drove Arsenal on to a 3 – 1 win at THOF. More of those performances please rather than the insipid 1 – 0 defeat in Turin in 2002 that signalled Arsenal’s exit from the tournament.
It was strange, and exceptionally pleasing, to note that Arsenal are the only English team left in the competition. Since the team got its’ regular berth in the Group Stages, we have become accustomed to every other English side going further than us, even Leeds Leeds Leeds did so when they had their fifteen minutes of fame. Having reached this stage twice before and going out, perhaps it will be third time lucky for progressing to the Semi Finals and beyond. Whatever happens, this side have done well to progress this far given their wretched domestic form. Even more astounding is that a clean sheet in the first leg will mean that Arsenal equal Milan’s record for matches without conceding a goal. The last one conceded was in Amsterdam on 27th September during the Group Stages.
Alan Pardew has commented that Arsene Wenger’s policy of not fielding any English players on Wednesday means that Arsenal’s success is not good for British football. Rather disingenuously he comments that the core of the side should always be English with a minimum of 2 – 3 home players. Not a bad idea but ignores the fact that if Cole and Campbell were fit, this would have been the case. Rather ludicrously, he then comments on The ‘Appy ‘Ammers being filled with young Englishmen. And therein lies the rub. For the last decade, West Ham have fought in relegation battles or been in The Championship. In that time, Arsenal have won Premiership Titles, FA Cups and been involved in Europe every year. Whilst mediocrity may be acceptable to the regulars at Upton Park, challenging for trophies every season is far more palatable at THOF.
The problem for English football is that homegrown players are too expensive compared with their more technically gifted foreign counterparts. For example, two similarly talented players, Reyes and Wright-Phillips were signed for a combined fee of about £35m. Guess which one was £21m? Theo Walcott could cost the club around £12m if all performance targets are hit. And that is for a 16 year old. The total cost of that transfer is more than Wenger spent on three players who are older and more experienced in the January transfer window. Any wonder that English clubs are struggling financially and the core of the top five sides are foreign as opposed to native?
As a postscript to typing the above, Le Professeur has accused Pardew of racist comments. This is too strong and detracts from the point Pardew made about the denial of chances to English players , irrespective of the poorly worded manner of the West Ham managers comments. Wenger needs to apologise for suggesting that of a man who has made no such accusation.
Todays Tunes are some deep soul from the 60's:
Eddie King and Mae B. May - Please Mr DJ
The Dontells - Nothing But Nothing
Arsenal v Juventus
Lyon v AC Milan
Internazionale / Ajax v Villarreal
Benfica v Barcelona
The Semi Finals will be:
Arsenal or Juventus v Internazionale or Ajax or Villarreal
Lyon or AC Milan v Benfica or Barcelona
The draw is reasonable; Juve are in good form domestically but struggled to get past Werder Bremen in the last round, whose keeper will still be having nightmares about the fumble when he is eighty-five. Paddy returns to Highbury for the last time, which although during the game he will not be popular, will extend a red carpet welcome beforehand. Some positives; we avoided Barca, Milan and Lyon who are this seasons form teams in the competition whilst should Arsenal progress to the semi – finals, the potential opponents are eminently beatable. Of course, Juve relives one the clubs finest hours in Europe when having been held to a 1 – 1 draw in the first leg, Arsenal became the first English team to win in Turin when an 82nd minute Paul Vaessan goal sent The Gunners through to the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final. Fast-forward twenty one years to the Champions League Group stages when a storming performance drove Arsenal on to a 3 – 1 win at THOF. More of those performances please rather than the insipid 1 – 0 defeat in Turin in 2002 that signalled Arsenal’s exit from the tournament.
It was strange, and exceptionally pleasing, to note that Arsenal are the only English team left in the competition. Since the team got its’ regular berth in the Group Stages, we have become accustomed to every other English side going further than us, even Leeds Leeds Leeds did so when they had their fifteen minutes of fame. Having reached this stage twice before and going out, perhaps it will be third time lucky for progressing to the Semi Finals and beyond. Whatever happens, this side have done well to progress this far given their wretched domestic form. Even more astounding is that a clean sheet in the first leg will mean that Arsenal equal Milan’s record for matches without conceding a goal. The last one conceded was in Amsterdam on 27th September during the Group Stages.
Alan Pardew has commented that Arsene Wenger’s policy of not fielding any English players on Wednesday means that Arsenal’s success is not good for British football. Rather disingenuously he comments that the core of the side should always be English with a minimum of 2 – 3 home players. Not a bad idea but ignores the fact that if Cole and Campbell were fit, this would have been the case. Rather ludicrously, he then comments on The ‘Appy ‘Ammers being filled with young Englishmen. And therein lies the rub. For the last decade, West Ham have fought in relegation battles or been in The Championship. In that time, Arsenal have won Premiership Titles, FA Cups and been involved in Europe every year. Whilst mediocrity may be acceptable to the regulars at Upton Park, challenging for trophies every season is far more palatable at THOF.
The problem for English football is that homegrown players are too expensive compared with their more technically gifted foreign counterparts. For example, two similarly talented players, Reyes and Wright-Phillips were signed for a combined fee of about £35m. Guess which one was £21m? Theo Walcott could cost the club around £12m if all performance targets are hit. And that is for a 16 year old. The total cost of that transfer is more than Wenger spent on three players who are older and more experienced in the January transfer window. Any wonder that English clubs are struggling financially and the core of the top five sides are foreign as opposed to native?
As a postscript to typing the above, Le Professeur has accused Pardew of racist comments. This is too strong and detracts from the point Pardew made about the denial of chances to English players , irrespective of the poorly worded manner of the West Ham managers comments. Wenger needs to apologise for suggesting that of a man who has made no such accusation.
Todays Tunes are some deep soul from the 60's:
Eddie King and Mae B. May - Please Mr DJ
The Dontells - Nothing But Nothing
posted by Yogi's Warrior at 12:36 pm
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