Tottenham: Views On Sepp Blatter, England, Danny Welbeck
By Alan Hill
Views on Sepp Blatter and his claim of racism, support for England and Danny Welbeck’s injury as well as Brad Friedel becoming an Ambassador for Tottenham.
Alan’s 2014 Summer Diary No. 9
Saturday 8 June (continued)
Argentina have to spoil things by holding up a “we own the Falklands” banner at the end of their last warm up match. What’s that got to do with football? W*nkers. Just as we get an Argentinian manager too. That’s what cost us the treble in 1982. The bloke in dark blue at the front even looked a bit like Mauricio Pochettino. It better not have been…
Soccer Aid
As usual Soccer Aid provided 2 evening’s worth of amusement and entertainment for football fans. The quality of the football was pretty good and it was a lot of fun. Robbie William’s pet project raised over £4 million for UNICEF. The Rest of the World managed by Jose Mourinho beat Sam Allardyce’s England 4-2. The only dampener on the proceedings was the thuggish behaviour of Edgar Davids who beat up on celebrities and seemed to misunderstand the whole point of the exercise. He used his shin pads as weapons and I was ashamed of him as an ex-Spurs man.
Brad Friedel [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]Monday 9 June
The first real bit of Spurs news since the signing of Pochettino and it’s good. 42 year old Brad Friedel has signed a new one year contract and is to be given an ambassadorial role at the club, concentrating on the USA.
Tuesday 10 June
More from Tottenham News
- Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
- Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
- Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
- Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
- Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help
I said in recent articles how the press should get behind England for the next month, regardless and not print criticism and scandal. Now Jose Mourinho has come out and said the same thing in the Sun. It says Mourinho feels it is time for the whole of England to unite behind Hodgson’s team but is unsure it will happen.
“When the competition is one week away everybody must be together – no more critics, even if you don’t agree, for one month just support. The moment the defeat comes and the team is out of the competition, let’s go for the kill. But there must be a period when the players feel they have an atmosphere of complete support. But with the mentality you have in this country, I’m not sure the people here are ready to go in this direction.”
Blatter’s Racism Claim
Greg Dyke and Lord Triesman, the former FA Chairman, respond to Sepp Blatter’s racism claim and accuse corrupt FIFA of being like a mafia family. Triesman points out that, over half of executive committee execs have gone and foreign construction workers dying in their dozens have been ignored.
I thought Blatter’s cry of racism proves as much as anything that the corruption investigation is getting too close to the truth for comfort. It is just like him to run to Africa to cry “racism”. This is the same guy who tried to brush off the monkey noises and throwing of bananas by Italian fans as a joke until he saw how everyone else reacted. Sadly these days it is all too often the cry of those who have been caught out doing wrong at the point when they get desperate and have no other defence. It is superbly ironic that the person trying to use it this time to get himself off the hook is Swiss from the 2nd World War generation.
Transfer news:
Cesc Fabregas joins the long list of footballers to go back on their word by signing for Chelsea. Unwanted by Barcelona, where he said on walking out on Arsenal that he wanted to stay for a long time. He said he could only ever see himself playing for Barcelona or Arsenal. Now Arsenal’s midfield is better without him than it was with him, so Wenger doesn’t want him back. In that case Chelsea will do fine after all then, thank you. Perhaps Jose will sit him on the bench and bring him on as cover for Hazard, Oscar or Willian.
Photo: Alan Hill
At last more World Cup merchandise has hit the shops and thanks to Sainsbury’s I am able to kit out the lounge in readiness for the kick off.
Wednesday 11 June
England announce that Danny Welbeck has picked up a thigh injury in training. Of course he did. It couldn’t possibly have happened when he was carrying on in this totally unprofessional manner at a visit to the local favela. I bet he’s not favela of the month with Roy.
What was he thinking of? What would you do as you twisted on landing and felt it go? Keep quiet about it so as not to look a fool and then at the next training session go. “Ooh boss, I think I’ve got a pull”…
That could cost him his place and affect England’s chances of success. At least Wilshere had the sense to decline the invitation to stand on his head. Sterling must be laughing all the way to a starting place!
Danny Welbeck [Photo: Alan Hill]