What a match eh!? Even the missus was glued to the set in anticipation... manly because she was anticipating scenario where we were going to be in for another night of 'Tottenhamesque' premature celebration and fireworks by the local Turkish community if they made it to the final.
Last night my family and I slept as the broken hearted shuffled their way home in silence... unlucky Turkey - you so nearly got extra time.
In a way I'm going to miss the beserkergang antics of the Turkish team, they just kept on coming, especially after their obviously inspirational and very special half time 'talks'... and refreshments.
The German team confuses me – they, like the Russians, are showing a levels of fitness and endurance that do not make sense – they kept coming and it seemed like they were in control and knew that they could score at any time – even in the final minutes of the match I was in little doubt that they would win... yet they are unwilling to kill off matches like these. Are they keeping a low profile and doing just enough to scrape on by to the final? Whatever it is they are up to it's working... and - like the Russians - they look, quite bizarrely, to be hitting their peak of physical fitness for the final game... unbelievable!
What's the secret... an effervescent Barocca tablet with their breakfast porridge perhaps? Or is it maybe something else?
For a laugh Google "aranesp" and "sport" – although it's not much of a laugh I'll grant you... Oh - and while you are there look up "perftoran".
* ARSENAL NEWS *
Is Arsene having a laugh... he surely is – it is a well know scam by agents that linking the player that they represent with 'interest from Arsenal' can bump up their value... 98.7% of agents are scum. It is also well known that certain managers will try and 'snipe' potential signings from under our noses, in an 'ebay style', if they get the whiff that we are about to swoop. This has led to Wenger playing his cards fairly close to his chest until deals have been done. However – recently Arsene gave an interview in which he 'bigged up' Andrei Arshavin... this after stating that he was 'taking his chequebook to Euro 2008' with a mind to 'spend big'.
Yeah right.
Arsenal have a network of scouts and the brief 'shop window' of opportunity that is the Euro 2008 competition will not provide the kind of information that any sensible manager can use to make a decision on a transfer... however – it is one in which you can sow a few nuggets of disinformation for those with more wallet than nous.
Let's take a look at some of today's rumours:
"Arsenal are lining up a move for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch as a replacement for Barcelona target Emmanuel Adebayor." - Daily Mirror
This reminds me of the Michael Owen rumour last season – why would we sign someone whose major talent is being born a cruel, spindly freak of fucking nature... please no! He certainly couldn't 'replace' Adebayor... he's not even close – I wouldn't trust him to clean his boots.
"Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed Barcelona have made a formal approach for Russia midfielder Andrei Arshavin" - Setanta Sports
So... Barcelona want Fabregas, Hleb, Adebayor and now a post 'big-uppage' Arshavin? How much money are they thinking of spending? You know, I can't help thinking that, now Rijkaard has gone, the one signing that they really want to make is Arsene himself...
"A deal to bring Adebayor to AC Milan is "70-80%" likely according to Italian agent Vincenzo Morabito." - Various
Vincenzo Morabito you are a fucking prick, why not show some class you money fucking leech and do what's best for the players you represent instead of shooting your mouth off to unsettle them and line your wallet?!
"the Gunners striker will stay at the Emirates Stadium if Arsenal treble his wages to £120,000." - The Sun
Oh right, I get it now - this has "Greedy, dirty, thieving Mr. 10%" scrawled all over it...
...Right – onto tonight's fixture:
Russia v Spain @ Vienna
Well - who gives a shit... let's say Russia – purely because of their extra 'fitness' and the Spanish team's unwillingness to trust Fabregas 'the Catalan' to start despite him being one of the players they should be building their team around.
As I said before, I got Russia in the sweepstake at work – go Russia... as a Gooner though I'll be supporting Spain as soon as they do the decent thing and bring on the fabulous Fabregas.
Interestingly, on Monday UEFA announced that the final will be refereed by a certain Roberto Rosetti... I mentioned him in a previous post, check it out:
http://footballhasbroken.blogspot.com/2008/06/we-are-all-bourgeois-now.html
So, it might be worth a sneaky fiver on Russia, just in case they make it that far?
;-)
