The Grauniad (as my dad always used to call it when I were a lad as it was his regular rag of choice) posted this interesting story today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/07/premierleague-arsenal
Now this story is interesting in many ways – firstly Wenger comes out and accuses the refs of targeting Arsenal unfairly and then this rare nugget slips out which states: “Bookies savour Arsenal failure”. So we have:
1) The referees are targeting Arsenal in key matches.
2) Bookies make a killing out of Arsenal under-performing in key matches.
Hmmm… shit – man, this is a toughie, I have 2 right and I need to put it together with another 2 – so, if I put 2 and 2 together it makes... hmm – I think I need some help from the Numberjacks (my daughters’ second favourite program on CBeebies):
“Brain gain, brain gain
Get together use our brains,
Time to get your brains all linking,
Up together,
Joined up thinking”
By crikey I think I understand now!
The article then goes on to point out that the mug money is on United... and the bookies will hope and prey to their bookie gods of back-handers and brown paper bungs tied up with string that Arsenal can ‘do them another favour’ and cause an upset. Whether this is true or not; I don’t know – but, given the early odds - I suspect it is. The smart money will land late – it always does.
Hmmm… I wonder who the ref is?
Oh my giddy fucking aunt it’s only Howard fucking Webb!!!
This game is going to be bent as they come... but I still think it’s risky as the mancs have a good squad and will want to win – I would sell manure on the A/H... alternatively get on the high side on the yellows and a sneaky fiver on a red.
Wait until the morning papers though and try to work out where they want your cash to go – then oppose it. It’s been a Manu/Arsenal media circus the last few days with various articles pushing this as a ‘must win’ match... Arsenal have been undersold in the media – and the pictures tell it all i.e. looks of despair on Arsenal players faces Vs pictures of a happy, smiling Ronaldo/Rooney and articles stating that Rooney is going to ‘put us to the sword’... we have been undersold but not written off (as Liverpool were in the Chelsea match) – so maybe a draw then?
Back to that article:
“The layers will be hoping Arsène Wenger's side can do them another favour tomorrow against Manchester United, only this time they want them to beat their visitors rather than slip up.”
It has to be said, and I have said it before, that despite the decisions made by the ref; we are giving some of these games away (i.e. the ones in favour of the bookies) and ‘slipping up’ far too easily. In seasons past we would have battled against the odds to get the result – of course, it didn’t come to anything as the pitch would be tilted and the run of bad decisions simply increased to match and cancel out the extra effort. This season is different – and I suspect that we may be treading a murky path... and, if I am correct – then what will that do for our title aspirations?
Currently we are 20-1... so, worth a couple of quid... you can always lay it off if the odds shorten before the end of the season (I suspect that they will).
I could be wrong though – I often am... one thing is for sure - my eyes are open and I’m watching my team very, very carefully.
As an aside - was the Guardian ever a good paper and why did my dad stop reading it... I know he always regarded himself as a bit of a socialist. He would even take us on weekend days out to Highgate cemetery to peek in on Karl Marx’s grave, feed squirrels and fly kites in the adjacent park... he used to mumble something about Marx although I nerver took very much notice. Now all I see around London are fly-posters of Marx with the same sort of mumbles on them.
Maybe the Guardian lost it's 'socialist' heart along with it's spelling errors - or maybe my dad's now a just a signed up a capitalist - I can't decide... things change with time - like football.
We'll call it a draw I think... 2-2.
