The only people who hate the French more than Americans are the English. It’s funny too, because, well, I’m not giving a history lesson here: suffice it to say that the French, both for the good and bad have been one of the key ingredients in forming both countries.
I’m not a Francophile, far from it, if anything I’m an Anglophile. I cook some French traditional meals (the Julia Child stuff) but my GF’s 10 year old daughter pretty much hates French food so I haven’t done it much lately. But, I don’t speak French, don’t have a thing for French chicks, in fact I really don’t know much about France except they seem to annoy conservatives in America and the English can’t stand them. So, whenever these international tournaments take place I feel this sense of dread because I always have to explain why I support the French national team.
It’s not my fault!
How could a person new to the game NOT support France after watching them win the World Cup? Zidane! Oh my god. I’d never seen anyone play like that. Anyway…
I support France and hopefully this year it will pay off too. I have $5 in a pool and the payout is 70%, split among owners. There are only two French supporters, me and a French guy on our pub football team. The other people are splitting teams among dozens of owners. We’re the only two supporting France. At last count after the two way split, we’re getting 70-1 odds! Heheehe: Allez Les Blues!
Arsenal News
I don’t think Peter Hill-Wood has suddenly seen the error of his xenophobic ways but he has decided that Stan Kroenke would make a valuable member of the board. From “we don’t need his sort” to “he seems to have been very sensible” PHW’s view of Kroenke has changed drastically and rapidly. I guess that can happen when you have a convicted criminal trying to buy the team and turn it into his personal piggy bank: sometimes you have to reach out and form new friendships when you’re under siege.
It’s understandable that PHW was reactionary about Kroenke, but there was and always has been this tinge of xenophobia about the whole thing, and as a foreigner that’s a very sad thing to see. Oh well, maybe an American on the board would be just the kind of interaction with “our sort” that will soften the hard heart of Mr. Hill-Wood.
Another thing that I’d like to see Arsenal try is to reach out to Americans a little more by putting together some package deals to bring us over there to watch a match at Emirates. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to be part of a group of, say, 20 Arsenal supporters that all fly in together, stay in the same hotel, and so on? I think it would be a blast.
Especially if we could get tickets to a big game like Tottenham.
Maybe having Stan on the board will help push some ideas like that through. Let me give him a call…
Adebayor
The papers are reporting that AC Milan is going to put forward a £32m bid for Adebayor. Dude, you can have him for that price and that’s not a knock on Ade. Is Adebayor worth three Eduardos? Two Henrys? I don’t think so and I like the guy. Sorry, but at that price Arsenal would be foolish not to take that bid.
Which is why it’s probably never going to happen.
Eduardo may be healed but Birmingham is still broken
And finally, the story that just refuses to die has reared it’s ugly head again. That’s right, we’re being reminded that when Eduardo broke his leg on Taylor’s studs it ruined Taylor’s career and Birmingham’s season. Pardon me while I grab a tissue, I have to dab away my tears after reading Alex McLeish talk about how much his team struggled after that incident and how Taylor was never the same again.
How about next time, Allie, you teach your players how to play the game and maybe some man marking instead of just telling them to go out and “get stuck in?” See, for me, it was Allie McLeish who ruined Birmingham and Taylor’s career. He’s the one who told the team to go out and “put a physical stamp” on the match. He’s the one who took Taylor aside and told him to go out and give Arsenal a good lump right from the start. He’s the one who failed to teach his players how to play the game. So, no matter how much he wants to blame Eduardo, Alex McLeish is the reason that Birmingham was relegated. And judging by the supporter’s display at the end of the season, they deserve each other.
I hope they make the drop again.
I’m going to stop there, because like Peter Hill-Wood, I get irrationally angry when I go over that whole incident.
Until tomorrow.
The French aren’t all bad. Those from Paris tend to be a bit obnoxious (they call it a “dry” sense of humor) but otherwise are OK. Their team is a joy to watch (most of the time anyway) and I’ve always been a fan of Zidane. I’ve got a framed photo of him kicking Materazzi’s ass on my wall.
WTF is wrong with McLiesh? Isn’t this the same putz who was blathering on about how he hoped to maintain their “special” relationship with Arsenal? Someone needs to explain to him that THIS isn’t how it is done. Besides I’m pretty sure that relationship was with Steve Bruce and not with BC. Regardless, I’d be shocked if Arsenal loaned BC a stick of gum in the future.
Good post as usual.
I like all the comments in that link. Thanks Alex.