By Ian Grant
How far has football descended from 1970, 1979, 1993, 1998 and 2003?
For example, a week of Cup Final build-up has been dominated by an ugly squabble between two clubs owned by an American and a Russian over a confused 18 year-old; the captain of the Champions is caught on video peeing on a bar; a rival manager virtually calls the other one a liar, thereby dishonouring the game, over an injured player. And an Arsenal player disrupting team preparations and team spirit because of personal wage demands, via a club prepared to pay more than anyone else.
Not that Arsenal are the offenders in the financial stakes by any means. But they have to live and compete in an environment where others spend to excess and raise the stakes to such an extent that football can no longer be considered a sport.
Many of these problems, as I said two years ago, would have been sorted out by a wage/transfer cap as the House of Commons All Party Football Group recommended along with UEFA’s Gerhart Ainger in 2001. Subsequently, the RFU wage cap has withstood a legal challenge strengthening the case for a cap.
But until the footballing authorities see sense, and bring in some form of ceiling, the game, or rather the business, will decline, attendances will drop, and ad revenues decline.
One positive note to emerge, is the action of Man U fans who are prepared to use the power of commercial boycott. The Premiership beware – commercial boycotts could very easily catch on among other clubs, and between fans of different clubs until more fans have more say in the running of the game.
Meanwhile, a weekly news review:
FA Cup
By the way, the Arsenal squad (£64.6m) are surely underdogs to £135.7m Man Utd squad.
Freddie Ljungberg declared himself fit to play against United after returning from a hip problem to play against Birmingham. “I think I will be available and I definitely hope so. We will have to see how it reacts in training. It is still a bit swollen and it feels like a big bruise but it felt good in the game – I can play with it. I felt quite good overall.”
The Highways Agency advises road users travelling to the final, and others on the roads at the weekend, to plan and allow extra time for their journeys. Routes to Cardiff on the English motorway and trunk road network can be checked for roadworks and travel conditions at www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo, or the Highways Agency Traffic England phone line on 08700 660 115.
Alex Ferguson said in the MU Magazine: “One thing’s for sure, we are certainly not afraid of them. A lot of teams, particularly some of the weaker teams in the league, tend to be frightened of Arsenal’s pace. But that is not an issue for us. We have enough pace in our team and we know how to handle them.”
And added: “Any game against Arsenal nowadays is going to have extra tension, but the cup final itself has always been a fantastic experience for us over the years and you can’t help but think it is a great opportunity to bring silverware to the club.”
Rob Styles, the Cup Final referee produced six yellow cards in the Manchester City and Middlesbrough last weekend – not considered dirty by many.
Rio Ferdinand told Reuters, Man U players won’t be worrying about Glazer: “Not at all. It’s a massive game for us. It’s a one-off cup final, which we want to win.” It’s a chance to add some silverware to our cabinet and we want to do that, so nothing off the pitch is going to get in the way of that. We want to end the season on a good note.”
Arsenal and Man U will be appearing in the final for the 17th time – a joint record.
Manchester United and Arsenal have met 11 times in the competition since their first meeting in 1906. Arsenal have won five times, Manchester United five times with one match drawn.
If he plays as expected, Roy Keane will appear in his seventh final – a modern-day record.
Cesc Fabregas will become the youngest FA Cup final scorer in the competition’s history – by one day – if he manages to score. Norman Whiteside was 18 years, 18 days old when he scored for Manchester United in their 4-0 replayed win over Brighton in 1983. Fabregas will be 18 years and 17 days old on the day of the final.
Arsenal hold the record for the latest goal ever scored in a final. Andy Linighan scored in extra time — after 119 minutes and 16 seconds — of their replayed 1993 final against Sheffield Wednesday to give Arsenal a 2-1 replayed win.
PLAYERS
Patrick Vieira said of Roy Keane “For someone who leaves his team in the World Cup, he should keep this remark [about playing for France, not Senegal] to himself.”
Vieira said: “For the time being, my contract with Arsenal is still running and I don’t want to leave. If we win the Cup, we could say that we have had an average season, even if I’m certain that our side was stronger than last year.”
OLD BOYS
Alan Sunderland says in The Telegraph that scoring the winner in 1979 was the greatest moment of his footballing career, and adds: “Today, I like Dennis Bergkamp. He has vision, touch, experience and no tantrums. But he also knows how to look after himself and retaliate in the right way.”
TRANSFER RUMOURS
According to worldfootballers.com, Arsenal are set to make a pounds £7m move for Stuttgart’s Belarussian midfielder Aleksander Hleb, billed by some as the new Edu.
The Guardian notes that Ajax midfielder Rafael van der Vaart’s agent said that besides Roma, he’d had also had contact with “Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and Hamburg”. He has a year left on his current contract.
The Sun claims Arsenal want Markus Rosenberg, the £5m-rated Malmo striker.
PREM FACTS
With the Premiership over, Arsenal lead the average goals/game table with 2.29, with Chelsea on 1.89 and Man U on 1.53. On goals conceded though, Arsenal, 0.95, are third behind Chelsea 0.39, Man U 0.68.
On clean sheets, Arsenal are third too on 16, compared to Chelsea’s 25 and Man U’s 19. But Arsenal came top in the game of two halves league with 38 in the first half (to Chelsea’s 30) and 49 in the second half to Chelsea’s 42.
Arsenal had two players in the top Premiership scorers. Thierry Henry scored 25 in 32 games, averaging 0.78/game. Andy Johnson was second with 21 in 37 at 0.57 and Robert Pires third with 14 in 33 at 0.42/game.
MISCELLANEOUS
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is demanding that clubs found guilty of tapping up players should face the penalty of being banned from buying and selling for one transfer window. “I think that is a good idea. We need more discipline and more respect for the regulations.”
Barnet have set a date for their traditional pre-season friendly with Arsenal, at Underhill – July 16.
The Express reckons Arsenal are set to be offered £250,000 compensation if Chelsea are found guilty by the Premier League inquiry into the Ashley Cole tapping case.