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After 108 games, the Gunners girls come unstuck against Toffees
SO, it’s well done to the Toffeerellas. After 108 games, Arsenal Ladies have been beaten, and it was the girls from Everton that were responsible on Sunda.
Not for six years has this happened in a league match. Of course, this minor miracle in sporting achievements has been as badly overlooked as “comedians” Horne and Corden’s complete lack of talent.
The Camden New Journal and Islington Tribune aside, the media has been slow to give our girls any credit. When Kelly Smith, one of the key players over the unbeaten run, was invited on that dunderhead Jonathan Ross’s chat show, she was asked banal questions like whether she took her shirt off to celebrate. Really clever stuff.
Truth is, Arsenal as a club deserve credit for taking the Ladies team seriously. Other big sides like Liverpool, Chelsea and Moan United have made little effort. They have been happy to revel in the football boom which has seen more women engrossed by the game and attending matches.
This can only be a good thing. I even know a few that understand the pointlessness of the Carling Cup and the offside rule (calm down, just a joke).With the greater interest from fans of both sexes has come more pay-for-view subscriptions, more shirt sales and more money.
It’s just a shame that hardly any of the cash has been invested in building Ladies teams that can challenge the mighty Arsenal.
THE English press have good reason to thank Steve McClaren. Without his shocking display of ineptitude it would be near impossible to create a sense of nervy anticipation around a game such as England against Ukraine.
However, McClaren made us believe that with our team of Lions we could lose to anybody, under any circumstances. We were mocked by every butcher and postman lucky enough to play against us in that golden era of failure.
Now, of course, Fabio Capello has turned that failure into hope. The boos have made Frank Lampard stronger, Wayne Rooney is now officially “crazy” – and we love him for it – and Steven Gerrard oozes class. In the face of a striker crisis, Capello exhibited some world-class management, throwing in the name of Bolton’s Kevin Davies just to make sure everybody knew the extent of our problem, and then not picking him to show he is not an idiot. Well played, sir.
A twist almost as shocking as the idea of Davies playing for England was the appointment of Alan Shearer as Newcastle’s caretaker-manager. If he talks with as much enthusiasm, personality and intelligence as he does on Match of the Day, then the Toon are sunk for sure.
At least he hasn’t been hailed as the messiah, let’s give them a week. |
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