We used to have our own Messi in the good old days
Published: 28th April, 2011
THE CROW
LIONEL Messi scored a magnificent goal to sink Real Madrid – probably just as well as Jose Mourinho’s butterfingered team can’t be trusted near silverware and the Champions League trophy still apparently hasn’t recovered from boof laid into it when Liverpool last had it in their hotel rooms.
The whole world went orgasmic at little Lio’s goal but let’s not forget this has happened before to Real.
Thierry Henry scored an almost identical goal when he rounded the white shirts at the Bernabeu and scored one of the competition’s greatest ever goals a few years back. In an Arsenal shirt. And yet in reminding you of that wonderful moment, the passing of time since Thierry in his prime – and Arsenal in their prime – is underlined.
The farce at Bolton at the weekend summed up how far the club has slipped since that magical night in Madrid.
Only Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas of the current team would force their way into Henry’s winning team.
Like Spurs, Arsenal have tailed away, lacked bottle in the big matches. They talk about the Gunners playing beautiful football but Barca play beautiful and win things.
It should be clearout time at Arsenal.Eboue, Bendtner, Diaby, Clichy, Squillaci and Vela have a lot to prove. Wenger should build a new team with a few big signings (paid for by the inevitable Fabregas fee) around Wilshere, Ramsey and Nasri.
That's the only way to get back on the road to Madrid.
RICHARD OSLEY
I PLAYED in a golf competition on Sunday and the only thing that made me feel better about my performance was Arsenal’s against Bolton.
There’s been so much said about “bottle” and boy have they lost theirs. Wenger fumed, “blame me!” What say you Gooners? I’m not going to use Arsenal’s fantastic run since the, I quote, “Worthless Cup” final to forgive Spurs for their capitulation and ultimate end to fourth place ambitions.
For, with all of Man City’s millions, Tottenham have been complicit in their own downfall. Although it wasn’t my usual spot, thanks to a lovely friend, I watched from the West Stand on Saturday and it was painful to see more points being thrown away from so close up.
I was sat 15 yards from Harry and even he must have been wondering why he didn’t strengthen in the January transfer window. Many of the team looked tired, Lennon’s on the bench with the game crying out for width and though both goals for West Bromwich Albion were well-taken, Gomes was his unpredictable self.
Spurs will have learned a lot from this season and I’m quite sure that many of the players from this campaign will not be present for the next.
I have some questions for the Crow readers. What would the Premier League do if the fan decided not to go to the game? Are fans really necessary or are we just providing colour and sound for the billion pound industry of armchair viewing?
TONY DALLAS