The very fact that Sir Alux slurred his way (bare with me with that one, I fully expect to see the Manure manager ending his career in a drunken Cloughiesq rage attempting to hit pitch invading fans. It’s an image I have had for years and as his face gets redder and redder one that I can sense coming close) through an interview with the Beeb was a clue enough but when he comes out and calls the Tv companies ‘The Devil’ there is no other proof needed that the world has been turned inside out.
“When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price. Television is God at the moment,” he stuttered which is somewhat ironic coming from a club whose brand is helped by constant worldwide exposure, who earned £60.4m domestically and a total of £119.4m from media streams last season.
Yes, you shake hands with the devil but his rewards are decent in Manures case. He has a point about the timing of fixtures. A great man once said: “Football without fans is nothing.” and maybe someone should have told EUFA this when they whored out their lesser competition.
Playing at 6pm on Thursday night is not something that Sur Alux will need to worry about anytime soon. It’s a genuine worry for thousands of Hupes this week as work, lack off time off and numerous already taken sickies rear their ugly head.
EUFA seem to belittle this competition with these ludicrous start times, which are all about ensuring that The Devil gets blanket coverage. While the Big Cup gets priority the Europa League will always feel like an after-thought and it’s a notion that EUFA are doing nothing to dispel.
Our game should be getting top billing. I generally feel that the visit of Udinese Calico should be treated to the full CP European experience not being slotted in to suit Tv schedules.
Off course I understand WHY this is getting played at this time but I’m talking about this competition as a whole should be given the opportunity for the Ugly Sister to become the Prom Queen.
I feel that any leveller the CP Experience may have had, though in recent seasons it has become a mythical beast judging by results, will be gone due to the kick off time. Rumours are that  Udinese Calcio are sending a weakened side by leaving some ‘Big Hitters’ at home.
Forgive me for not rejoicing that news. It’s not exactly as if they sending a fatman on a moped to deliver pizza’s within an allotted timescale or you get your haul for free. All of their players would walk into teams in better leagues than the SPHELL.
The chances of assorted Italians and South Americans doing their work, with very little fuss, to a disinterested Tv audience, then escaping on the aforementioned moped with three points before most are home from work and had their spam fritters might be an easier task than it should be or we want it to be.
It really makes me think modern football is rubbish. The attendance will be as interesting as our team selection.