Sol Campbell and Braga are the ‘Aberdeen of Europe”
The ignorance of the modern player should come as no surprise. They are told from a young age they are great and earn vast sums of money cause they are great, which I don’t blame them for accepting what’s on offer. Money doesn’t buy manners or brains though.
Yesterday it was that reported that Neil Lennon “had no contact from Sol or his agency since he visited Parkhead” and today Mr Campbell is rolling into the Toon to sit the how many Newcastle Browns Ales you can sink test as “Magpies set to steal Arsenal defender“.
Now, Campbell wallowed in self importance all through this. His instance that he would not make a decision or tell anyone his decision until he returned from honeymoon irked many. Clubs need to make plans and this was a pain.
Guests at his wedding were ‘rumoured‘ to be told after the Grease Mega Mix that he was signing for Newcastle. That was weeks ago. In this age of instant communication he could have sent a message to interested parties from anywhere in the world as I’m sure his Blackberry or Smart phone can work abroad. He was like the footballing Raol Moat occasionally being seen in Sunderland.
He could have sent a carrier pigeon to deliver the news. He has forced young Kelvin Wilson to go on ‘strike‘ and make “himself unavailable for all pre-season games” that Nottingham Forest have still to play. He has forced us to maybe nurse Glenn Loovens back to form.
But what do we expect from a man who said he was leaving Arsenal to move abroad and then went to Portsmouth? I hope his leg drops off while dancing down the quayside.
Talking of ignorance you would think people would learn about commenting on things they know nothing about. A bit like The Diary.
Headlines like “Braga ace Andres Madrid admits his side couldn’t be in a worse state” from a newspaper that once sent a hack who, quite obviously, never moved from his sun lounger by the pool and drunk lorry loads of sangria to file copy that said Valencia were the “Aberdeen of Europe” should be dismissed.
It continues to coax you in by mentioning that “Braga are without 2 goalkeepers and four outfield stars” omitting that they can’t afford to pay the A-Team to help them out.
The basis of this? They have lost two pre-season games against lowly Portugese teams. We lost against a bank works team, Man Utd youth and destroyed a side flirting with conference ambitions. Games played against people instead of cones.
Lennon has been on Wikileaks and said “They play a 4-3-3 and do have some special players. Their wide right man Alan is supposedly a bit of a handful.” Alan, is a “Samba star in the mould of Pele, Zico and Socrates” not from Belshill.
Our best bet maybe that they don’t know each other names. UEFA informs that “they have signed 17 players” in the close season so maybe like weans at the school they are still checking the name tags on each others shorts.
Ourselves seem ill-prepared. The thought of Mark Wilson at right back is being threatened by some papers with Andres Hinkel hindered by “an appearance in Europe, or a potential injury would deter suitors“. Cha Du-Ri is “still settling” and Efrain Juarez “more likely to play in midfield“. Mulgrew or Musan at left-back will have many reaching the night nurse.
Jorge Cadete has a view. “I believe Braga have a very good chance of going through” said the former Portuguese Celebrity Big Brother winner. With credentials like that we should listen.