Untold Arsenal: the stories no one else runs » 2008 » May » 12

12/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

In a bizarre U-turn the government has announced today (May 12) that it will no longer seek to collect tax from overseas players who play for non-UK clubs in European cup finals.

As a result of this change of heart, Wembley can now bid for the 2011 European Cup Final.  However the change comes just a couple of weeks too late for Arsenal’s bid for the UEFA Cup Final at the Emirates, which was turned down specifically on the tax rule

The government could easily have announced its change of mind one month ago, and Arsenal would almost certainly have won the event – the ground has successfully held a number of Brazil internationals, and has been voted the best football experience in the EPL.

The man who has engineered this anti-Arsenal decision is Andy Burnham, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, and many Arsenal fans will in future treat him with the utter contempt that he deserves, not least because he made it clear that the exemption will only apply to a Wembley bid and not to an Arsenal bid.

Specifically he said, “The Treasury has confirmed to the Football Association that if the UK wins the right to stage the Uefa Champions League final in 2011 then visiting teams and their players will not face a tax charge.”

Even worse, government figures show that when the final was played between two Italian sides at Old Trafford in 2005, the tax was not collected.   So, clearly, if the game benefits Man U, or the FA, then the government will act.  If it benefits Arsenal, they will act against Arsenal.

12/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

The future is an Arsenal squad which had an average age of around 20, where the only goal was scored by still under 21 Theo Walcott, and where we got glimpses of the future.

Beyond any doubt we will have at least two new big time signings next season, plus Vela and Merida, who come back from Spain straight into the first team squad, plus the return of the endless injuries, plus new fringe youngsters such as Randall, Simpson and Gibbs.

And that makes almost a complete new extra squad: at least 3 youngsters, 2 loans from Spain, 2 big signings, and at least 4 injured players.   That’s 11 and we haven’t had any big surprises yet.

What we also know is that Almunia can play at this level, and Fabianski is a good Cup player.

The question is, could the newly enhanced squad next season get an extra 5 points?  The answer is surely yes, all of which makes wonderful reading.   And if that were not enough try this.

The key to the brilliance of Henry was that he played with Pires.  Henry went for a wander on the wing and Pires played centre forward – which is how Robert scored so many goals each year.   Now watch some of this season’s games again and see how Adebayour wanders out to the wing – in fact the same left wing that Henry used.   And then start watching where Theo goes….

Yes, its the same trick – except that Ade can also score with his head.   So the back four mark Ade and get drawn out of the way and Theo turns up as centre forward.  Then they  mark Theo and find they have got a racing winger and Ade is unmarked.

You know, we might actually end up with some players being upset because there is just too much competition for each place.

I can hardly wait for the new season to start.

12/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

It was the most far-fetched plan ever, but after the tackle on Eduardo that nearly cost him a leg, a little group of Arsenal fans felt they just had to act.

When one member of the group claimed to be able to put a curse on Birmingham, there was general disbelief – but no one objected.

The reason was not just the tackle itself, but the clubs’ subsequent reaction – their decision to sneak the player who committed the tackle back into football after just three games, and their wholesale resistance to the idea from FIFA of an investigation of the tackle.

There was no admission of guilt, no sorrow, just a totally self-centered attitude – and that is what upset us so much.

Of course you might put it all down to coincidence, but since the Curse was announced three events have happened.   First Birmingham’s managing director and co-owner were both arrested by police.   Then the fraud squad turned up and took away much of the club’s paperwork in a dawn raid.

And finally of course the club (which at the time of the Eduardo attack was not looking threatened by relegation) has gone down.

(I should add for the sake of accuracy that no charges have been brought by the police and there is no suggestion of wrong doing by the club or its owners or directors.)

So what next?   A spokesperson for the group that ran the Curse said, “it is interesting that this power seems to be exist and with proper work it can be channeled into something specific – like the demise of Birmingham City FC.  I am not sure what we will do next season as a group – we could work on Birmingham City again, although we could choose another club.  But if we do choose to look elsewhere, it will only be for a significant incident.  We don’t do this lightly.”

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