Untold Arsenal: the stories no one else runs » 2008 » May » 13

13/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

We’ve had Randall, Simpson, Vela and Gibbs in our list of next year’s stars.  Now Alex Song.

Alex Song had to suffer being nominated as one of the worst players ever to play for Arsenal  because of one poor performance against Fulham.  But the criticism was always unjust – a knee jerk reaction to a single bad game.

In the last month of the season we saw what Alex Song is, and what he could become.  He is a robust and solid central defender, and he could become one of the top defenders in the country.

Alex had a loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season – an extraordinary event in itself after the Charlton manager criticised Arsenal for having too many foreign players.  (He’s not English – but maybe the Pardew creature didn’t know that).

He played in the Under-20 African Cup of Nations in Congo.  He can also play in midfield where we seem to have a vacancy or two.

13/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

I’ve written regularly about the determination of a small group of Arsenal supporters to get even with Birmingham City, following that club’s defence of the attack on Eduardo.   Birmingham worked hard to stop a FIFA enquiry into the attack, and then rushed back the player responsible after just three games suspension.

The insult to Arsenal (the attack on Eduardo getting the same punishment as the slap by Hleb) resulted in a Curse being placed on Birmingham City from that moment on.

Of course most people didn’t take this seriously at all – but since then Birmingham have been relegated, the police have raided the club and removed documents, and the MD and co-owner have both been arrested

But the turmoil is not over yet.

David Sullivan, Birmingham City’s co-owner has really made matters far worse by starting to attack his own club, saying that many of the players there represent a “pile of rubbish”.  Not surprisingly Sullivan also said that he wants to get out, himself.

The fans of Birmingham have abused Sullivan – and in saying he is leaving Sullivan also pointed out that there is no queue of buyers.

Sullivan has said that he knew the players bought last summer were not good – but has declined to say why he said nothing at the time.  It was in fact as if he wanted the club to implode.

The players are of course reacting to this, and are fighting back – and as we all know when owners criticize players and players openly argue back, things are in a mess.   The chairman also said the club was significantly in debt.

So, all things considered, the Curse is still working, and we might well see Birmingham City FC slipping into League One in a year’s time.

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