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What we learned this week... Barcelona & Real Madrid get repetitive in El Clasico
Pep Guardiola's men deliver the inevitable, while Thierry Henry falls out with the Arsenal fans, Alan Pardew gets busy in the transfer market and David Beckham opts to stay in LA
20 Jan 2012 07:35:00
Getty
By Jamie Dunn
Watching El Clasico feels like living Groundhog Day
Get the popcorn! Call your mates over, and tell them to bring the lagers! It’s time for Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the 50,000th Clasico of the last 12 months!
WWLTW watched with eager anticipation, giddy as a kid at Christmas. Real Madrid took the lead. Barcelona dominated, then equalised. Sergio Busquets was booked. Barcelona won.
Hang on…haven’t we seen this one before? Far be it for this humble column to dare suggest El Clasico is anything other than fascinating, enthralling, scintillating stuff – doing so is punishable by banishment from the football blogosphere – but surely it’d be better if Madrid could make it a little more interesting?
Of course, that is far easier said than done against the ever-evolving football behemoth Barcelona, and expecting to see anything other than the Catalans dominate is a bit like going to watch The Hangover II and complaining it was just like the first one.
Pepe had a good crack at breaking up the predictability of it all though, lunging in, feigning injury and stamping on Lionel Messi’s hand. But then, that is fairly predictable in itself, isn’t it?
The Thierry Henry love-in is over
Oh dear. That turned sour quickly, didn’t it?
Less than two weeks ago, Thierry Henry rose from the bench at the Emirates Stadium to rapturous applause, and shortly after, in his trademark style, handed Arsenal an FA Cup victory over Leeds United on his return to the club, whipping the home fans into a frenzy in the process.
This very column argued this time last week that only the most hardened of cynics - or a Tottenham fan - would take no joy from the exploits of the returning Frenchman.
But, just six days after, Henry emerged from among the substitutes' bench again, and couldn’t inspire his side to rescue a point against Swansea City, who handed the Gunners a shock 3-2 defeat at the Liberty Stadium.
The travelling support was less than pleased and let the players know, presumably with the use of some colourful vocabulary.
“No matter what, you should support your team,” Henry replied, according to an Arsenal spokesperson.
Or not. Despite having club officials cover his back, as if to not want to be outdone, Henry pointed out that he did in fact swear at a fan.
"I wanted to tell the fan in question that we need their support not abuse,” he said. “The sentiment was right, but in hindsight could have been better expressed.”
The honeymoon, it seems, is over. Until Henry comes off the bench to score a hat-trick against Manchester United, or something of that nature, which he inevitably will before his return to New York.
Alan Pardew is building an ark
It’s all getting a bit biblical on Tyneside. First, the Ameobis (Shola and Sammy) came in two by two, then the Taylors (Steven and Ryan), and the Dannys (Simpson and Guthrie). And now, there are the Dembas.
Newcastle made the biggest move of the January transfer window so far this week, signing Papiss Demba Cisse to partner Senegalese team-mate Demba Ba in attack. Given the Magpies’ recent success in the transfer market, it is a given that the former Freiburg striker will be a huge hit – WWLTW refuses to accept otherwise.
However, the proof won’t be apparent until mid-February at the earliest, when Cisse returns from Africa Cup of Nations duty, with his strawberry syrup-loving comrade in tow.
Meanwhile, rumour has it Pardew has been warned by a higher being of an impending flood and is at the training ground morning, noon and night, assembling an ark capable of housing two of every footballing namesake. The Toon boss also may or may not be growing his hair long and sporting a giant white beard, much like Steve Carell in Evan Almighty.
There is, however, only one Jonas Gutierrez. Just look at him, like a swashbuckling pirate in a Spider Man mask.
David Beckham ends game of human Monopoly
Manchester, Madrid, Los Angeles and Milan – David Beckham has got houses on all the dark blue properties in his game of Human Monopoly: Major Cities Edition* and looked set for some time to add Paris to the set.
But the midfielder’s proposed move to join Carlo Ancelotti fell through, with the 36-year-old instead opting to stay in LA and sign a new contract with the Galaxy. And who can blame him? It is LA, after all.
WWLTW wonders what a game of Monopoly over at the Beckham’s mansion must be like. No doubt Victoria insists on playing as the shoe.
*Other property trading board games are available...probably
Watching El Clasico feels like living Groundhog Day
Get the popcorn! Call your mates over, and tell them to bring the lagers! It’s time for Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the 50,000th Clasico of the last 12 months!
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Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
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Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
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Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
WWLTW watched with eager anticipation, giddy as a kid at Christmas. Real Madrid took the lead. Barcelona dominated, then equalised. Sergio Busquets was booked. Barcelona won.
Hang on…haven’t we seen this one before? Far be it for this humble column to dare suggest El Clasico is anything other than fascinating, enthralling, scintillating stuff – doing so is punishable by banishment from the football blogosphere – but surely it’d be better if Madrid could make it a little more interesting?
Of course, that is far easier said than done against the ever-evolving football behemoth Barcelona, and expecting to see anything other than the Catalans dominate is a bit like going to watch The Hangover II and complaining it was just like the first one.
Pepe had a good crack at breaking up the predictability of it all though, lunging in, feigning injury and stamping on Lionel Messi’s hand. But then, that is fairly predictable in itself, isn’t it?
The Thierry Henry love-in is over
Oh dear. That turned sour quickly, didn’t it?
Less than two weeks ago, Thierry Henry rose from the bench at the Emirates Stadium to rapturous applause, and shortly after, in his trademark style, handed Arsenal an FA Cup victory over Leeds United on his return to the club, whipping the home fans into a frenzy in the process.
This very column argued this time last week that only the most hardened of cynics - or a Tottenham fan - would take no joy from the exploits of the returning Frenchman.
But, just six days after, Henry emerged from among the substitutes' bench again, and couldn’t inspire his side to rescue a point against Swansea City, who handed the Gunners a shock 3-2 defeat at the Liberty Stadium.
The travelling support was less than pleased and let the players know, presumably with the use of some colourful vocabulary.
“No matter what, you should support your team,” Henry replied, according to an Arsenal spokesperson.
Or not. Despite having club officials cover his back, as if to not want to be outdone, Henry pointed out that he did in fact swear at a fan.
"I wanted to tell the fan in question that we need their support not abuse,” he said. “The sentiment was right, but in hindsight could have been better expressed.”
The honeymoon, it seems, is over. Until Henry comes off the bench to score a hat-trick against Manchester United, or something of that nature, which he inevitably will before his return to New York.
Come here and say that! | Henry was not impressed by the Arsenal away fans
| What we will learn this weekend... |
 As the transfer window approaches its final throes, Harry Redknapp will declare that he "likes Player X," but that he "belongs to Club Y, so I wouldn't think that was possible. The chairman deals with that side of things."Meanwhile, Tottenham will be in the title race, then out of it again approximately 74 times between this weekend and the next round of Premier League fixtures. Fernando Torres, who is getting closer all the time to finding his best form, according to Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, will come closer still to hitting his peak, but still not score. |
It’s all getting a bit biblical on Tyneside. First, the Ameobis (Shola and Sammy) came in two by two, then the Taylors (Steven and Ryan), and the Dannys (Simpson and Guthrie). And now, there are the Dembas.
Newcastle made the biggest move of the January transfer window so far this week, signing Papiss Demba Cisse to partner Senegalese team-mate Demba Ba in attack. Given the Magpies’ recent success in the transfer market, it is a given that the former Freiburg striker will be a huge hit – WWLTW refuses to accept otherwise.
However, the proof won’t be apparent until mid-February at the earliest, when Cisse returns from Africa Cup of Nations duty, with his strawberry syrup-loving comrade in tow.
Meanwhile, rumour has it Pardew has been warned by a higher being of an impending flood and is at the training ground morning, noon and night, assembling an ark capable of housing two of every footballing namesake. The Toon boss also may or may not be growing his hair long and sporting a giant white beard, much like Steve Carell in Evan Almighty.
There is, however, only one Jonas Gutierrez. Just look at him, like a swashbuckling pirate in a Spider Man mask.
David Beckham ends game of human Monopoly
Manchester, Madrid, Los Angeles and Milan – David Beckham has got houses on all the dark blue properties in his game of Human Monopoly: Major Cities Edition* and looked set for some time to add Paris to the set.
But the midfielder’s proposed move to join Carlo Ancelotti fell through, with the 36-year-old instead opting to stay in LA and sign a new contract with the Galaxy. And who can blame him? It is LA, after all.
WWLTW wonders what a game of Monopoly over at the Beckham’s mansion must be like. No doubt Victoria insists on playing as the shoe.
*Other property trading board games are available...probably
Follow Jamie Dunn on 
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
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