Murray Mint
‘IT is a rare day indeed when even a word of common sense comes out of the mouth of Sepp Blatter but two in the space of one conversation is unprecedented.
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| ‘Grrrr!’ |
The Fifa boss yesterday not only criticised last weeks pathetic posturing by Englands footballers, but also spoke up for Evertons Tim Cahill.
Cahill was sent off at the weekend by referee Steve Bennett for lifting his shirt over his head as he celebrated his winning goal against Manchester City.
Even by the imbecilic standards of todays referees, this was so risible as to defy explanation.
But, although Blatter said Bennett should have had a word with Cahill instead of giving him a second yellow card, the Swiss meddler is ultimately responsible.
It is his organisation that has season after season introduced these new directives, such as the absurd new offside law, which are making the game a laughing stock.
Anyway, the Sun says Cahills goal has left Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan teetering on the brink a mere one game away from the bullet.
Another boss in crisis is West Brom manager Gary Megson after his players got involved in a mass brawl, which the Mail says started after Thomas Gaardsoe had water squirted in his face.
With Paul Sturrock and Sir Bobby Robson having been sacked and Graeme Souness having left to take charge at Newcastle, the question is how many clubs will end the season with the same manager they had at the start.
Arsene Wenger certainly looks pretty safe after his Arsenal team won their fifth straight match, although not without a bit of help from referee Mark Halsey.
Halsey not only ruled out what looked a perfectly good Fulham goal but changed his mind over a first-half penalty for Chris Colemans men because of the reaction of the players.
Even if the correct decision was eventually made, it is opening a real can of worms.
Which would bring us on nicely to a good angling story, except there is no such thing as a good angling story.
So, to tennis instead and the Telegraph gives Roger Federer due praise for his three-set demolition of Lleyton Hewitt in yesterdays US Open final.
But the picture on the front of its sports section is of another tennis player Andrew Murray, the 17-year-old Scot who won the boys event at Flushing Meadow.
All the broadsheets are beside themselves with excitement at the prospect of someone to cheer after Tiger Tim Henman roars for the last time.
And why not? Murray is the first British winner of a junior grand slam crown since 1993, when James Baily took the Australian Open crown.
Just look what happened to him…’
Posted: 13th, September 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
