A Very Public Secret
‘WHEN the Mirror claims that Real Madrid will hold a secret meeting today with Patrick Vieiras advisers, we know the story cannot be true.
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| A Real deal? |
Not because we go through this whole boring saga every year, but because the very fact the paper knows about the meeting means it is no longer secret.
It is bound to contradict itself as soon as it opens its mouth.
So, even if the Spanish club really are meeting the Arsenal captains advisers today (and we only have the Mirrors word for it), they are not doing so in secret.
Vieira himself is in America, but the Mirror thinks that the indications are that this time the midfielder will make the jump.
The evidence for this is Madrids claim that Vieira asked his French teammate Zinedine Zidane to help arrange the move and, er, the fact that the glamour of Madrid and Reals name may prove too much for him to resist.
The trouble is that without what the Mirror laughingly refers to as the transfer story that is rocking football, there is bugger all football news to be had.
The Sun and Star both lead on news that Birmingham have launched a furious attack on Everton after they put in a £2.5m bid for Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage.
Brum boss Steve Bruce described the offer as laughable the idea that Savage is worth anything close to £2.5m is indeed risible.
The Express reports that the search for a successor to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has started already as the 62-year-old starts his 19th season in charge.
Only the Mail looks beyond football for its back-page lead, complaining that Britain will send its smallest athletics team for 28 years to the Athens Olympics.
Despite millions of pounds of lottery money having been poured into track and field, it says, only 47 athletes have been deemed good enough to compete.
And only one Paula Radcliffe is a realistic gold medal prospect.
Four years ago, Britain sent a 74-strong team to Sydney, winning two golds and four other medals.
Tiger Woods is still, of course, a realistic prospect to win golfs Open Championship, which starts at Royal Troon tomorrow.
But so are many others, including Ernie Els who could take over the World No.1 spot if he wins and Tiger finishes 18th or worse.’
Posted: 14th, July 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
