The Importance of Sport (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

I didn't watch the Final, only the ten minute highlights on BBC I-Player. It seemed OK, if one-sided. Then I ran into the storm on YouTube about the disgracefulness of the Argentines. It was a tsunami of denunciation coming at them from every direction. A team that will live in infamy.

Or maybe not, it's always hard to predict these things. But, even if it's short-term, I can't understand why the individual players would want it. Do Argentinians relish being intensely disliked? Is it so woven into their warp and woof they had no choice? What must it be like for Messi? Someone who has always been universally adored, spending the rest of his life as 'captain of that lot'?

It's true their methods were the only chance they had of actually winning the thing, and they came reasonably close to doing so, but would that not have increased the hatred? The team that won with a shots ratio of minus thirty and a crime index of plus a hundred.

We were unpopular winners in '66 but nobody here would want to replay that tournament and emerge as 'sporting losers'. But Argentina didn't win. And they must have known--win, draw or lose--they would be pantomime villains forever. You can't perform the dark arts when the whole world is watching from every camera angle and hope to get away with it.

It will be interesting to see what reception they get at home. Will Argentina regard them as returning heroes, beaten only by the machinations of officialdom. That is what happened in 1966 after the sending-off of Rattin. Will the B.A. tifosi congratulate them on a job nearly well done? Will they get an official reception from a president who is, as far as he is concerned, in the same boat?

Any other country would surely have some reservations about having their entire nation being dragged through the mud. Or perhaps Argentines are like Russians and Millwall supporters, "No one likes us, we don't care." All I can say is rather them than me.

[Wile E. Coyote]

You are suppossed to be gracious in defeat.

It was distateful behaviour, after the whistle, that really rankled.

First they instigated a mass brawl, then they turned their backs on the winners during the ceremony.

Sort of appropriate for a Trumpian World Cup though........

[Mick Harper]

Perhaps FIFA will come up with a 'Non-Peace Prize'.

[Mick Harper]

The bit I don't understand is the turning of the backs when Spain were receiving the cup. All the rest is individual. Each invidious bit of misbehaviour might be part of a group ethos but each act--even a group swarm on the ref--is made on the basis of personal volition. Not the team back-turn. That had to be suggested by someone, specifically agreed by everyone.

After all, they were free to wander away, they were free to express their own personal disapproval. They were free not to line up as a team at all. But to line up as normal, to not face front as normal, to turn their backs nem con is something else again.

Fair enough, that's what they collectively decided to do. But what I don't get is why? What was it they were signalling their dissent about. It could hardly be because Spain did not deserve to win. It could hardly be because of the red card shown to Enzo Fernando. It could hardly be because the ref showed favouritism to the other side. All these reasons they knew, everybody knew, would be patently silly.

So go on, tell me what is was for? Just to emphasise they were arseholes is as near as I can get. I suppose they might as well have done by that stage.

[Mick Harper]

Chelsea have just paid £117 million for Morgan Rogers. After Arsenal had spent months pursuing him and after Rogers himself had expressed a preference to go to Arsenal.

It's all a bit weird but having a look at Chelsea's line-up for the new season, and with a manager who knows his onions and the stature to have his way, I can't see anyone beating them to the title next season. You read it here first.

[Mick Harper]

Final Ratings for Top Fifty World Cup Players
The Athletic, selected

England
04. Jude Bellingham
08. Harry Kane
13. Declan Rice
18 Anthony Gordon
21. Elliot Anderson
40. Bukayo Saka

Arsenal
13. Declan Rice
20. William Saliba (injured)
28. Leandro Trossard (gone)
30. Bruno Guimaraes (soon)
40. Bukayo Saka (charitable)
43. Martin Odegaard (not first team)
48. Mikel Merino (not first team)

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

Did you know that NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing? I certainly hadn't made the connection before and neither had you. They've certainly come a long way since then.

[Mick Harper]

They Do It Different Over There

More betting money has gone on the question 'Where will LeBron James play next season?' than on the outcome of any game. This proves my contention that the Americans occupy a higher sphere of professional sport appreciation than we do. Process is way more more important than what simple souls in muddy boots have been up to.

You can see this play out every week on MoTD. They're still obsessed with discussing what happened between three and five o'clock. In America this would all be consigned to some obscure highlights package, and the savants would be discussing, say, the latest rows in the Stamford Bridge dressing room or jury selection for the Man City appeal against being found guilty on 111 out of of the 124 charges.

"Were they right to include a chartered accountant on the panel, Wilf?"
"Well, Brian, you mustn't forget that Tyrone Mings also captained Villa for many years."

You wouldn't catch me spending two hours every night listening to ex-men in muddy boots.

[Mick Harper]

The Athletic must have seen my piece because it has just ranked all the World Cups. To see how well they did, compare their post-1966 judgements with mine:

16th 1990 Italy
15th 1966 England
14th 2002 Japan & Korea
13th 1978 Argentina
12th 1994 USA
11th 2010 South Africa
10th 2022 Qatar
9th 2026 USA, Canada, Mexico
8th 2018 Russia
7th 1974 West Germany
6th 2014 Brazil
5th 2006 Germany
4th 1998 France
3rd 1986 Mexico
2nd 1982 Spain
1st 1970 Mexico

See! They bracketed 2026 and Russia together as well.

[Mick Harper]

[Mick Harper]

1. Real Madrid and Vinicius Jnr boycotted the Ballon d'Or ceremony because they thought Vinicius should have won rather than Rodri of Man City.

2. Real Madrid are trying to get Rodri from Man City who may be open to offers because Rodri is in the last year of his contract and can leave for nothing next year.

3. Arsenal are trying to get Vinicius from Real Madrid who may be open to offers because Vinicius is in the last year of his contract and can leave for nothing next year.

4. Or it is because Real Madrid are worried Rodri and Vinicius may not get on because of the Ballon d'Or spat? Rodri is, after all, pencilled in for the 'playmaker' role.

5. Or it is because both Vinicius and Mbappé 'cut in from the left' and Mbappé is the more important player? Real have won nothing since they've both been in the team.

6. Or it is because they think Vinicius will sulk at being fourth in the pecking order behind Mbappé, Rodri and Bellingham after all their World Cup exploits?

7. Or is the whole thing a ramp got up by Vinicius's agent to ensure negotiations for a new contract get top dollar?

8. Vinicius and Rodri have the same agent.

9. Or is it a stunt by Arsenal to head off criticism they haven't been ambitious enough in the window thus far.

10. Do I even want Vinicius at the Emirates, he doesn't seem to be an Arsenal-type player? But maybe the new Arsenal need some non-Arsenal-types. I just don't know. You heard it here first. I just don't know.

[Mick Harper]

You might think Man City are the bad boys of 'Fair Play' regulations but they seem to have friends in UEFA high places. No, it's Chelsea and Villa that are on the naughty step.

[Mick Harper]

Should the AEL sign Jordan Henderson? I don't mean for the five-a-side team, I'm captain there and that's an end to the matter.

I mean for his leadership qualities, his ability to get the best out of youngsters, to be a conduit between shopfloor and management, to be... well, all things to everyman really. Chelsea are the latest to sign this England perennial for 'squad duties', whatever that means. But it sounds a bit military.

Xabi Alonso clearly doesn't think Henderson was practically geriatric when he was still at Liverpool and didn't get any younger at Al-Ettifaq, Ajax and Brentford. Nor did he have his fears confirmed when Jordo fell over an advertising sign celebrating at the World Cup and had to be taken to hospital. There's something for the Academy kids to 'watch'n'learn'.

Still, he must have something so, if it's all right with the Committee, I'm keeping his name in the AEL rolodex. He can help Hattie with the teas.

[Mick Harper]