If truth be told it's a dodgy old game
Last updated at 20:23 18 August 2007
Some people in this game have a
remarkable ability to change their
minds and rewrite history without a
hint of self-awareness or shame.
Take the Bolton chairman Phil Gartside.
Last week, as Sam Allardyce returned
to the Reebok Stadium with Newcastle United,
Gartside was keen to distance himself from his
former manager. Allegations about transfer
dealings involving Allardyce and his son Craig
had been 'damaging', said Gartside. Besides,
he added, 'the fans were getting a bit bored
with our style of football'.
Now, from where I was watching, Gartside
(below) himself did not look to be entirely
enhancing Wanderers' image when he was
featured in the BBC investigation last year
talking about flogging the club's star player
Jay-Jay Okocha.
Neither do I recall the
chairman complaining about Bolton's style of
football as Allardyce was leading the club
through a UEFA Cup
campaign last season on
the way to another
excellent Premier League
position.
He certainly did not
publicly stick up for the
Radio Five Live
commentator Alan Green
when Allardyce banned
him from the stadium for
labelling Bolton's style
'ugly', which, by the way,
it frequently was. I do
recall Gartside, though, singing Allardyce's
praises year on year, insisting he wanted him
there for 10 years.
Some of the more publicity-fond within
football expect to get a platform for whatever
guff they wish to impose on us, then squeal
when they are challenged about it.
Others have been known to deny material
that turns out to be accurate.
Many will recall it being reported in January,
for example, that Jose Mourinho and Roman
Abramovich were at loggerheads over
transfer policy. The Chelsea manager wanted
more players to help him through an injury
crisis. 'Nyet,' said the owner.
The club denied there was anything significant
in it. Of course they have discussions, of course
those within clubs have creative disagreements
but we were all taking it out of context,
overblowing it. Yes, they are still speaking.
Then came this in the summer, when Chelsea
were in California, from chief executive Peter
Kenyon: 'We've spent a lot of time on why the breakdown occurred and it's all been
addressed.' Oh, so we didn't make it up then.
On top comes the example of Thierry Henry.
It was reported last month, first by France
Football magazine, that the Arsenal captain
was talking to Barcelona and a deal was all
but agreed. Without quite denying it, Henry
called the very idea mere rumour and
speculation. There were misunderstandings,
he said. His agent, Jerome Anderson, went
further, insisting that he would be taking legal
action against France Football.
We all know what happened a few days later.
And it wasn't France Football receiving a writ.
Now any outrage in this quarter at hypocrisy
and downright dishonesty in football may
come across as a bit naive. Surely we all know
that half of these transfer stories are just
placed by agents trying to stimulate
movement and money? Surely we're smart
enough to take into account what people's subtext and agendas might be.
Football, a bit
dodgy at times? How shocking.
Actually, I am rather glad it still gets to me,
that it does still shock. Better that, I reckon,
than plain acceptance that it goes on and
nothing can or should be done. I know that I,
we, may get it wrong now and then, but we
can honestly reply 'never knowingly'.
We in the Press have been called reptiles. In
football they are often chameleons.
Don't believe everything you read in the
papers? Don't believe everything people in
football tell you.
Why Bentley's parked at Ewood
David Bentley, the
Blackburn midfielder who
refused to play for England
Under-21s in the UEFA
Championship in June citing
tiredness, has praised senior
head coach Steve McClaren.
Bentley revealed McClaren
had explained to him why he
would not be needed this
week against Germany at
Wembley. He is, in fact,
serving a punishment, it only
being natural that the wrong
signals would go out if he
were picked immediately.
Bentley approves of
McClaren letting him know
personally. 'I respect and like
that from a manager,' he
said. 'It shows the character
he is and it makes me want to
keep performing for him.'
McClaren may feel obliged
for that ringing endorsement,
but it is hardly the place of a
22-year-old, who should need
no motivating, to deliver it.
Imagine the exchange that
might follow a youthful Roy
Keane pronouncing on Brian
Clough. Such lack of
humility may be why Bentley
is having to build his career at
Blackburn and not Arsenal,
where he began.
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