NOT since the heady days of Blur and Oasis battling for supremacy with two of their worst songs, have we been so divided on matters so trivial.
I purchased Roll with It even though I secretly didn’t mind Country House, but there was no disputing neither song even registers on a genuine greatest hits album.
Similarly, football’s grudge matches from the past week are hardly classics, but whether you are team Wenger or team Coleman, team Terry or team Savage, there is at least plenty to ponder.
Both cases are pretty open and shut in my eyes, with victories clear and decisive for Chris Coleman and dare I say it, John Terry.
Coleman versus Wenger is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, with Coleman rightly defending himself against some ludicrous hindsight comments from English football’s longest serving manager. Wenger has basically blamed Wales for injuries to both Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale; despite the fact Bale isn’t even his player.
He’s reiterated his opinion three times that Wales were wrong to play Ramsey against Andorra, but neglects to comment on the fact he never talked to Coleman about his potential availability, should Wales qualify before they faced the minnows.
Never mind that Ramsey is one of TEN injured Arsenal first team players. That’s mere coincidence, just bad luck.
Coleman defended himself strongly and eloquently in making the point that if Arsenal were concerned about Ramsey, it was on then to tell the Wales medical staff – surely indisputably true to anyone impartial - and it is a shame future Ramsey appearances for his country will now carry that extra scrutiny.
As for the other spat, the one that came from nothing, with Terry attacking Robbie Savage publicly and stating his rubbish career meant he isn’t qualified to comment on the mighty John Terry, I think you have to back Terry simply for the fact that Savage’s previous actions invalidate his counter-arguments, even if Terry possesses the biggest ego on the planet.
Savage’s erudite and almost surreally eloquent rebuttal to Terry in his newspaper column was literally great on paper, all full of fine prose extolling the virtues of the game being about opinions, and Savage being entitled to give one, even if he hasn’t played in the Champions League.
“John is entitled to his opinion. It’s just a shame he thinks 99 per cent of the football industry – those of us who have not won the title or Champions League medals – is unqualified to express theirs,” Savage wrote so neatly in the Daily Mirror.
“From the most casual fan to World Cup winners, football is all about opinions.”
Ah, yes, opinions. We all have them, us casual fans. And Robbie is all for that, right?
Well then why at every single Newport County away game I’ve covered in the last few years, does it feel like on 606 on Radio Five Live, Savage has shouted down at least a listener a week by loudly demanding whether he’s “ever played the game?”
It’s hypocrisy from Savage, pure and simple, a man who says so much, but usually contributes little to the debate at hand. Bluster presented with passion and charisma, but still bluster. But then, we shouldn’t be entirely shocked now, should we?
I’ll leave you with a quote, delivered from a well known and well renowned former Premier League footballer, who “only played 346 games in the Premier League, captained four clubs in the top flight and won 39 international caps. So much for playing at a really bad level.”
This comes from ten years ago.
“I wouldn’t want to be a pundit. I wouldn’t want to slaughter ex-players and ex-teammates for a few quid. I’ll be in the fortunate position that I’ll have made enough money I won’t have to.”
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