Show me the money

"Alright. Here's why you don't have your ten million dollars yet. You are a paycheck player. You play with your head. Not your heart. In your personal life? Heart. But when you get on the field -- you're a businessman. It's wide-angle lenses and who fucked you over and who owes you for it. That's not what inspires people. I'm sorry, but that's the truth, can you handle it? Just a "question," Rod. Between friends."

- Tom Cruise, in Jerry Maguire.

Spain 1, Germany 0. Noice.

Anyway, I was thinking about the composition of club teams. Every successful team seems to have some dominant culture, something to knit the players together. With Man Utd it was the British core of Neville, Giggs, Scholes, Butt and Beckham. With Liverpool, it was the Scottish/English and the old Liverpool kit room. With Real Madrid and Barca, it's the Spanish players nurtured in their respective academies. With Chelsea, it's their collection of insufferable English jerks (Lampard, Terry, Cole... what a collection, hey?)

I was thinking, what do we have?

In the past, it was the English back five. Then, it was the Vieira years when Wenger went mad and tried to buy the entire French team (I understand the compulsion; I do it with my FM08 side as well). There was a discernible espirt de corps about that side. But now, we're a polyglot collective with no common ground, other than a desire to play pretty passing football.

Is that enough?

When the chips are down, when our players need to score a late goal or to defend tenaciously, what do they have to stitch them together? I'd suggest it's not much. Vieira gave up the chance to go to Real Madrid because he felt that Arsenal was his family. Hleb agitates to go anywhere because he can earn more money. To Hleb, Arsenal's just a paycheck. It'd be nice to win something, but it's not going to kill him if he doesn't do it with Arsenal. With Vieira, being shafted to Juventus still hurts. He felt a genuine affinity to this club.

I guess what I'm saying is that there's a difference between a paycheck player and a player who plays from the heart. A good side is stocked with good paycheck players. A great side is composed of players who play with their heart. If Arsenal's to be successful, I think we need some way to engender a sense of fellow feeling amongst our players. Maybe a roaring campfire, an acoustic guitar and a round of Kumbuya is required.

Or maybe we should've just bought Torres when we had the chance. That goal in the final was millimetre perfect. It still gives me tingles.

Euro 2008 final

"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win."

- Gary Lineker

It's going to be a good game tonight. I'm going for Spain because, as Cesc says, they play like Arsenal. I love the patient build up, the waiting, the watching, that one single incisive pass and the chaos that ensues. It's been a pleasure watching Iniesta, Xavi, Silva, Torres and Villa link up. Amazing stuff.

I'm especially eager because Cesc is starting, and playing in that 9.5 position. It's his best position, and he plays it very, very well. Spain have been the best side in the tournament and deserve the trophy. I'm sick of seeing defensive, tactical football winning international trophies. And anyway, if Arsenal can't win anything, I'd like to see an Arsenal-esque side winning something. But I'm not sure. Without Villa, will Torres have enough oomph to occupy Mertlesacker and Metzelder? Will Puyol and Marchena be good enough against Germany's aerial power? I'd like to think so, but I'm kind of apprehensive.

My prediction's 1-0 to Germany, Klose headed goal from a corner.

My other prediction is that straight after the match, Wenger will announce that he's signed Silva and Villa on the sly, and that he was just waiting for the tournament to finish before making it official. Apparently, he didn't want the publicity to effect Spain's chances.

Considerate man, our Arsene.

Oh, and Ade's going to ask to leave Arsenal for Milan.

"I had a dream of playing for Arsenal and Arsenal are one of the loveliest clubs in the world. When I go back to Africa it is obvious that a lot of people love the club. But now I have a chance of playing with one of the biggest clubs in the world. I haven't had a chance to speak to the manager yet. But we will sit down next week and decide what is good for my career."

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore".

I didn't see it

"Incredible. Absolutely incredible. With three minutes to go, Turkey were dead and buried. Then Cech fumbled, Nihat pounced, then produced a moment of utter brilliance and it's Fatih Terim's side who'll face Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals. What a finale."

- John Ashdown, Guardian live commentary.

I was contemplating watching Turkey vs Czech Republic last night as I set my alarm clock. I was weighing up waking up at 4:30 in the morning versus a solid 10 hours of sleep. I remembered the match last Sunday between Switzerland and Czech Republic, and I opted for more sleep.

How wrong I was.

3-2 has to be the perfect result in football. It has room for everything in football - goals, crushing leads, resounding comebacks, tense finales. There's room for a hattrick hero and a defensive villain. There's more drama than you can poke a stick at. And I missed it all.

Part of me doesn't really care. I'm not Turkish and I'm not Czech. The Euros are a bit of fairy floss that keep me entertained when I should be sleeping. But still, it hurts to know that there was a rocketing good game on, and I missed it. I made the wrong decision.

Of greater importance, in my mind, is that Australia are through to the second qualifying round for the World Cup. Good, good stuff. I've got a bit of concern about the side. There are frailties to the Socceroos that I'm worried will be exposed when matched against the likes of Iran and Japan. We tend to go to pieces against stuff like good technique and sound tactics. When did soccer stop being about running hard and kicking hard and tackling hard?

And if we can get 15 million for van Persie, we should take it, hock our guts out and buy Benzema. Or Benni McCarthey. Or anyone who can last a season without pulling a hamstring. van Persie's awesome when fit, but he'll never be fit.

Euro 2008 is like KFC

I'm a sucker for KFC.

Right now, my insides are in the process of rejecting five pieces of original recipe chicken that I scoffed down half an hour ago. It's toxic stuff; the skin's leathery and crunchy, the oil drips down your fingers, and the meat itself is fatty, oily and makes a horrible squishy sound when you bite down.

I don't know what I was thinking.

Tastes change. I used to be able to eat a bucket and be right for more. I used to wash it down with a one litre bottle of coke. But now, I really wish I'd gone for the nice Thai beef salad in the shop next door. With a pot of Chinese tea. I'm heartily sick of saturated fats, heartburn, greasy headaches. I'm of the opinion now that KFC is disgusting, disgusting stuff.

Which brings me to Euro 2008.

To my surprise, SBS managed to snare 8 matches. I'm debating whether to watch them or not. I was quite disappointed with the World Cup, and am starting to believe that international football IS inferior to top level club football. I'm not sure I can be bothered waking up at 2am every morning to watch stilted football by countries that have no meaning to me.

Case in point - I watched the first half of Switzerland vs Cezech Republic last night, before I turned it off. Without Rosicky, the Czechs looked dull and pedestrian. Switzerland looked as boring as they did in the World Cup. And both countries fielded such ugly, ugly players - it was like watching two teams of Flaminis.

Actually, that's a bit harsh. The technical level was pretty good, but it just lacked that special something I get from watching the Arse. It was a bit like watching Keira Knightley - you know she's a pretty girl, but she doesn't do anything for you. She's too androgynous, too thin... not sexy at all.

Anyway, Spain and Russia up next, Wednesday night (I think). I'll probably stay up for that match. I'd like to take a peek at those Spanish players we're not going to sign. At least I'll be able to fantasize about the team we SHOULD'VE had, when we're drawing against Bolton next year.

Might have to throw up first, though.