Defending the Drog
Tue Oct 21 08:59AM
Didier Drogba faces one of those ubiquitous FA probes over comments made in his autobiography over his red card in the Champions League final.
Drogba was sent off late in extra time for a girly little slap on Nemanja Vidic, and said that he ought to have gone the whole hog and clocked the Serb seeing as he was going to get his marching orders anyway.
He wrote: "I have seen the match on video and I believe I should not have been sent off with three minutes to go.
"If I had punched him, I would have understood. Now I wish I had."
If that shows anything, it is admirable restraint on Drogba's part. He wanted to punch Vidic, but he didn't.
Instead he faces a fine, or at the very least a ticking off, for an incredibly tame comment.
Incidentally, Vidic responded by attempting to rip out Drogba's throat with his bare hands and had to be restrained by half a dozen team-mates.
But because the Serb's controversial public remarks only stretch as far as the fact that it rains a lot in Manchester, he is OK.
Compare what Drogba said to Roy Keane's tale of revenge on Alf Inge Haaland, which had to be toned down in later editions.
"I'd waited long enough. I f****** hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you ****.
"And don't ever stand over me again sneering about fake injuries. And tell your pal [David] Wetherall there's some for him as well. I didn't wait for Mr Elleray to show the red card. I turned and walked to the dressing room."
Next to that, Drogba's 'I wish I had punched him but didn't' seems even more tame. Nice of Keane to afford the referee appropriate respect, though.
But it is clear the era of interesting football books is long gone.
Wayne Rooney's autobiography, while well written (by Hunter Davies, not Rooney), was unremittingly dull because the lad had nothing to say.
Yet remarkably he found himself on the wrong end of libel action after having a go at Everton manager David Moyes.
Similarly, Ashley Cole's honesty about his contract dispute with Arsenal has made him one of the most hated people in Britain (number six, in fact - between Heather Mills and Gary Glitter).
People think footballers who speak in platitudes are idiots, but the opposite is true. Why else do you think David Beckham still enjoys near-universal popularity?
One of the reasons footballers have become so detached from the fans is that they so rarely say anything interesting - and when they do, everybody (ED included) leaps all over them, ensuring they never repeat the crime of speaking their mind.
The FA need to introduce a rule - something along the lines of diplomatic immunity - that allows players one book in which they can say absolutely anything, and nobody is allowed to give them any stick about it.
Disappointingly, it seems the one man whose book Early Doors would pay good money to read won't put pen to paper just yet.
Step forward Mr Joseph Barton: "England did nothing in that World Cup, so why were they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals. I played like s***. Here's my book'."
- - -
Proof that Tottenham really are a joke - today's Guardian devotes three quarters of a page to 25 Tottenham-related rib-ticklers.
Early Doors's three favourites are as follows:
1- Juande Ramos, shortly after another training session, comments to the head groundsman at White Hart Lane how impressive the pitch is looking. "It ought to," replies the groundsman. "We put 70 million quid's worth of manure on it every week."
2- I met this really kinky girl last night. 'Humiliate me,' she said ... So I bought her a Tottenham shirt.
3- What's the difference between Juande Ramos and a cowboy? A cowboy wears Spurs on his boots whereas Ramos is a crap manager.
ED was intrigued to see that Spurs fans have pledged to protest against the club's plight this weekend.
They will call for the removal of the chairman, the sporting director, the manager and quite possibly the tea lady, who always forgets that Gus Poyet has two sugars and just a splash of semi-skimmed.
If the protest is anything like as successful as Daniel Levy's pledge to qualify for the Champions League, then the suits have nothing to fear.
The fans will spend the whole week banging on about their ambition to make this one of the greatest fan protests in the world, before the whole thing descends into chaos by quarter past three.
- - -
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Gordon Strachan laments his dwarfish Celtic side ahead of the trip to face Manchester United:"We've been hit by injuries in important areas and we're actually trying to sign Snow White to lead my players out at Old Trafford. It's not just Ferdinand and Vidic. You've got Fletcher who's a giant, Berbatov, Ronaldo can leap, John O'Shea is big. They've got pace, power, height, ability, determination. I don't know if any of my players have that - and I'm not being cheeky."
FOREIGN VIEW: Corriere dello Sport reckons that Big Fat Ronaldo is in talks with Serie A minnows Siena. Nobody else wants him - and this video tells you how sad that is.
COMING UP: It's Manchester United v Celtic, Fenerbahce v Arsenal and six more in the Champions League. We've got live, minute-by-minute coverage of it all. And don't forget the Zenit St Petersburg v BATE Borisov blockbuster is an early kickoff - 17:30 UK time.
the drog says he wished he had punched vidic !! allways the same after the event eh,vidic would knock the seven bells out of him !!
From petercossey27 on Tue Oct 21 10:15AM#25 - No your not deluded, it very possible but this league is so hard to predict. Seen as i am Cardiff City supporter i can only hope we make the play-offs too. You can make it as long as it's not at my teams expense. Congrats. on beating the crappy blades as well on the weekend. Got a little soft spot for the Owls you've had your problems just like us.
Goes to show how money grabbing footballers are by releasing a book while they're still playing. i think it's morally wrong.#29 - Ninja's definately. Pirates only have one eye most of the time and are mostly drunk!!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:18AMCheers Johnnny. But who's 'us'?
As I'm on a roll then I also believe Liverpool may actually have what it takes this year, Shearer might actually make a good manager and, if Drog had punched Vidic, he'd now be wearing his teeth on a necklace in true Ivorian style...
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 10:20AMMorning Bob. Good result I think. Sending off was a cr@p decision and shame we could'nt have held on for another 4 minutes or so. But coz of the state we are in right now. I'll take that result! Pleased for Ameobi to. I liked him. Reminded me a bit of Asprilla with his gangly legs all over the place lol
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 10:21AM"us" as in Cardiff...Liverpool will finish 3rd as always as Benitez will turn his full attention to the CL...Shearer may be a good manager if he can stop loving himself....Drogba bark is worse than his bite!!!!!
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:24AMJust make sure you dont mistake Deep Heat for toothpaste if your going to do the "slap it on your bits thing"!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:25AMMick - has Owen & Martins ever played a full game together or does it seem that as soon as one is fit the other gets injured.
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:26AMNo32..Disagree...In a game of Rugby, Cornish Pirates would destroy Leighton Buzzard Ninjas!!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:29AMThe debate on Setanta re the penalty was a laugh. Graham Poll said it was and Craig Burley said it wasn't. Burley was pretty nasty to Poll. Did he get the ball or the man first? Even if he got a slight touch on the ball first, would Robinho have still got it if he wasn't fouled after?
Just goes to show that even instant replay can't sort out some decisions.
From kgh_r on Tue Oct 21 10:31AMJohnny, I think they have only played a few together. Which is a shame really. Although I think they are borh alike striker wise. Fairly fast players. Would suit playing with a target man, but I dont think we really have one of those. Although Ameobi would be classed as one
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 10:31AMdanny_saks
You are so right, the tea tree and mint shampoo/shower gel needs to be banned, it feels like your gonads have been removed and a cold cold hole is all that remains.
This has happened all 14 times I have used it!!!!
From andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 10:31AM#35 - Johhny. Cool. Got no troubles with Cardiff, even tho mates that live there are quite vocal about the English usually. JohnL - why do I get the impression youve tried that at some point? Not entirely by accident...?
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 10:32AMBob: Its funny, I was expecting to see ED take the piss out of the game after yesterdays finishing sentence. Think it wa something along the lines of it should be a laugh or soemthing. Guess they thought otherwise!
From mickr273 on Tue Oct 21 10:32AMfair enough #38 but i'm not on about rugby. ninja's would kick pirates @ss. They'll just be to quick for them in a one-on-one fight!!!!! But if it's a drunk women pirate then i think it would be 2 close to call as drunken women fighting are crazy
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:33AMAndy - doing it once is a mistake. Doing it 14 times, you need help mate.
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 10:33AMRe...Shearer...Football pundits seldom make "great managers" with the exception of Martin O'Neil of course!!!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:35AMThink I may be turning a little Mosley in my old age
From andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 10:37AMI'm very proud to be Welsh. I only hate the English when they come against Wales in anything like the rugby or the football qualifiers a few years ago now but i think that's natural. I hope no-one takes offence to that.
#41 haven't you learned you lesson yet lol or do you secrectly like it
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:37AMFor some reason, I now feel strangley tempted to try the tea tree and mint shampoo/shower gel. Must be the masochist within!
From kgh_r on Tue Oct 21 10:39AMNo 42.... was given the advice as a 15yr old on work experience...Everyone else was sent for a "long stand" or "tartan paint". I got paired up with the works Psyco!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:40AMI may be turning a little Mosley in my old age danny!!!!
I will monitor the situationFrom andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 10:41AMAnd demented didn't mean to send twice!!!
From andy_lycett on Tue Oct 21 10:42AMSomehow I wish I hadn't started the whole shampoo/shower gel conversation. Cos next time I make the mix up myself I'll be thinkin of John, Andy and kgh whilst in the shower. And that's just wrong!
From danny_saks on Tue Oct 21 10:46AMi think i might go to ASDA on the way home and get a couple of bottles as well kgh_r.
#50 - unlucky!!!!!! but surely there must be some sense there to know what deep heat does??From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:46AMSarcasm about my home team - Zenit - who won the uefa last season??? get back in line and wait for Joey Barton to lead you away.
From myidwasstolenby on Tue Oct 21 10:49AMThere are some really potent items on the market that produce the "ultimate tingle"...L*nx Shock Glacial Water & Deep Sea Enriched Mint Shower Gel being one of the favourites of extreme tingle afficionados!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:49AM#56 i quite like that Thai Massage one. it gets right into the cracks but it's best when a women does it for you
From johnnyevz on Tue Oct 21 10:51AMsarcasm is the lowest form of shyt. Zenit u jerk is a great team. Won the Uefa last season and many their players in National side including lazy bones Arshavin ( does he remind you of Clark who used to play for Leeds United a few hundred decades ago (Snifter Clark!) - Arshavin has only about 20% more work rate than him - but equal on goals.
From myidwasstolenby on Tue Oct 21 10:52AMWow great talking point guys - you all know your stuff too well done - after all you are all worth it too!!!
From anne_helm on Tue Oct 21 10:53AMjohnnyevz...Unfortunately at the age of 15 I "lacked the sense I was born with"(As my old Irish Great Grandmother used to say)!!!
From johnl.trish on Tue Oct 21 10:54AM
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