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Anorak News | Not All Black And White

Not All Black And White

by | 12th, May 2004

‘“STOP the Anfield sell-out,” yells the Mirror. “Battle for Anfield,” screams the Sun.

Alan Shearer hears that Viana’s off

And so we read that the arrival of Thai money on Merseyside has been held up.

The man who is threatening to scupper that deal to make Michael Owen the name on the lips of every Thai Lady Boy is Steve Morgan, a multi-millionaire Liverpool fanatic.

The Mirror says that the former head of a building firm has tabled a £73m offer for a stake in the Reds that trumps the £63m deal proposed by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The paper then loses most of its readers’ interest as it talks about shares, underwriting and profits.

Far simpler just to say that Liverpool are embroiled in something of bidding war and should soon have lots of that lovely money to spend on the next Emile Heskey.

That’s because the old Emile Heskey is on his way to Birmingham City for a fee of £3.5m, according to the Mail. And he’ll he joined at St Andrew’s by Jesper Gronkjaer and Muzzy Izzet.

Birmingham fans will like the sound of that, but they should note that the first two names on the list have flopped at bigger clubs and Izzet has been rescued from relegated Leicester.

And if Birmingham’s manager Steve Bruce is looking for some more cut-priced stars, he might like to take a gander at the Mirror and its news that Laurent Robert and Hugo Viana are looking for a route out of Newcastle.

Following yesterday’s news that Jonathan Woodgate has had enough of the Magpies, the paper says that two of Newcastle’s foreign legion are ready to pack their bags.

Not that Newcastle’s Gary Speed, speaking in the Sun, can blame them.

He says that he was appalled at how the club’s fans – those same fans who claim to be loyal to the core and ready to freeze to death for the cause – booed the two players.

“Everybody has their agenda on Laurent,” says Speed, ”but he’s a part of the team and, if you’re booing him, you’re booing us.”

The Welshman is also “embarrassed” by how the Newcastle faithful behaved towards Viana.

It’s the kind of reaction that serves to remind us all that no team’s fans are unique, however much the Newcastle crowd pretend to be a cut above the rest.

Although booing the team on their lap of honour is pretty special…’



Posted: 12th, May 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink