Lazy Liga wakes up for midweek mayhem
Tuesday 21 April 2009 10:00
Those go-getting fast-trackers running the Spanish league gave a good four days notice to the plebs and players of when they would be in footballing action this week, so everyone had better be ready.
Incidentally, La Liga Loca would love to know how mild-mannered Sir Alex Ferguson would react to having to wait until Thursday morning to find out whether he would be playing a match the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
The blog imagines that a taxi to the league’s HQ and a chainsaw would form part of the measured response.
"I'll be back... with reinforcements"
For just the second time this season, la Liga is in midweek action with yet more dodgy refereeing decisions, rubbish red cards, god-awful 1-0 wins for Real Madrid and family friendly 10pm kick-off times on a Thursday night.
Tuesday sees two of the 10 games kicking off with Real Madrid at home to Getafe in yet another enthralling encounter that should see 80,000 people quickly regretting not having stayed at home to watch Liverpool take on Arsenal.
One player who completely forgot that there was a midweek encounter was Julien Faubert, who chose to stay in bed on Sunday and missed the morning’s training session. La Liga Loca is still unsure of how anyone noticed his absence.
The Frenchman is set to be fined with Juande Ramos commenting that his waste-of-money winger “thought it was a free day as normal.”
The speculation in the Madridista press is on whether Raúl’s booty will be parked on the bench for the game. But only because he is such a key player in the final run-in and needs his rest. And not because he has been really rubbish of late. Oh no.
AS come nearest to heresy in the Spanish capital with editor Alfredo Relaño noting that the Madrid captain has yet to score against Getafe and that he may not have the chance to do so again after tonight.
“A new era is coming with new players and it’s difficult to guarantee that he will keep his status (as sporting director)” writes the number one AS, who is probably angling for an interview with the Madrid number seven, rather than expressing an actual, valid opinion.
Marca are in two minds about Raúl’s role in the Getafe game. The official review has him starting the encounter but the accompanying caption has him sitting firmly on the bench. Nothing quite like covering all the bases.
"Well don't leave me here on tenterhooks..."
The paper’s craziest columnist, Roberto Gómez, is still suffering his punishment for having raided the office cookie jar one time too many.
It’s a punishment that sees his witterings cut down in size and poked away in a dusty corner of the paper. In response, Gómez has spent the past fortnight calling for the renewal of Juande Ramos’ contract and that the spirit in the Madrid camp has never been better.
“The little faces of Salgado, Guti, Codina, Faubert, Javi Garcia and Parejo were a poem,” sniffled Gómez on the moment when Ramos announced his squad for the away match to Recre last weekend. “They all wanted to go.”
The midweek round of matches gives another excuse for both lazy players and press alike to ramble on about there being eight/seven/six finals left until the end of the season.
Except in the footballers’ case when the ‘final’ is lost. Then it is the next game that is the real final. Unless that is lost, and so on.
Speaking of losing, Athletic Bilbao play “their final in Soria” according to Marca by travelling to play little old Numancia on Tuesday night.
The bottom of the table side are also facing a final where “the league is at stake,” according to manager Pacheta.
However, after just one win in 10, Athletic cannot get any worse and should more or less condemn Numancia to la Segunda with a cheeky away win.
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About Tim Stannard and Simon Talbot
When he isn't fighting the evil forces of flamenco or attracting libel actions for La Liga Loca,
Tim Stannard is building his media empire in Madrid. As well as contributing to Football365 and doing odd jobs elsewhere, Tim also works in the glamorous world of television as a producer, script writer, news editor, coffee boy and stand-in fluffer.
Simon Talbot? Well, he's a man of mystery.