Pram Town

Here's the catch up, what I missed -
Good article by Martin Samuel redressing the Barcelona are the greatest arguments:

Apparently, Barcelona will be wearing a new shirt for this season's Champions League final. Across the chest will be emblazoned one word: 'puppies'. They tried to get 'cute ickle babies' or 'fuzzywuzzy snuggly bears' but it wouldn't fit.

What a pity for the world's most perfect football club. And it is not just Thierry Henry who faces a race to be ready for the match with Manchester United, either. It seems that so many Barcelona players, officials, former managers and journalists have ascended to the high moral ground since Wednesday's win at Stamford Bridge that they might not all be able to get down and board the charabanc to Rome in time.

So now we know. A single shot at goal in 94 minutes is total football, according to Daniel Alves, who did not speak so boastfully of his own record, that of the dirtiest player in the Champions League with 30 fouls (10 more than the nearest player in Chelsea's starting line-up on Wednesday, Michael Ballack). Playing on the counter-attack, meanwhile, is, in the words of one particularly overwrought Spanish commentator, evil. ...

There was the game between Chelsea and Barcelona in which claims were made about doctoring the Stamford Bridge pitch; the defeat that ended with Rijkaard publicly haranguing referee Stefano Farina in the centre circle. And while this year we are to be given the dream final, last season when Manchester United and Barcelona met, and Barcelona failed to score over two legs, Rijkaard whined that United lacked adventure and originality, and accused them of negative tactics. Barcelona never really lose a football match because, even when they do, they assume a default position of moral superiority.

Indeed, to complete this vision of holiness, Barcelona have the name of a charity, Unicef, on their shirts, where Champions League finalists United will have AIG, a bankrupt American insurance company and symbol of all that is wrong in the world. It is a noble gesture, even if marketing experts predict that the Unicef logo, the first to be placed on the hallowed red and blue, is the thin end of a wedge that will end with Barcelona embracing capitalism with the biggest shirt sponsorship in history.

The current deal runs out in 2011 and by then supporters will be used to the concept. Certainly, Barcelona are not so naive in other commercial areas and currently have arrangements with Nike, Coca-Cola, Audi, TV3, Estrella Damm, La Caixa, bwin, Acer, MediaPro, NH Hoteles, Vueling and Babybel.

The reality is that Barcelona are a great club and this current group of players are a great team, perhaps the best ticket in town; but that is all they are. They are not on a mission from high to save football, they are not above the odd foul, or the odd game that is not so beautiful. Barcelona players have been shown 21 yellow cards in the Champions League this season, compared to 11 for Manchester United. They have conceded 13 goals, as opposed to six by United. United have had more shots on target, too. ...

There is a huge amount to admire in Barcelona's play and their ethos under Guardiola. Yet this is best left for others to judge. Self-praise is no recommendation and every time Barcelona smugly remind us of their wonderfulness, they become less than a club, more a puffed-up pain in the neck.

The major thing I missed was the Ronaldo/Tevez thing from Sunday's derby. When Tevez reacted badly to being subbed in the first leg against Arsenal I suggested that he had gotten away without any of the criticism he deserved and that if Ronaldo had done the same thing he'd have been slated. First off, after criticising Tevez for his reaction I should of course point out that Ronaldo was wrong to react the way he did to his substitution. It seemed less like desiring to stay on for the team, than desiring to stay on for his own personal glory. However at least it demonstrates that his heart is still here, and at least he didn't do an interview with a Madrid radio station straight after the game expressing his desire to leave, (like Tevez did). As to Tevez; I think the reason he's gotten a bit of stick for this, when he got none for the Arsenal game, is solely because Ronaldo acted like he did, and, as people like nothing better than slagging off Ronaldo, to slag off Ronaldo properly they have to look badly at Tevez's gesture as well, so they don't get accused of double standards. This time I'm not sure there was a lot wrong with Tevez's reaction to the goal, he played well, scored, it looks like his heart may also still be with us.
Both of the incidents are well dealt with in this by Daniel Taylor, Ronaldo "an amusing sideshow":

Ronaldo being Ronaldo, this prompted an amusing little sideshow in which, not for the first time, the world footballer of the year went through the full Violet Elizabeth Bott routine of threatening to sthcweam and sthcweam until he was sthick. Every time the television cameras panned on him throughout the remainder of the game he seemed to be shaking his head about the indignity of it all. It made you wonder whether there was a naughty step in the home dressing room although at least nobody could say the Portuguese does not look as though he cares.

Tevez, good, but what about the money:

The Argentine lashed one shot against the corner of post and crossbar then scored with a beauty in off the same post and strategically celebrated in front of Ferguson and the part of the ground housing United's chief executive David Gill.

All very good, except the problem for Tevez is that he wears his shirt like a giant price tag. United's No32 has already cost United £10m for the past two seasons and it will need another £22m to make him a full-time member of staff. Do United have that kind of money? Tevez seems to think not judging by an interview in the News of the World in which he reiterated that he did not expect to remain a United player next season and is looking for a new club. City have already registered their interest but, on this evidence, Tevez must surely feel he could do better.