That Was The Week That Was...

Want away Liverpool target Gareth Barry complained that his manager spent more time chatting away on the BBC during Euro2008 than he did tending to matters at Villa Park

If you want a slice of madness in football, it's always a good idea to look towards Newcastle, and the Magpies are on great form today with news that Mike Ashley is set to sell the club. The businessman only bought the team last year and has spent much of the time since showing how much he loves them by wearing a black and white shirt everywhere he goes. But now there's a chance to almost treble his investment by selling them on for £420million, he wants to get rid. Or maybe not

By Citizen Correspondent Sir Stephen

Date Posted: 07/06/08

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It's a tired old cliche, but a week is a long time in football and it has felt a little bit longer for Gareth Barry, who won't be able to get hold of that collectible Aston Villa mug now. So as I cast an eye over the stories making the news this past week, I ask: "When did Gareth Barry become so disgareeable?"...

MONDAY
OLE GRAIL, TORRY PARTY and VIVA ESPANA are just three of the rotten puns filling up the back pages of Monday's newspapers, so no prizes for guessing who won the final of Euro 2008 last Sunday. Yep, Liverpool's Fernando Torres was the hero as he scored the winner for Spain against Germany in Vienna, but, as virtually every media outlet is at great pains to point out, Spain were the best team in the tournament, playing the most adventurous football of the lot, so in the end FOOTBALL was the real winner. Unless you're Michael Ballack of course, in which case football is a cheating spouse who causes you to lose three finals and a league title in a single season...

Martin O'Neill was full of praise for Luis Aragones's side during the tournament, but he doesn't seem best pleased with events in his own team. Wantaway Liverpool target Gareth Barry complained that his manager spent more time chatting away on the BBC during Euro2008 than he did tending to matters at Villa Park, but Martin O'Neill hit back Monday, insisting that Liverpool's £15million offer for the player is not enough. Considering Rafa Benitez considers Peter Crouch to be worth the same amount, we can't say we disagree...

Meanwhile, Chelsea have continued their irritating habit of not being able to stick to working hours by signing Deco...at 8 o'clock at night. This comes after sacking Jose Mourinho early in the morning and hiring Luis Felipe Scolari during another team's Euro 2008 game, so we (and presumably many others) are getting a little sick of Chelsea's devil may care attitude. Mind you, Deco seems happy enough, insisting: "I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things." The right time?