Dan’s World Cup Diary – Can Maradona make Argentina’s week any worse?

If this week wasn’t stressful enough for Argentina Maradona has made it all about him by asking for access to the players. Back in his homeland, such is his status they hang on his every word. They view him as God but I never thought he actually believed he had some kind of higher power.

Like when Obama rang Tim Howard up, or Nelson Mendela told his rugby team go win the World Cup for South Africa, apparently Maradona is so inspirational that 5 minutes with him in the canteen he can turn round their fortunes.

It would be fine if that was his intention, deluded – but at least it be would be coming from a good place. It’s not as if he’s found a master plan, a tactical idea that everyone needs to hear.
Instead, going off what he’s said to local radio and TV, he wants to tell the players days before a must-win game, how bad their current boss is – and how he should never of been hired. The fact he can say this in public and still wonder if he will get an invite shows his lack of awareness.
How that helps beat Nigeria is a mystery. In fact let this man anywhere near the hotel he will probably lead a strike to get himself re-employed.

Yes, Maradona himself has had a try at managing his country. Like the current regime he nearly made a mess of qualification, losing 6-1 to Bolivia and only advancing with a game to spare, yet he can’t see the irony of vocally criticising today’s squad for similar results.

He was humiliated in South Africa after losing 4-0 to Germany. Every press conference was met with him ridiculing pundits for questioning his credentials. So if anyone should sympathise the pressure Sampaoli is going through it should be him. He deserves more respect then this and should get on the first plane out of Russia if Maradona gets anywhere near his players. Heck get a restraining order out on him!

Messi does not need this either. He Is already growing with the comparisons with Maradona, this is the one month where he could do with keeping a distance. Yet would it shock you if somehow Maradona ends up getting his wish. It would sum up the South Americans campaign in a nutshell..

Dan Smith

21 Comments

  1. Whatever Maradona is trying to do, it would be too late

    Argentina were not good in the qualifying phase and they are getting worse now

    They better move on from Sampaoli and think how prepare themselves better for the next Copa America

  2. OT: FIFA is investigating how Wenger led Arsenal to Russia as Egypt .???

  3. I thought he was an imposter who ATE Maradona.

    Dude either has a cigar or a sandwich in his mouth, it’s a drinking game with me and friends.

    Just say no to ego

  4. Remember when Maradona was the coach of Argentina 2010 world cup anyone ?
    Enough said !
    This is the worst that could now happen.

  5. Could be worse, Argentina could be linked with Arteta instead of Maradona.

    I thought Arteta was the Albert Einstein of football?

    Can’t believe Real Madrid didn’t even interview Arteta. But Pep said Arteta is great, and ready to manage right?

    Wow everybody has taken a pass on him. Even NYCFC in MLS passed him over. Says a lot doesn’t it?

    I hope Patrick sets French league on fire at Nice, still hoping to see him lead Arsenal one day. I loved how Patrick has visited other coaches and training facilities, constantly learning and improving his craft.

    Pep did exactly the same; hope it works out the same for PV!

  6. Lol….no one is actually taking this seriously…I mean how worse can they get..but I think I bit of encouragement no matter how it’s phrase would help them. But I hope not..

    1. What else can we talk about when there are no Arsenal games? It gets really boring to read the same transfer news s*it posted in s*tty papers like the sun or metro etc.
      I think it is lil better to talk something about football ,since we dont have any arsenal players at the world cup(barring the ones that really dont start in games(nacho,iwobi,ozil) or are those who dont expect to get past group stage(Elneny,Iwobi)).

      I just realised… this is another proof of how low we have fallen in the past 10 years. From having more than half of france’s squad at Arsenal to almost no one significant at the world cup. And still people wish for Emery’s failure just to prove that their so called ‘godly’ one was much better manager.

      1. Are you really so narrow visioned as to think that incoming or outgoing transfers are ALL Arsenal fans can discuss? I do not know whether you have been to the Emirates or are old enough to have been to Highbury but there is a wealth of Arsenal history known to fans and which we can discuss. That is blinkered thinking. Arsenal has been going for 132 years and older fans who are fully informed about days gone by know far more about our club than merely this summers transfer news, interesting though that is. Honest question to you: Have you heard about Bob Wall, Tom Whittaker, Roonie Rooke, Leslie Compton, Jock Rutherford? Do you know who they are or were and what influence they had on our club. How about Sir HENRY NORRIS, WHO WAS A MAJOR FIGURE IN OUR HISTORY AND WITHOUT WHOM THERE MIGHT NOT BE A HUGE NAME FOR US TODAY? They are but a few of hundreds of famous Arsenal names, not all players by a long way. PERHAPS YOU MIGHT WISH TO ANSWER MY QUESTION AND DEPENDENT ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE, I COULD SUGGEST MANY THINGS WE AND MANY OTHER FANS COULD TALK ABOUT? I mean this in a spirit of friendship, as Arsenal is far more than just today and has a fascinating history to those who know about it. Of course it is easier to know about it if you are based in Britain and have personal knowledge through actual experience of going to matches. But that is not vital, as all the history is out there – much of it on Arsenal.com site – and fascinating to those who support our great club.

        1. Jon I usually support you for your forthright views and your defence of them in spite of others trying to tell you what to do/say, or not as the case may be. However I cannot agree with this post. It seems that most people wish to live in and talk about the present and look forward/dream of a possible future.
          I think you are also missing out by your decision not to watch the world cup. If you watched you would be in a better position to discuss Arsenal players and future Arsenal players.
          For instance people who watched Uruguay v Russia voted Lucas Torreira as the best player on the pitch, even above Suarez. So if the move to Arsenal goes through you would not have first hand/your own eyes knowledge of him, and so would not be in a position to either criticise or praise any comments about him.
          I hope you change your mind, forget the political side, and decide to watch the remaining games. Then I would look forward to your comments on England, present and perhaps future Arsenal players and even your thoughts on who you think will win the World Cup. I would find your views on that interesting – even if I didn’t agree with them, whereas talking about the long gone past I find boring. Maybe there is a group/forum of similar minded people who would like to discuss these things with you. But I don’t think it is this one. All the best, Jack

          1. We could always discuss the MYA Cosmetic Surgery Breast Enlargement that Admin has very kindly allowed to advertise on his site.
            Well done Admin-more of the same please and we won’t even have to mention the World Cup

          2. Jack , I am the first to admit that I am missing out on football knowledge by my morality based decision to shun the WC. Explanation? Simple really. Moarality in VITAL life matters dwarfs my love of football and you know how passionate I am, as are you and most others on this site. But football is a mere game, at it’s core level. One of the things I love about British and certain other evolved countries football, is the lack of racism evident. In Russia, Spain and several East European countries though, it is rife. I doubt that you, as clearly a decent man would ever condone racism . That is my view and I have chosen to make a stand, even at my personal inconvenience and frustration. I have been tempted every moment to give in and watch the WC BUT I could not live with myself if I did. Hope you accept this. Racism, corruption( both by Russia and FIFA) and gangster stateism are evil and decent people let evil win , without even fighting it, at ALL our peril. If our great sport of footbball is to survive and be healthy long into the future, we must all realsis that ordinary, decent citizens MUST be the moral guardians and the ones who force necessary change. WITH THE CONSTANT CHEATING THAT IS EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING OUR OWN COUNTRY. THAT IS A BLOT ON THE GAME WE ALL LOVE. Moving to your comments on the long gone past which you find boring, well so be it. But some do not and no one is ever forced to read my comments. I just made the fair point that there is far more to supporting Arsenal than ONLY discussing present in and out players. I stand by that comment as my own life experience has showed me the truth of that. But, naturally Jack, I also respect your view. Differences enhance society not limit it; hence my loathing of racism, which is stupid and backward beyond description.

        2. I do shamelessly accept jon, that i dont know most of the names that you have mentioned.
          I think that is the beauty of having people who are veteran arsenal supporters so that they would act as a bridge between the current genration and the past. But it is hard to get excited about a Bob wall when there is much more to talk about in the recent past which does span from 1990 to 2018.
          But i am not so narrow minded as you blame coz what i said is ….discussing something related to football is much better than picking up all the stupid transfer rumours(which are in thousands) and discuss about it.
          It is more relavent and interesting to younger Arsenal fans to talk about the recent past than talk about things that happened during the times of Chapman or even beyond.
          Do you think in 40 years time ,anyone would care if i(if i am alive at the age of 85/90) mention Kosceilny/Santi/Alexis/Song or even Cesc,Nasri or Van persie(The last breed of successful world class talents Arsenal produced) etc.
          I even wonder if anyone would care to know about wenger in 2060, the most succesfull manager for Arsenal as claimed by many fans and pundits. Though i strongly disagree… Had it been 3PLs ,4FA cups in 10 years then I’d agree, but with 3PL and 7FAcups in 22 years he is definitely not the greatest arsenal manager. People may ask me to name another Arsenal manager with similar figures which i cannot as Arsene never gave a chance since 10 years or so, so that someone could atleast try to surpass his figures.

          1. So where are you getting off stating Koseilny. Alex Song. Fabregas. Nasri. Van Persie. as World Class.Alexis Sanchez maybe comes close but certainly not any of the others you mention.

            1. You read it wrong…i mentioned world class in the brackets for only van persie ,nasri, cesc.
              Not others. I just mentioned them coz they are the better performers in the teams of our very very recent past.

              And if you think Cesc and Van Persie aren’t world class then i seriously would not want to debate with you coz you live in a parallel boring world.
              I guess world class for you should be Messi, Ronaldo, ,Ronaldo Nazario,Ronaldinho, Zidane etc.
              But to me they are legends, not world class.. They would be remembered for the next 50,60 years whenever football is mentioned, Messi and Ronaldo will be remember may be for ever.

              So you should be lil more broad to consider what is world class and what is not.
              As much as people hate Van persie , i think he is the last world class player we have ever had untill Auba and may be Laca.
              And i honestly dont get people hating Van Persie. A player at 29 years of age had a great season and wants to win the PL with the club he loves but the club makes their intentions clear about their ambition for next season and their transfer plans(It really doesnt matter if it was wenger or the board). So what should he do? Stay with the club and keep fighting for 4th place in the league or realise that he just has 2 years of top level football left in him and move on? People keep saying that he moved for money and he was injury prone with just one great season and he ditched us.
              One thing most fans dont understand is players playing for clubs are not born and bred to die at the club. We are not talking national teams here.. These are clubs…yes you do have loyality but if you are going to end your career with no trophies to show why should they avail it? And yes you do get a hell lot of wages at a continuosly trophy winning club than at those lingering around 4th place. I respect Van perise that he chose to have a PL medal to his name than to be remembered as a player during Arsene’s unconvincing years. If not he would be like Koscielny who won no PL at Arsenal being loyal even if Bayern were interested in him 2 season ago. Same goes with roscisky who is fondly remembered yet won no PL. The only players worthy to be called judas is Adebayor, cole and may be gallas. Nuf said..

          2. Shekar , May I respectfully suggest that you kindly read my post replying to Gooner Jack, just above( as I believe you may find my comments of interest too)

    1. Ozzie, He certainly was and his older brother Leslie also played for Middlesex and England and made his ENGLAND FOOTBALL DEBUT AGED 38, A RECORD FOR A DEBUTANT WHICH STILL STANDS, TO THIS DAY. Les was affectionately known by fans as Big Head, as my late Dad told me often , as he was so good in the air(Leslie, not my Dad!!!)

  7. Maradona has just been confirmed she is headlining Glastonbury in 2019
    Is there NOTHING she can’t do?

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