A review by regnarenol
How Not to Be a Professional Footballer by Paul Merson
3.0
Paul Merson takes all your expectations about how messed up one person's life can get and throws them right out of the window. It's incredible how much of a start contrast to his on field successes that his off field shenanigans were; thankfully Merse spends more time on those off field stories ;-)
I didn't rate this one higher because despite the fascinating stories, Merse's limitations as a writer start to jar once you get used to the initially novel language - thoroughly out of place euphemisms occasionally studding the otherwise erm.. full blooded descriptions being one aspect of it.
Still, as an Arsenal fan I loved his insights into the George Graham era, and the little anecdotes involving the famed back four of Bould, Adams, Winterburn and Dixon. (You'll never see them the same way again.) I absolutely adored his liberal and utterly careless use of hyperbole everywhere. I can't deny that the man has a cracking sense of humour.
Also, the sense that it's a sober and chastened Paul Merson who's (still around and ) looking back at the past with a sardonic smile on his face is what makes the miserable happenings in his life that we're reading easy to swallow (and laugh at).
All in all, a very decent read!
I didn't rate this one higher because despite the fascinating stories, Merse's limitations as a writer start to jar once you get used to the initially novel language - thoroughly out of place euphemisms occasionally studding the otherwise erm.. full blooded descriptions being one aspect of it.
Still, as an Arsenal fan I loved his insights into the George Graham era, and the little anecdotes involving the famed back four of Bould, Adams, Winterburn and Dixon. (You'll never see them the same way again.) I absolutely adored his liberal and utterly careless use of hyperbole everywhere. I can't deny that the man has a cracking sense of humour.
Also, the sense that it's a sober and chastened Paul Merson who's (still around and ) looking back at the past with a sardonic smile on his face is what makes the miserable happenings in his life that we're reading easy to swallow (and laugh at).
All in all, a very decent read!