Another look at some numbers

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By Walter Broeckx

Behind the numbers another look at the season.

If we look at the goals we scored we have scored 46 goals this season in the EPL. Now if we look at the other teams we see that we are in 3th place of scoring goals. Manchester City has scored 63 after an investment we cannot afford. Manchester Utd have scored 56 goals and pays an amount of wages on their top scorer we cannot afford. In 4th place we have Tottenham with 44 goals and they have had their strikers department in full action all season including one top mercenary from Manchester City.  In 23 games they have scored 2 goals less than us. In 5th place we have Chelsea who have paid the highest sum last January for a non scoring striker. An amount we cannot afford and they have scored 41 goals that is 5 goals less than us.

 

So despite all those teams paying enormous amount of money we sit far away of  the 2 top scoring teams.  But we are not doing that bad compared to the rest.  And if you look at Carroll and Torres it is clear to see that just buying anyone even if well proven in the EPL means nothing at all in terms of return on investment on the field. If we also consider the fact that this has been one of the lowest spending transfer windows of the last decade it is fair to say that not many clubs wanted to sell and not many players wanted to move.

 

You must have 3 parties in agreement to transfer a player. We can ask for a player but if the selling team doesn’t want to sell, then there is no deal. As usual Arsenal has said nothing at all during the transfer period so we know nothing at all. We can speculate that we have been trying to buy every striker in the world and another one can speculate that we have done nothing at all. Only a few insiders will know the truth and probably nobody of us will ever be informed.

 

Let us have a look at the goals conceded. We have conceded 34 goals so far this season. And this means that we take place 11 in the ranking of goals conceded in the EPL. This is a bad position at first sight.

 

But 18 goals of those 34 has been conceded in 4 games.  That is more than 50% of the goals conceded in 4 games. Manchester United, Chelsea, Blackburn and Swansea. In the other 20 games we conceded 16 goals.

 

Now if we remember right the game against United was the day that we only had Koscielny left as a first team defender and every shot United took flew in the top corner of the goal for some reasons. In the Blackburn game we scored 2 stupid own goals and were on the back of an offside goal and this was the first game of Santos at left back and it was clear to see that he still had to adapt to the team and his team mates. So the conditions in those two games were a bit special to say the least.

 

And we also should keep in our mind that in the other games we have been hit by injuries at full back so we had to play 3rd, 4th, 5th choice players in those positions, drag centre backs to the wings. And even with all this we still only conceded 16 goals in those other 20 games.

 

We had 8 clean sheets so far in the EPL. Last season we had 12 in total in the EPL. If we keep it up like we do for the moment we should have more clean sheets than last season. And this with all the injuries we had is not a bad thing for the moment. With more defenders coming back we should at least get the same number and if all goes well we should be able to improve on this.

 

In fact it is yours and mine guess to imagine how we would have done if we would have had Sagna and Santos (and Jenkinson and Gibbs) available in the last months. And the extra rest we would have been able to give to players like Koscielny and Mertesacker who have been massive when almost all our defenders have been injured and they kept on playing.

 

Of course we could and should have done better when it came to scoring goals this season and certainly in some games we didn’t win but had enough chances to win. The fact that Walcott didn’t score as many goals as hoped for but if he keeps on giving assistt like he did yesterday he will be very valuable. And the fact that Gervinho had to adapt to the EPL will not have helped at all. Also the fact that Arshavin is having a poor season so far and he was good for some 10 goals last season and even more assists was something that nobody could have predicted. And we also have Park who doesn’t seem to get a lot of game time and who should be able to score a few goals.  And Chamakh who had such a bright start of his Arsenal career last season has totally disappeared from the score sheets. Last season he scored 7 goals at the start and had some assists and this time it just doesn’t work for him. And then we have The Ox…doesn’t he look like the real thing? With him making progress like he does I do believe we will be more dangerous in the next games.

We have had an unbeaten run this season in the EPL, so we just should try to start one again and who knows where we will finish. We are 5 points behind 4th place with 15 games to go. All the teams drop points when unexpected and so have we so far. Once we get back to a run of games with a few wins we could regain confidence and score more goals. We have done it before when we had less injuries so why not support the boys out there and get them to another run.

79 Replies to “Another look at some numbers”

  1. Walter

    We are now only 2 points behind Chelsea, with confidence restored, some of our new players bedded in
    and others returning from injury we are ready for the challenge ahead.

    Off topic but none the less noteworthy. Chelsea v Man Utd today and the ref? Can you believe it’s Howard Webb once again for Utd.

  2. Walter, our goals has recieved a big boost after last night.But saying that we conceded half our goals in only 4 games , but then you can say that we also scored 12 goals from 46 in only two games , really doesn’t make sense.So, let’s stop worrying about the stats and focus on next few games as these are going to be huge.
    @ Tasos, it’s a must win for them after manc win but it’s also going to help us,so I won’t mind him .

  3. Tasos,
    Does The Fergus XX have no meaning for thee?
    The WebbMaster has only one other to satisfy – his lord and maker.
    And the WebbMaster must atone for the one (newcastle) he let slip away. So let it be woven, so let it be spun.

  4. a bit off topic : Great win today, good performance and a quality hat-trick from @Persie_Official ! Nice to get on the score sheet as well! #LoveThisClub #AFC

    The words of Gooner-Gunner Oxlade-Chambarlain yesterday on Twitter.
    Almost as good as the win itself.

    LOVE THIS CLUB AFC… nice words from the player

  5. Walter,
    When you say We have scored proportionately beyond our spending, you leave out that what We are doing has been predicated on One – healthy RvP who scores by far – display those numbers – the largest proportion of our goals by far. Your team aggregate numbers does not compensate for our not having acquired his backup, and hence, running the reckless gamble that he will be available without injury for the next 15 games, and what about the CL and FA – do you simply put them aside and think that he will play every game, without rest? We cannot afford to rest him; and we cannot risk not resting him. You can say Torres and Carrol mean nothing at all and suggest that it PROVES that inaction at the xfer window means nothing at all. But what it does mean is that we have no adequate backup for RvP or complementary striker to RvP right now. Without having to go one by one, you’ve acknowledge the low ROI on the pitch from the rest of our offense. The lack of clinicality has been stunning. Praise Arsene for the Ox. Otherwise, will your numbers ensure against injury and otherwise conjure a turnaround? I have my own forms of prayer as well, but numerology isn’t one of them. On this point we are eons apart. On the rest, as you know, you have, like it or not, my total support.

  6. p.s. and you neglect that one of yesterday’s goal scorers, on an assist by the aforementioned RvP, namely our once and forever king, has just played his last game at the Emirates. (That generousity of spirit and mutual respect is a treasure.)

  7. I agree with the article in general except: Chelsea, we’re currently only down to 2 (hopefully they lose or just draw today) and I would also differentiate our goal numbers also. We scored 16 goals in 3 games (Blackburn – 7, Chelsea – 5, Wigan – 4). So in 17 games, we have scored 30 goals (4 games of no goals, 2 of which we had a draw).

    Now coming to the main point, we had a lot of 1-0, 2-1 games which has been poorly officiated by ref bias which affected our results. We were not as clinical up front to this point, but with that said though, things are looking up at Arsenal.

    I feel this side is capable of going on a ruthless streak with many goals to come for the rest of the season to offset whatever ref bias they face considering all the moving pieces in the lineup (mostly because of injuries and transfers adjusting).

    Arsenal came back from 16th to 5th/6th position, no reason to feel they can’t cut the gap into the top 4 also!

  8. Bob,
    in fact nobody knows this. For about one year people are saying that RVP will get injured as he usually did and it will be the end of Arsenal.
    But if it would happen then we will put another player on the field and play with 11. Of course Robin is world class but so is Messi, Ronaldo and dare I say it Rooney. MU,Barcelona and Real Madrid will also suffer if they would see them injured. We simply don’t have the money to put a player of world class calibre on the bench.
    Who is to say that if Park would get a run of 3 or 4 consecutive games he suddenly turned out to be a good finisher? He doesn’t get his chance because does Barcelona put Messi on the bench? Does Real Madrid put Ronaldo on the bench? Does MU put Rooney on the bench (unless he has been a bad boy 😉 )
    In fact come to think of it with Theo and The ox playing like they did yesterday I think even I would have scored a hattrick 🙂 🙂

  9. Agree on Theo and Ox, amazing. Hope those who have had a go at Theo are equally quick to praise his assist hatrick.

    Just seen the site not to be mentioned, they suggest the black bag protest floundered because the bags were too small to fit on the seats! If true, says all we need to know about a certain section of our so called fans!

  10. The only good thing about the black bag protest is that we have a new nickname for the AAA as well. The AAA will now also be known as the BBB 😉

  11. And predictably everyone (rightly) has praised the Ox and mumbled grudgingly about Theo’s performance. Theo for me had a dip in Dec/Jan with the rest of the team and that in no small measure was due to an absence of right backs. So I do expect he will start delivering from now till the end of the season.

  12. Tasos

    Last year Sir Alex Ferguson had a right whinge about the refereeing in the analagous fixture at Stamford Bridge. So I guess it’s pay back time…….

    You might like to ask also why the odds on Leeds to win away at Bristol City were 1.07 at half-time when the score was 0-1. 1.3 would have been more normal……they duly went on to win 3-0 of course…..

    Interesting that numerous media outlets highlighted 8 goals in the Arsenal Blackburn fixture on more than one occasion before the game. It must just be in the stars…….

    By the way: don’t bet on Australian horse racing on Betfair. A sizable minority of events are ‘made up’ i.e. they are figments of a computer’s imagination. Of course, if you like to bet on a computer-generated scenario, mindful of the fact that customer care involves ‘managing expectations of success’, go ahead. But I wouldn’t try any bankers if I were you…….try checking the daily events at http://www.breednet.com.au to check that the races actually exist. No doubt somewhere very deep in the Betfair T&Cs there is some clause saying that some races may be generated on computers, but I’ve not read it and it certainly doesn’t say so at the top of the race cards. CAVEAT EMPTOR. Whether the self-righteous scions in the media, the HOC et al consider their moralising not to include gambling fraud I tend to doubt. Not unless someone pays them more to expose it than the miscreants bung them to cover it up…………

  13. Stuart, Walter,
    Exactly – RvP was arguably targeted at Blackburn and will be targeted. Even the ref deserves kudos for immediately flashing the red on that barbarian. However, had the bastard connected cleats high, then we’d fact be putting Walter’s wish-bone prayer for Park into full effect: that he, off the bench (in 3-4 games where we of course would not drop crucial points), would become the clinical finisher that fills The VOID. Your smiley faces are great fun, but they too are whistling past the graveyard. Heads in the sand are reckless. It doesn’t matter if people have wrongly been fearing a risk of injury for one year now. Is RvP now superman? What are you talking about. You know full well that we have no insurance behind him but for some reason won’t turn that awareness into advocacy, especially at the last x-fer window, and continuing now with a (knowing) grin. Walter, we’re making the best of a perilous situation. Nothing else can be done, except, yes, expect a miracle from the untried Park. Mind-numbing, I’d say.

  14. p.s. and Walter, neither you nor I would have scored that hat trick if one Chris Samba were playing (and not suspended by the manager). N’est-ce pas?

  15. sorry, meant to write that RvP was targeted BY Blackburn. Were that match AT Blacburn, it might have been PLAY ON or a mellow YELLOW. This is the peril of no viable backup.

  16. Interesting article Walter. It is correct that if our finishing had been sharper we could have (and should have) scored more goals. Also, had we not been denied a number of penalties our tally would have been higher.

    Overall I think the team has coped reasonably well after a very difficult start to the season, crippling injuries and some boneheaded refereeing. What we need now is consistency and for all fans to get behind the team and manager as we fight for every point between now and the end of the season. If the BBB and Le Gripes of this world can’t do that they should clear off and inflict their brand of destructive support on some other team – perhaps on one not too far away that probably deserves them.

  17. Rhyss,
    How about a link to one or two of those many places where you say that 8 goals were predicted. I’m asking for a favor, not casting doubt. Such examples would add understanding for readers hereabouts.

  18. @Rhys Jaggar

    The Bristol City V Leeds game you question. At half-time Leeds were not only 1 goal up but also 1 man up after Wilsons red card in the 44th minute for Bristol. Therefore Leeds half-time exchange price @1.07 would ordinarily be a massive lay, on this occasion it is also understandable. Market forces at work in My opinion.

    Also do you have any links to the media outlets highlighting 8 goals in the Arsenal match yesterday?
    In My experience this is a most unusual media prediction.

  19. @Arun & Mahdain:

    Was just thinking the same myself. 🙂 I suppose that it’s best for us if Chelsea drops points, but the idea of being happy about this makes me feel nauseous.

    And there’s the equalizer!

  20. I’d have to go back through the papers to find where they were, those quotations about 8 goals, but I definitely read them! Probably just the media needing something to write, after all……

    Amazing that 2 games in a row Man Utd get two penalties after I highlighted the stats that only one game had seen a team score 2 penalties in one game all season in the EPL. Again: synchronicity at work, as the two against Stoke were nailed-on. Haven’t seen the two today yet….

  21. Webb missed a hat-trick of penalties in the 93rd minute but definitely a MOTM performance.

  22. Jamie Redknapp on Sky??? Oh ‘Arry must be missing him.

    How much does ManU need to spend in the summer, without Webb each season to guarantee 10pnts I’m sure we are witnessing the end.

    Torres Oh lord!!!

  23. To All and Sundry:
    As we gaze upon (The Fix also known as) The Fergus XX.
    Behold, the Webbmaster Rings Twice.
    And behold, Don Fergus taketh another stride to his predestined Anointment as Lord Football.
    An verily, as the Manchester Guardians hath so described on this day:
    “United came from 3-0 down in the second half to claim a remarkable and vital point”
    So let it be written. So let it be done.

  24. For those interested in the nefarious aspects of gambling, my letter today to Betfair and numerous cc’ed luminaries:

    Dear Betfair

    Having regarded your ‘brand’ as being ‘reliable’, it did not occur to me to consider the fact that the ‘races’ you advertise on your site, http://www.betfair.com, may sometimes be fictitious. When they cause me considerable losses, I would have appreciated knowing that they did not exist outside the figments of your imagination.

    Whilst I can see that such races offer wonderful opportunities for ‘customer management’ (i.e. giving a punter a hefty loss if they are doing well etc etc), they do not represent what is being ‘advertised on the tin’, since nowhere in bold letters do I see you saying at the head of the ‘racecard’ ‘This is a computer-driven race. There is no real race happening’.

    Here are my experiences over the past 3 days:

    February 3rd:

    I bet on 5 races, four of which are, according to http://www.breednet.com.au, races which the Establishment is recording as real. These were:

    1. Race 4 Moonee Valley [MVal] – laybet Flushing Meadow, finished 10th/11. WON.
    2. Race 5 Bunbury [Bunb] – laybet Dark Enigma, finished 10th/10. WON.
    3. Race 1 Canterbury [Cant] – Kassa To Be Placed – finished 4th.5. LOST.
    4. Race 2 Canterbury [Cant] – laybet Perfect Scout, finished 6th/8. WON.

    The fifth bet I am unable to account for. It was ‘GlPk 09.33’ and the horse was called ‘FastnFurious’. So far as I am aware, none of the meetings recorded at http://www.breednet.com.au for 3rd February (Albury, Bunbury, Canterbury, Geelong, Ipswich, Moonee Valley, Paeroa or Sunshine Coast) had a horse of such a name running, nor am I able to identify a course name there which might be code named GlPk.

    As it happens, that bet won, but the point is: the race is fictitious and nowhere in visible typeset do you make that fact clear. I would ask you to state why you do not do that??

    February 4th:

    Whilst many meets took place, at:
    Saturday, 4 February 2012
    Ascot | Bundaberg | Carrathool | Caulfield | Doomben | Esperance | Fannie Bay | Geurie | Gold Coast | Grafton | Kyneton | Morphettville |Te Rapa | Toowoomba Cushion | Warwick | Wingatui |

    there do not appear to be any meetings at:
    Newcastle, anything resembling the code ‘Melt’ or Mngl’, which were the three ‘race meetings’ I placed bets on.

    Interestingly, however, horses with names similar to those I bet on DID run on 4th January 2011 . I placed bets on two horses to be placed, namely:

    Honky Tonk Hanover (Honky Tonk Girl placed in Race 6 Angle Park last year);
    Heza Trick (Hesa Lad placed the same day last year)

    Yesterday, all four horses won and I earned £10 through three backs at 1.1 – 1.3 and one lay at 21.

    Perhaps you would like to explain how ‘meetings’ took place yesterday which are not recorded at http://www.breednet.com.au, which presumably being Australian is closer to the real action than a website run from some European tax haven?

    February 5th, things get a little uglier:

    I place four bets on two ‘meetings’ at ‘MGam’ (presumably Mount Gambia SA) and ‘Canb’ (presumably Canberra), neither of which I find are holding meetings. Three of these lose at combined odds of 200-1 against, which along with a loss at 1.26 yesterday night adds up to losses of £175 at odds of just under 1000-1. The counterbalancing win was a princely sum of £1.33.

    Would you explain where the racing was taking place today at Mount Gambia and Canberra, since http://www.breednet.com.au does not record such meetings?

    Would you explain why you do not discriminate between real races which, sure can be fixed in the last 2 minutes prior to the off using radio signals to the stalls but in general may have some relevance to the term ‘race’, and a computer simulation which can no doubt be devised to achieve whatever result you wish to produce??

    I would most appreciate you pointing out where, in the Terms and Conditions of using Betfair, that you point out that a percentage of ‘horse races’ are not, in fact, horse races, but PlayStation fantasies and how you expect your brand reputation to fare for not pointing this out in fairly clear cut terms at the top of each ‘race card’.

    Losses are one thing: once it becomes clear that nefarious factors also come into play, something infinitely more pernicious is going on.

    I would most appreciate receiving a refund for the £109.73 loss on this morning’s fictitious ‘race’, namely the ‘9.45 at Canberra’ and two ‘races’ at ‘Mount Gambia’:

    2012-02-05
    09:54 1745950654 2012-02-05
    09:46 AUS Canb (AUS) 5th Feb / 09:45 R8 1770m Pace M / 11. Our Convoy
    Lay
    42.00 2.40 Lost (98.40) 0.10
    2012-02-05
    09:45 11583646559 2012-02-05
    09:45 Transfer from UK – – – 98.50 98.50
    2012-02-05
    09:34 1745912114 2012-02-05
    09:25 AUS MGam (AUS) 5th Feb / 09:25 To Be Placed / 4. Helavagem
    Back 1.28 8.85 Lost (8.85) 0.00
    2012-02-05
    09:25 1745905616 2012-02-05
    09:21 AUS Canb (AUS) 5th Feb / 09:18 To Be Placed / 5. Alcohol Free
    Back 1.71 2.48 Lost (2.48) 8.85
    2012-02-05
    09:10 1745866486 2012-02-05
    09:04 AUS MGam (AUS) 5th Feb / 09:05 To Be Placed
    Comm Charged 5% On Net winnings of GBP1.4 – – – (0.07) 11.33
    2012-02-05
    09:10 1745866486 2012-02-05
    09:04 AUS MGam (AUS) 5th Feb / 09:05 To Be Placed / 5. Naked Island
    Back 1.14 10.00 Won 1.40 11.40
    2012-02-05
    08:27 11583645146 2012-02-05
    08:27 Transfer from UK – – – 10.00 10.00

    I would also appreciate you evaluating my account to see how many MORE fictitious events I have bet upon and, when there have been significant losses on Laybets at 40-1 or greater, whether you would refund me the losses on those ‘fictitious races’ also. I am happy for you to evaluate P+L for ‘fictitious races’ and return the losses on them, since I clearly cannot keep the profits whilst demanding the losses back, unless of course I am an investment banker………

    I am sure you would wish to keep this from becoming a fully fledged Parliamentary Enquiry involving the Fraud Sqaud, but you will note that I take no part in your overtly fictitious ‘gaming products’, since I have no wish to play computers at poker etc etc.

    I do, however, expect to know whether I am betting on real events or fantasies, since I don’t bet on fantasies for very good reasons: you can use them to diss particular customers, can’t you?????

    I look forward to a fully fledged reform of how you present your products to customers, a fully fledged understanding that fantasy racing is totally different from real racing in a punter’s eyes and that, like smoking or alcohol, it should come with an official Government Financial Health warning.

    Yours Faithfully

    Rhys T. Jaggar MA(Cantab) PhD (Glasguensis), MBA (Manchester Business School)
    (in other words, I’m not some thicko punter who you can palm off with lying rubbish, sonny jim……..)

  25. HaHa .. its never safe even when its 3-0.

    @Rhys: Was just about to ask you about that but you brought that up yourself 🙂

    They looked to be contact at least but its softish..both of them and the 2nd one was very very dodgy. Wellbeck’s already going down and then there’s contact.

    Still not too unhappy .. its just a 3 point game now to 4th place and definitely doable. The 50 million pound man didn’t score..again. Its just very very strange..the Torres situation. He’s surely world class and has proved it all with Pool but can’t score at all now with an equally big team. All’s good though. City get a lead. We get closer to Chelsea. Now hope Pool beat Spurs tomorrow. That’ll be the perfect weekend for me.

  26. It was payback time indeed at Chelski. Two penalties from Master Webb for Manure. The bright side was only one point each.

  27. And lo, one Jacob Steinberg, the cretinous match-day stenographer of the Manchester Guardians did emit among his feverish keystrokes, the following climactic perfumed scent: “They just will not lie down.” (Alas, poor Jacob, you, sir, indeed have long-since lied down.)

  28. Did anyone else just witness that Andre Villas-Boas interview on Sky?

    Cut him off immediately once he questioned Howard Webb.

  29. what a tremendous game from webb im sure all is forgiven btn him and fergie for what happened at newcastle..he has proved to fergie that he can be relied upon

  30. @Bob: Yes I did…so even if Pool win tomorrow its 3 points between 4th-7th place. So if we win at Sunderland next week and all the other 3 lose (hypothetical)…we go to 4th place.

  31. @Walter,RefReviewers: I’d love to hear from you guys on both the penalties that were given. I could see there was contact but would you guys give either/both? Thanks.

  32. I do not want to say this but this premiership is corrupt.How an earth can give a penalty like this is beyond anyone.
    Please! please ! Video technology now.

  33. HWebb also did Arsenal a favour in the race for4th – suppose it’s not really a problem as we are nailed on to win the champions league 😉

  34. @Arvind:

    Pool vs Spurs is a tough one for me to call tomorrow. I want them both to drop points. Maybe a draw?

  35. I wish the Liverpool Tottenham go for a draw. I wished it happens with Newcastle too. I wished it happened with Chelsea too.

  36. @Rhys:

    Any ideas in which media outlet you might have read those quotations? Which ones do you read regularly, or did you read before the game? If that actually happened, I’d be willing to go through and find it myself.

  37. tbh i want liverpool to BEAT spuds so as to slow them down and then pool to lose at united to put them down.. spuds play newcastle next week so hope they play a draw or a spuds loss..although all these wont matter if we dont beat sunderland and i dont know why but i have got a stinking feeling we`ll be seeing lee probert in that match. hope im wrong though

  38. @Rhys

    Have any of your media outlets got a prediction for Liverpool v Spurs? Final result, number and times of goals etc would be appreciated.

  39. Alex,
    From your thoughts and keyboard to every fan’s heart.
    Spot on and cheers!
    Will anything move people to protest this shite?

  40. Tasos,
    Could you offer up any existing link to the interview you mention where Sky RV (39% or so) Murdoch-owned, cuts off the criticism of Webb? Indeed, this bit of fan-abuse, whilst consistent with Murdokery is a good exhibit to make the point at how biased the media is and in lockstep with Sky’s strategic interest in the triumph of The Fergus XX and the continued radiance of Brand Manure.

  41. @bob:

    I think we’re getting to that point, but I still think the time isn’t quite right yet. People are waking up and fast, but if it’s going to be successful, I think we need a true groundswell. I do think we’re getting there.

  42. All,
    In the big picture, this bit of WebbShite would be an opening to ally with Chelsea fans who, like us, have now been hard-done by the WebbMaster’s service to Don Fergus. If all we care about is that we are a point closer to passing Chelsea (which definitely matters for a top 4 finish as most know), then we miss the chance to make common cause and bring pressure to bear across the board, beyond just UA and AFC, for fans to unite around this as a common demand – a petition that garners publicity. Why not have it both ways: we’re closer to a top-4 with Chelsea’s draw (thanks to Webb’s subservience) and we’re closer to having another ally in demanding the video replay that will level the Manure Pile down to an even pitch with fair play for all.

  43. I love the result but hate the officiatting. Webb is Motm. Wonder why fa is so helpless in this webb and utd affair.

  44. @bob

    Here is the link. Although the video ends before the interviewer calls an abrupt halt to proceedings and fails to discuss the major issue brought up by the Chelsea coach. The whole broadcast then finishes without any debate from the guests in the studio, very strange. Hopefully someone else can confirm this.

    http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,12606_7490470,00.html

  45. I think for Arsenal supporters, we are all used to the excremental sandwich. But listening to the Chelsea supporter walking along Embankment who rang 5 Live, you could hear he was on the verge of tears.

    For us it’s beyond a joke, for Arsene Wenger, it’s hard not to look at the man and see bloodshot eyes, and 10 years of stress etched into his features.

    For the Chelsea fan unused to the corruption, it was clearly all too much for him. And in all honesty, when you consider how much a season ticket costs, who wouldn’t be close to tears?

    If you bought a sofa in John Lewis or Harrods, or a car for 10K, and it was not fit for purpose, it would go back quicker than you could say ” Web’s Wonders”.

    The management of football is not much different to the management of the banks. They don’t give a toss about us, all they care about is lining in their own pockets.

    What more can you say?

  46. Tasos,
    Cheers your for doing this. It offer a tangible exhibit at least of the bigger fix (stick) at work in the public eye.

  47. Naija man,
    Why would you think that the FA is so “helpless”? On the contrary, they seem to do everything they can to obstruct, derail, put off, substitute for, distract from the one fix against the Fixes – namely, actual real-time video replay. They’re in the same league with ManUre’s success – it’s their flagship global brand.

  48. All,
    Thanks to Tasos, we have: http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,12606_7490470,00.html
    People should definitely see this interview and make up your own mind as to what’s at work in it. To me, Chelsea’s coach says a Mouthful about Don Fergus and the lineman at Old Trafford in the previous match; and in this match, he struggles and struggles with whether to say it, and how to put it, and then ends on this note of courage and clarity:
    “I’m not sure [he is saying so] Howard is trying to compensate for something.” And then comes the cut off/lack of follow up.
    I think the piece is gobsmacking. Let’s see how the League reacts to it – whether it dares fine him, just like it recently backed off from fining Arsene, this last time Arsene took a clear, if slightly indirect indictment of the refs. In this case, Chelsea’s coach mentions Howard by name and raises a question, just before the lack of follow-up question and the cut off.

  49. @Rhys

    I shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a reply from that exchange company. IMO Once they floated on the stock market their whole philosophy changed from punter friendly to hard nose business model.

    Good luck anyways.

  50. Anyhow, midst all the doom and gloom…let’s try and summon some hope for the future

    Reasons to be Cheerful:

    1) Apple are moving into TV products, and are already talking about football rights….imagine if they razzed the backside of Sky the way they razzed Nokia and their shambolic products?

    2) We know have a trifecta of English stars: Jack, Theo and Oxo

    Eventually the Football Authorities might wonder at the wisdom of slamming a team who produce the hardcore of the national team.

    ANy others?

  51. @marcur

    FFP. I realise most are dubious but if the January transfer window is anything to go by, maybe just maybe its starting to take effect.

    And that can only be looked upon as being beneficial to our club.

  52. I hope the OX/Wiltshire dont play in the Euro’s.

    Wondering how many goals old Torres has scored since the big transfer?

  53. One day, I am convinced, we will see the intro in football of the review system a la cricket. THEN, the dodgy refs will find it difficult to favour their “sugar daddy” clubs with outrageous penalty area decisions. At 88, I might not live to see it but rest assured, my friends, the day WILL come.
    So don’t despair.

  54. Some people seem happy that Both Chelsea and Man Utd dropped points today, then stating ref bias as the reason for the draw. I do think both Man Utd penalties can be justified through the laws of the game (although both soft). The real question for me is, would Arsenal have got them both awarded(I think not). For me there was a third penalty shout later on in the game for a push in the back as a corner was taken this was not given. Early on in this match Torres was booked for a push in the back of a Man Utd defender who was trying to shield the ball back to his keeper, This for me was obstruction as the ball was not within one meter of the defender and should have resulted in an indirect free kick to Chelsea. There is too much inconsistency with certain refs officiating certain teams. For me these refs do not have a veiw on how they see football being played.

  55. Unverified, from a Chelsea board:

    Since April 2005 Howard Webb – 26 Utd games, 8 pens (including today) = roughly 1 every 3 games

    All other refs – 197 Utd games 24 pens = roughly 1 every 8 games

    Chelsea are now winless in 7 matches Howard Webb has officiated against Manchester Clubs (0 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses.

  56. @marcus

    Good point about our England players, but don’t miss out young Gibbs – if he can get fit. After that there are others in the pipeline, some of whom should make the England team.

  57. I must say that I watched the first penalty and I think there was a foul as Sturridge clattered his foot at the back of Evra his foot. A stupid and unnecessary foul I thought. I then stopped watching to have dinner and only now found out Utd got a second penalty. But don’t know much about it.

    But I know that in the first minutes of the game I thought that Utd should have had a penalty when Cahill brought down Wellbeck. But I think Webb didn’t want to blow his cover yet (well his cover was blown over here a long time ago) and when you want to stay unnoticed you mustn’t act too soon. He now only acted when the need was high and he couldn’t hide from his “duty to help United”.

    But must say didn’t see the whole game so maybe I missed a few things

  58. The question is would Arsenal get those two penalties from Howard Webb against let us say…. United? And I don’t mean Newcastle Utd…

  59. They’re super soft both of them… but are they NON penalties? I’m not so sure anything can be done; glad to be proved wrong though.

  60. @marcus,
    That’s basically how Barcelona overturned the pro-Madrid bias in Spain. Biscuits for instance, is a despicable cheat with a World Cup winners medal and is therefore unbookable.

  61. Does anyone know what the commentators said about these penalties ????
    I know if arsenal wouldn’t have got these penalties, they would have said that it was a strong challenge from the defender and the forward should have stood up instead of going down so easily.

  62. i heard from a friend that Manure has got around 30% of all the penalties awarded this season, can someone please tell me if its true. IAWT

  63. Can not remember the season but again it involves MU and a Mr Dean.He officiated in 49 games that season , 41 not involving MU he awarded 1 penalty in the remaining 8 games which MU were involved he awarded 9 penalties.Dogface may be able to verify/confirm the season and number of penalties.Nothing changes regarding MU referees and results

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