Arsenal v Tottenham. The Untold match preview

Dominic Sanchez Cabello

I apologise in advance, as writing anything balanced about Spurs is tricky for me. Regardless, I’ll try not to be overcome with scorn and offer you a fair assessment. Can’t promise anything though…

Naturally, they’ll finish above us – you know what ol’ ‘arry Redknapp says: “6th times a charm.”

It is fair to say that so far Spurs haven’t set the world alight. Two 1-0 wins, one against the doomed Eagles, another at home to a weary Swansea. Both won via penalties and dodgy ones at that.

There dealings in the transfer market have thus far resembled a James Milner performance – industrious, but not overly good. Comparatively, ours has been like Ibrahimović on that rainy night in Stoke.

If you have read the papers or listened to the wider football community, you will have heard that Soldado is the solution to their striking problem. Commentators have drawn emphatic conclusions from scored penalties, whilst freely forgetting he had 12 touches against Swansea.

Soldado is a very likeable striker, and his charm comes in that despite not being the fastest or strongest, he gets by purely with intelligence. That said, watching him he never struck me as a player who would thrive in England. His lack of speed and strength will see him drift out of games, becoming frustrated and isolated. This tendency will be further amplified when he comes across the blasé Premier League refereeing.

At 28 he is rather one-dimensional with little chance of changing. He is not the type to hold up play, nor is he the type to accelerate off the shoulder of the last defender. In this transfer window he is worth 26 million. But next year, when people’s finances catch up with them or the 75% tax bracket reaches Monaco, will people be so hasty to spend 30 million on just another competent striker?

From what I can see, AVB has resorted to a classic game, reliant on traditional wingers and overlapping side-backs. Their last two games has seen play bypass Dembélé. I can’t decide whether this is due to sluggish passing from their defenders, or poor movement in midfield. Whatever the reasons though, it has driven the play wide, forcing Dawson to play long diagonals to Rose or Chadli. Paulinho seems to have edged forward, as if remembering his name ends in “inho” and therefore has an innate duty to do so. He has done it effectively though and even the most obstinate Arsenal fan would agree he is a talented player.

Capoue has always struck me as an average player. Yes, he’s combative, but this seems to come at the expense of his technique. If Diaby didn’t have a pair of chopsticks for legs then he wouldn’t be near the French national team. His 7 caps are not a reflection of his merits as a player, but more a sign of the wider decline in French football, post-Zidane. The rise of Kondogbia and Pogba will end his career for Les Bleu.

Chadli is a technically precise player, but from what I’ve seen (albeit not much) he can be ineffectual. This has been evident in their first two games, where Spurs’ inspiration came from the more erratic wingers. Lennon and Townsend – who despite having poorer ball control than Chadli have been more effective because of their unpredictability. In that same way Gervinho’s worth hinged on him confusing his opponents just slightly more than himself, these two are similar. Principally, If Lennon doesn’t know his own next move, how on earth can Gibbs?

That’s where their threat will come tomorrow; their central players are too formulaic and lumbering.  Soldado’s physical limitations will be exposed and after competing with Koscielny, I believe we’ll see a deflated Spaniard wandering the Emirates come Sunday. I’m confident we will win this game; our midfield is superior to theirs and over these past seasons we have acquired an inherent psychological advantage over them. It’s hard to quantify, but it is very real.

I think Rosicky will start tomorrow, primarily for his industry, but also to help retain possession. Flamini could also be useful, but I’d be surprised to see him start, as he is probably quite rusty. On a positive note Ramsey and Wilshere are both fit to play and Koscielny has returned from suspension.

                                                  Wojciech

         Sagna                    Kos                  Per             Gibbs

                                                  Ramsey

                             Wilshere                        Rosicky

      Walcott                             Giroud                         Cazorla

That’s how I make it, anyway.  Cheers for reading,

Dom

 

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85 Replies to “Arsenal v Tottenham. The Untold match preview”

  1. From one Gooner to another, get a grip. None of those players you mentioned I wouldn’t happily take here, and if they were you wouldn’t be saying anything like this. Stop being sour and wait and see what the result is on Sunday.

  2. As an ardent Spurs fan I think our midfield is a far more powerful unit, but time will tell. I have to admit I had a loud chuckle at your analogy of Lennon and Gervinho. If any of Arsenal players get injured they Arsene may have have to try and con us with cardboard cutouts of important players because there isn’t much on the bench. If Wenger doesn’t bring in reinforcements soon Le Arse will have a torrid time up until the Christmas break.

  3. Nice analysis… I had the same impression when i saw spurs’ games … our starting line-up looks capable of beating them but, for some reason if we have to make some changes we dont have too many choices and this could be a major drawback for us…

  4. ColinSC,

    Thanks for that insightful advice for Wenger. You are 1,000,000,000th person to give it. You have won 1000,000 Internet dollars 🙂

  5. As i haven’t watch soccer for some time, so i have been reading blogs and it has been a while since i read something this positive! I hope AW brings atleast 3 new players in these few hours of the window!

  6. Dominic,

    Well done my man!

    I am also very confident about tomorrow. We are fielding 11 players who have ALL played in the NLD. Spurs will be playing at least 3 NLD virgins. In the media chorus over signings, all have abandoned the importance of consistency and well blended teams. Tomorrow will be a true test of which is better: signing loads of players or keeping a consistent team.

    We’ll find out in about 28 hours. Let’s hope the referee stays out of it by just doing his freaking job.

  7. Haha can’t wait to read the spuds comments on that , and the all out slanging match…
    When I refresh of course…

  8. Boo, reading your comment is making my nerves start…
    I wonder if our relationship with spurs is the same with other clubs? Are they (fans) on each others blogs etc?
    Do they fight still? I heard sometimes

  9. Iain,

    Yes, we are shitting our pants.

    Everybody knows that games are won and lost by how teams’ supporters and bloggers feel.

  10. A confident outlook on tomorrow’s game which is as it should be.
    It will be a match of two halves and as my Gran (who cleans at the Emirates) is often heard to say “If we can score just one more goal than them, we can win”.

  11. It’s not about beating Tottenham, they’re cannon fodder. Failing to beat Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea last season and only managing 2 wins against a top 7 side is the real concern.

  12. Rambo to dominate this game as others have said if the ref does his job. Interested to know what spurs will be doing with the rapidly increasing dead wood? An unhappy ade can have a slightly destabilising effect on any squad. Read somewhere that spurs have only really replaced quality with quantity time will tell but can see where this is coming from. Bale put the fear of god into opponents last season I see nothing like that so far at least in these new signings

  13. Had to laugh @nicky!!! Your Gran, who cleans the Emirates “can be heard”!!’ It really is that quiet at the Emptycrates??????

  14. To be honest, Spurs have got to get out of the thinking of ‘ruling’ North London. What if Arsenal finish 6th this season (not unthinkable) and Spurs 5th? Will we be celebrating?? Of course not (well, some fans with limited scope might). With our new players and immensely strong squad we have to set our limits as high as possible ..and that’s simply challenging for the PL title! Forget what Arsenal do, or don’t do. Let them worry about us for a change. It will take time for the new guys to bed in, and it will take time for AVB to work out his best system/team. Arsenal may get a result tomorrow, but over the long term we know this is our best chance for many many years to actually challenge for top 3 at least. We’ve had 2 x 4th spots over the last 4 seasons, and 2 x 5ths, and although previously Modric, and now Bale, are hard acts to follow, we are stronger and faster all round. Of course beating our main rivals in games and over the season is important, but we have a much better focus now!

  15. What about the protest? How about everyone wearing a bin liner with a letter in white C H E A T then if the ref is dodgy everyone can shuffle in groups of 5

  16. Nice write-up Dominic.

    IMO, the referee might be the talking point again. Whitewashed facts by the media, again. This is my worry. But if we are to win the league, we have to beat the referees consistently. So fuck it, lets get it done.

    This team is something special.

  17. Man I am excited for tomorrows game. At home we have done well against Spurs. And I am really happy that this game is against the Spurs. For one reason, that no arsenal “fan” at the Emirates will be on the fence, it should be a thrilling atmosphere. And I think that is what Arsenal players need at the moment, some belief from their supporters.

    I think it is not a bad idea to give flamini a start because I have noticed you can get into the head of young Jack far too easily these days (maybe thats a tactic employed by our opponents) I am guess that he will be the deepest of our three midfielders. But I know it is just too soon for him…sigh

  18. Sorry folks, just got to the previous article. Mrs Oliver in the middle tomorrow I see.
    Untold ahead of me as usual .

    Allez les Gunners.

  19. @Hoddle,
    I hope you’re not the Glen Hoddle, making fun of my Gran.
    She is “heard” only by the family.
    The last time I saw her she said….”I had gay burglars last night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture”.

  20. Nice write up.

    Spurs have spent £100m + so far but failed to add a decent defensive full-back to their squad.

    Whilst I think Kyle Walker is a good athletic attacking right back, his defensive frailties continue to hold him back, it is the left back position that has caused Spurs problems for some time now and Danny Rose, if chosen to play, will be in for a torrid time from Theo tomorrow.

    The non spenders V the big spenders.

  21. Jack has been targeted lately, this is noticeable. And I’m sure Arsene noticed too:) Anyway, I’ll be cheering for Arsenal from the grandstands today.

  22. “Who’s the cheating bastard with the whistle gonna be tomorrow?”

    LOL! Nice one, Dec.

  23. I have been a Spurs fan for over 40 years. What makes me laugh are the comments from all the loyal gooners. I remember going to Highbury all through the 70’s and early 80’s when the whole place was rammed with Spurs fans & the gooners were up in the seats. It’s funny how many of you can’t remember that fact. When I go to Spurs now I still see the same faces that we’re there when I was a kid, most Arse fans just jumped on the band wagon when you started winning things. As Spurs fans, we are used to disappointment but Arses think you have a god given right to win things. Wake up you mugs. I was talking to a massive Arse fan on holiday who claimed to be a bigger gooner fan than I was a Spurs fan, it turned out that he hasn’t actually been to an Arse game, I rest my case.

  24. So this is how its done , but it seems wrong in so many levels !

    Paddy decides to go rabbit hunting, but when he gets to his favorite field he sees the village priest is already there.

    Paddy watches with fascination as the priest holds his finger over a rabbit hole and immediately a rabbit pops out. The priest grabs it and puts it into a sack.

    He repeats this unusual but very successful technique until his sack is full of rabbits. Paddy stops the priest and asks, “Father Michael, how do you do it”?

    “Easy”, says Father Michael, “Put your finger on your wife’s pussy and then hold it over a rabbit hole. They can’t resist the smell, so when they come out grab them.”

    Paddy rushes home to find Maureen bent over scrubbing the floor. He lifts up her skirt and applies his finger as directed.

    Without looking up, Maureen giggles, “Holy Moses, Father Michael! Rabbit hunting again?

  25. The Fizz

    I think I’m always fairly wary of anyone who tells me what I am thinking. Especially as I was on the terraces with my mates through the 70s and 80s. Couldn’t afford a season ticket then, and of course Highbury shrunk in size just as WHL has, and still is. Your argument would be a little more authentic if you produced some evidence.

  26. One has a greater sense of intellectual degradation after an interview with a doctor than from any human experience. Alice James

  27. jax,

    Just scroll past the jokes. It’s what I do to most AAA comments.

    It appears myself and many regular Untolders enjoy BG’s jokes. He has kept them coming because they are appreciated on here.

    Brickfields Gunners, more please 🙂

  28. While a 5-2 scoreline would be nice , I ‘m hoping for a 2-0 win. C’mon guys , make us proud !
    Up the Gunners !

  29. Did someone call the doctor ?

    Nothing can confound a wise man more than laughter from a dunce. Lord Byron

    what is the difference between stress,tension & panic?
    Stress is when wife is pregnant,
    Tension is when girlfriend is pregnant &
    Panic is when both are pregnant”

    This old lady walks into the Doctor’s office and says, “Doctor, please help me. I have a terrible problem with farting. It’s not really a social problem, because you can’t smell it or hear it, but I must have farted 20 times since talking to you.”
    The Doctor nods his head and says, “Take this bottle of pills and use them all. When they are all gone in about 2 weeks, come back to see me.”
    The old lady comes back 2 weeks later and is angry. She says “What was in those pills? I fart just as much. You still can’t hear them, but now they smell horrible!”
    The Doctor again nods his head and says, “Great, that takes care of your sinus problem, now let’s work on your hearing.”

  30. AAAA ” You don’t know what you’re doing !” Oh yeah ?

    Doctor’s opinion..
    A patient complained to his doctor, “I’ve been to three other doctors and none of them agreed with your diagnosis.” The doctor calmly replied, “Just wait until the autopsy, then they’ll say that I was right.”

    Unique diagnostic test

    A man was very worried that his wife was lately not quite the same as she used to be. So, he takes her to the doctor who runs a battery of tests on her and then calls the man into his office.

    He says, “Well, I have run all the tests on your wife and have come to the conclusion that she has either Aids or Alzheimers.”

    The man is now shocked and upset and asks the doctor, “But doc, how will we know which one of the diseases she is suffering from?”

    The doctor replies, “On your way back home, drop her off in a place about two blocks from home. If she makes it home, don’t have sex with her!!

  31. Ha ha ha ha ha ha Brickfields Gunners one day you gona pay a price if you make me laugh to ma death. Keep them coming. If we score first we gona win if they score first it will be their win. And don’t forget the ass in the middle will he have orders from above all he will be his own man! If manure lose as they are Mike Riley as you so him in manures directors box while playing chelski he wont allow as to come so near to his beloved sewer rats.

  32. Laughter the best medicine .
    From…..
    http://www.medindia.net/Humour/quotesnew.asp?name=&service=&page=1&startpage=1

    One can know a man from his laugh, and if you like a man’s laugh before you know anything of him, you may confidently say that he is a good man.
    -Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky

    Laughter is the shortest distance between two people
    – Victor Borge

    Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself for he shall never cease to be entertained.
    -Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773).

    Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one.
    – Oscar Wilde

    If taking vitamins doesn’t keep you healthy enough, try more laughter: The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed.
    – Nicolas-Sebastien Chamfort

    If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love
    – Maya Angelou

    Seven days without laughter makes one weak.
    – Joel Goodman

    A laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market
    – George M. Cohan

    The best blush to use is laughter: It puts roses in your cheeks and in your soul.
    – Linda Knight

    Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.
    – Arnold Glasow

    Laughter is the most healthful exertion.
    – Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland

    Laughter is part of the human survival kit.
    – David Nathan

    The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
    -Cummings

    He who laughs, lasts.
    -Victor Borge

    Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
    – Edison

    Laughter is the language of the Gods
    – Russ Dudley.

    Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.
    -Unknown

    Always leave them laughing when you say goodbye
    – Lessing.

  33. Bad news ?

    One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her AAAA husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a “massive internal fart.”

    I’m quite sure that most of the AKBs will believe this story
    to be true !

  34. There are the points now over to the management to get strengthen and reinforce this rather wonderful team. Look forward to the ref review but look to me like he was more subtle than Taylor but did his very best for them at every opportunity. Condolences to the Uk media and motd pundits at what is surely a difficult time for them.

  35. Yes – brilliant win!! A wee dram is on tonight.

    A big well done to the team. They really fought like tigers!

    A big FO to the AAA, media & Sky – all of whom rejoiced in Spurs signing half a team & our few (so far) signings!

  36. @ Mandy – sweet ! And Woo Hoo ! Sent my nephew the customary WooHoo and he replied that the better team lost ! So I asked him -100million Pounds better ?

  37. Mandy,

    A truly biased ref would have sent off Flamini. I too will await Walter’s verdict but from what I saw (the second half only I’m afraid) he didn’t get any major decisions wrong and looks like the concerns I raised in my preview weren’t realised.

  38. Lol brickfields! We weren’t at our best especially when tiring near the end but they did not threaten hugely. We are supposed to be rubbish but only the PGMOL have beaten us in a competitive game this season. That giroud looks a bit of a player.

  39. CLASS IS PERMANENT!!!

    Spurs played well and fought like wounded lions for every ball but my Gunners were having none of it. It was a great game for neutrals but I must confess that my nerves were really tested today. We were creating the meaningful chances and were abit unlucky to have only scored one but they fought us like I have not seen Spurs do in a long while.

    Great work by the boys. Please, let’s lay off the team and the manager today; at least today. I saw some mistakes (as is customary in every competitive game) but I am not going to single out any player for blame. The WHOLE team won today. Well done to them all.

    I was hopeful for a more emphatic win but when taken in context of all the shit that has been thrown at our team and how the media and many of our teams have been falling over themselves to praise Spurs, this victory is sweeter than those 5-2s of the 2 previous seasons.

    Allez Gunners!

  40. A good win ,a goodnights sleep and tomorrow I ‘ll hope to find presents under the tree .
    Cheers guys and goodnight ! Ain’t no AAAA bugs going to bite tonight !
    Up the Arsenal !

  41. Maybe Andrew looked to me like quite a few players penalised for not much at all eg giroud near the end in a very dangerous position. Also saw quite a few niggly fouls on us not given that in my eyes perhaps should have been but I will defer to those who know alot more than me about that sort of thing

  42. @Andrew

    I don’t agree about the ref, the longer the game went on the more the ref tried to help the spuds – to get them a draw or win.

    However, lets see Walter’s analysis.

  43. Andrew Crawshaw,

    There was no stud shown. The yellow is proper.

    I think the ref did not make any bad result changing calls today and that is fine by me.

  44. Mandy Dodd,

    Call me a gloater if you like 🙂 but I said it during pre-season that that Giroud guy is going to be great this season. To repeat myself, I feel very good about Giroud indeed.

  45. Gloat away bootoomee! His all round play is really coming on great attitude and work ethic which fits in well with this bunch

  46. Walker seemed to fall over air a couple of times to win free kicks, to their credit our players just seemed to get on with it unlike the Villa game when it clearly hot to them. I should have probably said that an overtly biased ref would have sent off Flamini whose challenge started with both feet off the ground. He hot the ball cleanly with his leading foot but clattered the Tottenham player with his trailing leg. A yellow probably justified but he won’t be able to get away with that kind of challenge often. My son who was in the ground today said that he thought the Ref was shabby at times. Come on Walter, put us out of our misery. Fair or not?

  47. I haven’t said it yet – well done The Arsenal. A great result with the whole team united in ensuring that our goal line was not breached. COYG

  48. Andrew Crawshaw,

    I think the home fans’ unyielding support was very helpful with the resolve of the team. Nothing makes Arsenal fans forget our petty squabbles like a game, any game against spurs. If we could only play them at home 19 times every season in the PL 🙂

    Many thanks to those fans with the “IN WENGER WE TRUST” banner. It’s a big fuck you and mind your own business to the pathetic media and all Arsenal detractors both external and internal.

  49. The ref was overall fair in my view, despite more than a few times where he didn’t give Arsenal free kicks, and gave Tottenham free kicks they didn’t deserve. This was especially apparent late in the game. However, he did blow for a foul by Sandro (?) in the penalty box for climbing on top of an Arsenal player, when we were under pressure, so I’m not sure he was deliberately trying to make us concede.

    Very well done to all our players. You could see they all knew what the derby meant. Wasted a few chances to score, but largely kept Spurs limited to long range efforts, even though they bothered us down the wings at times. But massive effort. Add Arteta, Podolski, Ox and Vermaelen to today’s squad, and we’re not that bad really. However, because they are injured, and because a little more quality can make a huge difference, hopefully we get a few ‘nice surprises’ as Wenger might say 🙂

  50. Great result. As Boo said you never get a faultless performance, but not once during the game did I feel any of the guys was’nt giving 100%.

    my only gripe was that I thought we started the 2nd half a bit sloppy, giving the ball away too easily, and Rosicky was mostly to blame. But it only lasted about 5/10 mins and we was back at it.

    Overall I thought we was happy to concede ball and territory to try and catch them on the break and by and large it worked as I thought they posed very little threat with the possession they did have, and we could/should of sewn it up on the break. Having said that it was a nerve shredding last 5 minutes.

    Well played lads. COYG

  51. Bootoomee

    I was surprised the camera focused on that banner. And I think even in the last game against Fulham they showed a banner saying Wenger NOT wonga…

    How I would interpret it is that now that they’ve already succeeded in getting people to accept their agenda, they are prepared to back off and show some more ‘balance’. But who knows…

  52. First things first: I slated Capoue, but I really hope he is alright – horrible to see.

    Cheers for reading as well and I hope you enjoyed the game. A big welcome to the spurs fans as well, refreshing to see you lot have finally been aloud access to the technology that unjustly (I believe) you have been denied for so long…

    Seems I was completely right in my analysis – which, doesn’t happen often!! xD

    Anyway, cheers and gone.

  53. @Kampala

    One sewer rat claimed he would not be watching the match today, lets hope he sees the highlights!

    Also, one or two good signings tomorrow would really finish the rats off for a while!

  54. Shard,

    Spot on. The media are like sheep. The shift as the wind blows. Many of them are now going to pretend like they never said all those ridiculous things they said about the man.

    Say what you may about Wenger but don’t insult the man. It just brings out the worst in me to see nonentities insult the man under the cover of the Internet or some pundits who aren’t fit to tie his shoes denigrate him on TV.

    Arsene Wenger will do it again. By do it I mean guide the team to play good football and mix it up with Europe’s best. With some luck, we’ll win a trophy this season.

    I am keeping the faith, please join me!

  55. Jambug

    But but…..Wenger doesn’t know tactics.. You’re reading of the game must be wrong. We only got lucky..

  56. A couple of points.

    I thought the ref had a decent game.

    Giroud DOES look World Class Jamie !! (well if he can score playing for this load of crap he must be good)

    Ramsey was immense in midfield

    Theo is not only a top top player but is becomeing very consistant

    Szczesny was superb when called on.

    Despite only a cameo role Flamini looked good. Very good.

    A few of my highlights from a very solid performance.

  57. It seems we are papering over them cracks pretty well !!

    Ain’t that right Merson you prat !!!

  58. Today must be a very sad day for the media and purveyors of common wisdom on the English Premiership.

    Liverpool beat a hapless Man United and then Arsenal beat the team that best embodies the media driven narrative that you only win by spending.

    The sadder they are, the better for us. Long may this continue.

  59. @Shard

    LOL

    What of Wenger’s after-match press conference.

    “Maybe we’ll have a good surprise for you.”

    Rumor has it (I know, I know) Mesut Ozil could be joining, apparently the bookies have stopped betting on his Madrid exit.

  60. Tasos

    I keep hearing of this smirk/grin that Wenger talked of the surprise with. His post match interview wasn’t shown on TV here.. I WANNA SEE!!!! 🙂

    I’ll keep an eye out for it online.. Point me in the right direction if you happen upon it. Thanks.

  61. Well done boys!! Fantastic result. And not a sewer rate in sight, how pleasant:)

    Bootoomee
    You’re dead right, its a day of mourning in the media fraternity.

    Kampala/bjtgooner
    I’m with you on this one, spurs need to spend some fu**ing more money.

  62. Maybe what I love best about Arsenal winning is how quiet it makes the AAA on Untold. This feels so good.

    Wow, none of the usual suspects; you know posters with ‘Gooner’, ‘Gunner’, ‘Arsenal’ etc in their usernames. Long may this continue.

    Oh, who am I kidding? They’ll be here soon to tell us all that they saw wrong with the team today. And how spurs were not really that good anyway…..

  63. @Bootoomee

    Fully agree about the absent AAA sewer rats – but the longer they are off the site the better!

  64. What i couldn’t understand yesterday was with all the ref’s,FA,UEFA,FIFA & The milky bar kid being aginst Arsenal.

    Why did the ref not give penalties against Kos for the push and Giroud for hand-ball? not saying they were penalties but they could have been give by biased ref’s.

  65. Vscls

    I’ve been trying to post a thank you message to you since yesterday, but the blog doesn’t comply..

    Walter, could you please get to the bottom of this and fix it? Sometimes my comment doesn’t appear despite repeated attempts, and it gets very annoying.

  66. No Walter feeling pretty good today just asking a simple question when apparently everything is against us why this happened.Why was this ref not biased?

    Maybe you need to start drinking again to get you out of the time warp your stuck in.

  67. @Matt: The point really is that they couldn’t do it every game. If they did, it’d be far too obvious and too many people would notice it; it’d get into mainstream media and the cover would then be blown.

    There’s certainly games when we’ve even benefited from referees giving us a few dodgy penalties or the advantage or the benefit of the doubt. But those games as shown very clearly by Walter and team’s works last year are far and few between.

    If you are really interested in finding out if this is true, you could read up the referee analysis on any game that you remember very well (but choose at least 10 games) and then draw your own conclusions. Of course you could disagree with the referee’s ratings but that’s what it is all about..go read up..come back and disagree. I’m sure all of us would enjoy that discussion.

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