Untold Ref review: Arsenal 3 – Stoke 1

8 Replies to “Untold Ref review: Arsenal 3 – Stoke 1”

1. Yay, you guys are back. The natural balance of the universe is restored.

2. As expected really. No surprise there.

3. Tony “Rugby” Pulis is a dirty c*nt. The penalty incident just shows why they’re called Stoke Rugby Football Club. I just can’t fathom how a ref can let that go. To me, it looked like he instructed his players to obstruct our off the ball runs as well, especially on Theo. What shocks me is that it’s allowed. In any other league, a coach sending his players out to do that is like a suicide mission, your team will probably finish the game with less than 11 men. In the EPL, the refs are complicit in these ugly neanderthal tactics.
   I think the topics under discussion at Riley’s Ref Shop (where a certain Kenny D buys services) were not only “how to get L’pool into the top 4” but also “how to keep the Frenchman’s team out of the top 4”. I think we’re getting in their way, with all this bloody winning, so we can probably expect to see more non-decisions like the one Chamakh suffered. Did you guys notice how everyone seemed to get over it in no time, and how little protesting there was? If it had been manure or some other “darling” team, the game would have come to a standstill… It’s like our players are tired of it all, no longer surprised or shocked, and just want 2 get on with the uphill battle.
   Pathetic from the officials.

4. I personally thought Mason’s performance was appalling, even in comparison to the other matches this season. To me, it seemed like the same template from the Newcastle match last season. Take repeated dives around the Arsenal penalty area, ref will call them, score from set pieces. The good news is that it didn’t work this time, because Stoke couldn’t get the ball around Arsenal’s penalty area, or score from set pieces 🙂

5. @ Anne

   I agree the term “appalling” is very a very apt description of Mason’s performance. It would also appear that certain thug teams seem to know that they can get away with more fouls and indeed more blatant fouls against Arsenal. As you correctly point out, Mason was not able to change the outcome.

   I wonder; as the refs gradually realise that our defending of set pieces has improved, will the number of unfair fouls given against us from close outside the box, decrease?

   @ Reviewer 04 – good review.

6. @bjtgooner:

   I’m sure that they will continue to try, no matter how good Arsenal gets. But the fact remains that it’s getting harder and harder to fix matches against Arsenal because there’s such a gap in skill level between Arsenal and the other EPL clubs. Aside from Arsenal, I’d say that the skill level of the league as a whole is decreasing every year. And if that continues, I think we’re going to see more and more matches like Sunday’s, where the ref can’t impact the outcome no matter how hard he tries.

7. must say that my opinion at the game, and of those around me was that Mason was “avin a mare”

   I felt he was inconsistent, Stoke goal was a joke for all to see, such a poor decision right in front of him, Crouchs grin should have told Mason he had been mugged, Mason just seemed determined to make our life difficult.

8. However can i add that once given the goal was a good one and i feel should be marked as such. The goal was valid, i was a separate incident from the free kick, I know they are tied, but so are all incidents on a football pitch, at what point do you stop saying this incident would not have happened if. Because none would have happened if one single prior incident could be reversed.

   Arsenal should have defended the free kick better, and had they done so it would not have attracted comment in the review, making it, in my opinion a separate incident.

   But seriously, apart from that matter (which is one of opinion) a bloody good review.