What a great game of football

79 Replies to “What a great game of football”

1. Anyone who has watched the premier league over the years will realise that Man utd get a much greater ratio of favourable decisions than any other team-especially towards the buisness end of the season. That’s why I always say that to win the league, it’s no good being as good as united, you have to be significantly better because they get such a high-rate of favourable decisions. Look at the last few months:
   -the two soft penalties against Chelsea (especially the Welbeck one where he forces his leg onto Ivanovic’s leg to stimulate contact).
   – the disallowed adebayor goal against Spurs (probably the right decision, but would it have been disallowed if the goal was scored by united at old trafford)
   -the clear foul by Evra on a West Brom player in the penalty area at old trafford (if West Brom would have scored the penalty, the score would have been 1-1 and they would have had a foothold in the game.
   -the clear penalty that wasn’t awarded for Carrick’s trip on Danny Murphy at old trafford.
   All of these were game-changing decisions and all of them went in United’s favour
   It’s as bad as last season: Rooney’s elbow aqainst Wigan (no punishment), the vidic hand-ball against Arsenal which was a clear red card offence (both the linesman and referee ignored it), the penalty against Spurs at old trafford when they were 2-0 down (the replay showed that Gomez made contact with the ball before the man utd player), the dodgy penalty against Blackburn that helped them secure the league……. I could go on.
   But why does it happen?
   Well, we’re faced with the grim truth that Fergie has the majority of officials firmly under his thumb. Faced with the prospect of giving a game-changing decision against united, referees contiually opt for the quiet life and don’t give the decision because they know they will have their character assainated in the post-match press conference (when ever united lose a big game against a domestic rival see how Ferguson tears into the refs and officials) And it certainly works.
   Also you have to factor in how spinless the Professional Games Match Officials Limited (PGMOL)are. This is the body that selects the referees for the approriate fixtures. Take Martin Atkinson. He referred United’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea last March. In the post-match press conference, ferguson had this to say about Atkinson: ‘I don’t know why he’s got the game. I must say that when I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst’ Watching the game, I though Atkinson’s performance was perfectly proficient. He certainly didn’t favour any team. But what do the PGMOL do? They don’t give Atkinson a man utd game to referee for over eleven months. So the subliminal message tney are sending out to all the referees who officiate in the premier league is: if you give pivotal decisons against Man utd and upset Alex Ferguson, you wont be chosen to referee their games. Unbelieveable. This creates a climate of institutionalised assistance and leniency that United continue to profit from.

2. I’m actually first Walter. Never doubted we were gonna win today. Come on you Gunners.

3. That about sum it up…what a great game of football. I rose off my chair to herald the goal, that my old lady and mother-in-law upstairs told me later they knew Arsenal did something great.

   The entire team came out firing today-special mention to Walcott who stretched their defense all, Kos/Verm for marshalling the defense, Arteta…heck the whole team.

4. Come to think of it. What’s your opinion of that Ramsey miss? Including the other options he could have taken and how he must have felt.(probably still feeling so).

5. Ramsey will come fine. We all have forgotten how terrible Cesc was at the start of his career in front of goal. And suddenly he started banging them in from all positions. The same will happen to Ramsey.
   Just give him some time to prove his true worth. You must take away about 2 years from his real age because of the injury.

6. What we going to do to stop the 20+ years of Manc cheating? I took the decision to watch no other football other than The Arsenal, I got rid of their main asset Sky years ago.

   Liverpool before them probably got away with as much under less scrutiny, but with technology as it is today it escapes me how they have the audacity to get away with things.

   Football in this Country is crooked and no better than any other.

   I work as a Steward at Arsenal and spoke to Mr Neville today before our match. I told him His team had cheated their way to a win again today. He just laughed.

   Truth is the Mancs have a very average team who are allowed ridiculous amounts of favours. It’s not just the decisions which someone commented on earlier either, they also get all the little decisions which cast doubts in their opposition.

   Would Stoke be allowed to rough them up? never, yet this is exactly what we get whenever we play the likes of them.

   It’s also a fact that they are poor in the CL for the so called biggest Club in the World until they get to the latter stages when they meet a team like Chelski who don’t have the History of theirs. If they get Real or Barca or even Milan they don’t get the decisions.

   Our League is a farce, but I must keep watching the love of my life The Arsenal.

7. Ramsey will be a good player in time, my only criticism is that he slows the game down. It was a terrible miss from Ramsey today but when you win with a fizzed like Artetas it doesn’t seem to matter too much.

   Let’s hope that goal difference isn’t a problem for us at the seasons end.

8. This is a personal observation and opinion regarding Ramsey, When he places his shots he looks accomplished and cool, however for a while now he seems to look more for power than placement, resulting in his shots ending up, over the bar. I feel the poor lad needs one to bounce in off his arse, just to get him to settle down when an opportunity arises. He is most certainly good enough, very composed on the ball every where on the pitch except in front of goal, AT THE MOMENT.

9. Question for you all. Did we miss Clichy & Nasri today?

10. Adam, say it again. Who do you talking about? Please enlighten me. Haha.

11. Manchester United without Ferguson, that will be an interesting sight.

12. Anyone cheering for Norwich tomorrow?

    I think Ramsey will do fine. Arteta, Rosicky, Benayoun are approximately 10 years more experienced. Even Song has much more experience. Ramsey will learn from the people he is playing with.

    Quite a while ago, I wrote UEFA asking them to explain how a referee studies different scenarios in preparation for a game. No response. I even rattled their cage once, asking what the hold up on a reply was.

    I wrote The FA today:
    > Mike Riley and the PGMOL are bringing the game of football into disrepute! Manchester United are not the top team of the league, the PGMOL have given them something like 36 points this year. It was hard to find a well officiated EPL game this Easter.

    TheFA is usually pretty good at responding, but quite often the response is less than useful.

13. Adam, reverse question, is there a ManCity player you would have preferred over his Arsenal counterpart today? For all their £240million and stupendous weekly paycheck, for me, there wasn’t any. Ok, maybe Hart.

14. Shakabula Goone nope disagree szcezney still better than hart

15. Just have to say what a great performance from the Arsenal. Form the first minute to the last, the lads played with heart, grit and determination, not to mention skill and confidence. Is this the emergence of and Arsenal that we have been waiting to see for so many years? We won’t win anything this year again except a champions league position, but I almost don’t care if we can play like that every game next season. And if we do , we almost certainly will win at least on accolade.

    Proud of every single player today..
    Gooner, gooner, gooner…..

16. @Shakabula gooner, Yes there is a mancity player I would prefer over his Arsenal counterpart, On the bench Dzeko for Chamakh, Richards for Djourou.

17. John, Walter, All,
    John, effing brilliant! To my lights, you have begun the process of documenting the milestones along the silk road to The Rednose XX, this season and last. What about someone matching up a video of each of the game changing howlers with a ref report on the percentage of missed calls favouring ManUre. Each of these is a rose petal strewn along the path to Don Fergus’s Coronation. I have no technical ability, but FFS if there is a case to be made for mendacity, this combination of visuals and statistics – perhaps in a little youtube video – would go viral – that is it would REIGN over Don Fergus’s Victory Parade. Would anyone consider truth telling this way? A way that would also serve to advocate for video replay – to prevent such a re-run – a way that would promote THE GREAT TURNAROUND (ours, that is!) as the counter-narrative to the Rednose XX? The Great Turnaround, the back from the dead story, the lost plot regained story, the story that inspires and redeems the dreary, predictable, contrived pageant that will soon adorn all media, from the Manchester Guardian’s football sewer to Sky TV’s oxygen-starved firmament, the shambolic Coronation of Lord Football, his will be done. Pray, are there no talents in the Shire that can produce an alternate ending?

18. Rantetta,
    Wouldst thee second the motion?

19. p.s. sorry meant to say, “that inspires and redeems AND INNOCULATES US against the dreaary, predictable, contrived pageant….”

20. @John: Yeah, that’s why the almighty United played like sh*t in CL recently. Let those crooked officials continue their cheating and you will see Arsenal as the only English team who can ever win the CL, which IS good for us. Really, if you always receive that little (or not so little) help from the refs to win games even when you play like sh*t, how can you, or why do you have to, improve? That’s why I WANT Fergie to keep his position for 10 more years or so. That will completely destroy Man Urine or his personal fame (if one day someone starts to investigate).

    But after Man Urine gone, there will be another “favourite one” (the rich boys maybe). And certainly the crooked officials and refs shall never, ever favour an honest team, so for us, we already know that to win the EPL or the CL or whatever trophy, we will have to beat the opponents, beat the refs, beat the FA and the UEFA. Yes it is, no matter what, there will be no difference for us, we will have to be ‘the Invincibles’ again.

21. “I work as a Steward at Arsenal and spoke to Mr Neville today before our match. I told him His team had cheated their way to a win again today. He just laughed.”

    El Tel,
    So well done! Next time, please tell him that millions of Gooners still remember his treachery at Old Toilet on the day that he and his brother joined their cast of thousands to tarnish football forever and propel Micky R to his seat atop the dung heap to continue to present his lord and maker with the gift that just keeps giving until the number that will forever stand in infamy – The XX. El Tel, for telling truth to power, you are my hero.

22. Appraising talent is not something I am good at, I need numbers. But, I would say that in terms of team quality and taking into account old team bias, northern bias, and possibly something else; where the current ManU team should be sitting in the table is about where Liverpool currently is.

    In a different thread, I wrote that I had written The FA, and I included the first paragraph, where I mentioned that PGMOL has given ManU 36 points this season. Where I picked 36 points from, is the difference between ManU and Liverpool in the standings.

    Thirty-six points is almost 46% of the points that ManU has acquired to this point in the season. PGMOL has almost doubled the point total ManU should have had. To twist the EPL that much, I think the PGMOL has signed its death warrant. The evidence will be found. I am predicting that next season, TheFA handles referee assignments in the EPL and that PGMOL no longer exists. It would be nice if criminal charges are preferred against Mike Riley, but somehow I don’t think that is going to happen.

23. To Amy Lawrence at The Guardian,
    If you aren’t already here in some way, please write to us under an alias and EXPOSE the in-house bias, chicanery and mendacity that passes for “football reportage” among the testosterone-depleted stenographers (Hytner, Steinberg, Taylor, Williams, Wilson and any I’ve failed to note) whom you must suffer as the Coronation March to the Rednose XX unfolds and drapes the land with Orwellian bunting. Amy, please, show us a sign. You know our Great Turnaround is a far better story, a real and spontaneous story, a sports story by any standard of comparison to Lord Football’s coronation. I implore thee.

24. Gord,
    From your mind to God’s ear! very well said.

25. Walter,
    Surely it would be a massive plus to our prospects if Ramsey could calm down enough to produce one goal this season or, just as good, an assist to someone waiting for it at the goal mouth. He’s desperate right now to redeem all those flyover shots and somehow needs to shed the self-involved personal redemption project and focus on service. Stop shooting this season and look for others who haven’t lost their touch. By thinking assist, Aaron can and will bring us goals. I can only rue that he didn’t serve that one to RvP today and, if nothing else, give RvP another reason to stay.

26. It’s sad how bent and twisted football is, Ashley youngs offside,,dive red card goal was disgusting. And the Lino was looking dead at him and didn’t flag….well at least we can all see it. I’m so happy I’m a arsenal fan.

27. I have always wondered how many titles ManU would have won if the refereeing was unbiased and fair. I am guessing that every season they get at least 5-6 points advantage, so literally every title where the second team is within 5-6 points of ManU would be in question, right?

28. WOOO HOOOOO ! As I was watching the game ,seeing us dorminate them , the thought that kept running in my mind was – why didn’t we play like this against QPR ?
    Ramsey’s miss was really bad -RVP was pleading for the ball for what seemed an eternity (must be the very slow slow-mo).
    For next season I do hope the EPL comes out with a definitive guideline for clubs vis-a vis versus Man Ure at Old Toilet .
    1)Expect to be a man (or two )down before the end of the first half.Its your player’s right to an early bath !
    2)Praise the lord if only a penalty is give against your team .If you continue to play better and not submit ,as many penalities as required will be levied .
    3)If you have an exceptional GK, he may be required to have one arm tied behind his back, or ,if that doesn’t impede him , he will be required to wear a blindfold.
    4)Managers will be banned to the stands or worse if they dare show defiance of any sort to SAF ,the match officials .”Funny looks” at their mascot may also get you in trouble !

29. In re to Ramsey, it was a fabulous pass by Rosicky to release him, but Rambo should have immediately played the ball across the pitch to the Ox as soon as he received it.

30. It was a great match to watch. Arsenal completely dominating the match and the only team that wanted to play ball. Even going into the final ten minutes, I felt confident that Arsenal would win. We had so many chances and kept going that I was sure we would score.

    By the way, it has become clear over the past couple of seasons that City fears playing Arsenal more than any other team. Whenever they are up against us, they always sit back and defend, hoping for a lucky break.

31. A fine performance by the boys as they gave Manchester City a little foothold in the game.
    My only take is that Ramsey should be made to realize that as a midfielder, his priority should be to pass to a better placed mate rather than going for the goal himself. I have commented about that trait in him in time past but it’s like the affection we all have for him his beclouding our sense of judgment.
    A closer look at our performance will tell you that the team does better when he’s not in the starting line up as he seems to be too eager to score but he fares a lot better when he comes in as a substitute. For now, his game will benefit more if he focuses on providing assists than trying to score.
    Alex Song over the past two seasons scored many goals but everyone would agree that his impact this season has been simply immense despite scoring just once thus far as he decided to keep it simple. Look also at Theo, who was often derided for not scoring often but he was always providing quality assists majorly to RvP, but lately everything is falling into place for him and one could see that he’s moved a notch up in his overall development as a player. Fabregas was not always trying to score in his time as his game then was not measured by the number of goals scored but assists provided and I think the same should be applied to Ramsey. He should be judged by his number of assists. He should actually be encouraged to provide assists than score for now. Imagine if the game had still remained 0 – 0 until then, how would we be feeling now knowing he had RvP and AOC better positioned?

32. Na$ri in the hall-of-fame with HLEB,FLAMINI AND ADEBAYORE!!!

33. I would like to mention benayoun’s performance. I was really impressed with his work ethic and his drive. His neat passing and vision was there to see at times. His experience really helps the team. Sagna was the standout performer of the day. Best right back in the world. His crossing has improved by leaps and bounces.

34. Jus had a look at the Ashley Young incident, Shockingly awful stuff on both parts, the officiating and the player. That was awful. Expected better from ppl like Ashley Young. Shouldn’t even celebrate that goal United, regardless if it brings u closer to the title or not. The more u see it the worse it looks, Shocking stuff

35. A great article of a great match.

    Bob I don’t think making video (youtube or other) for those ref helpings would work. FA, PGMOL and Fergie will take them down ASAP for copyright infrigment (or that will be reson to take them down when real reason is they don’t want them there).

    Also I think PGMOL have FA’s approval/blessing so it will not matter who selects the referees bias will be there.

    About Ramsey his miss was bad but I think Vermaelen,Walcott and Benayoun misses were worse. I remember RvP having time when he hit the posts, over bar or wide a lot before starting to score again so give the boy some time.

36. @FinnGooner:

    Actually, it would be protected under the fair use exceptions of copyright law. Copyright laws do not apply where your purpose is to criticise what it shows.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_Kingdom#Fair_dealing_and_other_exceptions

    It could definitely be done, and, arguably, were it done, it would be incredibly effective. Look at how many views Mike Dean’s video got. Imagine if you could get a viral video going through twitter showing in no uncertain terms the points United gained, the points Arsenal lost, the reason why X team was relegated, and so on. It would be immensely powerful stuff

    The data produced by Untold Arsenal, while incredibly detailed and clearly the most comprehensive around, is very difficult to consume. I know the stuff myself but it’s very hard for me to actually prove it to someone unless they themselves are willing to sit down and read through the ref reviews and check them against games. One popular video, showing the instances, giving some of the arguments? Could be the spark that is needed.

37. A very good match report Walter.

    We have had some superb performances from the team this season and this one is right up there (although beating the Spuds has to be the most satisfying). This was a great team effort and we played some great football, playing the much vaunted city off the park. We could easily have scored three or four goals against allegedly the best defence in the league. With that win and three points behind us the important thing now is to refocus for Wolves. Keep it going guys!

38. Walter, the lines person may have got the VP offside correct but that was a fluke because he was at least 5 paces ahead of play looking back and could not have made the decision ‘correctly’ if you know what I mean.

39. Another view to look at the stats (pretty interesting)
    http://news.arseblog.com/2012/04/arsenal-1-0-man-city-by-the-numbers/

40. How can this be a penalty
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt5UwnJCS8c
    but not this
    http://arsenalist.com/video/?id=xpznzo

    ?

41. Yesterday Man City played like a team who knew they will not be allowed to win the league. After yet another disgraceful decision at Old Trafford earlier in the day, who can blame City for such a lacklustre display.

    I was there and can vouch for the atmosphere at The Emirates, the Arsenal fans were terrific but for Me the game was not the contest it should have been, Man City had clearly lost their will to compete and they looked a shadow of the team that I had hoped Arsenal would play and beat.

    I accept the victory because I want the best for Arsenal but watching the way that Man City performed, the way many of players simply went through the motions, it reminded Me of the way Arsenal teams have been restricted/prevented from the winning the EPL in the recent past.

    Yes we can celebrate yesterdays victory but its a hollow victory, because this time next season it could well be Arsenal who are stepping into Man City’s shoes as Man Utd’s main challengers, this time next season it could be Arsenal who are having to endure the farce of being Man Utd’s main rivals in the sham that calls itself the EPL.

42. @Tasos

    Lets not knock ourselves after a brilliant display. City were not allowed to perform at their best – they were outplayed for most of the match. City had to come and try to win yesterday, but they were knocked back from the first minute by the way the Arsenal attacked. After this start they never really got their composure back.

    Next season I expect Arsenal to be a title challenger – despite Riley and his “men in black”.

43. @bjtgooner

    I accept the victory. Arsenal can only beat what’s in front of them and they did that with a good all-round team performance.

    Its not Arsenals fault Man City didn’t perform to the top of their potential.

    But as much as I am an Arsenal supporter I am also a football fan and I feel disappointed and somewhat cheated for the reasons I believe Man City did not perform yesterday.

    Like I say, after watching the scenes at Man Utd earlier in the day, our game didn’t feel like the big sporting occasion it should have been but maybe that’s just down to My own view on things?

44. A video of the worst PL ref howlers this season is a very good idea. Could be pretty long, though.

45. Finngooner, TRoss, Yommex,
    Our 4-way discourse has the seeds of a very productive outcome:

    Finngooner: Do you know for a fact that such image use on Youtube has no protection under EU laws? There is so much on Youtube showing goals as we speak, but perhaps a lawyer with exact knowledge could weigh in. Any other ideas on what would work? Read TRoss above! (Thank you T Ross for your clarity.)

    Finngooner: As for Ramsey, it doesn’t matter which miss was worse. That’s a red herring, your argument. The problem is that right now it is a chronic problem, and in Aaron’s head. We can’t afford this being worked out in the last six games on the pitch. He’ll work it out over time but not effing now. Read Yommex above! (Thank you Yommex for your clarity.)

    The upshot: Videostats from UA/anyone and bushels of Assists only from Aaron Ramsey.

46. bob
    i looked into doing just that from the decisions against us but havent got enough time. and when i tried to find cesc’s back heel assist for barca and his hand ball and the busacca moment it was like they had been erased from history. in hindsight as soon as they happen we all collectively should make copies.

    as for yesterday i found it interesting that when fungus was asked about the cheating young game changer. he said i remember vaguely- you will see alot more of those types of decisions in the run in! calm as the day.

    so what you saying fungus? at the most important time off the season its normal to have atrocious calls deciding games?

    yes… i know. normal in his world.

47. ak47,
    Someone two days ago unearthed Cesc’s backheel for all to see (I did); they were addressing Anne I think and discussing how Cesc seemed to allow Iniesta to take possesion. let’s look for it and re-surface it. I’m so glad you concur on the Videostats approach!

    As for your “Fungus,” that is a gem!

48. TC,
    Good one – knowing what you mean, who would then whisper what to call in his earpiece? or would he just make the miscall to rob us because he could?

49. Tasos,
    Whatever is the truth about MC’s degree of disillusionment yesterday (and there would still have been six matches to go), your point about the dark powers allowing a “pretender” to Lord Football’s throne until they smash it is spot on. They have manufactured an illusion that increasing numbers of fans are catching on to by the day. Too many are satisfied with watching their medication in the form of a World Wrestling Foundation model of profitable entertainment. But very many are becoming aware of it and reaching their limit as well. It takes only a goodly number – and not even 51% – to launch a bill of particulars and a demand for reform. What will be the spark? Perhaps a Videostat pack (discussed above) could start that prairie fire? Keystrokes, anyone?

50. Good word Walter, our last day panic buying.

    Our last day panic buying already scored 6 goals. He is only half price comparing with King Kenny’s Downing, and Downing scored nil goal.

51. Lay off Ramsey the boy will come good.

52. Couldn’t we (not just gooners) supporters come up with something, surely supporters want a fair game (except Mancz with tinted Glasses). Make our voices heard and not just in the UK, world over how this league is rigged. The powers that be cant hide the truth forever?

53. @ FinnGun

    You’re right. It might be easier to release a video of the correct decisions 😉

54. thanx bob. i wanna find as much dubious decisions as possible to help aid evidence of the corruption. a compilation video edited well will be more ammunition to take out or at least wound the red nosed devil and his minions.

55. @Ak47

    a Good place to start is football is fixed, a trip down memory lane and not just Manure games!

56. What a match.Maybe one of the best for sometime.The atomspere was wonderful.I was sitting in the club level and usually many of these are for corporate guys, who know very little about football and do not support Arsenal.Yesterday very different.Being a bank holiday sunday,there were no signs of the corporate bodies.There were no meals served up in the lounge which is a sign.After we scored everyone was just standing up watching, which has never happened before.My m.o.m. Too many.
    City have massive problems,body language very poor.Awful,but who cares!

57. oh yes dan! indeeed they would have a decent account. thanx.

58. Thanks for another lovely article, Walter.
    Thanks also to John, whose post appears first in the comments. “Precisely”, I say.

    If I were to say “thanks” to all the comments I appreciate, you’d get bored, but thanks to you all.

    Bob: Thanks for the invitation. Of course I second that (e)motion. There are two things (of many) I’d like to praise thee for, (and remember, thine eyes ‘ave seen but ONE Shakespeare play, hence – one may see some of my comments as “bolluksth”.

    The call to document the farcical, upcoming Rednose’ XX is an obvious yet important one. I love the fact that when the idea was questioned/doubted, that Bob and others wrote good reasons as to why documents need to be produced, via Youtube clips, etc. Even MOTD has – in the last few weeks – alluded to possible ‘strange doings’, on the ‘dodgy decisions’, by using 60 – 90 seconds to question (mildly) why such calls are made.

    However, it remains rare that they even show multiple infractions committed against Arsenal. Notwithstanding the post Ars/City slagging of Ballotelli, which included many of his shocking tackles on MOTD2, and yet might only have been highlighted to stick the boot – further, into ManC’s posterior, and thus backing up a quite unnecessary assault on MB45’s character and play by Hansen a couple of weeks back. Of course, Mario’s play at the Em’s on Sunday does seem to back it up a bit.

    And looking back to the Everton and QPR games, MOTD gave no clue as to the mass commitment of foul plays on Arsenal, or the incredulity of Dean’s 5th match (against) Arsenal, nor the following, typical, ’tilting of the pitch’. Indeed, one Gary Linaker concluded his remarks about Arsenal by strongly mentioning Everton’s not given offside goal without acknowledging Arsenal’s penalty shouts. Business as usual, methinks.

    So yes, those who have the knowledge and skill – get busy, baby. We know you’re out there.

    Bob, your call to Amy, for disclosure – is brilliant. I’ve heard Amy speaking on the Arsecast a few times, and coupled with her articles relating to Arsenal, I can’t help but feel that she’s in the same position as most journo’s and pundits/ i.e. You gotta go with the script or you won’t have a job. Supposedly. So Amy, please take up Bob’s suggestion (to give us some insight about (Manchester Guardian’s football reporting folly, and the real story of the season: The great Arsenal turnaround). Come on, are you a Gooner or what/not?

    I agree with you on the Ramsey stuff entirely, Bob.
    Our players make mistakes, sometimes costly, but am I the only one to notice that all teams’ players make mistakes, also, sometimes costly – including big-name experienced players? I’ve noticed TV5 has cost us a few goals this season – and scored a few too. I’ve noticed that all central defenders make mistakes. Some, like Lescott on RVP, aren’t noted as mistakes, as this particular “bundle” wasn’t even acknowledged. (Which only makes me more sure that Atkinson was happy to let ManC do anything they wanted, what with MU having already “won” their match against QPR.

    Now that “the Kos” (6) is banned for two games, let us all breath good vibes toward Djourou – who’ll probably get the call to arms against Wolves and ??.

    And finally, Bob, I drool over your every exhortation re: Slurgy*/Fungus/rose petals to coronation @Old Toilet/ Rednose XX pieces. Those comments are truly beautiful and indisputable.

    Gord. Massive respect to you for your comments and abilities. I’m in awe.

    I’m not fond of Alan Shearer! Here’s an article from 2006, by Lynn Truss, from the Observer. Is Ms Truss still there?:

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/apr/02/features.sport14

59. *Slurgy: Sir (slur, as is often ‘wined’). Urgy = Fergy.

    Yus, “Slur Alex”. The tit-le is thowse.

60. @rantetta

    Thanks.

    The 1500 games Monday are finished. Ryo was a second half substitute for Bolton, but unfortunately Newcastle won. Newcastle temporarily into 5th. Tottenham lost to Norwich, so we are 2 points up with a game in hand now.

61. A bit off it here although not totally unrelated but I think Ferguson is getting embarassed by the indiscretion of the referees handling their matches. It is like each one of them is trying to outdo the others on ‘Riley’s Merit Chart’.
    One of the tactics employed now by the referee is to decimate the opposition before it becomes obvious. It seems more than coincidental that MU’s last three home matches have produced a first half sending off to a crucial defender and perhaps a PK to go with it against the opposition, not forgetting the Murphy’s PK that was ignored.
    I also want to draw attention to what I’ve come to refer to anticipatory decimation of the opponents. This has been on for a while but the pattern it’s becoming more discernible in recent times. How does it go?
    MU are to play a team 2 or 3 matches away, then at least a potential threat in that team is given a suspension making him ineligible to feature against them. Sometimes the suspension comes so late in that match that it’s almost of little or no consequence in that particular match but that player would be sorely missed against MU. Take Scott Parkers’ red card against Arsenal coming in during the injury time but the following weekend he could not play against MU and was sorely missed. Now Balotelli is most likely going to be unavailable against them. He had kicked every Arsenal player in sight all game long and was only shown a red card when the game had been decided and almost nothing else to play for.
    * Be on the look out for more of this before the season is over.

    * It is also strange to see little or no press coverage of Young’s diving maybe being English he’s not that kind of person. Anyway, Tom Daley’s position in Team GB is under a massive threat here from Young.

62. Yommex (bravo!), Walter, Dogface, RefReviewers:

    For now and nearest future reference:
    Yommex gives us all a brilliant incite/foresight to put on all the RefWatch radars:

    “anticipatory decimation of the opponents”

    Surely the business-end schedule is totally well-known and understood to the hired bricklayers of the road to Rednose XX.

    Again, kudos to Yommex!

63. rantetta,
    your ear for the slurred bowels, or is it blurred sowels, oh well, slurred vowels is soooo acute! too true to be good, really: as per Sir Fungus’s midnight creep toward the EPL’s (Fixed) Game of Thrones. and, indeed, there’s drool and drool, and I surely appreciate the difference! cheers 🙂

64. The only problem with watching on the TV abroad was Stewart Robson’s commentary, which was viciously anti-Arsenal. Many are sick and tired of his awful and unfair views and the fact that he does commentary for Arsenal Player and has a special series on tactical reviews of each game.

    There is a petition circulating to have him replaced on Arsenal Player. Please feel free to sign or to email your feelings to the club if you are annoyed by him, feedback@arsenal.co.uk

    http://www.change.org/petitions/arsenal-football-club-relieve-stewart-robson-from-his-arsenal-player-duties#

65. Bob. Stop it. I’m supposed to be doing serious tasks here, and instead, I’m continually sniggering at your delicious comments. (All right, don’t stop, I love the literary and humorous distraction.

    “Slurred bowels”. Lovely.

    Wine and chewing gum makes the upcoming lord of the toilet… ??
    Sorry, I just don’t have vocab/prose. I leave that to the experts… and enjoy/bask in the results.

    Have any of you ref reviewers got the stomach to check Mike Dean’s reffing of the Aston Villa/Mongies match? From the little I saw Stoke got away with continual violence and their players seemed to know Deano was on their side. (Of course, Villa, particularly with their ‘manager’, may have experienced some kind of karmic reaction and thus “felt” what it’s like to go around constantly kicking opponents and diving, etc, so **** ’em).

    Yommex
    You are of course entirely correct. Witness the start of the season. For me there was a clear case of “screwing the Ars from the start”.

    That game against Newcastle, where Pardew got his players to kick us around, was meant to produce the maximum punishments for Arsenal and it worked ‘a treat’ cos this meant that Arsenal wouldn’t have players for the ManU match. (And confirmed also that following the mass destabilisation attempts by the meejah re: Arsenal during the summer, that this was the way Ars’s season was to go).

    There was little mention after that match of Barton’s assaults – neither when he tried to break Song’s ankles. Song “stepped” on Barton and was subsequently banned for what most commentators described as “stamping”. Nor was there much comment from the whores about Barton’s/Taylor’s assaults on Gervinho (3 match ban for a light fingering of someone’s face when it should have been a penalty to Arsenal). And this type of crap has gone on for years, against Arsenal.

    Documentation of the bollux in all forms – very welcome.

66. @bob & ak47:

    Here’s the best video I could find of Cesc’s handball:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djaYFGrmOAU

67. Also, here’s the backheel (it’s right at the beginning). Watch the way Cesc pulls out of the challenge against Iniesta just afterwards:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EW7R4Zh4FA

68. Anne,
    The two are really jaw-dropping. The boy has some serious ‘splainin’ to do. He does lift Chamakh’s arm; and he does refrain from any challenge to Iniesta. If he went missing (as in gone insane), then his unconscious took over and led him to screw us. If he was conscious, then he screwed us consciously. He appears to be playing for us and against us at the same time. He’s crazy (schizoid/split in two) or crazy like a fox (morally corrupted). It’s really an amazing set of events that beg for explanation; that stuff from a seriously conflicted world class talent who is either mendacious or so un-self-examined that he literally is at odds with himself in one body with two minds, so to speak. Sorry to keep belaboring this but I keep trying to express what I see and it escapes me somehow, except for the stench it leaves in either case. Perhaps it’s down to a tale of two Dads – the Irreconcilables?

69. p.s. Anne, perhaps Chamakh has a tale to tell, or one he has feared to tell?

70. @limestonegunner

    Perhaps others will protest. Anything remotely video on arsenal.com doesn’t work with Linux. Even if I had the money to subscribe, their site will not work with Linux.

71. @bob:

    I have that entire Barca match saved, and the entire build-up to the first Messi goal looks even worse for Cesc. I described it play-by-play on Walter’s “Arsenal a beacon of light in the times of corruption and money laundering article.”

    Considering the reception it got, I’m less than inclined to do so again, but check it out there if you’re interested.

72. @ Anne, Fabregas got away with such a handball against Liverpool in Feb 2010. It was the last kick of the game and he got away with it and it’s pretty similar to the Totts game.
    But for Barca match, why he pulled out of the tackle only he knows.

73. @Arun:

    Did Tony give you my email address?

74. A late red card is often unfair to the team that endured the fouls. I would prefer to see Balotelli excluded from the next game against Arsenal. I think Parker also ought to be excluded from the next game with Arsenal. The refs could use the current way that red card suspension is handled to manipulate the situation in future games. It is something worth watching. In the case of Parker and Balotelli they both deserved to be sent off. In Balotelli’s case it ought to have happened well before it did. But as the player serves his punishment in the next game it is not fair to Arsenal.

75. The only reason I can think of that Cesc pulls out of the tackle on Iniesta is that he believes that Iniesta will dive and he doesn’t want to concede a penalty.

76. It was outside the penalty box Woolwich. The generous reason would be that he didn’t want to concede a freekick. But a freekick would have been well worth the risk in that situation. Cesc’s heart was definitely not in the Arsenal cause during the game. Whether he consciously acted on it is difficult to assess, near impossible in fact. Who knows what he was thinking?

77. I really had to laugh when I read this http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10042012/58/premier-league-dalglish-people-fear-refereeing-conspiracy.html

78. thanx anne. havent seen it for a while, still shocking. think i’ll go look for that article now.

79. @ Anne
    Yup, I have got your email address.
    As far as Cesc is concerned, I am happy for him that he’s playing for his childhood club and I have forgotten him. We can only speculate about the game but I think it’s better to move on. I thank for him for what he has done to us and let’s look forward to next season with Wilshere and Diaby (positive thinking) back and Ramsey starts scoring with Arteta firing one of his long ‘put the lace through it’ shots we might have a good season (the refs will be there to help Man U as long as rednose doesn’t retire) and let’s make a stable start to the next season by booking 3rd place avoiding play-off.
    Enjoy the current Arsenal and forget Cesc.