What influence results more: spending the money early or refereeing?

73 Replies to “What influence results more: spending the money early or refereeing?”

1. The club has had all summer to sign players, players in positions that the club and manager have known we are short in, (and still managed to loan out defenders and defensive midfielders who, if we had have known, could have done a job for us)defenders and midfidlers and strikers all went begging out of apathy, ineptitude, dithering unwillingness to meet valuations other than Wengers, or a combination of all the above.

   Who knows? What I do know is the club and manager would have been given far more slack IF new signings had’ve arrived.

   The fact there hasnt been is an embarrassing over sight and one that could ultimately lead to wengers untimely demise.

2. Great post. Yeah, Wenger is right, the press have brainwashed fans into this sort of thinking. True the Arsenal squad is thin and needs replenishing, but people need to put things in perspective.

   I agree, Arsenal were robbed against Villa ..

3. Mike Riley at old Trafford to “assess” refs performance. Just seen the ref let off a blatant yellow for Valencia the united player. So that will be assessed as the correct thing to do.

4. A Blue was hit by a two footed lunge by a rd. If I aint wrong,the latter shd have been sent off.
   The ref just gave him a talking to only.No wonder the rf will keep winning the epl the next one hundred years.
   One gunner fan said the ref for the AV game was relegated. I did not come across such a report in the press. Can someone please confirm the truth.
   We have been speaking/ writing for years about error prone refs and linesmen. Its about time the FA takes severe action against such mo.
   Football shd be decided by the footballers not gaffes from biased referring decisions.

5. Sometimes refs get demoted but wether Taylor has been wont really be evident until next weekends refs list is published. And gustavo chose Wolfsburg because more guaranteed playing time Sid. Liverpool rejected our Suarez bid. There have been bids but sometimes things don’t work out have utd brought yet. Fabregas failed fellani and Barnes failed so far. Yet Wenger can’t get Suarez it’s his fault what about Liverpool in gustavo s case what about the player. Walter a decent well balanced piece.

6. Keep making the excuses Walter and your like a stuck record with the ref thing now mate. Forgive if I’m wrong but I think i read that you were/are a ref? It must be a great feeling never to have got a decision wrong when you’re officiating.

7. Mr Sid, it appears that your thinking is skewed towards big spending. I agree that Arsenal needs about 3 players more but first let us go into statistics.
   1. Agreed we have not won trophies in the past 7 seasons
   2. We have come close on few occasions
   3. Even when we had the almighty Fabregas, RVP, Nazri, Clichy etc. they always went missing on big occasions
   4. We have never ended up below 4th since the entrance of Wenger
   5. We have been in the CL every year since Wenger came
   6. On one occassion we were at the final of CL but for Lehmann’s red card against Barca and on another occassion Fabregas treacherous back heal pass to a Barca player that change the game was an act of sabotage
   7. Since Wenger cricticised Plainni, he had always made sure that pairing of opponents are against Arsenal, referees always biased against Arsenal and also eager to ban our manager for offences other managers would have been allowed to go free.
   8. In the EPL referees are after undoing Arsenal and examples abounds the latest being Aston Villa match. Not only that our protests are always thrown out and the League board always eager to fine our manager, this is why Wenger sees it as a waste of time complaining
   9. Last season despite what idiots like you said that we have no star,we scored 3rd highest number of goals and conceded 2nd least yet we had bad keepers as you people said.
   This is not to absolve the manager and players from laxity in some winnable games which they lost
   10 Man City with all the big spending went down against Cardiff in a match with good officiating a vast contrast to Arsenal vs A Villa
   11. Tothenham despite their spending won their two matches courtesy of dubious penalties one in each match
   12 Arsenal is not the only team that has not bought players, Man United
   13 To make matters worse idiotic fans like you and biased referees are joining forces with the ever hostile British press to lay siege against the manager and the team and make the Emirates an unfavourable place to play , no wonder the teams does better away. You are all against the success of the club as most of you are paid agents ; this is because I have seen a situation where an occupant of a house would join forces with outsiders to make the house uninhabitable unless he is an enemy planted inside.
   How I. Wish the players and manager would be left alone to do their work. The players are fantastic, and mentally strong, they only need three players Central Defender, CM and a striker capable of using both legs. A keeper is desirable but not a must as all potential ones conceded goals more than our own Schezzny/Fabianski.
   I also with all negative fans who would not repent should decamp otherwise let the ground open up and swallow them like Korah, Dathan and Abiram because they have become rebels in the house.
   Let all true Arsenal fans unite, support the team and the manager, stop abuses and name calling, stop all the boos, give useful advice and be hopeful. Arsenal is still a very strong club as non of the recent signings by City, Tothenham and Chelsea can bench Arsenal players playing in similar positions.

8. Mr. Walter Broeckx, Thanks for the information. You can’t compare Arsenal with Man Utd/Chelsea/Man City. Those are the teams that has won something in the past eight years. What did Arsenal win? As a fan, I am least bothered about the new stadium, other financial stuff. I have bought my season ticket and what did I get for the past eight seasons. I cannot even wear my jersey. Qualifying for CL is not an achievement. Not sure if it is Arsenal Board or Mr. Wenger that is relishing the money now 🙁 🙁

9. Must be a full moon or a couple of days since our last brilliant performance, the loonies are gathering to howl. Hi Sid, woof Dog. Better get some good old fashioned ranting in before torrow night’s demolition of the Turks.
   Allez Le Boss.

10. GoonerDog,

    That’s a pretty thick statement. Walter’s criticism of ref performances that are justifiably unsatisfactory, are warranted. Having been a ref, Walter’s commentary is more valid than most of the pundits who misunderstand the rules, and to make matters worse, give fans misinformation.

    The state of officiating is terrible, and the league and PGMOL know it. They try to paper over the cracks with goal line technology because they know more in depth video technology will make them look incompetent.

    Try not to rock the boat, GoonerDog. Wake, eat, drink, sleep; wake…

11. Game over at OT and I got my desired result: a draw. Now all the three potential league winners and last season’s top-3 have dropped points. I love it. Bring on the Tinies next Sunday.

    Oh I forgot, we need to finish off Fenerbahce in style tomorrow first. Com’on Gunners!

12. Hello Walter! I see you’re becoming more and more predictable with each post. I’m guessing the title of your next post will be ” is getting tactics right more important than bias refereeing?” And then you’ll proceed to give examples of bad calls against Arsenal that might’ve cost us games. This whole debate between fans who subscribe to your way of thinking and the likes of those for whom nothing short of getting rid of Wenger will do, reminds me of the political debate between Democrats and Republicans states side, where both sides are so polarized there’s no hope of reaching any consensus despite of how simple and easy the resolution might be. Look , we all get it – the ref was terrible but he didn’t cost us the game. Get over it! Maybe the bad calls Arsenal have found themselves at the end of are simply the result of how far the club has declined in quality. How easily Arsenal can be put under pressure ,how often our defenders are forced to make a last ditch tackle or how often Szczesny has to come out and gamble on making a 50/50 tackle ( most of which he loses). The CL clash against Barca from three seasons ago springs to mind. Do you honestly believe that RVP gets sent off for the second yellow ,for kicking the ball after the whistle if Arsenal where more of a threat going forward. Perhaps the ref made that ridiculous call because Arsenal didn’t have a single shot on goal, looked under pressure throughout the whole game and tried to slow the game down. If my memory serves me right Arsenal didn’t have four passes put together in that game. Referees make mistakes, and I agree with you that it doesn’t all even out at the end. But it’s up to the manager to do everything in his powers to provide the right players with the right tactics to protect his side from being exposed easily by the likes of Agbonlahor , who against Arsenal looked like the world’s best player. Have a great day!

13. No problem Gooner Dog, I’m like you. We both never made a mistake in whatever we do.

    I think you are the richest person in the world and I wonder why on earth you are not the owner of Arsenal and have not splashed all the cash you have on Arsenal and on new players. After all you know far better than the board and the manager so why aren’t you there at the top?

    Of course this is only using your logic and I don’t mean it really. But it is what you try to tell me.

    And as I am one of the writers on this site I will always refer to referees as I know a bit about it. Like it or not.

    And if you don’t like it… nobody forces you to come over here and read my rantings about refs. Maybe tomorrow another referee article? 😉

14. Refereeing is responsible for EVERY problem at Arsenal. All the tactical mistakes, all the goalkeeper mistakes, the team selection, the missed chances, the players sold and sent to Coventry, late signings, missed signings, the lot … all of it, the whole lot is the fault of the refs. It’s a conspiracy against Arsenal, a plot hatched by the Ref association and executed cunningly to make it look fair and balanced. We have no chance of winning anything because of the ref, it’s futile, you’re right, it’s the ref’s fault ….

15. By jove, Arsenal1Again has finally got it, I do believe he/she has finally got it .

16. Walter,

    I am not a big fan of the referee articles because I find them rather depressing. I have no doubt of your forthrightness in each of the articles as I see the way they rob us time after time. I feel so pained knowing that this is happening but being powerless to stop it. Reading your officiating pieces is just a sad reminder of the robberies.

    Having said this, I commend you highly for putting your professional skills on the line in the service Arsenal FC and English football in general. I have enormous respect for you and the work you do at Untold.

    Those who cannot stomach your writings on officiating should stay away from them, like I do. This is just one blog among millions on the Internet; no one needs to read it if they think its crap. I say the same thing when I send in my own opinions. Don’t read it if you think it’s rubbish. I wouldn’t read rubbish and I don’t expect anyone to.

    Now, and finally, to those who have issues with the validity or accuracy of the articles: please state the part that you disagree with and why. Leave out the insults and you can be sure of an enlightening debate. No one at Untold claims to know it all but you don’t disprove somebody else’s opinions and writings just by calling it rubbish and calling the writer abusive names.

    I think it’s so simple that no intelligent person needs to be told but we’ll continue to explain it with the hope that someday it will get through.

    I love your indomitable spirit Walter!

17. Arsenal1Again,

    Don’t overgeneralize or anything.

18. @Tom
    In the Villa game there were 4 penalty decisions to call. The 2 that were awarded to Villa and the 2 that were denied to Arsenal. Each one was debateable ie could have gone either way. Forget the rights and wrongs of each one, the fact is they were all debateable and yet they all went in Villas favour. There were also two situations regarding the awarding of yellow cards which also went Villas way. I refer to the case were Koscielny received two resulting in a red, both probably incorrect, and the Villa player Vlaar who received one yellow but then should have got a second. Again both situations favoured Villa. That is six decisions, all debatable which could have gone either way for one reason or another, BUT they all went against Arsenal.
    Now Tom are you seriously saying those six situations had no effect on the outcome of the game. Are you saying that if Wenger had done his job and spent some f*****g money and instead of Giroud and Podolski we had Falcao and Higuain on the pitch the ref wouldn’t have made those match changing calls. Come on Tom we could have had Messi and Ronaldo playing but if the refs got it in for you there is very little you can do.

19. @Arsenal1Again
    Don’t be such a pratt. Then again I suppose you can’t help it.

20. An over reliance on sarcasm betrays a weak minded individual A1A.

21. @ Mick. To call the first penalty debatable is disingenuous at best. Agbonlahor gets to the ball before Szczesny does, pushes it past our keeper , contact is made – end of story. However it wasn’t my intention to relitigate each and every call Taylor made during the game as I agree he had a bad game. My point was that since none of us know what’s in his head or his heart for that matter, it would be extremely difficult to prove that he had an agenda, rather than he is just not a very good referee . Instead of hoping for favorable referee calls ,it might be prudent for a manager to try to assemble a squad that features players who can give some protection to our back four( fill in your own choices ) thus limiting the last ditch tackling by our defenders and keepers. If mr. Wenger is as tactically astute as some writers for this site would have us believe then surely he should’ve known where the biggest danger in this Villa squad would come from. In any event the Villa game won’t make or brake our season , as every club will loose points somewhere and I wasn’t one calling for blood – Wenger’s or anybody else’s for that matter. The point of my post was to simply suggest that perhaps there’s a direct correlation between the amount of pressure Arsenal invite upon themselves defensively ,thus indirectly making referees having to make decisions they otherwise wouldn’t have to make. Case in point – Jonjo Shelvey’s penalty against the Spurs. Was there any surprise the referee gave it for a blatant dive after having blown it in the first half. When you invite pressure bad things happen. Thank you for replying to my post Mick. Take care.

22. Villa benefited from the the deliberate sinking of the SS Arsenal. It was probably done to try to make sure the title stayed up north- Arsenal being a threat (as they would be every year with fair reffing). We are now afloat again, sailing along quite nicely— but with trepidation. All the other main craft have hit snags this weekend and that means our ship is likely to be a torpedo target again soon. We know there are slimy, shifty subs out there- waiting. Our research tells us their names and the relative likelihood of their strike. And the more we win and the greater our chance of a title win becomes– the more likely we are to be hit again. So all you clever sods out there who refuse to either accept our research or do your own- bear this testimony in mind over the next few months and then come back to discuss it all again- hopefully with a bit more evidence and perhaps an open mind.

23. It is not the result but the fact that we had no cover when Gibbs was injured and when Koscielny was sent off we had no defensive subs to bring in to sure up the back. Sure the loss was due to being down to ten men with a already thin squad. BUT why are we thin? We knew Vermaelen and Monreal were going to be out for awhile. And last season we also had a shortage of Defenders. Diaby is out and We sold song last year and We never got a replacement so we are Short in Midfield. Sure we sold RVP but all this chasing a Big name striker is a waste and a distraction from where Arsenal really need to spend DM and Defense. and also another Box to box mid. Even if Ramsey is doing well we can’t rely only on him.
    And I will not get into how I feel about Jack in this post but to say I would feel a whole lot better about our midfield with a strong DM in front of our back 4 and not Wilshere in the deep lying role.
    The fact we lost our first match OR if we won it the problems are there.

24. Interesting article Walter. I have a few questions for the likes of Sid,GoonerDog,Tom, etc.:

    1)Have you ever played in an extremely competitive match where poor officiating ruined the game, regardless of the outcome?

    2)Have you ever been refused a penalty and then have your adversaries get a questionable one, or more than one?

    3)Have you ever had a key player expelled from the match at a critical moment when similar offenses by your opponents went relatively unpunished?

    4)Have you ever had to play with 10 men against a team being actively aided and protected by the referee?

    5)Have you ever played your hearts out and yet been booed by pseudo-supporters on your home ground?

    IF you can answer those questions in the positive, then you’ll know the following:

    a)Psychologically you and your teammates begin to lose confidence and especially concentration as the shock and fear of the worst happening from one moment to the next hits you.
    B)You wonder where the fairness and justice that is the foundation of the Game is, and you begin to doubt the fairness of the referee….a serious preoccupation indeed.
    C)Once your adversaries take the lead, it becomes a very big mountain to climb because you aren’t sure that a comeback will be permitted.
    D)When down to 10 men, the entire shape of the team is skewed and the fluidity, timing and tactics that were originally dedicated to winning, now switch to a desperation to avoid losing…an entirely different mental state.

    Anyone who knows Football and has officiated at the top like myself, knows that ultimately the Game and winning is dependent on staying focused about playing winning football (effective passing,solid and committed defending,efficient counter-attacking etc.) with your fans fully behind you, and NOT about avoiding yellow cards, being careful in the penalty area, arguing with the referee, playing at a numerical disadvantage, cringing at the boos and insults from your fickle ¨supporters¨ and so on.
    It is so easy to come on UA and spout your tripe about the wanker Wenger, our vast riches, our hopeless TW to date, our useless Board, our 2nd class squad etc. ad nauseam BUT since none of you have ever been in the professional leagues (I can tell by the way you post) and never ever been through an experience like AFC have had countless times since 2005, you have ZERO credibility. Come back when you’re all grown up and can appreciate the truth about our Club, not the media fertilized hypocrisy available to feed your febrile and blinkered prejudices.

25. Tom it’s a penalty but he played on after advantage? Is the protection signed from a. Pressure is added from stop start which spoils rhythm, all calls being wrong to arsenal gets to the point how can we play free flowing football? Referees calls can affect outcomes of games do you think 10 men is better than 11 while chasing game falling into Aston villas counter attack game didn’t affect anything?

26. @OMGArsenal. In short 1-4 yes , and I did play professional football at the highest level in Poland- not quite the Arsenal level- but high enough level to assure you that there’s another way a club might react to adversity of having a biased referee. Some might develope the ” siege mentality” , us against the world attitude so to speak, curiously – why haven’t Arsenal taken on this attitude , since they are being prosecuted by the media and the league( according to you )? As for my febrile and blinkered prejudices – I have none. I’ve never called Wenger any names, never called for his dismissal . I simply refuse to indulge myself in your distorted perception of reality. Simply stated – no club looses the league by 15 -20 points on the back of bad refereeing. As for mine not coming on this site any more – common mate- you know you need people like me, otherwise it’s just you , Walter and Bootoomee congratulating one another on a well written post , and what fun would that be? See ya .

27. Some things are better kept in the Dark !

    There was this couple that had been married for 20 years.

    Every time they made love, the husband always insisted on shutting off the light. Well, after 20 years the wife felt this was ridiculous.

    She figures she would break him of this crazy habit. So one night, while they were in the middle of a wild, screaming, romantic session, she turnedon the lights. She looked down and saw her husband was holding a battery-operated leisure device… A vibrator! Soft, wonderful and larger than a real one. She went completely ballistic.
    ‘You impotent bastard,’ She screamed at him, ‘How could you be lying to me all of these years? You better explain yourself!’

    The husband looks her straight in the eyes and says calmly:

    ‘I’ll explain the toy. . You explain the kids.’

28. sorry to dispute, the lot up the road can spend on the stadium even now, becoz prem rules does not count stadium and academies building expeses in Prem league FFP .

    http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2013-02-08/premier-leagues-financial-fair-play-rules-all-you-need-to-know/

    “Q: If a club’s official annual figures show losses of £110million, will they automatically be in breach of the regulations?

    A: Not necessarily – spending on academies, facilities and stadiums can be offset.”

    We are the only prudes saying all we will spend is our own money.

    Spuds can still not sell bale and fund a new stadium if they wanted to i.e. if their owner is willing.

29. An old joke , just reminded what I’d wish to give the AAA who come here and say ,”……..my ass !”

    The Voodoo Penis

    A businessman was getting ready to go on a long business trip. He knew his wife was a flirtatious sort with an extremely healthy sex drive, so he thought he’d better buy her a little something to keep her occupied while he was gone.
    He went to a store that sold sex toys and started looking around for something special to please his wife, and then talked to the old man behind the counter. He explained his situation.
    The old man said, “Well, we have vibrating dildos, special attachments, and so on, but I don’t know of anything that will keep her occupied for weeks, except ….” and he stopped.
    “Except what?” the man asked.
    “Nothing, nothing.”
    “C’mon, tell me! I need something!”
    “Well, sir, I don’t usually mention this, but there is The Voodoo Penis.”
    “So what’s up with this Voodoo Penis?” he asked.
    The old man reached under the counter, and pulled out a very old wooden box, carved with strange symbols and erotic images. He opened it, and there lay an ordinary-looking dildo.
    The businessman laughed, and said, “Big damn deal. It looks like every other dildo in this shop!”
    The old man replied, “But you haven’t seen what it’ll do yet.” He pointed to a door and said, “Voodoo Penis, the door.” The Voodoo Penis miraculously rose out of its box, darted over to the door, and started pounding the keyhole. The whole door shook wildly with the vibrations, so much so that a crack began to form down the middle. Before the door split, the old man said “Voodoo Penis, return to box!” The Voodoo Penis stopped, levitated back to the box and lay there quiet once more.
    “I’ll take it!” said the businessman.The guy took it home to his wife, told her it was a special dildo and that to use it; all she had to do was say “Voodoo Penis, my crotch.”
    After he’d been gone a few days, the wife was unbearably horny and remembered the Voodoo Penis. She undressed, opened the box and said “Voodoo Penis, my crotch!” The Voodoo Penis shot to her crotch and started pumping. It was absolutely incredible, like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
    After three mind-shattering orgasms, she became very exhausted and decided she’d had enough. She tried to pull it out, but it was stuck in her, still thrusting. She tried and tried to get it out, but nothing worked. Her husband had forgotten to tell her how to shut it off.
    Worried, she decided to go to the hospital to see if they could help. She put her clothes on, got in the car and started to drive, quivering with every thrust of the dildo.
    On the way, another incredibly intense orgasm made her swerve all over the road.
    A police officer saw this and immediately pulled her over. He asked for her license, and then asked how much she’d had to drink.
    Gasping and twitching, she explained, “I haven’t had anything to drink, officer. You see, I’ve got this Voodoo Penis thing stuck in my crotch and it won’t stop screwing me!”
    The officer looked at her for a second, shook his head and in an arrogant voice replied, “Yeah, right… Voodoo Penis, my ass.”

30. Points to ponder – chose to be happy .

    The tongue can be your worst enemy!!!

    Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life. What you speak about, you can bring about.

    If you keep saying you can’t stand your job, you might lose your job.

    If you keep saying you can’t stand your body, your body can become sick.

    If you keep saying you can’t stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.

    If you keep saying you’re broke, guess what? You’ll always be broke.

    If you keep saying you can’t trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.

    If you keep saying you can’t find a job, you will remain unemployed.

    If you keep saying you can’t find someone to love you or believe in you, your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.

    If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship, then you might end up with it.

    Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.
    Don’t be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

    Watch your Thoughts – they become words.
    Watch your words – they become actions.
    Watch your actions – they become habits.
    Watch your Habits – they become character.
    Watch your Character – for it becomes your Destiny.

    The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settle for.
    Thought I would share this with you.
    In the search for me, I discovered truth.
    In the search for truth, I discovered love.
    In the search for love, I discovered GOD.
    And in God, I have found Everything.

    Be Blessed
    Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change the way you speak

31. Tom,

    Maybe referees in Poland are better and less biased than Taylor and Dean 😉

    and we have lost the league with 4 points in 2007/2008 after some terrible referee mistakes in the final run in starting with Dean at Birmingham..

32. Must have hit a nerve there Walter?!? Bit of a strange response but let’s go there. Splash the cash? Typical retort but begs the question:

    Are you confident that the squad we have will compete for the title?

33. Who is teaching and who is learning ? How a fool and his money are soon parted .

    There once lived a great mathematician in a village outside Ujjain. He was often called by the local king to advice on matters related to the economy. His reputation had spread as far as Taxila in the North and Kanchi in the South. So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him, “You may be a great mathematician who advises the king on economic matters but your son does not know the value of gold or silver.”

    The mathematician called his son and asked, “What is more valuable – gold or silver?” “Gold,” said the son. “That is correct. Why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you, claims you do not know the value of gold or silver? He teases me every day. He mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son. This hurts me. I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable, gold or silver. Explain this to me, son.”

    So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression. “Every day on my way to school, the village headman calls me to his house. There, in front of all village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and a gold coin in other. He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin. He laughs, the elders jeer, everyone makes fun of me. And then I go to school. This happens every day. That is why they tell you I do not know the value of gold or silver.”

    The father was confused. His son knew the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin. “Why don’t you pick up the gold coin?” he asked. In response, the son took the father to his room and showed him a box. In the box were at least a hundred silver coins. Turning to his father, the mathematician’s son said, “The day I pick up the gold coin the game will stop. They will stop having fun and I will stop making money.”

    Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers, and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.

34. Dave C

    “Don’t rock the boat” – you will need to explain that one pal.

    Walter’s commentary is no more than an opinion. Nothing more and nothing less, just as is yours and as is mine. He writes very well and supports his opinion with statistics, again based on his view on the decisions made. This however does not constitute a fact. As for rocking the boat, Walter kindly invites comments at the foot of his articles which I, and you, have chosen to utilise. He may not agree with the comments that are submitted but to his credit he does not hide from them either.

35. Walter, well said!

36. Walter – apologies as I appear to be hogging this, however I just re-read your last paragraph.

    I want to come to your site tomorrow and read about a good performance from the boys and confirmation that we are beefing up the squad prior to taking on the dark side this Sunday 😉

37. I would like to thank Tom for arguing his case in a polite and fair manner, exactly as it should be done, posters like him are welcome. Take note and follow Toms example all those who come on and oppose the Untold viewpoint using abuse and vitriol.

38. Interesting that it is the same referee that was fooled by the Drogba dive and the one by Townsend for Spurs.

    @OMGArsenal

    A very lucid run down on how referee decisions and other negative factors can affect players in a match.

    It is encouraging that our players bounced back to two very good wins, at Fenerbahce and Fulham. All credit to them, and to the manager.

39. @Tom

    You say nobody loses the league by 15 – 20 points because of bad refereeing.

    Read Walter’s most recent review of refereeing of Manchester United last season and you might change your mind.

40. Gooner Dog,
    yes in a way you hit a nerve.

    What do you do? Nothing.

    What do I do? I have spend around 20-25 hours each week on working on the reviews together with other colleagues. And I do this in my spare time. Not alone but I have to check the reviews to see if things are missing and filled in the correct way, do my own reviews, …

    So I have spend a lot of time on it. And people who know me could testify that when I am working on referee stuff I try to be as correct as possible. My sons hated it when I had to fill in for their games when the appointed ref didn’t show up. One of my sons had almost an unbeaten season with his youth team. They lost one game. The game I was in charge.

    So yes I consider myself to have worked hard, be as unbiased as a person can be when it comes to refereeing.

    So I don’t mind that people would argue any one of my decisions (on the field or in the reviews) with the laws of the game at hand and tell me I was wrong. Believe me nobody is more angry on myself when I realise I made a mistake (both on the field and in the reviews).

    So people just dismissing what WE (not just me but I am the person who comes out with it, the face of the reviews you could say) have done with hard work and using personal attacks while doing it… yes after a while it gets on my nerves and at times I can react a bit strange.

    If you don’t agree with the referee reviews: fine. But if so and you cant come up with something better and more accurate… maybe then it is time to start doing your own reviews and show me your numbers. Or accept the numbers for what they are and accept the consequences of the numbers.

41. Well said Walter, give them some back, just like Arsene sometimes does with the journos.

42. Walter,

    You and your team have always impressed me, even if on rare occasions I might have a slightly different perspective.

    Your reports are always based on factual evidence regarding the laws of football, personal experience and you strive to give a balanced informed opinion.

    A credit to you. Keep it up!

43. Bit touchy Walter and slightly childish.

    I know nothing do I? How old are you – four? Go and get your toys from outside your pram. Don’t invite comments if you can’t handle people not agreeing with you with what is again YOUR OPINION!

44. if wenger thinks the media have brainwashed afc fans,then he is living in cuckoo land.i find that direspectful because thats questioning our judgement as to the facts and,when you look at the facts,afc fans are right to have a go at our lack of trophies,and our lack of transfer activity this summer so far.he can no longer pull the wool over fans eyes and make everything ok when it aint.yes,i have massive respect for what he has done and will never forget that.we live in a competitive world where everyone looks out for themselves.afc are now in a position to really close the gap on utd,citeh and chelski,and when i see the likes of higuain, gustavo join other clubs when they expressed a desire and wish to play for afc but sign for another club tells me that there’s something fundamentally wrong at afc.yes,we are not a bad side and we do have some good players, but thats the point,we don’t have enough very good to world class players that would make a huge difference to us.what wenger is honestly seeing is afc fans saying enough is enough.no more BS about this player and that because we have the money to buy 3/4 top class players that would give us every chance this season in my opinion.imagine a fellani with rambo? imagine sakho with kos?imagine a benzema/suarez up front?imagine a top keeper like casillas,bekovic etc.what a difference some of those players would make to afc’s team.thats why we are angry mr wenger.we are afc and don’t ever forget it.

45. If as implied in this blog that the refs have a bigger influence than spending money.

    It would appear we have no control over the refs so that should mean we spend more money on transfers to compensate.

    Job done!!

46. @GoonerDog
    Walter is not the only one being touchy I think.
    You seem to think that every decision that has to be made on the pitch is down to opinion. Not true, every situation is covered in the laws of the game, therefore everything that the ref or assistant has to decide on results in that decision being factually right or wrong. The laws are clear and if they are contravened then that is a fact not someones opinion. Given that Walter and the other reviewers have the benefit of reffing the game at their own pace and with the benefit of replays from different angles they have the advantage over the referee and are able to reach the correct conclusion on any given decision based on the laws of the game. So the reviewers decision is a fact, not an opinion. There may indeed be the odd situation which due to camera angles etc is inconclusive but when that occurs Walter goes with the refs original decision.
    GoonerDog, just as a matter of interest are you a qualified ref?

47. The current moan against Wenger is on his decision to not rotate players tonight. The usual whiners are complaining about his refusal to rest players because of the “thread bare” squad. Funny that they did not say this about the team he presented against Fulham and it was the same thin squad!

    Their thinking is that since we are already 3 goals up, there is no need to present our strongest tea. Well, I have one thing to say to that: REMEMBER BAYERN MUNICH AWAY!!!

    Despite my eternal optimism on everything Arsenal, I was praying that we didn’t get humiliated while secretly hoping for a miracle. The hopeful part of me was almost vindicated. Despite being humiliated 3-1 at the Emirates, we beat a virtually unchanged Bayern team 2-0 and only went out on away goals rule. Imagine the result if Bayern had used a weakened team. Also recall that everytime we qualify early from our ECL groups we mostly end up coming second due to rotation and use of weakened teams.

    Arsene Wenger is a great football historian himself, so he knows that it is not over until it is over. Besides, those comparing this match to League and FA cup fixtures are making a huge mistake. While very painful to bear, losing out on either of these 2 important competitions are nothing close to missing out of the CL. Especially after how far we have come.

    I am very very glad that AW is taking tonight’s match as seriously as I hope he would. I was a bit worried after the great result of last Wednesday that he might do what the Internet ‘experts’ are recommending. If Fenerbahce causes us serious upset (as their pedigree totally makes them capable of), the same voices crying for rotation now would be saying something else while blaming the manager.

    My trust in his independent and original thinking continues to be vindicated.

48. Mick – every decision made on the pitch is by a professional ref based upon their interpretation of the rules of the game at that given moment. It is OUR opinion if we agree on not, but there are times when the evidence is so conclusive (Lampard against Germany) that the decision is indeed factually wrong. However these clear cut decisions are not always the case and hence it is not a fact if Walter does not agree with that decision. For example he believes, as I do, that Koz was unlucky with the penalty against Villa. However this remains our opinion and there are many who believe it was a foul.
    Just as a matter of interest are you Walter’s apologist? Walter is more than capable of making equally ridiculous comments on his own.

49. GoonerDog – you are coming across as a bit of an ‘apologist’ yourself… just saying.

    No need though as, with the absence of any statement from the PGMOL, BBC’s MOTD are more than capable of making ridiculous translations of the laws of the game themselves.

50. just turned 5 goonerdog. You can still send me a birthday card if you want

51. Do I have to run another person through the definition of the word ‘fact’? Goonerdog..Ask Matt.. He knows what fact means. The ref reviews on the site, are indeed fact. Your inability to dispute them with any credibility except your moanings, makes them stronger facts, since they are moving towards being proven indisputable.

    You might as well argue that the Sun goes around the Earth because the other way round is just an opinion based on certain evidences. The medieval church will be happy to accept your vows.

52. Yes i know what facts are. Shard got caught out telling porkies,That’s a fact!! 🙂

53. Bloody hell Walter if your only 5 you must have had a bloody hard life looking at your picture. Cards in the post.

54. But only the second definition of the word Matt. Clearly disputable and disputed by the fact that you are an idiot 😀

55. I am an idiot but the facts are indisputable on this occassion. The evidence is on this blog somewhere.

56. Why aren’t chelsea being subjected to the same treatment for their offer(30m) for rooney to a club who insists the player isn’t for sale, when our offer(under similar circumstances but worth £10 more) for a player who had publicly expressed his desire to leave was labeled derisory, ridiculed & questioned left right & center by the media? Is it all AW’s fault?

57. Regarding the question, no doubt refereeing influences results more than spending the dosh, just ask Pellegrini in a few months’ time.

58. Dont think people thought it was derisory can £40 million ever be derisory? I think is was more the way it was done £40m + £1 it seemed deliberately provocative and unnecessary.

59. Al

    I am also yet to see accusations of poor planning, negligence, incompetence etc levelled at City for having to play a midfielder in central defense in their second match of the season.

60. @GoonerDog
    Quite why you felt the need to be disrespectful and rude to me is puzzling, I don’t know what I said to cause you to reply in that manner.
    However from your reply it is obvious that you either didn’t read my post properly or you have not got the mental capacity to comprehend what I said. I would guess the second option.
    In words that you will understand, you are an idiot. That is a fact.

61. Matt

    How is it unnecessary to bid a pound more when it was required to meet the clause of ‘above 40m’?

    Maybe we did bid 99p extra though. So yeah. Unnecessary extravagance on the board’s part there.

    No one was ‘hurt’ by the one pound being offered. Not even Liverpool. It was just for show that they leaked that stuff to the media, and then went on a moaning spree about it. It’s not like they don’t know that Arsenal are an easy target in the media, and even among a section of our own fans.

62. Matt,

    If you are selling your house for a minimum of £300k, a bid of £299,999.99 is unserious but a bid of £300,000.01 makes all the sense in the world. Especially with no other willing buyer showing interest. Why should I bid anything more?

    You consider bidding £1 above the minimum amount for a player that no other football club is after as “deliberately provocative and unnecessary”. I consider bidding 99p more excessive. Arsenal was 99p generous with their offer.

    I do understand that with Bale going for £100 million (or any other ridiculous amount being bandied about) even though Real Mad is not having a bidding war with any other team, the Arsenal approach seems stingy. I blame the innumerate morons at Madrid rather than the men in charge of Arsenal’s affairs.

63. @Shard
    ‘How is it unnecessary to bid a pound more when it was required to meet the clause of ‘above 40m’?’
    I guess Matt, being an idiot, wouldn’t have worked that out.

64. Bootoomee – Bale is being touted out at €100m – around £86m. I agree – why would you offer anything more than the required amount… where do you stop? £41m? Why would anyone do that?

65. You lot are like the 3 stooges. Spend half your time ridiculing others for being rude and aggressive and the other half abusing me.

    Boo, i thought you had nothing to say to me a few weeks ago but seem quite happy to have a go when it suits you.

    I personally feel that the way teh Suarez transfer stuff was done wasn’t the best.More could have been achieved if things were done differently that’s all.

66. DogFace,

    Thanks for the correction but as you might have noticed from the accompanying parenthesis, I really don’t give a damn about the actual figure 🙂

    How fans, who are mostly average joes, can say it without flinching is beyond me. It seems like having a player valued at ridiculous amounts or having your team buy one as such is as important to fans now as winning trophies.

67. DogFace,

    I meant no offence.

68. Matt,

    Oh grow up!

69. None taken – I would say his valuation is inflated 3-fold… even in these times of ridiculous spending. The whole thing smacks of a scam to inject cash into Spurs while staying within FFP.

    But that’s just a theory… and a ‘conspiratorial’ one at that!

    😉

70. If something you wanted to buy had a price tag of £40, why would you offer £50?

71. @OMG Arsenal

    That is an excellent post at 1:46 am. Thank you.

    There are several other good posts, but the reason I want to “big” this one up, besides its superb points, is for the use of the word “pseudo”.

    The use of this word is just one of many that could be used to describe those who come on here to justify the crap and lies they’ve internalised from the media and other naysayers.

    The word Pseudo allowed me think of another title for these “fans”, – PAF’s. Psuedo Arsenal Fans.

    Don’t worry PAFs, it’ll just be me using it – in my head, sometimes, maybe.

    Brickfields, I love the humorous posts. That’s special, the Positivity post!

    Walter & Dogface – you know I appreciate…

72. Confirmation that Taylor hasn’t been demoted – he has the Cardiff v Everton game this coming weekend. For once we don’t have Dean either for Spurs – he is doing W Brom v Swansea. We have Michael Oliver assisted by S Long and J Collin with Moss as fourth official. Only one game for us last year the one all draw at Everton (70% overall rating, usual bias against Arsenal in decisions 79% in favour of Everton but no major wrong decisions). Two games for Spurs – a two one loss at Man City (75% overall, 68% bias against City with four wrong major decisions – three in favour of Spurs, one against) and a three two loss at Liverpool (79% overall, 73% bias against Liverpool and two wrong major decisions – both in favour of Spurs).

    I think that will be a tough game with another referee likely to give any ‘rub of the green’ against Arsenal – look out for penalty decisions not being given against Spurs (four of the key wrong decisions in their games were for that (two in each).

    For tonight we have a European ref and I’m not fearful on that account. Looking for a solid win to cement our position at the top table again.

    COYG

73. I think the ref in last nights game was Swarbick, who we saw during Everton’s last visit.