Arsenal v Leicester – Sunday 14 February – The Match Officials: this could be a problem.

By Andrew

As I write this the referee review of the Southampton game hasn’t been published, it is written but not yet posted on the site so I’ll not include it in the Table of Shame.  This is unchanged from last week.

Wrong Important Decisions Favouring Arsenal Favouring Opponents
2nd Yellow Cards 1 30
Red Cards 1 10
Penalties 3 18
Goals 0 8
Total 5 66
Possible Cost in Points 0 15

What do we, as supporters expect from a referee?  Here is my list, in no particular order

  1. They should know the rules of the game.
  2. They should treat every decision on it’s merits regardless of when it happens in a match.  A sending off offence is the same in the first minute as the last.
  3. They should be as invisible on the pitch as possible, in the right place to see what is happening but not getting in the way.  If we start noticing them then they are not doing their jobs properly.
  4. Players from both teams should be treated in an even handed manner.
  5. I don’t expect a referee to get every single decision correct, but I do expect them to get the large proportion of them right.  The normal Premier League referee should be getting 80% right most of the time and those accredited by FIFA should be better still say 85%.
  6. Where referees consistently score 70% or lower I would expect them to be undergoing re-training to bring their standards back up to a satisfactory level.
  7. They should keep track of players persistently making fouls and award yellow cards when they reach a set number.
  8. They should know the difference between possession and advantage.  All too often we see referees waving their arms to indicate an advantage when all that is happening is that the team who were fouled have kept possession.  The two aren’t the same particularly in the defensive half of the pitch.
  9. They shouldn’t be pressurised by either team or their supporters.  It is normally accepted that the team captain (or a designated deputy) is allowed to speak to the referee following a decision, but referees shouldn’t allow themselves to be surrounded by players.
  10. They should keep a good track of the time each team wasted during a game.  Of the 90 minutes duration, it is rare that we actually see more than 60-65 minutes with the ball in play.  Goalkeepers are particularly guilty (but not exclusively so) and should get early warning if they waste too much time and an early booking if they persist.  There is little point in booking a player in the last five minutes for something they have been doing since the first five.
  11. They should liaise with their Assistants and the Fourth Official who may have been in a better position to see an incident.
  12. We shouldn’t see the same faces too frequently.  There should be sufficient referees in the system to ensure that every club has a referee no more than twice, once at home and once away.
  13. They should be absolutely above suspicion of being corruptible in any way.

Our Officials for Sunday are :-

  • Referee – Martin Atkinson
  • Assistants – M Mullarkey and S Child
  • Fourth Official – R East

As a team how do they match up with my 13 points above?  I am referencing the two games so far this year that Mr Atkinson has been in charge of an Arsenal game  – Season opener v West Ham  and Match week 12, Home to Spurs

1: All are experienced professionals so there is absolutely no excuse for any of them not knowing the rules.  In the West Ham game two West Ham players should have been sent off and the ‘goal’ that West Ham scored in Min 43 should not have counted as it was scored directly from a wrongly awarded free kick.  Against Spurs Mr Atkinson’s credibility for knowledge of the rules took an even greater battering as he made no fewer than eight incorrect Important Decisions (second yellow cards, red cards, penalties and goals).  Three not given penalties for Arsenal, 5 not awarded sending offs for Spurs players and one for Arsenal. – VERDICT FAIL

2: In the West Ham game the first serious foul was in Minute 2 when Noble should have been booked for a sliding tackle on Ozil, Mr Atkinson clearly saw the challenge but decided not to do anything.  In Minute 5 Noble made another, late this time, sliding tackle on Coquelin who was already on a counter attack and was rightly booked.  Two other West Ham players should have been booked between minutes 21 and 26, fouls were given but no cards.  Against Spurs he was bad throughout the game. – VERDICT PASS

3: Mr Atkinson is never invisible on the pitch – he has an enormous ego and ensures that he is the centre of attention – VERDICT FAIL

4: Is Mr Atkinson even handed with his treatment of both sets of players.  For this to be true I would expect wrong decisions to be somewhere in a 60/40 range for both teams (50/50 would show absolutely no bias but most of us wouldn’t notice until it gets outside that 60/40 range), outside those limits it becomes increasingly obvious that things are wrong.  In the West Ham game there were 17 wrong decisions, all against Arsenal bias 100/0.  With Spurs there were 30 wrong decisions 25 against Arsenal and 5 against Spurs bias of 83/17. – VERDICT FAIL

5: Mr Atkinson is FIFA Accredited to take charge of any game of football anywhere in the world.  I would expect his results to be right 85% plus in his games.  Against West Ham he got 25 decisions right and 17 decisions wrong (before any weighting is applied) His score was 59.5%.  Against Spurs he got 34 decisions correct and 30 wrong giving a percentage score of 53.1%.  Over the two games the numbers are 59 correct and 47 wrong giving 55.7%.  Is this less than 85% hell yes – VERDICT FAIL

6: Are his results consistently below a minimum acceptable 70% level – hell yes so have there been any signs of any form of retraining – not that I can see in fact he is so highly regarded that he is going as one of the two English referees to the European Championships – VERDICT FAIL

7: In the West Ham game the West Ham players didn’t commit multiple fouls.  Against Spurs, Alli committed a fourth foul in Min 50, a fifth in Min 56, Vertonghen should have had a third yellow card in Min 54, Dier made a fourth in Min 89 without Mr Atkinson either talking to or issuing appropriate cards. – VERDICT FAIL

8: There has only been one incident of an inappropriate advantage in the two games reviewed, in the West Ham game each side had one correct advantage, Arsenal also having one incorrect, in the Spurs game Arsenal had 2 correct advantages, Spurs 1 with none incorrect  one wrong decision in 6 (I can live with that) – VERDICT PASS

9: There were no incidents where Walter has noted players surrounding Mr Atkinson pressurising him for a decision. – VERDICT PASS

10: There is no indication by Walter that timewasting was a problem in either of the reviewed games. – VERDICT PASS

11: In the West Ham game the goal scored in Min 42 by west Ham shouldn’t have counted as it was from a wrongly judged foul against Arsenal,  in theS purs game the corner awarded to Spurs in Min46 was incorrect it came of Dembele not Debuchy.  It is possible that better communication could have prevented these errors. – VERDICT INCONCLUSIVE

12: For both Leicester and Ourselves this will be the third visit from Mr Atkinson this year.  Neither team has yet seen Mssrs, Attwell, Stroud, Scott or Hooper, Robert Madley has only one appearance at Arsenal, none at Leicester, and Swarbrick and Tierney have one Leicester and no Arsenal games.  I can see no reason for one of those referees not to have been appointed ahead of a referee who already has done two games for each team. – VERDICT FAIL

13: Mandy Dodd has already reported a link to insider trading on the game on Sunday being announced by Jeremias Bolivar on his football is fixed blogsite.  This alone should require the PGMO to change the referee for Sunday regardless of the veracity of the accusation.  Additionally, Mr Atkinson’s earlier performances seemed to have ingratiated him sufficiently into the PGMO for him to be awarded one of the two slots available to English referees for the European Championships this summer.  Will he still have to prove his loyalty, probably. – VERDICT FAIL

Conclusions

  1. Mr Atkinson fails to meet 8 of the 13 criteria that I expect of referees, including all of the most important.  He is not fit to carry the whistle and we should be very afraid that he will cost us more points on Sunday.
  2. In his two games at the Emirates this year alone he has failed to award 8 Important Decisions, seven against Arsenal.  That has almost certainly cost us three points (one against what should have been a  a 9 man West Ham) and three not given penalties in a game we drew against Spurs.
  3. He is a master at the award of the ‘phantom foul’ – the one in the West Ham game on Min 42 being a classic
  4. He won’t award a penalty against our opponents without one of them actually wielding a machete.
  5. Leicester will be allowed to foul us with impunity all over the pitch whilst we will most likely be carded at the first available opportunity.  Flamini if you play please no sliding tackles, you won’t be lucky two weeks running.  Coquelin and Gabriel be very careful with timing your challenges.
  6. It should be a great game against the two best teams in the league this year, that’s what the first game between us was.  Craig Pawson was in charge for that one and got a (weighted) score of 84% with no wrong Important Decisions.  I’ll wager that won’t be the story at the end of this game.  My money is on it being more of a Valentine’s Day Massacre than roses and chocolates.

COYG

The Untold Books

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Anniversaries – the first ever Arsenal song

13 February 1892:  The first ever recorded incident of a club song being sung at a football match.  “Ta ra ra Boom de ay, The Arsenal’s won today.”  There were 10,000 at Chatham of whom 3000 were Arsenal fans.  Arsenal won 2-3.

13 February 1988: Lee Dixon’s first game. Arsenal 2 Luton 1.  He played 458 league games for Arsenal between this date and 2002, scoring 24 league goals before his retirement.  After eight games without a win this was the first of eight without a defeat.  Arsenal came sixth in the league, and lost in the League Cup final… to Luton.

273 Replies to “Arsenal v Leicester – Sunday 14 February – The Match Officials: this could be a problem.”

  1. We have four qualified referees and we have this level of accuracy!

    We have the world’s best footballers and we come home from the World Cup with out a win!

    We have pundits who know every thing there is to know about football yet are forever making comments based on ignorance

    We have English managers who have never won 1st place in the best league in the world.

    On this evidence and standards they happily tell us ‘there is nothing wrong with English football.

    Believe all that and you will believe there is no corruption in English football.

    Clearly if we are the best footballing country the world at our level of performances in every aspects of the game, how bad are the world champions?

    How bad the standard of refereeing must be in the rest of the world.

  2. As I said before in a period where we have a win % of around 60% in the last year the PGMO find a ref under whom we have a win % of only 15% over the last 6 matches (same period more or less….)

  3. Amazing how many of us predicted he would get this game.
    The rule of thumb, the more of a threat To the title Arsenal are, the more they will get screwed.
    This appointment is a clear message. Would love to know what the players think.
    All the team can do is race into an unassailable lead…..that will not be easy…have you seen what huth gets away with.
    leicester rarely start as favourites, someone somewhere is making a lot of money from them. We are surprisingly short odds in this game.
    This ref will most likely signal his intentions from the start.
    Can almost guarantee that if we hold a narrow lead, or are threatening to take the lead near the end, we will see the pgmol at its most openly corrupt. I am talking dubious reds, or penalties….of which Leicester have twice as many this season in the league as their nearest rivals.
    But rest assured, this ref will be able to do anything, but you will not hear a word from the media.
    The crowd are important tomorrow, they will be amongst the few friends Arsenal have for this game.if ….sorry, when Atkinson cheats, raise the roof in anger against him?
    We are well capable of beating Leicester, but all things considered, this has draw written all over it.
    And Mr Wenger, with this ref, and recent media/AAA outrage…..incorrect as it turns out after the Bournemouth game….please think long and hard about playing Flamini

  4. Oh Boy! Expectations out of the window! The Laws of the game are known by these selected northern Riley appointees but rarely implemented. PGMO should be disbanded & all the records seized & investigated for fraud. The sport is being milked by a host of greedy Chinese fed pigs.

    Best action bet on all the things you would hate to happen & celebrate if they don’t. Come on media you have big mouths offer me Arsenal to win at 5 to 1. I’ve backed Leicester at 5-1. The best £10 I will ever lose.

  5. I hope Wenger doesn’t hold back on who he plays on Sunday. If the PGMO pick on our boys I hope our fans riot. It will be the best thing that happens in football. It will show up the cheating but the media will not report it in truth. I am surprise that CNN & TOI (Times of India) have not cottoned on & commented on the bias.

  6. apo Armani – don’t fear anything today. The bastard is in the middle tomorrow. I wish his whistle chokes him.

  7. Andrew – You have missed the most important requirement of a referee: to protect the players. As with nearly all referees, the verdict for that has to be FAIL?

  8. Raid the PGMOL….would be good…but difficult to say what would be found. Some of these refs are so biased, they don’t need to be told, just selected. The Italians even have invented a word for it.
    That said, FIF claiming today that Germany are joining our league and LA Liga, in allowing a microphone for the refs to communicate with accomplices in a match centre watching the game on screen to ” help” them with their decisions. If true, this is not only unethical, it is illegal in the game.
    There is also some crap about Arsenal in this post, so will not link it on here.
    Another point, any Arsenal fans thinking about showing solidarity over the perfectly just protest against Sky over this game, please have another think. Sky will heavily edit the first five minutes. And, we need our home supporters in from the first second with this ref. don’t give him …and sky a five minute window to do us without a huge crowd reaction to any cheating.
    There will be other times and ways to hurt sky, joining this protest could ultimately hurt our players on the field tomorrow

  9. I wonder if it would be possible to write a novel in which a bunch of disgruntled fans raid the HQ of PGMO, hack their computers, post their secrets on the internet, expose all the journalists who have deliberately refrained from writing about them, revealed their links to the mafia, implicated various senior politicians, revealed a link to various broadcasters, showed a connected to the Hatton Garden diamond robbery….

    Of course, only a novel.

    I’ll let you know if I manage it.

  10. This pgMOB rep has already tilted heavily during one home game this season, the Tottenham game, so there won’t be anything to discourage him from applying to different Codes to the two teams on he pitch again. It’s up to the home crowd to put this no-gooder under serious pressure.

    Unfortunately some have chosen the start of what might be the biggest league game for AFC in quite some time as the perfect opportunity for a protest! It’s not like they couldn’t save a protest against a broadcaster for another broadcast is it. With friends like these!

  11. Utd one down against Sunderland.
    Of course, a long way to go in this game, and the season, but lose it, and maybe one step further in Utd losing whatever is left of their soul, for an expensive couple years that will bring in boring football, maybe the odd trophy , a lot of Mendes players, but will soon end in a complete car crash .
    Still, at least the WOB will be jealous of them .

  12. Germany 7 Brazil 1 – the last World Cup, mistrusting the referee, recognising bribery, corruption, bias, so built into every blow of the whistle, the only way to make certain of the win is to knock goals in by such a massive margin no referee’s whistle could get anywhere near the goal tally and so change the result.

    As for raiding the PGMO – maybe it all takes place in their minds. Who needs a bribe when the whistle gives them the status?

    ”We have four qualified referees and we have this level of accuracy!

    We have the world’s best footballers and we come home from the World Cup with out a win!

    We have pundits who know every thing there is to know about football yet are forever making comments based on ignorance

    We have English managers who have never won 1st place in the best league in the world.

    On this evidence and standards they happily tell us ‘there is nothing wrong with English football.”’

    All in the mind! F*ck this Wenger chap!

    Maybe a report is needed – ”Transparency In Refereeing: The Betrayal Of The Modern English Game”- the PGMO analysed referee by referee, season by season.

  13. The PGMOL are beneath contempt, but in reality, they are just doing the bidding for others higher in the food chain.
    Arsenal have gone against treasured and long held values on how the game should be played in England. I am quite sure there are those who want Wenger stopped at all costs, with the proviso we finish in the top four and win cups to keep Stans lawyers away

  14. At Leicester we won comfortably 5 – 2, coincidently the referees that day Craig Pawson’s performance was one of the two best of the season at 84%. I am far more worried by the referee than by the Leicester players. If the referee decides we aren’t going to be able to play, then we won’t.

  15. I have sent a tweet to Ronald Koeman this morning so that he doesn’t forget to buy a chocolate and a champagne for Lee Mason as he totally owes him that for 14th February. I have left the link for the ref review of the game against Southampton.

    @Tony – I was thinking about the same thing this morning following the whole Adam Johnson debate. An exciting novel that would be.

  16. OT
    Headline from the ever reliable Metro….

    ‘Arsenal stunned after Mesut Ozil demands to leave the club after rejecting a new contract’

    Could Sir Hardly Anyone (or Nicky’s gran who cleans at the Emirates) confirm this is a load of bollocks.

  17. The express put this out, then retracted it saying a bumper new deal was being lined up by the club for Ozil.
    From all I have read about him,would be surprised if he went back to Spain
    I would conclude it is the usual bullshit……interesting timing…

  18. Mandy
    So we can expect a similar retraction from Metro then, plus an apology for printing a misleading and untruthful article.
    Pigs may etc etc.

  19. Looks bad.
    But Arsenal can win against all odds. Just remember they have they “stars” back, but so do we. Concentration, closing down and focus on one another.
    Come on.

  20. Mick, in fairness to the Metro, this came from arch mischief makers Marca….but the club have apparently …if the Telegraph is to be believed…said there have been no significant talks on extending his deal as yet.
    Oz il has another two and a half years to go…..maybe the club should get their skates on! No I jest, I am sure they know what they are doing with this priceless player…..who incidentally seems very happy at Arsenal.

  21. This ref is the most incompetent of them, meaning he’s the most concerning as he has to justify to his bosses why they should continue using him.

  22. This ref is the least competent of them all, meaning he’s the most concerning as he has to justify to his bosses why they should continue favouring him.

  23. Fron FIF’s post on Feb 6th: The most interesting stat is not our with Cheatkinson, it’s Leicester’s with 3 refs: Moss officiated 5 of their matches Dean and Taylor 4 each. All these matches resulted in victories, that is, 100% point percentage for Leicester. Anyone tell me that’s a coincidence, right?

  24. From FIF’s post on Feb 6th: The most interesting stat is not our with Cheatkinson, it’s Leicester’s with 3 refs: Moss officiated 5 of their matches, Dean and Taylor 4 each. All these matches resulted in victories, that is, 100% point percentage for Leicester. Anyone tell me that’s a coincidence, right?

    (Reposted, having a bit of trouble communicating with the site)

  25. I am sorry to say we have a technical problem with the site at the moment and cannot post new items.

    However you should be able to continue discussion here until we resolve the problem.

  26. More to the point Andrew, I really dont like asking the company’s IT dept to fix this over the weekend. If it were the company’s web site I would, but not Untold. They do it, but I really don’t like to impose.

    If we are still buggered on Monday I’ll get them to sort it.

    It is only Untold that is scuppered, and judging by the way things went it looks like another set of nasties.

  27. I just want to say that as I will attend this match in the stadium I will not be able to write my usual match report after the match tomorrow. Off to bed, have to be up at 03.00 in the morning….

  28. Why oh why are we worried about the referees when our team squad and manager are so good??Would barcelona and bayern be worried if the referees were so called dodgy?? No because for all the dodgy referees their quality will shine through.This is the only site out there that think that there is a conspiracy to stop us winning.At the end of the season if we fall short once again everyone else will be to blame and wenger will still be in his 8m a year job and him and the players will be devoid of any blame whatsoever.Sometimes you have to stop with the excuses and see that when it happens season after season after season it might be something else that is stopping us winning the major honors.

  29. Barca…..don’t worry about referees?
    They and their fans are always on about them. As Catalans, they have always felt …..and at times, with extremely good reason, the Spanish state had it in for them, the same Spanish state that has its links with Barcas main rival.
    Franco was a bit of a match fixer, not only is he on record for intimidating Barca players when they faces Madrid he is widely documented to have arranged for Spain to win the European Championship in the early 1960s. And Barca might not have been the beneficiaries of his interest in football back in the day,or so they thought …with good reason.
    History means Barca fans mistrust everything from the administrators of the Spanish league, to its officials, and even until fairly recently, selection of players for the national team.

    http://www.barcablog.com/2015/09/are-referees-against-barcelona-or-is-it.html
    Just for starters

  30. Drat, Neville got his first win.

    ManU will have an interesting time, with 2 teams right on top of them in the standings. And a fullback out for 6 weeks. Looks like Chelsea have dealt with their daemons, I don’t think they will worry about relegation any more this year.

    Maybe Atkinson will have a dream tonight, and realize he can’t continue to screw games around?

    COYG!

  31. I simply cannot fathom some of these referee reports. The sequence of events seem to follow a set pattern, viz
    1.The referee’s name is published and there is doom, gloom and gnashing of teeth.
    2. The match takes place. Most of us fail to spot the referee’s mistakes (deliberate or otherwise) and Arsenal win.
    3.We then receive a scathing report on the failings of the referee, much of which we find difficult to remember or understand.
    4. I’m sure the reports are correct, having been prepared by experts in the profession. However, they are in so much depth of probing that any neutral reader could only conclude that match officials continually display a hatred for Arsenal FC….which I’m sure cannot be the case.

  32. Interesting…the last 3 years Sp*rs have been right near the bottom of the fair play league…thugs.

  33. At least know this, if we get screwed over on any decision, the press will make sure the ref and any player who gets away with it get the criticism they deserve!

    ‘There was a hint of controversy in it though, as Long and Laurent Koscielny came together in the build-up, leaving the Frenchman on the ground, allowing Long to stride forward unchallenged and stroke in from Sadio Mane’s pass’

    Just underlines how safe from criticism Atkinson will be today if he doesn’t detect,say, a blatant cynical foul, even if it leads to a goal. Unless the decision favours us (I know, Atkinson, so that isn’t realistic) -in which case, ask Friend or Mason, there’ll be severe censure.

    Like all the rest of our supporters who have watched the likes of Atkinson properly, I can’t look forward to the game the way I should- blank slate, everything depending on our own performance- so it’s left to hoping we play really, really well, that luck favours us in not giving Atkinson opportunities to do his thing and, most importantly, an early goal, please!

  34. Given how bad Atkinson actually is, I still wonder how long it will be before we hear one of the talking heads tell us that ‘Martin Atkinson is one of our top referees’ !

    Despite the diabolical discrepancy between our win ration when he referees us and the rest of the time, not a question will be asked.

  35. nicky – don’t try to get deep into somthing that is so simple. Just enjoy what you in your tiny little mind believe in. There are several like you. That is why PGMO are getting away with huge levels of corrupt action.

    We on Untold have our truth to cope with & your intelligence is obviously beyond our ken.

  36. nicky

    I’m sorry mate but this is a really odd post. I Normally like what you have to say, but this time I just cant understand what you are trying to say.

    Lets take each point one at a time:

    I simply cannot fathom some of these referee reports. The sequence of events seem to follow a set pattern, viz
    1.The referee’s name is published and there is doom, gloom and gnashing of teeth.

    —–Later on you state “I’m sure the reports are correct”, and those reports that you agree are ‘correct’ show exactly why there is much ‘gnashing of teeth’ as you sarcastically call it.

    2. The match takes place. Most of us fail to spot the referee’s mistakes (deliberate or otherwise) and Arsenal win.

    —–You are on this site regularly, so where do you get the idea “Most of us fail to spot the Referees mistakes” from? The site was set up in reaction to the bad refereeing for crying out loud.

    3.We then receive a scathing report on the failings of the referee, much of which we find difficult to remember or understand.

    —–Speak for yourself. I have no trouble remembering how we get screwed.

    4. I’m sure the reports are correct, having been prepared by experts in the profession. However, they are in so much depth of probing that any neutral reader could only conclude that match officials continually display a hatred for Arsenal FC….which I’m sure cannot be the case.

    —–This point 4 is simply bazaar. You agree the report is correct. You agree it is prepared by experts. You agree it is in depth, but oddly find that as a negative.

    Very odd nicky

  37. Menace,
    Why do you have to be disrespectful to someone who shares a different view from yours?

    There is so much to enjoy about Arsenal. Why spoil it all by making it all about the refs every single game?

  38. Twatkinson ‘missed’ three fouls already and a possible penalty, and its only minute 10. Let the cheating begin.

  39. serge – thats 2 tackles from behind let go by the PGMO. Giroud picked up for a simple header challenge.

    A handball ignored. That is a penalty anywhere other than in an opposition area to Arsenal.

  40. Schmichael – should have got a red for the dangerous tackle that tha Arsenal player pulled out of. The intent & the speed was reckless & dangerous.

    Giroud called offside but wasn’t.

  41. Hrishi because respect is due to those who respect themselves. PGMO are cheating us out of fouls & ignoring theirs. A great game apparently but not when the slope is so obvious!!

  42. Coq booked for nothing. PGMO at its best. Now serge, nicky & john ask yourselves why wasn’t he talked to?

  43. There it is. Giroud surely, surely fouled in the penalty area by Huth.

    Bemusing that Coquelin received the game’s first yellow. Says it all. Double standards all over the shop today.

  44. now you nice Arsenal supporters ask yourselves why do we pick on PGMO refrerees for cheating. It starts witha jump on the back of an Arsenal player then it is all cheat cheat cheat cheat.

  45. We’ve got to show our class now. Leicester are not letting us play, Ox, Bellerin, Alexis and Oxil are surrounded by at least 3 when they get the ball.

    The ref is horrible.

    We are much better, and must sharpen up now.

  46. How much longer before the club lodge official complaints against such blatant bias from referees, backed by legal action if necessary?

    We are sure to have at least one player sent off by Atkinson.

    Thierry Henry talking shite on Sky.

  47. i think this will be the last match i watch the arsenal. the league is corrupt and the only power i have is to simply not watch. this will be my last game. i will be writing the Premier League, the FA, and the cable networks to which i will no longer be subscribing….

    what else can i do?!?

  48. Leicester going to win the title, it look like the FA want them to win. Arsenal should have got a penalty as Kante handball in the penalty area, then Ozil was fouled before the goal. It’s so blatant. Usually I don’t complain about refs but this is dodgy.

  49. nicky – now where is your set of questions?

    This in not the first time these corrupt cheating PGMOL cunts have done this to us. Note how quick he is to book mour players & only talked to theirs. He ignored a clear foul on Ozil & gave them a goal. He miht as well take the penalty himself. I hope someone does the arrogant bastard. What gets to me is the fans chanting ‘you don’t know what your doing’ when the bastard knows full well.

  50. Give them the trophy already…what the will Arsenal fans and management do….nothing
    This is boring now… Cant see united fans accepting this, but ours will surely defend the ref…
    Q

  51. The handball was a nailed on penalty. The defender makes a definite move towards the ball.

    Ozil was fouled in the build up to the goal.

    Yet Charragher, and worse our own Henry over look both of those as totally irrelevant.

    Then they both say the Leicester penalty was a 100% cert.

    I concede it is debatable, but to say Vardy doesn’t have to jump over Nachos leg is ridiculous because, no he didn’t, he deliberately ran into him.

  52. Finally a Leicester player is booked.

    My son just said to me, “What is the point in watching football when it is so obviously rigged?”

    This is my only comfort, that more and more people are realising what’s going on.

  53. Atkinson is now beginning to tilt the slope not fairly yet because he didn’t book Mahrez. The cheat is smart but a cheating bastard nonetheless.

  54. The players are taking action on the pitch. The last three yellows and the resulting red were instructed to the referee by our players.

  55. What a farce. The bastards are in on the cheating they are trying to rile Coq. Simpson should be done for failing to leave the field of play. Flying pigs again..

    The shambles of cheating officials works well with advantage when none exists. The diving studs up tackle on Alexis when he took his shot – should be red.

  56. I have had a strong foreboding about this game the whole week. Something dodgy just had to happen. What riles me is how everyone has become seemingly brainwashed into believing this is the best and fairest league in the world when it clearly is not.

    Maybe it’s time Arsenal do something. For the sake of players who give their all in every game and for the fans. No one sane can take this crap year in year out and be okay with it.

    Personaly I have decided to just stop watching this scripted crap we’re force fed and try something new, like reading more books,because I feel like a pawn in the grand scheme of things, and it is insulting.

  57. Come on you Gunners. Schmichael with studs up at Theo yet the goal was scored. Where is the Atkinson skill in seeing a card!!

  58. goal bound shot stopped by an arm stretched out – penalty all day long. PGMO cheat sees a trip but cannot see the handball.

  59. Time wasting being employed & PGMO geek allowing it to happen while aiding & abetting cheating.

  60. Dear Untold, Tony, Walter and Untold readers,
    Out of the Arsenal topic, but on target about Referees.
    Yesterday match, 13.02.2016, Sunderland vs Man Utd, referee A.Marriner, score 1:1. Min 46 Rooney made a bad foul, cynical scissors from behind = yellow card. After that, in next 10-12 min I noticed at least 3 wrestling fouls by MU … NOT ONE given! Compensation by Ref. Marriner? To be perfectly objective, they were however followed, too much was too much, by the bookings of Mata 58 min and Carrick 59 min. Another compensation by Ref. Marriner? But not relevant, because in 50 min = game changing incident: O’Shea (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box is blocked by Rooney’s hand which was over his own head! Ref. Marriner in view, linesman perfectly in view. So it is a deliberate hand ball in the 16m box:
    1. Penalty for Sunderland with 80-90% chances to go 2:1 up.
    2. Yellow card for Rooney.
    3. Second yellow card for Rooney.
    4. Second yellow card = red card for Rooney.
    5. Sunderland 40-44 min with one more man till the end of the match.
    6. Rooney at least one match suspension.
    And what Ref. Marriner did … he gave a corner!?? But Man Utd, still lost after big efforts by Sunderland and Rooney is free to play the next match and eventually score a winner.
    Awful refereeing by A.Marriner. (Remember Chelsea vs Arsenal, Costa and Mike ‘F**king’ Dean?).
    Now to BBC. In their Live Text 50 min is described as:”Attempt blocked. Corner. Conceded by Wayne Rooney.” No single word of the handball seen in slow motion by millions of TV viewers! Dishonest BBC and outrageous writing.
    (Link: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35510140 ).
    More BBC, public TV, financed by the tax payers, should be objective and neutral. Nnaagghh … In their Match of the Day:
    1. No mention at all of the yellow card for Rooney.
    2. No mention at all of the game changing incident (penalty) in 50 min.
    3. No mention at all of Ref. Marriner influencing decisively the score by not giving a penalty for Sunderland and tilting the match.
    4. No mention at all of the leniency by Ref. Marriner towards Rooney (2nd yellow card for one of the Premiership’s ‘Holly Cows’), allowing him to play next 40-44 min and the next match.
    Dishonest BBC and scandalous journalisme by G.Lineker and MotD team!
    It does not even out at the end! Keep banging the truth about rotten FA, PL, PGMOB and the rest in English football.
    P.S. If Leicester or any other club wins PL fairly and squarely in front of Arsenal … no problem. But to be robbed by referees (again) like presently by ‘F**king’ Atkinson, just makes me sick (again)!
    By the way, Monreal should have done to Schmeichel what Vardy did to him … just go for a contact and get the opponent punished. Monreal is too nice. Still very bad refereeing by ‘F**king’ Atkinson.

  61. Talk about cheating to the end. This PGMO cnut is a master of it. Ignores all the pen possibilities —– but would not if it was in our box.

  62. Guardian and Daily Mail are noticing incorrect decisions by ref, but not calling the overall performance anything other than it all evens out in the end. Sports Mole sees absolutely nothing wrong with what is happening. BBC is letting some Arsenal fans twit, but still finding lots of aaa twits to twit.

    Come on Arsenal! Get that winning goal!

  63. Danny ——- yessssssssssssssss Up yours you cheating bastards despite all your cheating we are winners!!!

  64. I’m shaking. I love you Arsenal. I love you.

    As for Atkinson… I have no words. A disgraceful performance, more appalling than Dean’s earlier in the year.

  65. serge, nicky, john, tipster lets see what you have to say. We beat the cheats despite their appointment of a mega cheat.

  66. I woke up to a room full of dog crap and cleaned it up missing the whole first half. Spent the second half watch potential leg breaking tackles going unnoticed/ignored. Then we finished at the death and won. It’s going to be a good day.

  67. And yet we still won it. Just shows we would have run away with this damn league if the playing field was a bit more fair!

  68. Henry as much as I enjoyed him playing for us, please just keep your mouth shut, Carregher is a knob, never really done anything or than watch Gerrard dive around, prick of the highest order.

  69. Dave,

    It IS a good day!

    That Atkinson guy is the worst. He denied Arsenal 2 stonewall penalties and gifted Leicester a phantom one.

    Why the hell didn’t he yellow card Mahrez for trying to emulate Vardy?

  70. Great performance. Three points to AW. Absolutely brilliant substitutions, at the perfect moments.

  71. That drinkwater tackle on Ramsey was disgusting. Ramsey is very lucky! I said it before, this will happen while referees treat Atsenal this way. This English acceptance that it’s,a legitimate tactic to get stuck in, reduces the margin of error.

    Great win, The WOB’s had the knives out of their shears from the first minute.

    Justice was done today.

    Well done boys and great to see Danny back.

  72. Rodelero – Atkinson is has more finesse with his cheating than Dean. I would like to see the Leicester matches were refereed by the 3 stooges as per FIF (football is fixed).

  73. Why isn’t Henry jumping around like me?

    I find it amazing why all these ex guns find it so hard to let there passion for Arsenal come through.

    Unless they don’t have the passion?

  74. Best description of the Leicester penalty (in my opinion) is that Vardy pushed the ball past Monreal, and then decided to take the path that led over Monreal’s leg so he could fall, rather than take a more direct path to follow the ball and possibly score (honestly). I didn’t see it, just read 4 different commentaries.

    BBC sucks, and so does Sports Mole.

    Atkinson, I hope you get in an accident on the way home. Just bend some sheet metal, no injuries. Just let a higher power than 😈 Mike Riley tell you, you are doing wrong!

  75. Tipster,

    “Just to clarify, I support arsenal with passion, not wenger….”

    Then what the hell are you doing here? Didn’t you see the Untold banner above?

    And you point is not even logical: how can you claim support Arsenal with a passion when you oppose the man making almost 100% of the footballing decision of the club?

  76. Henry is no different than Cesc, actually bullshitting live defending the indefensible, no way was that a penalty. He probably as gutted as the shit crew from talk sports.

  77. Despite Atkis kacki, a magic finish by the Gunners.Great to have you back Danny!
    COYG!

  78. Was never a penalty imho.
    The ref tried to gift the game to Leicester but God helped Arsenal and justice was done

  79. Koscielny is said to be a dead leg. Hopefully fine for the next game. Rumour of Gabriel having picked up a hamstring injury in training. Metro making up a story that Alexis was hungover (too much ethanol) for the game today.

    Sports Joe raving about ref, and then putting up hardly any proof. Trying to twist the story so that everyone forgets the ref had a mare of a game.

    Good the Theo to equalize coming off the bench, and Danny for winning.

  80. Ranieri

    Hats off.

    Quality interview.

    OK was a pretty soft interview, didn’t ask about the potential leg breaking challenge on Ramsey for instance. But still, credit where credits due.

    If we don’t win it I hope he does.

  81. Great win. Henry is singing for his supper, and to me I lost any respect I had for him a while ago. He’s just shown he’s a person with no principles. Just disappointed as I used to think he was intelligent… I doubt very much you’d ever hear someone like Lehman say some of the sh*t he comes up with.

    As for the ref today, what can i add… a total cnut. We haven’t seen the last of him though, especially with trips to whl & the etihad to come.

  82. I hope this result will put a stop to all the nonsense you lot write about referees and their so called “agenda”, but I won’t hold my breath.

  83. Incredible happiness at the end.

    More than makes up for the dissapointing and genuinely odd reaction from Henry at ht and, especially, full time.

    Alan Smith a bit easier to predict. Ex Pool, Utd, etc pro’s will try say a player moved his arm on a pen shout against his team even when they haven’t; Smith says the player clearly hasn’t moved arm to ball even as replay is showing he clearly did. Man’s a git but f*** him and many others today.

  84. On that potential leg breaker.

    Funny how SSN seem to be letting it slip under the radar.

    Funny that when you compare it to how they reacted to Flaminis transgression last week.

    Could it be they would hate to bring it to the attention of the authorities and hence have Leicester potentially losing another player to suspension.

    Or is that just the cynic in me?

    It will be interesting to see if he does get the retrospective ban that challenge surely merited.

  85. Can see the trolls are slowly emerging from their shells… anyone calling today’s officiating fair has got to be bonkers.
    Anyway, good win, COYG!!!

  86. Steven white

    And how is it nonsense?

    Dozens and dozens of ref reviews done by ex and current referees of both an Arsenal persuasion and not, done over years.

    So can you please explain, and better still show us your own in depth analysis.

    Starting with todays would be a good idea.

    How was Ozil not fouled on the edge of the box?

    How did Leicester not end the game with 9 men?

    I look forward to your full and insightful review rather than the usual ‘I know what I saw’ kind of thing we normally get.

  87. Tipster – you are obviously anti WEnger for a reason. Do you not like football played in a clean honest way? Or is it just that Arsene is way beyond your expectation of football?

    Who would you suggest should be in charge of Arsenal?

  88. Steven White,

    Let me give you some examples about this “Nonsense” about refs we write.

    Do you have a job or family or do you study, if so then imagine this situation.

    1. You arrive at work on time, but someone at the work wrongly informs the management that you came late. Your boss keeps warning you. This keeps on happening week-in and week-out. You feel hard done and being misjudged every time.

    This is how the players and team feel every time a they make a clean tackle/challenge and it gets called a foul.

    2. You are giving a board exam or university finals, the teachers, instructors suspect you of cheating and deduct marks from your exam, even if you did not cheat at all (Believe this has happened to my class-mates at A-levels)

    This is how the players and team feel every time they get wrongly booked, sent off or get a wrong penalty,

    3. You are driving within the speed limit on the road and out of nowhere the police pulls up and gives you a ticket for over speeding. (Again happened to my family)

    4. Your child or younger sibling is getting bullied at school every week, but the school and teachers are not even reacting to this and ignoring this act of bullying. The kid feels helpless, ignored and denied of justice. (Sadly this is common worldwide.)

    This is how the players and team feel after getting fouled and fouled and fouled without getting freekicks and penalties.

    So Mr. White you saying…

  89. Great resolve from the team to overcome the obvious bias.

    Best way to win it in the end, 93rd minute.

    Thought Kante was the MOTM though, what a terrific player.

  90. Morgan’s foul on Ozil before their penalty.

    Kante’s handball.

    Wrong. Typical Atkinson.

    No penalty for Huth’s handball – correct. Giroud was pulling his shirt.

    Boys and Mr Wenger – THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  91. What a win! Credit to AW who threw 4 strikers on the pitch and got the result. It was only fair for the team in red & white to win on Valentines day!!!
    🙂

  92. Gord – you’re wrong about the referee having a mare of a game. He cheated his way through the first half giftin Vardy a penalty. He was spoken to by Wenger in the tunnel at half time & improved slightly in the second half. He didn’t book Mahrez for diving and allowed several tackles from behind by Leicester. Simpson was shocked that he was getting ared card. He was under the impression that what he did was acceptable to PGMO standards. It was but Atkinson had to act correctly or Wenger would pull the rug from under the corruption that is going on. There is something happening under the surface & it will boil soon.

    Arsenal fans sing ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ when they should sing ‘cheating dirty (or northern) bastard’ at the PGMOL official.

  93. Jambug & Proudkev
    Agree with both the Drinkwater tackle on Ramsey was disgusting lucky his leg wasn’t planted otherwise another 18 months out
    What does the 4th official do there needs to be some form of retrospective punishment for this type of action Drinkwater made contact Flamini didn’t yet was there a talking point

  94. John L,

    May this match compel you to watch the PL again:)

    I honestly fast forwarded the recording after Vardy’s penalty, the blatant cheating was just too much. Stopped at the red card and at Theo’s goal, but only noticed Danny’s winner when they were celebrating. I will have to re-watch the second half again.

    In a way, this is the 2014 FA Cup Final reloaded. Two penalties denied, not 4, but still… Plus all the other biased decisions, and we still prevailed. Maybe, just maybe, the PL will be ours this year!

  95. What a pulsating game, I was worried we couldn’t find a way through the bus, but Ozil what a pass in the dying seconds, and Wellbeck first game back and goal. Things are looking good last two games we have Ozil, Ox, Walcott, and Wellback scoring, now we need Ramsay, Giroud, and Alexis to score again.

    Leicester defended well but they tried to kick Arsenal out the park tactics and it nearly worked. Credit to Leicester they are so dangerous on the counter attack. Could this be the change of the tide?

  96. This site was created in part as an antidote to all the negativity aimed at Arsenal, and particularly Wenger, both by the media and the AAA.

    It does not disguise this fact and openly states this at the top of the page.

    So why do you and your ilk feel the need to come on here and constantly state the exact opposite?

    Yes, of course you are entitled to your view, and you may even be correct, but why do you have to air it on here of all places?

    After all we’re all just a bunch of paranoid fools aren’t we, so why not let us trundle on in our own deluded way?

    Or do you feel an irresistible urge to avail us of your opinions and convert us all to your way of thinking?

    If that is indeed the case then I’m afraid you’re wasting your breath.

  97. Tasos – Kante should have had a red if officiating was honest. Man of the match was Bellerin for me. He works continually & without any complaints. His contribution is so critical in the long run.

  98. Necuhan @1:40, despite being about another game, Excellent post.

    The silver lining re the inability to post newer articles is that there has hardly been a more appropriate time to have post match comments all appearing on this ref thread. Innit?

    I’ll need to watch the whole match again in order to see the extent of the fixing, though I saw plenty first time around.

    There’s something so beautiful about the goals being scored by Theo and Danny, don’t you think? Notwithstanding multiple penalty possibilities, etc.

    Very well done Arsenal.

  99. Thank you for correcting me Menace.

    I was hoping for a Villa home win, but that is looking pretty slim now (0-5). I am hoping for a draw, scoreless in the Spud game.

  100. hear hear Jambug well said. Tipster eat your …….you can’t have a heart so eat your spleen!

    Why do we have to cope with aaa when today is a joyous day. Wenger’s boys did us proud & beat the PGMO & thier favoured sons.

  101. From the BBC website;

    “Vardy has won six penalties in the Premier League this season; twice as many as any other player. In fact, Vardy has won more penalties alone than all of the other 19 Premier League teams this season.”

  102. I hope Walter got to (and from) the game okay. It should be an interesting referee report.

    Maybe Tony can come up with an inspirational comment (seeing as we are new threadless until tomorrow)? 🙂

  103. Wow ,i pity the sewer rats they almost woke up or they did silently but then went back,like i said this site is gona be jolly all season long. Thanks for the support Gunners we have to keep the fire burning.

  104. ohhh and Atkinson tried his very best!!!

    We should have had at least 1 pen and they should have been down to 9!!

  105. Atkinson waved play on when Paul Was jumped upon by Morgan, yet called a penalty as vardy plants his trailing leg on Moneral, Henry bullshitting all the way defending the call. Even the commentary excused the two blatant penalties, ex gooners my balls more like ex spuds.

  106. Thank God Walter was there to see us over the line.
    Walter is definitely our lucky mascot, we always win when he comes to a game.

  107. dan

    Whether Henry feels it was a penalty for Leicester and our appeals were not?

    Whether he thinks the result was a tad harsh on Leicester or not?

    I can live with that, just.

    But what is worse, for somebody who is an Arsenal legend and professes to now be a fan, he actually looked disappointed.

    Unbelievable and really sad. Hang your head in shame Henry.

  108. Some more apples (maybe).

    {-: [-: 😉 🙂 (-: (-; :-] :-}

    At the interviews, it looks like some medja person was trying to put words in Per’s mouth (where id his interview go on Arsenal.com?). Wenger gave a great interview, but that is typical of him.

  109. Boom and menace, : I can support Arsenal with passion easily, love the club, but I don’t have to give wenger my undivided support, the early day yes, but no toitle in 100 years, you might be happy with that I’m not, especially with our resources and all, btw, the banner is lovely, a PL TROPHY AND CHAMPS LEAGUE TROPHY WOULD LOOK MUCH NICER, wonder how that feels.

  110. Vardy has conned penalties more like. It is the way pundits like the game to be played. Cheat, kick 7 bells out of your opponent, scream like a banshee & get opponents sent off.

  111. Yes Al, Vardy has won six penalties. Did he win them all like the one today, I wonder? Wouldn’t be my idea of a fair way to win the league.

    Great, great result. As an aside, on yesterday’s Match of the Day all the talk was about players for England, as Roy Hodgson was the guest. No mention of Arsenal players. And who scores today? Walcott and Welbeck. Ha ha ha ha ha.

  112. Vardy has conned penalties more like. It is the way pundits like the game to be played. Cheat, kick 7 bells out of your opponent, scream like a banshee & get opponents sent off.

    I will watch the game again & compare notes with Walters report. Liverpool played well & Aston Villa were a little unlucky not to get a token goal.

    City v Spuds – 0 – 0 at the moment. Dont want a spuds win. Any other result is OK.

  113. “No title in 100 years…” Try learning to count then come back here to try and make your point again.

  114. Jambug

    February 14, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Given how bad Atkinson actually is, I still wonder how long it will be before we hear one of the talking heads tell us that ‘Martin Atkinson is one of our top referees’

    Well, it took longer than I thought. In fact until just before the kick of in the City Spurs clash when Niall Quinne said:

    “There couldn’t be a better person to referee this game (Clattengurg). And why we’re talking about Martin Atkinson (who was on top of his game apparently)both him and Mark Clattenburg are the only 2 English Referees who will officiate at the Euro 2016, so it will tell you we’ve got the cream of the crop, so rather than take cheap shots at them I admire those 2 guys. I think they are the top Referees in the Country.”

    Then according to Quinnes own judgement Clattenberg missed four, yes FOUR bookings for City players within the first 25 minutes.

    This really shows just how far we have to go.

    Unbelievable, truly unbelievable.

  115. Was having a debate on Facebook with a friend who supports Wycombe Wanderers and Liverpool (don’t ask!) about why Arsenal get so few penalties when they regularly dominate around the opposition box compared to Leicester; his answer? Arsenal play slowly whereas Leicester attack quickly and more directly! The mind boggles…

  116. Probably better for us if our players were dropped from all International friendlies. It keeps them safe from injury.

    I suppose thats a little rich to expect less injury in the EPL with PGMO calling the shots.

    I don’t know what Wenger said to Atkinson at half time, but it must have frightened him. I hope Wenger gets the corrupt to the surface & cleans football like he din in France (if only for a few years).

  117. This is a huge win. A vital one.
    Arsenal has not won a match when trailing at half time for about 5 years.
    That was a real barrage, it may end in a real spanking on thewother day. Some Arsenal players need to calm down a bit. I see so much anxiety on their faces. It does not good for goalscoring ability.

    Arsenal record in corresponding fixtures is still 2 point less that a year before and 6 point less that 2 seasons ago.
    After FA cup and Champions League come 3 fixtures, which Arsenal does not gather points.
    MU away 1 point in 6 seasons(last year)
    Swansea home 4 points s in 4 seasons
    Tottenhham away 4 points in 6 seasons
    The best season was 13/14 with 4 points combined, the worst waas 12/13 with zero points.

    I believe this year will be much better!

  118. Menace.

    I think a big thumbs up for Mertesaker as well. Prior to the game it was generally muted that if he and not Gabriel where to play he would be embarrassed by the pace of Vardy et el.

    Yet I don’t think he put a foot wrong, but not a mention post match, or during it for that matter.

    I think he is unduly criticised, and vastly underrated. Whenever he plays well it is ignored. Only when he makes an error does he get a mention.

  119. strus

    “Arsenal has not won a match when trailing at half time for about 5 years”.

    I think we broke another trend as well today. Not sure how long it is, but I believe until today we hadn’t beaten the League leaders (whomever they are) for years.

  120. @Tipster – No you don’t have to give him your undivided support, but your undivided hatred is infinitely more pathetic. Even after winning 2 consecutive FA cups in the past 2 seasons and getting us to within 2 points off the top of the PL with 12 games to go. Even after a excellent win you feel the need to express your dislike for him. It’s genuinely mind-boggling and quite sad.

  121. Tipster -I suppose you manage your home on a shoestring. Competition is not easy when there are extraenous systems in play. Wenger has performed miracles despite the handicaps that have been placed in his path. You can buy a trophy at your local sports shop if it is that important, but to win financially is key to survival of a professional club. I wont waste my time educating you because you are probably past common sense.

    Jambug -spot on Mert is collosal. He is a silent captain.

  122. Really sorry that we have no new articles up. I can’t get engineers to sort out the problem on the site until Monday morning.

    Thank you for staying with Untold.

  123. @Tipster – You don’t have to give him your undivided support, no, but your undivided hatred is infinitely more pathetic. Even after winning 2 consecutive FA cups in the past 2 seasons and getting us to within 2 points off the top of the PL with 12 games to go. Even after a excellent win you feel the need to express your dislike for him. It’s genuinely mind-boggling and quite sad.

  124. Tony – no worries – we love Untold & Happy Valentines to you. I’m surprised your not attending a hop or a ball for Valentines.

  125. @jammy, certainly don’t hate him, but in my humble opinion I yjink he has had enough time at the club, let a younger man take us forward, every thing is about his ego, too stubborn and cannot take criticism. Makes to many mistakes.with t/fers and tactics. I want us to win the champions league more than anything, just can’t see it happening,.

  126. Clattenburg – giving his chosen a pen for Sterling turning his back on a cross. Anothe PGMO crap official. Where do they find these chosen people? Corrupt bastards.

  127. Spudz just given a contentious penalty, and the sky commentary called it “harsh, very harsh”. Lets see the Judas spin this later.

  128. The referees in EPL are either incompetent or bent. A penalty kick had just been invented for Spurs against Man. City.

  129. Tipster

    Funny how you see not turning over the league leaders for a few years as worthy of ridicule.

    Yet strangely you fail to see champions League qualification for years and years, or winning the FA Cup 2 years on the bounce, or being second in the PL as worthy of any praise what so ever.

    Please, go away and leave us poor deluded Wenger lovers alone. I’m sure you’d be much happier if you where moaning and groaning about him on a blog that appreciated your take on things.

  130. Jambug, might just do that. Of course we are a top club and team, but have under acheived in the premier league and Champs league for to long.my opinion of course. Winning the FA CUP is fantastic but are we just a good cup team, like the spuds.

    Question, if we don’t win the League or Champions league would you still want Wenger in charge next season.

  131. Menace, WA
    Not watching, but just heard on CNN that the spuds have just taken the lead through a controversial penalty scored by Kane. After our match me and a friend, in a post match analysis of our result just after the final whistle, concurred there would definitely be more controversy today at the etihad since our result would not be the one the pigmob would have wanted.

    Can anyone remember ther ever being a game that had no controversy in it, this season? I’m struggling to think of one; not saying there weren’t any but of those I’ve watched or bothered to read their reports there is always a huge talking point. We need to do something collectively as fans, and take our game back from these corrupt people. Yes the Feds are cleaning Fifa up, but the stench that’s coming from the epl has got to be felt from thousands of miles away?

  132. To be precise, me and my friend were of the view that there was no way the pigmob would allow both their favourite pets to be upset on the same day, and it seems we were correct.

  133. Tipster

    a) let a younger man take us forward——Who? And you don’t think Wengers took us forward then?

    b) Every thing is about his ego——If it was about his ego why did he chose to build us, yes US, a new stadium, that hamstrung his chances of personal glory for years?

    c) too stubborn——-And why do you think that? Because he doesn’t do what YOU think he should do? Or what Neville, or Charager, or Savage, or Merson etc etc thinks he should do?

    d) cannot take criticism——Are you serious? he gets criticised every single day of his life and takes it all in his stride.

    e) Makes to many mistakes.with t/fers and tactics.——Of course he makes mistakes, but what manager doesn’t? But too many? How many is too many? You give me your expert opinion on what transfer and tactical mistakes he makes and then explain to me why you, with your superior ability, are not in charge of a premier league side?

  134. City equalised but Spuds have just scored to retake the lead. Not nice but it is what it is.

    Tipster – yes I would like Weger to stay & you to go play in the traffic.

  135. Menace

    Re Clattengurg

    Did you hear what Quinne had to say about him and Atkinson (reproduced above at 4:49) earlier today?

  136. Jam, so there is no one better than wenger,, yes would you like to answer the question.
    Mistakes, emm, Liverpool away, ateta and Gibbs coming on, Atreta still at the club….flamini still at the club …rubbish goalkeepers for 10 years.
    Could have bought Saurez, trying to be to smart.

    Well, your answer.

  137. Ha, Pellegrini has a right go at Micky Deane.

    Maybe he caught him whispering ‘handball, pen’ into his microphone.

    Draw would’ve been best but at least it should make it a bit harder to give Spurs a dodgy pen for a week or so.

  138. Bollocks spuds win & go above us. We have another PGMO special at the Lane. I hope Wenger gets some publicity on the corruption.

  139. Of course I would like him to stay.

    No I don’t think there is anyone better than him. Obviously you agree as you failed to come up with a name for his successor.

    You also failed to explain why a guy as brilliant as you is not in charge of a premiership side.

    Rubbish goalkeepers for 10 years? Are you serious?

    You pick one away game as evidence.

    Could of bought Saurez. And you know this how?

    Please please take menaces advice. Can I recommend the M25?

    I’m done with you.

  140. Spuds won, if we finish second to them ….. New contract, Alfter all we are just a TOURIST ATTRACTION. Some great days but just like our dreams they fade away. But not to worry. There’s always next year.

  141. Jam / Menance, you just don’t get it, we won’t win the. League. Wenger will bottle it, as usual… Oh yes better manager that wenger, . Pep. Maybe. Mourino too, after all they know how the win the champs league..

  142. It more than looks as if the PGMO twisters have adopted the Spuds as their favourite team – as a result of the Manures and Chelski stuttering.

    Today – a clear not penalty awarded to the Spuds along with some dodgy off-side decisions also favouring the Spuddies.

    In our match Twitkinson denied us two obvious penalties, permitted numerous fouls against us, gave our guys very soft yellows and permitted the build up to the penalty to continue after a non given foul.

    The two refs were described as the “cream of the crop” – more like “cream of the c*ap”!

    Returning to our match – great performance by our guys against a very energetic Foxes team aided by the twit in black. So well done our players, manager and fans!

  143. Anyone know if there was more to the Coquelin thing than the one shot I saw of him trying to hurry up Mahrez with a nothing little push?

    You see that dozens of times a year and I’ve barely heard a commentator mention it when it happens, certainly never heard them suggest it’s a booking or a stupid thing for the player to do.

    Commentator tried to make a thing of it and, presto, already I’ve seen a few mugs follow the lead and try say it should’ve been a 2nd yellow.

    ‘BTW I am not a fan of either club. How Coquelin escaped any punishment for physically shoving a player right in front of Atkinson and the 4th official is beyond me.’

    Ha. ‘Physically shoving’

  144. Tipster – your dimmer than a dead lightbulb. None of them are fit to lick Wengers boots. Which of these built a stadium? What kind of record of consistency have any of them set. Pep is a follow the money manager as was Morinho. They are coaches not managers. They can manipulate a set of footballers but can’t process a collection of financial funds into a working football club moving towards a historic continuum of success.

    Wenger is everything. A coach. A mentor. A leader. A phylosopher. An Economist and an Invincible.

    So tipster here’s a tip foxtrot oscar in 2.30 Thirsk.

  145. Tipster; stick to FIFA Manager – maybe you and your piers find more satisfaction in having a say in the digree of the difficulty of the game – you know!!

    OR…take the advice of Jamburg and Menace (play on a busy motorway – that will be a challenge for you).

  146. My apologies for having rattled so many cages. All I was attempting to point out was the predictability of referee reports these days…… from the criticism of the appointment, to their behaviour on the field of play.
    In addition, many of us of advanced years, watching on TV, try as we might, simply fail to distinguish the fine line between fair tackle and foul during the game.
    And then, when we eventually read the referee reports some time later, they are inevitably so scathing of the referee, we wonder whether we saw the same game.
    That’s all.
    No need for the abuse and umbrage-taking.
    Just the view of an old crumblie who still enjoys watching his team perform. 😉

  147. Add George Graham to that list, btw. If all your interested in is the balance sheet why don’t you support FTSE 100 company, SHELL OR BP, an economist, lol. He’s fu@ked up the wage structure at the club, paying dross players loads, is Sannogoal still on our books, bentdner, the left back at West Ham, joke. Sanchez and ozil shoul be on twice that of the Ox, theo and all the rest, but no his favourites get mega money for little or no return, like I said earlier, where’s the champs league trophy and the PL.

  148. Interesting day. First, congratulations,to our boys, they shut a few people up. great to see Danny back. Slowly, but surely, they return. Mental strength and persistence were the order of the day, when our plans were disrupted, by officials, some very cynical play, and some slightly wayward finishing.
    As for Atkinson, he let far too much go initially, they were fouling at will. Our players got frustrated, and to an extent sucked in to it, bookings for Coq and Kos…..up until now, so predictable. Got their penalty. Despite a clear foul on an arsenal player in the build up which should have been visible to the officials. Seems running into a player constitutes a modern day penalty, perhaps we should try it. I will leave the rights and wrongs of that to the refs on here, but Atkinson was clearly itching to give it.
    But , then something strange happened, to this untrained eye at least. in the second half, all change, they started getting yellows, we got free kicks, they see red….and we know the rest. Almost as if they had done their homework on the ref and felt they could take liberties, perhaps too many. Did the ref spot this, and go to save his reputation…ok I speak in relative terms, rather than follow the pgmol line? Was he just calling as he saw it? Apart from the outrageous drink water assault on Ramsey, he did seem to improve in the second half….or was that just me?
    But a vital three points.
    A day when the teams these days most likely to get penalties did not disappoint. The Spuds are getting quite a few now…..city should be pretty outraged at that one.

  149. @Tipster of those you mentioned who have you contacted so far???Looks like you are so eager to bring in one. By the way get it from me Le Prof is going nowhere,better stay in your sewers and nibble on that …. i will let you know when he is gone.Clattenburg and his fellow junkies are expected to do that’ but what bothers most is that no single whorelist is talking about those would be penalities we should have got; look at the one that moron gave against city really???It was not even a penalty.

  150. What got me going was Coquelin getting a yellow on what had to be his first challenge of the game. It was a clear foul but Atkinson judged it a professional foul…strange how he had not judged earlier Leicester fouls the same way. In fairness he called Simpson twice for just that in the second half and that shifted the balance of the game.

    The second was that half rape of Oezil just before the penalty on the Monreal challenge. Just what is allowed by defenders in this league??? Got to give it to Leicester they are a compelling blend of skill, speed and thuggery…you wouldn’t want to meet that Wasilewski in a dark alley.

    Leicester’s forwards remind me of Liverpool’s a couple of years back…skilled, slippery as hell and all to willing to take on a defender knowing that there will always be an opportunity to take a belly flop on the grass.

  151. Just offering an opinion, numptee’s, I know wenger is going nowhere, he is under no pressure to deliver. That’s the problem, just get the 4th place trophy(his words), that’s all we need, qualify for the champs league, will he ever win it, last 18 years says don’t think so……but maybe you know something I dont, all part of his master play. 4 more years and we can do it., I could have signed ronaldo, messii, aguerio, Eusebio too, lol. But wanted park and bentdner. Lolllllllllllll

  152. For the love of God, ignore losers like Tipster… They are only here to bring negative thoughts & energy. Please don’t respond to them.

  153. GGG, a lot of parallels between Leicester this season and Liverpool a couple years ago.
    The media and neutrals behind them, refs favour them, and penalties galore. Liverpool finished that season with 13 penalties, Leicester got their tenth today. Spurs got their fifth. We have been stuck on two…for some time.
    It was all set up for Liverpool, media darlings, the anniversary, the FA and EPL could say someone other than city Utd or Chelsea at the time could win the title. How they lost it is beyond me. Gerard’s studs too short, Rogers naive tactics….the Palace game, a true snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
    Will Leicester prevail…..who knows, they certainly have their friends, but whatever happens, Danny dealt them a serious blow today. After this game, they might look down….and that could prove fatal for their challenge.

  154. @Tipster…NO, you’re not “just offering an opinion”…NOT when you follow your phrase with “numptee’s (sic). You are just mean and cynical. We won the game…And, even the broadsheets are having a go at Atkinson…not just us. BUT, you take the opportunity to take a swipe at Wenger. So…sad.

  155. I’m off to watch the history channel, when we used to win the league, can’t remember what it was like children, which one, well the best, we won the league on merseyside, remember, George’s graham red and white army. He was our top manager. Simples.
    Menace;
    Can’t remember what our profit was that year though,£££££. Don’t think I really cared, menace can u find out for me, when you do write it down on a piece of paper and stick it where the sun don’t shine. We’re football supporters. Dope.

  156. Arsenal 2- Leicester Cheating 0 – PGmob 1.

    Two Impact subs from AW and the points were bagged. And some fools still chose today to express their hatred for him.

    Shame on PGmob.

    COYG

  157. Methinks tipster didn’t get a Valentine this morning and has nothing better to do than try to stir it up here. Sad really, more to be pitied than loved!!
    On a more important note, good day to be of the Arsenal. Hull, Barca, ManU and the spuds (with Swansea thrown in for a light snack), good times ahead!
    Allez les Gunners.

  158. Don’t feed the troll, he’ll soon go away.

    Mandy,
    True comparison between this Leicester and the Liverpool of two years ago. Although I think this time the pigmob want a second side in there as insurance should Leicester choke, the spuds, so there isn’t a repeat of two years ago.

    Whatever happened to the spirit of fair play, being honest and letting the best team win? Remember we heard, was it Dyke?, saying city winning the league instead of Liverpool was depressing. And Allardyce was going to try and stop city winning with his team so they win it for Liverpool. That’s so often the mentality in England; adopt a team and everyone gets behind that team from the refs, media, other managers….you couldn’t make it up. I even saw a tweet during the match saying Theo was going to be the most unpopular player up and down the country today for his equaliser, not sure what they’ll make of Danny. The media are the biggest culprits in all this.

  159. Right, beyond a doubt, Tipster is a troll. He just told us the main reason why Wenger is such a poor manager in his eyes, is because he hasn’t yet won the CL. When asked which managers would be better for Arsenal, he quotes; Martinez, Laudrup and Pochettino. And apparently George Graham also. A great manager, yes, but often fell short of the top 4 and played non-imaginative football. Can you imagine the deafening outcry there would be if Wenger didn’t finished in at least 4th?

    Clearly this person is coming on here purely to try and wind people up. Begs the question; how pathetic can someones life be, that they feel the need to do that? The mind boggles..

  160. Al, 8.17, couldn’t agree more. The Spuds will be an insurance policy. But, have a strong hunch, they, like Leicester will run out of energy, so they might have to screw us even more.
    Despite everything, still not ruling out city though, in this, the strangest of seasons.
    Just been to take a look at a couple of other forums, full of barely disguised Spurs sleepers. And our pathetic WOBbles lap up their every word!

  161. Like several people commenting here, I felt that someone had given Atkinson such an earful at half time that he felt he had overstepped the mark so much with his performance in the first half, and would become an object of ridicule. Well the problem is, a whole lot of football fans seem to be unable to interpret what they see with their own eyes. They need the idiot pundits to tell them back is white and they will swallow that hook line and sinker.

    I became convinced that referees were corrupt in the PL not from their ant-Arsenal performances, which crept up and got worse steadily, in a kind of brainwashing way, rather I realised they were bent when we got a neutral referee. It felt so weird and refreshing. Like a tiger let off its leash, we crushed the opponents nearly every time. Mason, Dean, Poll and Atkinson – their performances have cost us 10-15 points a season for many years (and less points would have been won by our rivals). I don’t believe this, I know it. Anyone who is able to look with their own eyes can see it. So few do, though.

    A lot of people on one site were saying Leicester outplayed us – until Wellbeck scored – at which point they said we played great. What planet are they living on. Leciester bought a penalty after avoiding a definite free kick for us, both thanks to mistakes by Atkinson – deliberate I’m sure. We had 27 shot to their 9. 72% possession. What planet do some people live on? We played them off the park and but for some poor finishing and poor refereeing it could have been a lot more convincing.

    Even though Atkinson tightened up his act in the 2nd half, he still let then get away with a few howlers but it wasn’t enough. Wenger’s master-stroke was taking Coquelin off. He would have got a 2nd yellow if he had been there. With him going off for an attacking player, Atkinson was befuddled and bemused. I loved it. Justice was done in the end, although I sort of wish it wasn’t Leicester, as they really have been a joy to watch this year.

    I was trying to explain to my buddy that if they installed clowns as referees, they would actually get better refereeing stats in Arsenal games than the above named ones. Isn’t it obvious to people? Sadly not, people seem to lose their rational minds very easily. Eduardo’s rescinded red and the Stoke fans tormenting of Ramsey are 2 perfect examples. Football fans are largely delusional, which always really bothers me. You cannot have a rational discussion with a lot of them because they regurgitate the rubbish from the media.

    Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough. I am not bothered that Spuds beat City. Firstly. I don’t think they looked very good today and secondly, I think City having lost 7 already puts them out of the title race. It might have been done once, but only once as far as I am aware. They are a better team than Spuds and there is good space between us. It’s been a great day for gunners everywhere – I saw some amazing celebrations – yey!

  162. Yes, Sally Pally, I have also seen forums with individuals saying Leicester outplayed us .
    I would suggest these are people who didn’t actually watch our game, saving themselves for the City Spurs game instead. Or at least the only way I can explain such comments. But as usual, the WOBbles just indulge them ad infinitum.

  163. On Sky Sport regarding the Drinkwater potential leg breaker on Ramsey…..

    ‘Sky sources understand Leicester are confident the Football Association will not take any retrospective action against Drinkwater after being told by referee Martin Atkinson that he saw the challenge and did not deem it worthy of any action.’

    Says all you need to know about Atkinson.

  164. Was just coming on here to say literally the same thing as you, Mick. Such an awful tackle, which could have easily snapped Ramseys leg in half. Is there no team in the league, that doesn’t resort to such underhanded tactics when playing Arsenal?! It’s only a matter of time before it happens again.

    You’ve only got to look at the way Coquelin and Flamini were treated in the media, compared to these other countless, disgusting tackles that get not one mention (when it’s an Arsenal player on the receiving end, anyway) to see what we are fighting against. Because of the media, it’s not just bias/corrupt officials we’ve got to deal with, but also the large portion of our own fans that are so easily manipulated to turn against their own team. It’s extremely tiring at times.

  165. Mick and Jammy J

    just happened again on MOTD.

    ‘He’s not like that’ ‘meant to play the ball’ ‘not deliberate’ Blah blah blah.

    Gave Ramsey more stick for rolling around.

    Yet, as you say, we all saw and heard how much stick Flamini and Le Coq got.

    If anyone doesn’t believe their is a media agenda against Arsenal then I’m sorry but you must be deaf and blind.

  166. Tipster seems upset that we won I find it hard to believe he’s an Arsenal fan
    I’ll go with him actually being a spud idiot

  167. Tipster seems upset that we won I find it hard to believe he’s an Arsenal fan
    I’ll go with him actually being a spud idiot but that’s just my opinion

  168. The two yellows for Simpson, his dismissal, didn’t surprise me. Atkinson was so blatant in the first half, so glaring, so incompetent in his bias, he threatened to sink the ship.

    What a ship it is when you stand back. A billion pound a year industry, millions more on gambling, 17 referees to 380 games and nobody sees any accounts, nobody sees any reports into why Clattenberg got this, Deane that.

    The only reason these clowns get away with it is, I’d argue, the British believe corruption starts at Dieppe. The FA cannot be corrupt. The PGMOB cannot be corrupt. They’re English.

    A great day today. Ozil’s last minute free kick is the stuff you tell your grandkids when you try and explain why you love football, why you raise your hat to a guy like Mr Wenger.

  169. A lot of people out there upset at Arsenals result Gunnerjoe, hope we can keep them upset, whoever they are.
    The AAA are terrified Wenger could take Arsenal to the title, it would make them small, irrelevant, invisible, their words and claims would mean nothing. They would be reduced to saying the title doesn’t count, only the Champions league…..think I heard such echoes on here this evening.
    Despite SOME of them actually being Arsenal fans,they are now so desperate, they are pinning their hopes on Spurs, how fucked up is that?
    Let them fester in their own fear and misery I say.

  170. Tipster sound like one of those kids that comments on YouTube who only look at the negative side, so just ignore him people.

  171. Ramsey nearly gets his lower leg taken off….Danny Murphy says something to the effect of…he once had a serious injury, so he maybe rolled around a bit.,,but got up quickly ….but Drinkwater is not that sort of player……..and we in this country actually pay a licence fee to listen to this horse shit….

  172. So happy we won!!! Didn’t manage to watch but heard what Henry said! He’s becoming a top bellend! That spurs penalty… Refs are taking the piss! Wonder what the Barca game will be like with the refs…

  173. Also, Vardy was “clever” and “have every right” to run into Monreal according to Sherwood.

    The yellow cards were harsh on Simpson (who had been fouling and stopping Arsenal players from the beginning of the game).

    All of Atkinson’s decisions were “fine” apart from Simpson being sent off which was the fault of Alexis and Giroud for asking the referee to do his fucking job.

  174. I believe the corruption in football is similar to what happened with the Saville “scandal”. I’m guessing those people on the inside know exactly what’s going (i.e managers and the likes), as do the journalists, but as we all know, mainstream media outlets are extremely particular on what they print and when i say “particular”, i mean they just wont outright print anything that doesn’t fall inline with their usual agenda/narrative. They have too much to loose, letting stories like this get out to the general public. Not just the national papers/news channels, but the commentators and pundits all do extremely well at swaying public opinion; often in ways too subtle for their ever-willing public to even realise. Corruption in football earns far too many people, far too much money.

    Did Murphy honestly say that? The “he’s not like that” line goes without saying, but to imply he dived?! Eurgh, so fucking tired of the politics of football.

  175. I suggest that people take a look at how the Americans deal with this. Retrospective bans are allowed (MLS Disciplinary Committee) and players that dive are sanctioned after the fact, even if seen by the referee. The result is a refreshing lack of gratuitous violence and shameful play acting. At the last World Cup, I watched one American match and they were the team that stood out as NOT diving and rolling around on the pitch…If you don’t mind Championship level play, take a gander at a MLS match and you’ll see what I mean.

  176. Basically, they are saying it is ok for Vardy to cheat, but Ramsey, Alexis and Giroud shouldn’t react to being fouled.
    But as despicable as he is, even Murphy did look a bit sheepish in an involuntary way .
    If Leicester fall away, expect a load of spud media love.
    The game is fucked.

  177. Vikrant at 4.55 , I think what your friends are observing is that players that run at speed draw fouls when they tumble and roll. Our style of passing quite slowly into and around the area means that we suffer more from holding , shirt pulling, obstruction type fouls which referees are less likely to call. Vardy today is the perfect example , Hazard , Sterling are also exponents of an art that’s been around since Franny Lee.

  178. Mandy you are right about clever Vardy being allowed to cheat & our guys should not be allowed to protest. But – what I did notice was that the fans really got after Twitkinson – so I cannot be sure but that might have been a factor in his partial improvement in the second half.

    The foul by Drinkwater was dreadful – his foot impacted with some force well clear of the ground – a straight red for me, but lets see what Walter thinks.

    With a fair ref the Foxes would probably have finished with 8 players – the rest would have had an early bath!

  179. Vardy as an individual player has ”won” more penalties than any team in the EPL. This helps make a ”fairy tale.”

    I really do hope that archive footage emerges, assembled into one file, and the public can look at all the penalties Vardy has won.

    Vardy has ”won” these penalties – the media call him a good honest pro.

  180. @ Rantetta 03:32h. Thank you. Glad you liked it. Honored by your compliment.
    The same today at MotD. BBC started Leicester attack with Koscielny’s foul! Strange isn’t it? No much talk about our two penalties not given. The rest is already in the comment by others Untold readers.

  181. ‘Sky sources understand Leicester are confident the Football Association will not take any retrospective action against Drinkwater after being told by referee Martin Atkinson that he saw the challenge and did not deem it worthy of any action.’

    Nothing can top that if correct. If Atkinson could watch that again and claim it was not so much as a free kick then, seriously, if the media were of a mind to they could make his position untenable within a week.

    A ref who doesn’t see that as a red would be unfit for sunday league football and a danger to those who play it

    Truth is, he screwed up by not issuing a yellow, which would rule out the possibility for further action. And ,post match, they’ve obviously decided ‘fuck it. We’ll just ignore it. We can do that because the media will let us do that’ .Imagine how much he’d be squirming if trying to claim he saw it and it wasn’t a free kick if he were in front of cameras

    Dermot Gallagher’s ref watch on sky should be fun tomorrow. My guess is they, mysteriously, won’t run that feature this week or, if they do, they’ll leave the Drinkwater challenge out of it.

  182. That was surely not a pen? Monreal seemed to be pulling out of his tackle, his legs were moving away from Lei player, and he went into Monreal’s leg.

    Think it was the crowd that made the ref finaly give us a pen.

    All in all, a game we had to win, and we did.
    Cool.

  183. During the game a young Arsenal supporter close to the StarSports commentator said ‘God please give us a goal’ -the commentator found it amusing & laughed. I wonder if the commentator now believes in God?

  184. It’s always amazing to come back and read these ref previews after the game. They are usually just so accurate.

    I’m almost certain Arsenal won’t win the title because of the referees. If we do, it will be a miracle.

    Nevertheless, great moment yesterday with that late winner.

    If Atkinson really does report seeing that tackle and deeming it unworthy of a red, he’s either a cheat or a fool who knows nothing about the game. Either way, he’s unfit to be a referee. I suppose his biggest qualification for the job is keeping his ‘bosses’ happy.

  185. Be a reflection of what you’d like to receive .
    If you want love , give love .
    If you want truth , give truth .
    If you want respect , give respect .
    What you give out , will return to you .

  186. It’s when you can walk into the bookies and put a tenner on Martin Atkinson giving a penalty to Jamie Vardy for clambering onto Monreal in the 42 minute, you know the writing’s on the wall.

    You can predict when the shit rises.

    Leicester 10 penalties in 26 games. A fairy tale of the Blatter age.

    Every time I see an obese person I think of Gary Lineker. How can a sports hero sell crisps?

  187. Loosely spoken words

    Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.
    In court the old man told the Judge: ‘They were just comments, didn’t harm anyone..’

    The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: ‘Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.’

    The next day, the judge told the old man: ‘Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.’ The old man said: ‘I can’t do that! The wind spread them and I won’t know where to find them.’

    The judge then replied: ‘The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can’t speak well of someone, rather don’t say anything. ‘Let’s all be masters of our mouths, so that we won’t be slaves of our words.’

  188. Gotta laugh

    Daily Mail’s website has an article entitled ‘Is it too early to party? Arsenal toast title race win’ (not reading it but obviously the answer will be ‘yes’, and the tone negative. The players took a picture of themselves happy after the game yesterday, see, the presumptuous fools)

    To the right of that they have ‘Spurs celebrate win over City with team bus selfie’. A happy, positive article no doubt.

    Beneath it is a picture of Son and Dele Alli happy in the changing rooms yet after their win (again, happy positive article)

    What does it say about how stupid the media must think people are that they feel free to single out a team for criticism for doing something it appears all teams do.

    It is a small ,silly even, example of how phenomenally biased they are and their belief people are so dumb and unwilling to consider their own biases that they can literally pump out any old crap.

    As with ridiculous and blatant ‘selfie’ double standards and hypocrisy, so with every other matter concerning us.

  189. In a double-whammy of unusual perceptive punditry, Mark Bright had the audacity to claim that Vardy dived for a penalty and reminded him of Ashley Young. That’s priceless. Let’s hope his rationality lasts and that he doesn’t get reprogrammed like most of the rest.

    MOTD2 was awful. Their ability to ignore what their eyes tell them and read from some pre-defined script is legendary. Our players were wrong to react to tackles (Danny Murphy – always awful – reliably so), Jamie Vardy was correct in play-acting (Tim Sherwood), Aaron Ramsey reacted poorly against the Drinkwater tackle (A straight red for most neutrals and a definite possibility of a another leg break). They showed the roundhouse kick on Ozil but claimed, god knows how – that Atkinson correctly allowed play to continue, giving advantage twice. Except that the initial advantage, leading directly to the chance for Vardy to dive and con a penalty was AWARDED TO THE WRONG TEAM. Well, I think anyone with more than one brain cell can clearly see that they do talk absolute rubbish.

    The bias was clear. However, on a positive note, Atkinson’s performance was scrutinized and found wanting by most. Even still, some commentators in later games were saying how well Atkinson had done retrospectively, whilst looking at Clattenburg committing a howler. That was just plain weird. They probably feel hopelessly lost and the only thing left to them is patting each other on the back for every wrong comment, decision or interpretation of the rules. The rules of the game seem to have little importance…

  190. Brickfields Gunners
    February 15, 2016 at 7:41 am

    For me:
    Truth, OK but you don’t usually get the truth back.

    Love, this does not seem to work at all, especially when many have no concept of love. Giving love does not change them, it only makes them think you are an easy mark. Love those who deserve love and hate those that deserve hate! To love your enemies is stupid.

    Respect on the other hand, must be earned. Can’t give respect to anyone who has not earned it, what ever they are saying or doing.

    Getting away from all these sayings that on the surface sound good, but with a little analysis reveals the mindset behind those who wrote it.

  191. I was sat right in line with the penalty and had a great view. I haven’t seen it replayed but it looked very clear to me in real time live that Monreal was pulling out of the tackle and Vardy just kicked the ball past him and then deliberately ran into him – then going over. I was astounded when Atkinson pointed to the spot – although I guess I shouldn’t have been… I’m sure Walter will advise, but I thought there had to be a movement by the defending player towards the attacking player for it to be regarded as a foul? Otherwise it is just a collision?

    Regarding the sending off, Simpson had already got away with a lot before his first yellow – which was blatant. The second was a clear shirt pull – and this is a mandatory yellow card. Atkinson really didn’t have any choice. My only pleasant surprise was when he didn’t send Coquelin off for helping the Leicester player on his way off. Very wise by Wenger to substitute him soon after. In fact I wondered whether he might bring on Flamini at half time for him?

    Anyway, all’s well that ends well. I have taped MotD2 so will watch at my leisure later.

  192. A word too for Cech – the save from Vardy’s header was sensational. To retain concentration having had little to do – and then pull that out. Wow! Better than Schmeichel’s in the second half.

    Other thing I noticed was Ozil giving thanks to his god after the final assist!

    Great for both Walcott and Welbeck to score – will be good for their confidence.

    Something must have happened at half time as Atkinson was less blatantly cheating in the second half.

  193. Anyone els e notice the lack of interest in the Danny Drinkwater tackle?

    Ex Spud Danny Murphy was allowed by the BBC to have a dig at Ramsey for ‘rolling’ around’, which is pretty tasteless. Tasteless because of what Ramsey had to go through after Shawcross.

    But what wasnt surprising was Murphy defending Drinkwaters challemge, using the bog standard ‘he isnt that kind of player’. This has to be called out. It is irrelevant whether or not he is that kind of player, a reckless tackle is a reckless tackle.

    Ironically I wrote a piece for Tony last week on this subject, triggered by that disgraceful article written by Martin Samuels condemning Flamini.

    We just have to accept that the dinosaurs see nothing wrong in players having their legs broken; it is dressed up by these idiots as just bad luck, with the aggressor defended and even sypathised with. ‘He’s not that kind of player’ demonstrates perfectly the backwards attitude to football we have and how it is part of our culture.

    Danny Murphy is just recycling what the dinoasaurs who run and report on the game say. Arsenal are fair game, it is a legitimate tactic to ‘get at’ better players. Diaby, Eduardo, Ramsey were all done by English players. Ramsey was nearly done by another yesterday, had his leg been planted that was a broken leg and I suspect the end of his career.

    It is disgusting.

  194. Proudkev

    Motd was educational almost. I think psychologists and the like would have really enjoyed it.

    The pundits were bound on one side by not wanting to say anything too ludicrous, and pretty much thrashed against that restriction the whole time.

    -Not everything has to be a booking,
    -I don’t like rolling about, I don’t like the card waving (nobody did that, for a start),
    -the players and crowd are always trying to get people booked and I hate it;
    -sending off was harsh;
    -pen was cleverness;
    -‘when we keep slowing it down it looks like Vardy has run into the back of him’ (Tim there, failing to understand the pictures aren’t some misleading trick but reality slowed conveniently down to make clear the truth; and my favourite on the day); Drinkwater isn’t like that;
    -when you’re a tackler sometimes you go in with a straight leg, though it’s dangerous, to protect yourself, and therefore it’s ok (!!!!! Wasn’t a situation where he needed to protect himself as Ramsey was just pursuing the ball and not about to make any sort of ‘tackle)

    Thrashing about pathetically because- boo hoo- the result didn’t go the way they were desperate for it to go.

    Free to thrash about because the corrective measures absolutely aren’t in place to train them out of it and keep them in line if those are their instincts.

    They can’t claim the coup de grace though. That was Motty when, confused and struggling with a bit of dissonance, he tried changing the sequence of Ozil fouled, kante fouled, Vardy dive into the ref playing the ADVANTAGE well twice before the decisive moment.

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