By Tony Attwood
We saw it of course last weekend for the match against Crystal Palace. The crowd were moaning about the way a two goal lead was thrown away, and about the lunatic situation over VAR, in which we were unable to see anything on the screen, save that the referee and his PGMO VAR committee decided that the 3rd Arsenal goal was not to be allowed.
Then came the Xhaka substitution and the cheering of the decision was widespread. When Xhaka showed his discontent, it turned to jeers.
Now whether anyone seriously expected the Arsenal team to raise themselves from this situation, of having a penalty given against them on VAR without any evidence presented, then having a perfectly legit goal disallowed without any evidence, and then having the crowd sarcastically cheering the removal of the captain (a captain remember who was voted captain by the players), is a moot point.
I can’t quite see how anyone could possibly think that was going to lead to renewed enthusiasm and dedication by the players. But it is worse than that, because that booing by the crowd let the media and PGMO off the hook.
For me it doesn’t matter if Xhaka is a good player or a bad player, whether he deserved to come off or not, cheering because he is removed and jeering him because he gave a silly reaction, cannot possibly help the rest of the team in the match, nor those of us who are questioning the way the PL is run.
As for the manager, I have presented figures to show that actually Emery is not that far away from Wenger’s performance up to this point in his career. That doesn’t mean I understand Emery’s decision making or his actions in dropping Ozil, but again, I can’t see how booing the manager and demanding his removal is helpful.
After all this was the tactic used against Arsene Wenger and the players he signed, and that resulted in… well, him leaving and Emery coming along. And that raises the question, if the process of booing and jeering and demanding the removal of Wenger didn’t result in a better team, why repeat it now?
In short, it doesn’t matter if Emery was right or wrong on Sunday, or if Xhaka was right or wrong, booing, jeering, and complaining achieves nothing other than undermining the club.
In my view, and yes of course this is just my view, if we want something to complain about, don’t complain about the stadium or the transfer budget (as the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust and its followers have been doing), and don’t complain about the manager and the players (as many people did on Sunday and since), for one very simple reason. Such complaining doesn’t work but can and will harm the club and the players.
On the other hand I certainly think it is worth asking why the media is being so utterly silent about match fixing, in the light of the Uefa announcement that it is running at such a rate that they cannot deal with it any more. The denial of the third Arsenal goal for no good reason, and the refusal to show the VAR replay on the screen in the ground, is suggestive that match fixing happened.
Of course I can’t prove there was corruption, but the circumstances are suggestive. And that is what we should be discussing, in my view.
And if just for a moment, we accept that there is something very very wrong with football across Europe, as Uefa says, but as the British media refuse to report then the moment of that third Arsenal goal being refused was a perfect example of that something being wrong, and that is what we should be debating.
But instead of forcing the media to face that, the crowd’s reaction has once again allowed PGMO and its allies in the broadcasting companies the chance to ignore any suggestion of wrong doing, despite all that Uefa is saying.
Indeed the outcome is that the crowd has conspired with PGMO (at least over its incompetence in handling VAR if nothing else) to allow the status quo to continue.
At a moment when Match of the Day on BBC TV (yes even Match of the Day) is suggesting that something very serious is amiss, Arsenal fans instead divert attention away from the issue.
As you will know if you are a regular reader, I do think there is some evidence (much of which we have collected through the dedicated hard work of supporters of this website) to the effect that there is something very wrong with English football, and the presentation of English football by the media. And that game against Palace was a perfect opportunity to force the media out into the open, and to make PGMO the talking point. After all even Match of the Day in their commentary, started talking about PGMO.
Instead, because of the reaction first of the crowd, and then the anti-Arsenal bloggers, the media has a way out: they are talking about is Arsenal fans booing their captain, the turmoil in the team and the issue of the manager.
It was a perfect opportunity to move the debate on, utterly thrown away. These Arsenal fans are not co-conspirators of course. They are just being silly.
- The myth of media neutrality over Xhaka and match fixing can’t be maintained
- Why is the UK media utterly ignoring Uefa’s declaration on match fixing?
I think that the disallowed goal is the most demonstrably corrupt decision I have seen. I do not know anyone (even Spurs fans) that can see a foul, or why the goal did not stand. This looks to be at best extreme incompetence and at worst blatant, brazen corruption. In fact I think it was a penalty against Callum! The VAR decision maker gets away with making no comment and coming under no scrutiny of course. Let’s not forget that VAR was corrupted in Germany during 2017.
….d fans are being ‘silly’?that u have about ten minutes left;the captain who is supposed to be an experienced sportsman, of d highest example of focus,maturity, intelligence, dedication, passionate and prioritize club interest was wasting time to leave d pitch….like a child who doesn’t care what happens.With his below performances in mind ,he asked for it…or is he d first captain to be subed? When a team or a player is poor;the fans somehow make them know.players come and go but club and her fans remain together for life. Ur view is too myopic sir.
Tony……what can you expect from a minority of so-called supporters who feel entitled to do what they want and ridicule the club they are claiming to love, all because they paid their ticket fee? Here are a few things to appreciate:
1) VAR is being used very selectively to change the outcome of games involving certain clubs and not others,
2) Xhaka is a person who is passionate and committed to AFC but has been targeted, like so many Gunners before him, by the same minority of whining plastic fanboys whose sole claim to authority is their knowledge of FIFA football manager,
3) Emery is trying to adapt to the EFL and to a diverse team but is being judged by a standard that is ambivalent and out of date. Wenger was a unique phenomena, Klopp, Mourinho and Guardiola all took more than 2 seasons before they began to see results. Why is Emery being judged after only one in charge?
Tony
Sadly they have been manipulated by the media to act in the exact manner in which they did on Sunday.
In effect the media constantly feed the fans the notIon that Xhaka is crap. In fact he’s so crap he isn’t fit to wear the shirt and as such should be hounded out of the Club.
As a result of this, on the back of what was by all accounts a decent performance, he gets the crowd on his back, yet again, effectively following the media’s lead.
Then when the crowd do get on his back we get the very same media crying ‘look at Arsenal in disarray barracking their own player’, the very player they’ve actively encouraged them to barrack.
And these fans can’t even see what’s being done to them
I hear now that even Aubameyang was abused when he left the stadium….. What a bunch of idiots we have amongst our fans….
Yes,I agree that the fans were wrong in booing Xhaka. It is unacceptable by any stretch of imagination. But Xhaka also showed immaturity in the way he reacted. They say; “you cannot control what people do to you, but you are in firm control of how you react to them.” A player reacting to a faceless crowd is something you the player can’t win.
What of Emery? He ceded the power to appoint his captain to his players, but what turns up? Xhaka is loved by his team mates but is a hugely divisive personality among the fans. So we had/have a captain that most of the fans believe is error prone, not just usurping the position of their favoured player, Torrela, but club captain.
Again Emery? It depends on how you look at him. One year, two years or more? If after a manager has stayed in a team for 6 months and you cannot see any whiff of change, his foot prints on the team tactically, defensive organisation, midfield set up and attacking combinations, it s a worry.
But he now has majority of his players, yet we cannot score goals and can’t stop shipping them. Look at Rogers at Leicester, Lampard at Chelsea. Even the promise of intense pressing, being protagonists and attacking with pace have remained promises. Fact is, he is not the manager we need!!
But Ken, you have not addressed the key point. What the fans did can only harm the club. I am not sure how that is myopic, because ultimately what we all want is a successful club, and the fans action reduced the chances of that.
No doubt the”fans” who have clamoured for Kieran Tierney to start more games will see this as a reason to start criticising Kolasinac (he is after all, an Arsenal defender and therefore fair game). If Ozil returns to the team, he will be back in the firing line for his “poor body language”. Pepe is already on the verge of being a target for not yet having scored a hat-trick. Even some of the praise for Sokratis for his goal(s) against Crystal Palace was accompanied by criticism of his defensive ability. As for Leno, he should be replaced by Martinez (until he too concedes a goal because he’s also a crap keeper).
I wonder how the 15 clubs below Arsenal in the League have any fans at all, since they must be really crap.
Ken….I surmise that English isn’t your first language OR you are using the new shorthand developed for texting on a cellphone. Anyway, in consideration of your comments, here are a few observations related to their content:
1) We ALL agree that Xhaka’s behaviour was unworthy of an Arsenal captain but let’s NOT get carried away.
2)In what universe do so-called supporters of a club wish ill on that club and one or any of its players,managers etc. and display that despicable attitiude in public, on TV? As Tony mentioned…..how does that ¨help¨ the club or the player?
3)If you worked for an organization where its clientele could ridicule and remonstrate you, their employee in public and expect to be supported by the administrators of that same firm, and also expect the employee to take that crap without any reaction, how would you feel as a colleague or other employee?
4) What special and celebrated expertise do you or the other myopic critics of Xhaka or any other Gunner possess that justifies and entitles you to judge this man? Please don’t say the evidence of your eyes or other platitudes.
There is no justification for the fans goading and demeaning their team’s captain in public….the fact that they ¨paid¨ to see a Football match, which by the way was negatively influenced by VAR against Arsenal, in NO way entitles them to demean their club or its players like they did. If, as you say , you are a fan for life, then get one and support the club, the players and its management as the title of this blog announces.
XI: Martinez, Bellerin, Holding, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Torreira, Willock, Maitland-Niles, Ozil, Saka, Martinelli.
Beach: Macey, Sokratis, Tierney, Guendouzi, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette.
COYG!
I would like to correct something from Independent:
Correction:
Guys,
I just don’t get it.
When I go to a game, if I am a fan, it is to be behind my team. There are so many stadia where the crowd is called the 12th man, where, win or lose, they are behind their team. Otherwise I go for the show and if the show does not please me, I just leave – no sense in getting cold, wet, bored, and having to pay for it, is there ?
These people going to games and who are just booing whenever they are not satisfied are to me the perfect illustration of stupid : they pay dearly, they hate what they see, who they see, yet they keep paying dearly game after game, season after season and sometimes even complain about the high prices. It just does not make any sense to me. I mean what kind of perverted behaviour is that. Or maybe we are seeing a new species of spectators, the equivalent of the bread and games of roman times, whose main purpose was to see blood and excution, not grit, grace and beauty.
If they were living in an area with just one team 100 miles around, I could understand why they keep spending money on a show/team they hate, but in London, the market is immense and teams abound. Just go down the street or the tube line and you can see a better show….it is like Braodway is it not ?
What do they do when their kid come back from school with a poor grade ? Yell at him/her ? Wait… just reading my question and remembering my days as coach of a youth team, I must admit that yes, some parents were like that.
The fan is dead. Long live the fan. And welcome to the age of the instant un-thinking consumer….
I have no issue with people not agreeing with the manager, the owner, etc. But the stadium ought to be a ‘temple’ a ‘fortress’ were all internal conflict is set aside with the purpose of waging the one competition that counts : the one were with the team we are facing, and defending your team come hell or high water. Ever been to Dortmund ? Munich ? Milan ? Schalke ? Rennes ? Twickenham ? Parc des Princes ? Glasgow ? Porto ?
To me, the Emirates is probably the stadium with the most corrosive public and atmosphere in Europe, be it in the stands or on TV : In 25 years or so, I have NEVER heard a game commented on TV where the ‘commentators’ were positive, were happy when Arsenal were scoring, sad for a loss. Not once. Premiership, Doubles, Invincibles, FA Cups, never. And this whether in Germany, Switzerland, France, UK or the US. This is another thing I just don’t understand. Then again, why would TV guys swim against the current. They see, read, hear so-called Arsenal fans just being negative whatever happens, well they feed them back what the, fans are expecting. Same goes for all the ex-players : why risk their golden paycheck with the media in defending Arsenal when what is expected of them is that they spit in the soup and whack their ex teammates/club ? It’s an endless loop feeding on itself.
The romans used to say : the friend of my friend is my foe, the foe of my foe is my friend….
If those so-called fans would just stop going to games. Keep the tickets, just don’t go. Boycott the game. That would be a signal the owners, the FA, PIGMOB would understand. But then, it is far easier to just destroy not only a club but individuals – it’s players and staff. Instead of being angry at PIGMOB or some of the refs, they turn against their own : Ramsey, Ozil, Mustafi, Coquelin, Wenger, the list at Arsenal is long… Such a waste and pity.
2 years ago I had a chance encounter with an ex-Arsenal player in an airport lounge. We had a small discussion and his opinion on that Arsenal environment was one of disgust – so much that it really surprised me.
The day some chinese mogul owner of Huawei buys Arsenal, he’ll set up cameras all over the Emirates and with facial recognition and AI, all booing and not encouraging fans will be refused entry at the next game. Maybe in that instance Big Brother might not be a bad idea after all…..
Still rambling on….
So the commentators crucified Mustafi for his own goal…and kept bringing it back, yet now that Milner makes a blatant error that costs Pool! a goal, just a comment, such an experienced player making a small mistake…almost excusing him.
Funny thing is these fools on the telly must be fuming to see Pool! losing the game but don’t dare say it out loud. Serves them well
We need a keeper coach who can teach them to save penalties.
Is Liverpool’s luck never ending?
Some say he isn’t a good general, but Emery is not a lucky general
Hear hear Chris. Excellent comment!
Sick of seeing Liverpool celebrating…..over to you City!
Chris, really good comment(s). I agree.
About the match, no lucky end, but how breathtaking that was!
I was particularly glad to see the smile of Mesut again during a celebration… 3 assists (or “near_assit”) isn’t that bad. Hope UE share this opinion… 🙂
Hope Ozil taken off due to not being fully fit after his absence, and that we get to see him at the weekend
Why can we not defend? Leading three times. Score 5 away against a second string Liverpool. No bench for them. All teenagers. Why can we not learn how to mark players in the box. It’s not good enough but happens week in week out. We can attack but no defensive nous
Any football fans here? We are all Arsenal fans so we’re not ‘happy’ with the final result but…This was the League Cup FFS! Didn’t win but at least it wasn’t a dour encounter with no creativity at all going forwards. On to the next match. Lots to like with the young fellows. And, Oezil did a lot good out there.
Those commentators….at the end of the game, boasting and gloating how the team of youngsters of Liverpool were so incredible as if the Arsenal 11 were all experienced hands… I’d bet the age average was lower on the Arsenal side.
Martinelli, Willock, Maitland Niles, Holding, Tierney, Martinez, Sakha, etc…. we are not living in a facts based society anymore…. and the so-called professionnals are not even able to read and do their homework.
Just disgusting.
Apart from that, out youngsters did great and beilieved in themselves. They can be proud
To be expected, the football media in this country dominated by ex Liverpool players, including those who spit at the public, but still we see him.
The ex Arsenal players don’t seem so willing to back their club, perhaps something contractual
Having said that, and in fairness, Carragher did praise our youngsters
Sorry people, I didn’t follow the game. I was planting trees (or getting ready to do so). Three or 4 inches of snow on the ground, and and I got 19 trees in the mail on Monday.
But, I seen the headline 5-5 in regular time and 5-4 on penalties, and it seems very likely it was a good game. So, I will give GGG +1 (or more).
Mandy Dodd posts
”but Emery is not a lucky general”’
That has crossed my mind a good few times. Neither does he appear to delight the Gods of football with sumptuous offerings.
While Ozil was on the pitch tonight the ball moved fast and the team played football. Hunted for openings. Pounced.
I truly believe if Xhaka didn’t react, he would abused as well for being a sissy. The fans wanted an aggressive tall warrior in midfield, Xhaka did that. They wanted a leader who defends his teammates to abomination, Xhaka did that. They wanted a professional who enters first and exits last in training, Xhaka did that. He even played at leftback without complaint and just carry on with his work. These fans are not plastic fans, they are toxic fans who pays stadium tickets to solve their useless physiological problems. There are no English gentlemen in the stadium anymore, only a bunch welfare surviving lazy bums who gets slapped by their mum everyday. And they think they are managing Arsenal FC with their empty brains.
Well done boys, we lost but it could have gone either way when it came to penalties. Is there a turnaround in the offing? First the desire to win, we saw it, secondly refusing to lie down and be turned over at will, we saw that. Flair and attacking verve now returning, more of that please.
Where did we leave all that before? Let’s go Gunners there are more mountains to climb and a herd of pigs to slaughter on the way to the throne!!
Michael,
well said…. didn’t dare to state it s bluntly as you
From the highlights it seems that it was a good game , with some great goals. Would have been a great boost for the youngsters if we could have held on. But not too disappointed.
Up the Gunners !
Holding and Bellerin are still not up to their best I think. Knee operations and their comeback… it is a long hard way and with ups and downs. Training is one thing but playing matches is another thing. So still a bit rusty now and then but they will be back to full fitness after 12 months or there abouts.
What do you think of Tottenham?
Same as Arsenal boo boys.
What do you think of Arsenal boo boys?
Shit!
We hate Boo boys, we hate Tottenham,
We are the boo boys haters!!
Spuds in disguise.
@Tony this is the very thing i was complaining of when in your last massage Why Is the media totally ignoring UEFA match fixing allegation.My massage was put into moderation and it was never put up. I thought maybe the PGMOL had infrated Untold.My friend Ken the Mafias have rules to follow if you fail they will crash you too. Before MANURE catches up with us we are still losing.Fast forward Liverpool vs the Great Arsenal,you are leading with 2 minutes to go cant our Coach Emery tell the boys to cool down the heat of the game for 2more minutes?Why take off 2 of our best midfield generals at the same time? seriously does Emery know that the PGMOL hate us with a passion? Gentlemen with Emery tactics we are in for lonely nights and fighting each other.