By Tony Attwood
According to the Telegraph Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been “left out of Arsenal’s mid-season trip to Dubai as the club attempt to offload him before the transfer window shuts.” They contrast this with the fate of Jack Wilshere who they say is going to Dubai with Arsenal.
The story is the Aubameyang doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia. However the Telegraph then rather contentiously say that because he is not on the overseas jaunt his “value will plummet” – a suggestion made without any justification or evidence. That notion seems to be based on the thought that until this point his past value has been maintained, which given his decline in form and his penchant for not being where he is supposed to be, has not happened before.
The Telegraph also tell us that the deal with Alexander Isak is off because Real Sociedad want £76million (the release clause) paid immediately and in full. The implication is that other clubs maintain their players’ values, but Arsenal don’t. Stupid Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is priced by Everton “at well over £50m”, and so once again the theme is that while other clubs can get on with their deals Arsenal are quite incapable of doing anything. Although at the very end of the piece the Telegraph does also admit that “Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and AC Milan (are) in the hunt for Aubameyang.” I’m not sure “hunt” is the right word here – unless he has gone missing again.
Meanwhile again the media in Europe has continued to react angrily against Infantino’s notion that playing the world cup every two years would give African people hope and rebuild their lives.
In a report from 20min in Switzerland it is said that Infantino justified his notion of having a world cup every two years by saying, “I am a son of immigrants. I am a product of European integration, I am a product of the values that this Council of Europe has created: human rights, inclusion, rules of law… As a leader in society, Fifa has a responsibility to promote these values.
“The idea is not whether we are going to have a World Cup every two years, but to see what soccer can bring to the world. We see soccer developing in a direction where some have everything and most have nothing.” He went on to say that in Europe the World Cup is played twice a week, because the best players play in Europe.
“As Europeans, we cannot say to the rest of the world, give us your money and if by chance you have good players, give them to us too. And watch it all on TV. We have to find a way to include the whole world to for example give hope to Africans so that they don’t have to cross the Mediterranean to maybe have a better life here, but more likely death in the sea. We need to give opportunities, and we need to give dignity, not by giving charity, but by allowing the rest of the world to participate.”
This of course is very much in keeping with the takeover of the CAF (the equivalent of Uefa for Africa) by Fifa, on the grounds of widespread corruption. Actually, I find it hard to write that without laughing – Fifa taking over an organisation because the organisation was corrupt….
And curiously the notion of a biennial world cup has the unanimous support of the 54 African federations – each of which is now fronted by an Infantino nominee.
Andrew Stroehlein, head of media for Human Rights Watch said in response to Infantino’s speech, “My colleagues at Human Rights Watch interview refugees around the world on an almost daily basis. We write reports on the reasons (…) that force them to leave their homes. They never mention the timing of the World Cup,” said Andrew Stroehlein, head of media for the non-governmental organization.
Background
- The case against Infantino and Fifa comes back to life and could get tastey. December 16th, 2021
- Infantino and his village gang get his prosecutor thrown off the case! August 10th, 2021
- Why and how Infantino is still happy to promote the Super League. May 15th, 2021
- Three years after the events, Infantino in yet another Fifa corruption case December 11th, 2020
- Infantino is one step closer to the edge of the cliff, but UK media is still silent August 24th, 2020
- “The noose is drawn around Gianni Infantino” but don’t tell the UK media August 3rd, 2020
- Gotcha: Infantino revealed as being as bent as those he replaced at Fifa June 19th, 2017
What the racism in Yorkshire cricket showed the world is that the people running the show are so insulated from reality, so protected by the physical buildings, the stadia, the adoration of the game. the endless stream of journalists ringing from national media for comments, they regress into infantilism and live in a mental space where the world as the world does not exist, cannot exist. Infantino in football replays the same bullshit.
Apparently the FA have charged Arsenal Women FC for failing to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the game against Man. City. after the referee (Abigail Byrne) failed to correctly apply the rules leading to a Man. City goal.
Another shining example of double standards in the world of PGMOL.
seismic
At the time I pointed out the relevant rule changes from 2019:
Law changes for 2019/20 explained 8 Aug 2019
Dropped balls
Contested dropped balls are a thing of the past.
If the ball touches the referee or another match official and goes into the goal, or results in a change of possession or a promising attack, a dropped ball will be awarded.
-At the time I said this:
“The fact is her boss should being calling her in to her office in the morning and shoving the rule book in her face and suspending her for not knowing whats in it.
Of course we all know she’s far more likely to get a promotion.”
-And as sure as eggs are eggs it’s Arsenal that get in trouble not the incompetent referee that doesn’t even know the rules. Not only that but a rule amendment from less than 3 years ago.
You couldn’t make this shit up.
And just to rub salt in the wounds this is how others are treated when the ref makes a howler. As you’ll see precedents have been set for acceptance, contrition, and apologies, but it seems that means nothing when it comes to Arsenal. Here are just 11 examples of refereeing howlers and what happened in the aftermath:
https://www.squawka.com/en/referee-mistakes-apology-var/
As I say they were just 11 of the worst examples, and you know the thing that ties them all together?
-The referee concedes he made an error. It happens.
-The referee apologizes. Very magnanimous and the right thing to do.
-None of the protesting players or teams got retrospectively punished for contesting a decision that was so blatantly wrong.
-In some cases the referee gets retrospectively punished for making such a blatant error.
It wasn’t as if the error in the Arsenal match was trivial. It led to a goal. The goal led to Arsenal dropping 2 points.
-Those 2 points could cost Arsenal a) A title b) A champions league place c) A lot of money.
We don’t even get any contrition. No acceptance that a mistake was made. And certainly no apology.
Nope WE get retrospectively punished.
And we still get people coming on here, Arsenal fans at that, saying everyone else gets treated the same.
Hers another howler and heres another apology:
https://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/football-news/exeter-city-receive-apology-officials-6318443
“Exeter City have received an apology from the officials for the ‘huge mistake’ which cost them the chance of a money-spinning FA Cup tie away to Premier League Newcastle United.”
@Nitram
Was always thus. Your edition of the rules clearly hasn’t got the all important sub-clause 8b “UNLESS AN ARSENAL PLAYER IS INVOLVED”
I’m off to Borehamwood to watch our Women in the deferred match against Brighton. It would be nice to expect competence from the match officials but I’m not holding my breath.
Nitram
Your copy of the rule book clearly wasnt got the all important sub clause 8b in it. “UNLESS AN ARSENAL PLAYER IS INVOLVED”. It applies to each and every one of the rules and is mandatory on all PGMO officials.
I’m on my way to watch the Women play their delayed match against Brighton. It would be nice to look forward to a competent referee but I’m not holding my breath.
Andrew
What I find truly amazing that is that it’s all so blatant. There isn’t even any attempt to hide or justify the double standards being imposed.
It’s like they’re saying:
‘There you go. Have some of that. Of course we know you’re being screwed and we don’t give a f**k’.
Competent refereeing ? Good luck with that one ! Whatever, do enjoy the game and COYG.
Two one to us. Terrible in the first half saw Brighton with a one goal advantage. Second half we were a different team and won thanks to two Beth mead free kicks. First one evaded everyone in the penalty box before going in to the far corner. The second was an absolute beauty worthy of winning any game.
Calam Chanbers has joined Aston Villa on a three and a half year deal. Good luck to him, he deserves to be playing regularly.
We seem to be offloading players but not replacing them, we are going to have a very depleted squad unless something happens in the next few days to add some new faces.
Could it be we are reducing our salaries before making a purchase or resigning our important young guns to improved contracts?
Nitram – your “compilation” of errors was interesting in that 11 errors were highlighted over a period of 15 years.
We see that many errors in Arsenal games alone over a period of 1 month, and these errors always seem to go against Arsenal.
“It all evens out in the end”. I thought I’d get that one in before the naysayers arrive.
There is a video clip from onefootball on this site showing various Arsenal-related action. It begins with the recent Man. City vs. Arsenal match in the WSL. It shows Man. City’s goal in that game, but interestingly the clip begins right after the ball has been diverted by the referee in Man. City’s favour, and from which a drop-ball should have been the resulting decision. Were they instructed to remove the incriminating evidence?
I see the media did a great job predicting the Calum Chambers transfer to Villa.
seismic
“Were they instructed to remove the incriminating evidence?”
Yes, very odd that. The clip starts not a second after the incident. Not a second.
That simply cannot be a coincidence.
Still, I suspect those naysayers of whom you speak will just put it down to us being ‘Paranoid’ again. Of course it is !!
The FA and PGMOL have agreed to fine Arsenal because the players were not supposed to publicise the fact that Abigail Byrne didn’t know about dropped balls, she thought it was a matter for U16s boys.