So the late ko at Anfield is going to be a test, in more ways than one I feel.
The team heads north going into the battle sitting insecurely in 4th spot, a single point in front of Liverpool, with a game in hand. The league positions alone would make this a big game, but it feels a lot more than just 3 points at stake.
Both teams are on poor runs, both managers are being blamed by very vocal sections of their fan-bases and both clubs have gone from title hopefuls to no-hopers as far as the media and the fan-bases seem concerned. Both teams need a win and one, or both, will definitely be disappointed come 7.22 p.m.
All I seem to see recently talked about is how poor our away form is, against the current top 6 . The problem is, and there is no getting away from it – It is poor. Of course that doesn’t mean it will stay poor. We can’t do anything about what has gone, but the players sure as hell can do something about what is to come. I almost feel that the next few weeks ,these players will hold Arsene’s future in their hands. If they show the fight and togetherness needed to go on a good run, I believe Arsene will stay. However, if he sees anything less, I think he could decide his work with us is done. I stress, this is just my gut feeling, I could be completely wrong, he may stay if we go on a bad run, and he might equally leave if we go on a good one.
I also think this next few weeks could see the team staying together , with further building work going on in the Summer, if things go well. Or it break up as we know it ,with some players losing faith in the team or the club losing faith in some players, if things go badly.
The result will ultimately be all that matters today, but the application will be what is crucial going forward. If the players don’t show the spirit and application required, then Arsene will take the blame. And ultimately, this has to be the case.
I have no idea who should start, what tactics we should try or what shape we should use. That, thankfully is not my job or problem. I just want to see the players live up to the potential they have.
I believe in these players and our manager but I feel the moment of truth is upon them all. The club is coming to a fork in the road, and its up to the players to make the right turn.
I’m sure I’m coming across as a right drama queen, but I think this is a very important time for all concerned.
“Cometh the hour, cometh the men.”
Come on you Gunners.
Positively Arsenal 
Morning George, a day to keep busy and not to watch the clock.
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Thanks Stew, a fair and balanced review of the situation, and of what might or might not come to pass.
COYG!
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Shit! -sincere apologies George, assumed it was Stew, I now have a red face and not just because Im an AFC supporter…
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Where’s Steww?
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No one can ever accuse PG of not being a straight shooter. Doubt many could disagree, which ever side of the Arsenal divide they are.
Wenger staying beyond this season would be what’s best for Arsenal, acknowledging how good we have it with him at the helm when there’s 3 PL clubs with significantly larger transfer budgets than ours.
That said, one get the feeling he might step down being let down so many times from inconsistent performances from our players, and just growing increasing fed up with how ref’s refuse to blow games fair. The great man deserve better.
Time for our fans (who remain our biggest challenge) and players to get their act together and get the basic things right. Do it for Arsene Wenger. COYG!
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A very fair and balanced piece (ach, Mills has already used that phrase. Great minds and all that), for me. Captures a lot of what I’m feeling.
A good end to the season seems essential, but it’s unclear, to me at least, which area of the team can improve to provide the boost needed for that.
Something similar to the big upturn we got when Santi was first paired with Coquelin seems required; Ramsey staying fit and working well with Xhaka, (with others helping and hitting form, too, as it’s prob not a pairing as complementary as CazCoq) is best hope for that.
Fingers crossed
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Totally agree George,Arsene’s gotta get his tactics right and the players have to show up,all of them.
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One of those ghastly weekends where whatever happens, (barring their own failure to pick up a ‘routine’ ref-assisted victory at the Home of Refereeing, sorry Theatre of Dreams), Manure seem set to profit regardless of the outcome of our game.
I don’t really see us dropping out of the top four and on that basis, I don’t see Arsene leaving.
However, if the players ‘do a Leicester’ then I don’t see him staying.
The two things Wenger has always consistently upheld is his commitment to his contract and his minimum achievements target.
Given that we have had seasons where we have not won the League, or the CL, or the FA or League Cups, the only criteria left, on this front, is top four. Or finishing outside of it, to be precise. Finishing 5th or worse would be the final straw and the decline from our runners up spot from last season wouldn’t exactly help matters.
I don’t think he’s afraid of the fans – the noisy rabble have time and again been shown up for what they are. Even the latest ‘protest’ which garnered world wide headlines – the particularly tragic Chilean affair supposedly demanding Sanchez’s exit from the club – was shown to be a damp squib despite the publicity.
He will only leave when his own standards have been breached or he is fired.
And he’s not getting fired.
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gf60 – Steww’s been called in to work today then his mum says he can’t come out until he’s done his chores.
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Will they do it?
I do believe they will. Might be one of the games of the season.
ARSENAL (3) LIVERPOOL (2)
Cech Mignolet
Bellerin Clyne
Gibbs Milner
Mustafi Matip
Koscielny Lovren
Coquelin Can
Xhaka Wijnaldum
Ox Lallana
Walcott Mane
Welbeck Coutinho
Alexis Firmino
Ospina Karius
Monreal Moreno
Gabriel Klavan
Ramsey Lucas
Iwobi Grujic
Lucas Woodburn/Ojo
Giroud Origi
AW will leave on a high in a few seasons not 2017.
Yes I’m oozing optimism but hey whats the point of it all if not to keep the faith?
They beat an incomplete team by one with their ultimate line-up @ the Emirates.
Its payback time!
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I woke up this morning having just dreamed Liverpool had been beaten by Manure thanks to a couple of offside goals in the manc’s favour.
Yes, I know, incredibly realistic.
I’ve been bemused recently to read that according to estimates by Manure’s own fans, the number of goals they have scored but should have been ruled out, and the number of good goals conceded that have been wrongly ruled out, is fast approaching 20. Most recent of these was in last weekend’s daylight robbery of Southampton’s League Cup win at Wembley.
Very little is said in the media about all of this whereas everything is said about Wenger, Klopp and anything else they can think of, but never Manure’s refereeing shenanigans. And these must pretty much be occurring at the rate of almost one per game in their favour.
It is almost as if their path back to the Top 4 is being smoothed over for them.
The unprecedented departure of two of our leading officials – Howard Webb and Mark Clattenburg – is wholly intriguing and one wonders what is the real reason for their departure from these shores.
Yesterday it was announced that video technology will now be introduced for the first time into the English game by the time of the 3rd round of the FA Cup next season.
I’m guessing that in the face of over-whelming criticism of the referees and the widespread experimentation (Bundesliga, MLS etc) elsewhere, they have decided they can not hold off the march of progress any longer.
So they’d better make darn certain Manure get back into Europe while they can still help them.
Then maybe Clattenburg will come home and Webb’s high profile blushes can be avoided.
Sorry, am I still dreaming?
So hard to distinguish footballing fantasy from reality these days.
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Bloody hell no Steww and George only hoping, whats going on?
I totally agree the coming games will influence Arsene immencely, not just results but from performances as well. There will be a few players who could lose their place at the
club over the next two months if they dont perform wheather Arsene stays or not.
These two sides are the most unpredictable in the division at the moment, both are capable of greatness but Oli’s record up there is great and if we play to our standard we will win.
COYG
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Good morning all.
Don’t disagree with a wor of what Steww wrote.
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Jack Wilshere has been dropped by th Bec Bournemouth ahead of their game at the theatre of diving, I had thought my self his recent performances for the cherries were sub par.
I have not heard if he’s carrying an injury, perhaps he’s never. Had a run of games this long to Cope with.
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AA: What’s happened to Clattenburg? Gone somewhere for the money like his pal Webb? I already documented how the PGMO refs are bent and biased towards the big moneyed teams. I quoted those behind its formation who admitted the goal of the PGMO was to become a vehicle for the refs to make more money in the era of the PL. They sold it to the public as becoming more professional, blah, blah. Over time the truth is coming out, they are in it for the money and have been corrupted by their ambition. Any sane football fan should welcome the demise of their absolute power via introduction of the video ref.
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Sadly, thing Wngers future is extremely up in the air. I am sure he wants to stay, and that the club want him to stay, but he needs a tangible reason to renew.
Not all are as enlightened as those at PA or UA, a bad end to the season, if Wenger stays, the narrative may well be that he is only staying at the behest of an owner who knows nothing about football, only money. Wenger is better, and deserves better than that. I honestly believe he will depart if he considers the team underachieve this season. We may ignore media/AAA narratives, but many do not…the club and team can do without the increased negative negativity the manager staying in less than ideal circumstances will bring.
But,things can be turned around. Top three, a cup win, everything looks a lot better, it becomes a lot easier for Wenger to stay.
The players really need to step up. There have been reasons for some piss poor performances, as ever, some diabolical refereeing ( not all big, relatively rich teams get the decisions), injuries to the most key of players, illness,perhaps self belief issues, midfield, I also happen to believe the squad are unsettled over the managers , and perhaps their own futures. But they need to put these things aside, starting today. Expecting a good result.
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Excellent, George — it is a Post that clearly reflects the difficulties of forecasting the ‘what ifs’ of life let alone football, and accurately sums up my own feelings.
Thank goodness we are back talking about football!!
There are always decision forks in the road towards the title which can lead to utter misery, or ecstatic jubilation for the club, the manager, the players and the fans.
Towards the title? you ask? Well, YES, among all the brickbats aimed at The Arsenal, and the lambasting dished out to the finest manager we have ever had, there has been a subtle, or maybe not so subtle, attempt to convince us that we are already forlornly aiming for ‘just’ a top four place — but hold on — those forks in the road can just as easily bring us the Premiership trophy, as not — and I choose to believe we can still do it, if the players still think we can do it how can I disagree.
That is the key — the players must still believe — and that belief would be really helped if more fans stopped bitching and believed too!!
The tin pot fans who believe they are God’s gift to football are the one’s holding us back with their negativity. The late Brian Clough’s objective, and realistic quote summed it up — “It is players that lose you games, not tactics. … much crap is talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes” — so every fan needs to support the manager and the players — or go play dominoes — and the players will win for us!!
Great Post, PG, another please!
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Arsenal Andrew
Cud u pls give me link to the United fans accepting/discussing re 20 decisions in their favour already.
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Just checked. Clattenburg has gone to that nirvana, that apogee, that rising phoenix of football renaissance, Saudi Arabia, to become head of their referees. No mention that this hell-hose of religious extrmism happens to be the largest oil-exporter in the world with more money than sense. Hmmm. On his way out he slammed football fans for a difficult working environment in England. That is rich from one the leading refs in an organization that has done nothing to welcome technology that would make key refereeing decisions transparently fairer.
Meanwhile I see Bournemouth will soon learn, like Southampton, they are playing against 14 men. Critical, game-changing decisions will inexplicably go against them.
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As far as I know most referees in England, and Europe, and who knows where else, are perfectly happy to adopt technology to assist them.
“That is rich from one the leading refs in an organization that has done nothing to welcome technology that would make key refereeing decisions transparently fairer.”
So where does that come from then Shotta ?
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Rosicky, cannot answer for Arsenal Andrew, but saw this recently, make it 17 offsides in Itds favour this season. This doesn’t give details, but if true, staggering, but perhaps not surprising with the PGMOL
https://mobile.twitter.com/DeanCoombes/status/835894564397383680
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When and where did the PGMO advocate the video ref Andrew?
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The FA yes – FIFA, UEFA yes – each governing body has had a distinctly negative view of technological innovation, though not for untenable reasons but because it would split professional football away from the grassroots. I don’t think they are right but I don’t work in football and I contribute jack shit to running grass roots football.
But Referees no – they don’t have a say in making or amending the rules any more than Arsene does.
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It is not up to referees to “advocate” changes in the rules any more than it is up to judges to advocate changing the law.
I thought Trump had mentioned that recently ?
Devising the laws, and changing the laws, is what “governing” bodies do.
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http://www.itv.com/news/2015-09-08/howard-webb-expects-refs-to-welcome-video-technology/
Webb in September 2015
“There is a misunderstanding in the public’s eyes that referees would be against it because it would undermine their authority but even the PGMOL (Premier Game Match Officials Limited, the UK’s official body for officials) were pretty positive about what is happening here,” he told Soccerex in Manchester.
“We went to Amsterdam Arena to look at this in practice.
“We are keen to look at anything which makes us more credible on the field of play and means we make less mistakes.
“You will always have subjectivity in refereeing and decisions but I think we need to see it live-trialled because we won’t be able to see the argument moved forward.
“If the goal is to be 100 per cent accurate on decision-making we won’t reach that because what you and I think on a handball, for example, can vary because football is a subjective mater.
“But what this system would do is rule out those clear mistakes which can affect not only a game but the career of a referee, whose career can be tainted by one particular decision.”
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“There is a misunderstanding in the public’s eyes that referees….”
No there isn’t Howard – the public hate you – you and the other corrupt, incomptent bastards
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Hi anicoll,
Technology (video or otherwise) is already here, and will inexorably increase now that Blatter has departed and FIFA have given the nod.
The first technology green shoots have already arrived, in the form of goal line technology, carried on the back of the disgraceful ‘goal’ scored by England and Germany in the South African World Cup and not given, and also on the table there is additional technology being tried out in other minor leagues, and the FA have sounded out the chance of using it in the near future.
In 5 years it will have taken root. And you are correct – the refs have no say in it.
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The problem, anicoll, is that any young person going into refereeing takes a huge battering (literally) at amateur and lower league levels, and the numbers now coming into the game are dropping like a stone, which can only to be to the eventual detriment of the game at all levels.
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It is well known the PGMO doesn’t maintain a website so we have to rely on second hand sources According to the Premeir League’s pr fluff on their web site:
1. PGMOL plays an active role in developing refereeing standards, supporting the FA to develop referees in this country and working with referees across the world.
2. There is a knowledge transfer programme that benefits entire confederations as well as individual football associations.
3. PGMOL has eight FIFA listed referees and seven FIFA listed assistant referees.
Not a word about technology. To the contrary, PGMO refs according to Mark Halsey in 2016 are being pressured by the FA to alter their match reports that they didn’t see certain incidents that were as clear as day on video. It’s a repeat of a claim he has made before in his book “Added Time”:
“That came before a conversation with Mike Riley when he said I would be getting a phone call from Tarik Shamel, head of on-field regulation at the FA, about the incidents involving Nzonzi.
“When the call came, Tarik told me that Mike had told him there should have been a sending-off. Not for me, there shouldn’t, I said. Tarik left it up to me to decide the next step.
“Reluctantly, feeling under pressure to deliver the result Mike wanted, I agreed rather than cause a problem and have yet more bad blood with him.”
Unfortunately most football fans have the memory of a goldfish or have been conditioned to believe that an institution of such great authority could not be inherently corrupt. As one English lord confessed “Power corupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”
I welcome any data, any facts from Andrew or others that suggests the PGMO is in support of the video ref and the end of their absolute power.
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Kevin Friend is a brave man
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Quite so Henry, and unfortunately in the world of “I want it now” the somewhat glacial progress towards testing and evaluating different technology systems is disappointing.
One unintended consequence of that slow progress is however that the technology itself is improving and that by the time the eventual TV review systems are in place they will be better than what was on the market five or ten years ago.
NFL is often cited as a sport in which TV replay is used and highly effective, and that is right in reducing but not erasing on field refereeing error ( give that there are 7 of them on the field!) . TV replays however first came into the NFL in the mid 80s, were used, dropped as ineffective, reintroduced, dropped again etc, and it was not until 2007/2008 that the technology was sufficiently good to become a permanent feature.
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“I welcome any data, any facts from Andrew or others that suggests the PGMO is in support of the video ref and the end of their absolute power.”
Take a moment to rad what I said again Shotta – the PGMOL and its members do not set the rules in football, they merely apply the rules. There is no “data” or “facts” that they oppose video technology, as you originally accused them, or support it. Nor should there be.
As an official you don’t pick and choose which rules or laws you agree with or not. Neutrality is exactly what the referees are supposed to have toward the rules.
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Maybe take that back on Kevin Friend….how is Ibra still on the pitch?
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As I tweeted before the game:
“Poor old Bournemouth. Like Southampton, a critical game changing decision by the refs will inexplicably go against them. Just watch.”
The video ref would have provided quick proof of Ibra deliberately leading with his elbow to pole axe Mings. instead of Ibra being red carded, Surman of Bournemouth gets a 2nd yellow and they are one man down.
I am not bragging, it was so easy to predict based on 20 years of data. The PGMO is biased in favor of big moneyed teams. Deny it at your peril.
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Andrew: The PGMO is an advocacy organization for referees that hides behind a veil of privacy despite being the most important officiating body in world football according to the premier league. There are sins of omission as well as commission.
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Spot on anicoll.
One of the things I would like to see introduced in accord with the technology, is refs explaining briefly why they have made this decision or that at the same time [again like the NFL] — we will all then know the reasons why they were given, even if we may disagree with them.
I think FIFA/UEFA/FA and the referees should work as one with the fans
— technology? OK,
— explanation for decisions? OK,
— Fans actually reading the Laws of the Game? OK.
[Much of the humbug that some fans spout is because they do not know the Laws — and it is even more dreadful that players and ex-players do not know the Laws either — It is not restricted to football/soccer — as watching the international rugby game, England v Italy, the English players asked the ref what the law was, [re rucking] and what they should do about it] Sheesh.
Human beings eh? lol
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Anicoll, I have to leave you with it — good luck! lol
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Nasty stamp by Mings as well….could have had three or four reds in this game
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I agree Henry and there appears no reason why a referee should not be given the opportunity to explain why the arrived at a decision, or not. Even judges are required to set out their reasoning inn writing behind their most capricious decisions.
I would firmly recommend however is the explanation is not provided in the immediate aftermath of a game with match official “confronted” by the cameras in the tunnel and forced to watch the six slo mo replays from four different camera angles before falling to his knees and begging forgiveness. I see enough post match idiocy from managers in that as it is.
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there is absolutelty no chance manure wont win this game the Harry Lyme will make sure.
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Anicoll,
Just back to clarify. Like you, I do not think post-game questions would work or be acceptable to any but the media
No, what I had envisioned was for instance: the ref to blow for a penalty, and say over the public address system – “defense – handball” or “tripped by defense” or in a yellow card booking, “offense – diving” —– maybe in another part of the field say, “red card – two footed lunge” and so on.
It would need careful thought as to the words used – but I was thinking out loud, so to speak.
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I feel a little better now, I think I’ll read PG’s offering
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Football eh ?
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I think you hit the nail of the head PG…
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Whoooah! Bournemouth hold out against the odds. The more they were being screwed over, the more they fought. Must admit Harry Arter, like Ibra, should have been off if Kevin Friend was consistent. But Boruc had one of his rare superman days.
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What say you Andy, just a bad day at the office for Kevin?
Its at moments like this I regret banning smiley faces.
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crazy how a Bournemouth draw away from home can get me punching the telly and running round the room. I hate that small minded little shit so much it makes me small minded as well, ironic really.
Does anyone know if Mavididi is alright after the other day?
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Go on, PG, noblesse oblige, and all that — let’s have a smiley face — brightens up the spirits.
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Frank wasn’t having smiley faces, and that will do for me.
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