Over a week has passed since the West Brom defeat and the lamestream media cannot conceal their continued delight. After 12 years of lurid predictions of Arsenal’s demise, knowing full well the impact of paying for a new stadium, they are going ape-shit on the probability Arsenal may miss out on a Champion’s League place.
This week Graeme Souness was given top billing in almost all the English rags.
“Arsenal usually falter in February or March, then reach the top four with a late run in April and May, but I don’t see it happening,”
The Daily Mail on March 21st predicted Arsenal will finish 5th behind Chelsea, City, Tottenham and Liverpool (in that order).
ESPN has been in full click-bait mode since the loss to Bayern Munich as exemplified by a recent headline:
“Nightmare for Arsenal as Tottenham could cancel St. Totteringham’s Day”
Since West Brom the corporate media has done very little by way of serious analysis to verify Wengers’s post match observations:
“We didn’t create enough. We lost Sanchez in the second half, he was very dangerous in the first. He came out in the second half and he couldn’t move any more. In the first half he was a guy who created a lot.
“It leaves us in a unique situation that we’ve never had before. We face big problems to regroup and find resources to sort out the problem. We need some togetherness. We face some serious challenges. The City game at home is a big game for us.”
Instead we are treated to the sorry spectacle of failed ex-mangers and mentally challenged pundits advising the club to terminate the services of, by far, its most successful ever gaffer. Among them is Chris Sutton whom the BBC gave a podium to spout:
“He’s been selfish. I’m surprised Steve Bould doesn’t get hold of him and say this is the reality.
“He’s taking the club backwards. They have just accepted mediocrity.”
Positively Arsenal’s @BlackburnGeorge gave a fitting rebuttal to both Sutton and the BBC in his recent blog telling them to “Get in the bin!”
So is Wenger correct that we are in a unique position? All but the mindless pundits have to admit he has a point. Souness himself acknowledged that traditionally Arsenal has a bad run in February or March, which, by the way, usually coincides with trying to compete on three fronts (PL, ECL and FA cup) while having key players out due to injury. As usual don’t expect any acknowledgement of either fact by the corporate media. It would mean giving credit to a manager who has repeatedly proven success comes primarily from teaching players to play intelligent, progressive football, not by overspending and corrupting the Premier League via foreign oligarchs and Arab sheiks as well the clique of special agents who launder the cash.
For the benefit of PA readers, I have researched the data to identify any unique characteristics about this year’s team. To assist I relied on whoscored.com. They in recent years have provided detailed team statistics using both the offensive and defensive data to arrive at an overall rating for each PL club. For the second time in 8 years, Arsenal this season-to-date has a sub-7 rating, exactly 6.98. In comparison the seven-year mean and median is 7.06 and 7.04 respectively. The difference may seem insignificant but, over the past eight years, teams with a sub-seven rating are grimly fighting for 4th place in the premier league. Not to be overly pessimistic, Arsenal ended with a 6.94 rating in 2011/12 and finished 3rd in the PL. But that was an outlier.
Drilling down in the data, the club this year is generally below the seven-year mean in some key defensive and offensive stats.
Defensive
| Shots pg | Tackles pg | Interceptions pg | Fouls pg | Offsides pg | |
| 16/17 | 10.8 | 18 | 15.7 | 10.3 | 2.5 |
| Mean | 10.7 | 19.9 | 17.98 | 10.7 | 2.1 |
| Median | 10.6 | 19.7 | 17.70 | 10.4 | 2.2 |
Defensively AFC is making nearly two (2) less Tackles per game and similar drop in the number of Interceptions. Quite frankly that data surprised me. So there is something to the frequently made observation that Coquelin, in particular, is making less tackles and interceptions this season compared to last. Furthermore this deficit has not been covered by the other central midfielders. Obviously less tackles and interceptions provide more attacking opportunities for the opposition. No wonder, of all the top-6 teams, so far this season Arsenal has the second highest number of goals against (34), second only to Liverpool (36).
Offensive
| Shots pg | Shots OT pg | Dribbles pg | Fouled pg | |
| 16/17 | 15.1 | 5.1 | 12.3 | 10.1 |
| Mean | 16.2 | 5.9 | 11.3 | 11.4 |
| Median | 16.5 | 6.1 | 10.6 | 10.9 |
Offensively AFC is below its seven-year average in two of four categories. Shots per game is down by one. This, by the way, is part of a general trend as in 2009/10 AFC was firing 17.4 shots per game, the apogee. Most importantly, the Shots On target per game is down by 14% from the mean of 5.8 to 5.1 this season. This has not had a disparate impact as the Gunners remain the third highest goal scorers in the league behind Chelsea and Liverpool, but only just.
Months ago I did a blog using the unbiased data to show that under Wenger, both at Highbury and the Emirates, Arsenal has been the most consistent club in the league. The club’s average position over the past 20 years has been 3rd with an standard deviation of one (1). It is highly unusual for Arsenal to swing 4 places in league ranking, i.e. from 2nd to 6th. Based on the time-tested statistical laws, such diversions from the mean are temporary and short-lived. Unlike the lamestream media who have a political interest in casting Wenger’s prudence in a bad light and to prey on the emotions of fearful Arsenal fans, those of us with some grasp on reality have no doubt Arsenal’s league position will revert to the mean. While one cannot guarantee how soon this reversion will take place it is a 95% probability. In the mean time my advice is don’t put any money on 5th.
Positively Arsenal 
I have concluded that there are no conclusions to be drawn.
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I shall not be putting any money on 5th an, hopefully, I will not be relaying on Spurs and Liverpool to shoot themselves or each other in the foot.
Citeh at home on Sunday a great opportunity to get a little ooomph back into our season.
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IF reports that Mr Wenger is staying are true, I hope the players are by now pretty aware of this, hopefully this knowledge will help improve their performance.
I am not saying every player wants Wenger to stay, as we just do not know that level of detail, but it seems pretty clear that most who have played under him think a lot of the man…except of course the likes of Paul Merson, who, it must be said, is both bitter and a bit thick
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I don’t know, Shotta. Confidence low, loss of Santi hit us so hard, top six teams generally better this year, attempts to find a solution in centre massively hampered by suspension and injuries.
I do think, with Wenger still in place, we’d be likely to return to that mean next year and finish in top four, but, while it can still happen this, 95% seems overly optimistic.
Give us the refereeing I watched in the international fixtures- some tough games, brutal in Ireland Wales, but handled evenly; and all the sights like Alli getting nothing for his falls, Dier discovering you aren’t allowed to elbow people to win a header, fouls being called on Giroud, guys like Livermore being on best behaviour, in knowledge if they foul it will be called- and we’d comfortably get back on track.
The break brought back a memory of Sanchez thoroughly getting the better of England the year before he joined us. Had the England players, who couldn’t stop him, tried West Brom tactics to halt him, there’d have been a couple of yellows and probably a red.
It’s just sad as hell these poxy excuses for referees here won’t do their job for us.
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Rich: My original headline was “Arsenal Will Revert To The Mean Sooner or Later”. Every student of statistics knows that to be the case but it makes for a mealy mouth statement wrapped in conditionality and room for obfuscation. Not for me. The historical data is clear. Arsenal under Arsene Wenger is not a 6th place team. Our current state is temporary.
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I have to literally check the league table again before typing this post. Not that I am unaware of the top half of the table but the obituary of Arsenal making top 4 being written is making me doubt what I know. And what I know is that Arsenal as well as 4 other teams are in the battle for top 4. I’ll grudgingly agree that Chelsea will take the title because maths and their remarkable form point to them winning it. But every other team’s position isn’t certain – in or out of top 4.
We are 2 points behind Man United in 5th having played 27 games each. We are 6 points behind Liverpool in 4th having played 2 games less. We are 7 and 9 points behind Man City and the chickens, respectively. Why all the doom stories? Yes, we’ve been on a bad run; the type that we haven’t had before under Wenger BUT there are still between 9 and 11 games to be played by every team in the league. We are in the last quarter of the league campaign. Nothing is settled yet, absolutely nothing.
The only reason why Arsenal’s demise is being so gleefully declared is because of the media’s interest in reporting every Arsenal issue as fatal thanks to the antics of the worst subset of fans in the world – the WOBs.
I have no idea where Arsenal will finish this season. Nobody thought we’ll come second in a 2 horse race that we weren’t involved in last season. The same clueless idiots are running their mouths again. Why do people keep listening to them?
All I intend to do is continue to support my beloved Arsenal to finish as high possible on the last day of the season.
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Anicoll,
My comment is not showing again. Help.
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was pleasantly surprised we finished 2nd last season… had almost resigned to 3rd.
a good reason why I never give up until it is mathematically over…
I fully expect us to finish as high as 1st until that is no longer possible, then 2nd, hopefully, we are 3rd at the minimum cos that means no qualification.
imagine Leicester winning the CL and then spurs or Liverpool at 4th missing out? too funny
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Retrieved from the spam bin BTM – no explanation for it at all
I am off to Stratford for a spot of Julius Caesar in a minute – most appropriate in recent days #CaeserOut
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Our current state is, indeed, temporary and order will be restored at some point. Us finishing 5th is statistically (Shotta will tell me if I’m wrong here of course) less likely than us winning, based over the stats from the last 2 decades, I’d guess.
Some arse on tv as I type is referring to it being ‘utter chaos’ at Arsenal at the moment. This is, of course, bollocks although it gets clicks and reactions I suppose.
The negative media and small collection of twittering, banner-waving fools should not, and I believe will not, have any other effect on decision making at Arsenal than reinforce the opposite of what they wish for. That they can’t see how such an institution as Arsenal would ever knowingly give credence to their ill-thought, naive and ignorant ramblings by heeding to their perverted desires, is in many ways reassuring in that it demonstrates just how fragile is the rationale behind their thinking.
Arsene will leave in the relatively near future but the sweet irony that the boo-boys shenanigans may well have pushed that a little further into the future is an exquisite thought that can’t fail to make one smirk.
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Arsenal will revert to the mean. Well, the mean alone ahem…means nothing. It’s a fallacy to believe that because this has happened in the past it will happen in the future. History repeats itself, just not always in a mathematically precise fashion.
That’s not to say I disagree with you. I still think we can make the top 4. Things are not as bad as they are made to appear at Arsenal. Never have been, and if they weren’t constantly portrayed as such, we would not have the feeling of doom that we currently have among large sections of the fanbase.
PS. I’ll be surprised if Steve Bould doesn’t get hold of Chris Sutton and give him a dose of ‘reality’ next time he sees him.
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Expect some of you have read it but the interview Arseblog covers with Iwobi is very good.
He discusses difference between real life and online interactions with people and how the only thing for it is to ignore the worst of the latter (quite pleasant to imagine how little the abusers will enjoy hearing that. Much of their conduct comes across as a great wail against their football and perhaps other impotence)
Iwobi seems a good, level-headed fellow.
The unpopular 2nd comment on there from Jdog is also a winner for me
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 2h2 hours ago
Hat-trick for Eddie Nketiah in England U18s’ game against Qatar. So prolific. Also a brace from Chris Willock for the U19s v Belarus.
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Thanks Shotts.
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I just realized that Arsenal FC fucking stitched me up many times down through the years, there I was paying for my match day tickets when seemingly most if not all of the fans who attended the same games were getting their tickets for free, so its not wonder that those same fans are now furious that they now have to pay for their tickets, just like I have had to do every time I have gone to an Arsenal game. No wonder those fans now say that “they used to be supporters, but are now customers”, but as bad as that makes them feel, how do they think I feel, “I was always a customer”, never got a free match day ticket in my life.
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I used to paint the crash barriers on the terraces and ARSENAL would give us a season ticket for free
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V good stuff Shotta.
Unfortunately, I still think we’ll be kicked very hard for the rest of the season. Thems been saying we’re useless & wont make top whatever for years – whilst kicking & hoping we’ll fail.
Remember, most games Ars have won still involved Thems trying to make Ars lose or draw. The idea that this handicap can be overcome on an even more consistent basis is I fear, somewhat fanciful. (Leshter at the Ems last season, with Verdy dive following so,done jumping on Ozil & Dinkywater trying to smash Aaron into the stands – not to mention myriad assaults this season…) I’m just glad our players and manager are alive.
Seriously.
Karma to the bass-turds.
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We’d better not tell the great and the good that the club gave out free season tickets for life to some local residents (but alas not me!) as a part of their bribe to Islington Council when building their new stadium – A different path to using the local council’s money to assist with bank loans like Everton etc (please see Untold). What does it all mean?
it means that not every club has the karma to deserve an Arsene Wenger: someone who the club can roll out in front of the bankers in order to assist with loans as happended back in 2003. No need for any dodgy dealings with the taxpayers wonga, although we understand that this is a model that the vocal critics of AFC aspire to copy: spending other peoples’ money for their own ends. Nothing strange or odd about that concept, not when you have it rammed down your earholes 24/7 by the non-politicised non-extreme rightwing* media we all love and trust. * So far to the right on economics alone we’re talking off the verge & down in the ditch.
With such an attack this season on the gaffer and the club both on and off the pitch, i can see the board aslking AW for a little bit delay to his retirement whilst releasing the statement:
‘Thank you for taking an interest in our affairs.’
Oh. They’ve already done that. heh.
Given the record this past one hundred years, it begs the question:
What kind of prized idiot would conclude that the AFC board would listen to a media led campaign? After the last one was so successful? Especially a board that only obtained their position in some kind of death bed haggle with the previous owner. Most strange that none of these earnest hacks like ‘fan’ Lawwrence so concerened about the direction and policies of AFC never, ever, refer to this record. Such dripping sincerity.
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< short version is that I agree with steve above.
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Arsenal youngster set to snub England for Nigeria
Written by Bill McLoughlin
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Arsenal youngster, Chuba Akpom, is set to commit his international future to Nigeria according to the Independent.
Although Chuba Akpom has represented England at most youth levels, he is set to join the list of English-born youngster declaring to play for Nigeria. The Arsenal striker has been training with the Nigeria squad in Barnet this week, as part of the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) initiative to recruit the next generation of young players.
The NFF has been pushing to recruit players for their 2018 World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaigns. Akpom is currently on loan with Brighton and Hove Albion in the Championship and seems likely to join Arsenal teammate and long-term friend, Alex Iwobi in playing for Nigeria.
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2017/03/28/arsenal-youngster-set-to-snub-england-for-nigeria/#ixzz4ccwbGRep
Follow us: @GoonerTalk on Twitter | GoonerTalk on Facebook
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Notion of any Premier League football club receiving 1p direct or indirect funding from the public purse is ridiculous. Stark, staring, raving lunatic. Even the small clubs have an annual income of £150 million. Their owners are generally overseas billionaires. Their employees are paid more in a week, and some in a day, than an average UK worker earns in a year.
And they need a ‘subsidy’
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anicoll
Yet another instance of football following the US sports’ model, where the clubs arm twist deals from the city to build/upgrade their stadia for them.
They dress it up with benefits such as a boost to local businesses, tax income from highly paid athletes, and a national/international profile for the city. Fans tend to not care about the politics as long as they get to watch their team, and politicians would rather get the publicity, and avoid annoying a large group of people. Really, it’s about the rich getting richer at the public’s expense instead of running a business properly. But then, this is hardly confined to sport.
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Quite right Shard though in the US there is arguably a lever in that an owner can pick up his team and move it to a new host city if the price is right. Since I started watching NFL in the 80s there have been a few changes of city for teams as well as some new teams joining the league. Baltimore went mad when the Colts moved out to Indianapolis but within a few years they had a new and very successful team.
It is all a bit more 19th century in England though. Where are they going to ‘move’ Everton to exactly ? No big football clubs in the West Country – best move the Toffees to a ground just off the M5 near Exeter !!
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Clearly you don’t remember the Arsenal fans wanting Kroenke out because he will move Arsenal out of London.
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Shard (@2.56pm),
The biggest and most popular lie told by politicians and public figures is:
“the people are smart”
Fuck no, the people are not smart. In fact, many of them are fucking idiots and the biggest subset of these are sports fans. They are the only people on Earth who clamour for people multiple times richer than them to be made even richer. It is only a sports fan that would be campaigning for another human on over £120,000 per week be paid double that while he makes less than 300. It is not uncommon to read posts from football fans whining about their clubs failure to pay over the top wages to players and simultaneously complaining about ticket price increases. Irony impaired morons!
Am I the only one who watches interviews of sports fans on TV and feels ashamed to be one of them? Watching grown men lose all perspective when moaning about a mere source of entertainment is no different than the 12 and 13 year olds who call themselves Directioners and Beliebers go apeshit in defence of their heartthrobs. Actually, sports fans are worse. The 12 and 13 year olds have excuse of youth and some, if not all of them, are going to grow out of it. What excuse have men in their 40s and 50s got?
Check out this video from John Oliver on the topic of tax payer funded stadiums:
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Anicoll,
It’s happened again! Help.
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The video referee correctly points out France’s opener was offside
Excellent spot – Paris crowd booed loudly for 30 seconds – then getting on with game
Pundit ( Townsend) poking lip out
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Complaints on social media that fans denied chance to immediately celebrate goal (or not a goal) because of video referee
Is it me or are football fans the ultimate complaining wankers ?
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Laurent managed to earn a big head bandage – he is fine.
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anicol I have little doubt that a lot of those complaining about the video ref have taken their lead, as they normally do, from the commentators and pundits, who in this case did not like it, and could only find fault with it,
Also it must be taken into consideration that Rugby use video refs all the time, and just like tonights goals in the france v spain game, the video ref is only used when there is some doubt, for anyone who watches a lot of rugby, most tries are celebrated right away, as there is little doubt on the score, and i would suggest that there is even less doubt in most goals scored in football, so video refs is certainly the way to go.
Take the second spain goal tonight, it had been flagged for offside anyway, so a game stoppage, and of course no celebration, then video ref gives it, and the wait was worth it, but idiot pundits like andy (get in) townsend, was there complaining that the goal scorer could not celebrate the goal, totally ignoring that the goal had been flagged offside, of course such a detail, did not fit with his anti video ref stance. And the idiot fans lapped it up, as they always do. whatever the tv men tell them, is fact and is the opinion. not an original thought of their own.
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for some reason the wob’s don’t like this article about David Dein’s visit to a school
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/arsene_wenger_has_been_let_down_and_would_be_an_impossible_act_to_follow_former_arsenal_and_fa_chairman_david_dein_speaks_to_dereham_sixth_form_college_students_1_4951666
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Patrick Timmons @PatrickTimmons1 6h6 hours ago
Since August 2016, Özil & Alexis both have equal goal contributions vs the PL top 6. Interesting considering their big game reputations #AFC
For those interested in the full stats:
Alexis-15 games, 5 goals, 3 assists
Özil-14 games, 3 goals, 5 assists
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Paul Ince saying ‘the only good thing’ about the long wait for a decision on Spain’s 2nd goal is that the players didn’t harangue the ref and linesman. Yeah, that and the small matter of a goal being correctly awarded when it had been disallowed
Also blathering on about the decision being a close one and sometimes refs and linesman make mistakes. He’s unhappy a good goal was awarded and that makes him look a right tool. Either he’s too inarticulate to raise reasonable objections to it, or he doesn’t have any.
Pundits here are really going to talk some shit and expose themselves over this in the coming months and years.
I was quite stunned by the impact myself. First game I’ve watched with it- used twice to correct decisions on goals- pretty incredible.
Forget the backpass rule and goal-line technology, this will be a true game-changer for the sport.
There’ll be some huge controversies with it- the video man intervening sometimes in general play but not others; sending offs or not sendings off which are hugely debatable of just wrong even after video intervention; refs choosing to go straight for the red without asking for help at times but not at others.
Controversies, injustices, fuckups- and the early evidence suggests ex pros will be eager to find fault with it.
I’d say it’s happening for sure now,though, and I’m glad of it, overall, but there could be times when I miss the old days at some point if the game becomes unrecognisable. You can’t afford to stop a football game anything like as much as in rugby.
Sensible measure for me is to use it initially for offside check when goal scored and any examples of violent play a ref hasn’t seen; also a good case for stopping any time a ref wants to issue a straight red. Limit it a little at first and then go from there once that has proved itself.
If pgmol are as dodgy as I believe them to be, they may try resist a while, and they will certainly get up to some funny business with it, with refs racing to get the yellow out at lightening speed at times when there are serious questions about it being a red.
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There was a video ref used in these internationals? Well that’s something.
It is a good step and I hope it comes in but it’s not going to be a panacea. Unless the PGMO open up and become more transparent in their selection and grading process the suspicions of cheating won’t go away.
Video replays just make it harder to hide any cheating. But they’re pretty blatant when they want to be anyway, with the media in their role as apologists for the product, obfuscating the rules and how they should be applied.
A few suggestions for implementing video refs. Managers must have the option to appeal. This might be misused sometimes to stop play, but without it, video is near meaningless.
Eventually, offside must be reserved solely for the video ref to track, and let the assistants become true assistants watching out for off the ball incidents etc. Because while video can award/disallow a goal, what of scoring opportunities denied due to an erroneous offside flag? Penalties, red cards awarded must automatically be reviewed, and if not spotted then manager can appeal for it.
Also mic up the refs and let us hear what they say to the players and to each other. Why the secrecy?
I would also like the system of stoppage time to change. Stop rewarding teams who waste time. Refs are loath to punish it anyway. When the ref indicates time wasting and that he’s adding extra time, the other team should be able to accept or decline it at the end of 90mins. Maybe also punish time wasting by the loss of one substitute or something? (But that might be a step too far currently)
I know football’s charm is its simplicity, but I don’t think these rules make it too complex. Not any more than current rules are for the public, and apparently for the media and refs too. If anything, video should provide a push for clearer definition of the rules. (When should handball be punished? At what point of contact with the ball do we look for offside? etc) But does everyone want the best possible chance of making the correct decisions?
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Why the secrecy Shard ! Have you watched the miked up referee show featuring Arsenal from the early 90s ?
I don’t feel we are quite ready for The unexpurgated truth.
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If managers ever showed they could take responsibility for the behaviour of their players on the pitch I also think they could have a useful input to the video referee system – sadly they are collectively and individually full of self serving shite.
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Hi guys… Mean Lean wrote a great opinion piece on Arsène Wenger 2 or so years ago. Can anyone perhaps assist with providing me a link to it…
Thx in advance.
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I agree that Team Sky’s reputation proceeds them.
But anything that’s an improvement is welcome. Progress often requires a healthy dose of patience.
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We’ve already had arbitrary video replay used in a World Cup final (if I recall correctly). That was eleven years ago.
The dialogue and situation (the delay) on video assistance and aides for refs in top flight football is absurd.
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< better late then never!
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Unlike the two minutes of foam flecked obscenity Fins – as the referee is pursued round the pitch by incensed players trying to persuade him to overturn his correct/incorrect decision – and that is not including the time taken for him to whip out yellow card to keep the pack at bay.
My guess is as VAR and the man in the middle get more used to it then the process will speed up.
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Anicoll. That the language on the pitch is too colourful for us is a poor excuse. If they are ashamed of it or want to get rid of it, start punishing it. Rugby doesn’t seem to have these issues, and the NBA cleaned it up by punishing foul mouthed comments by players even when on the bench. However, even if they don’t want to bother to change that culture in football, they can make the refs mic feed available live online and require people to sign in.
Not sure what you mean by the managers bit. Are you saying managers shouldn’t have a right to appeal through video refs?
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Foul language is not allowed on TV but lying is. People are full of shit with the “think of the children ” excuse. I don’t know anyone whose live was ruined by exposure to foul language but I know that dishonesty ruin lives.
I’ll take expletive laden live broadcast in pursuit of honest application of the rules.
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Wouldn’t that require managers to actually take their players in hand ? Tell Wayne the next time he calls the referee a c*** it will cost him a fortnight’s wages – that sort on ‘incentive’
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Why would it? That’s up to the club, but the league can fine both player and club for it. Put punishments on a sliding scale with higher fines, and eventually suspensions for repeat offenders.
The FA actually had the gall to fine Jack Wilshere for asking Arsenal fans at an Arsenal event what he thought of Tottenham. So why can’t it be done on the field?
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In any normal workplace – in this case the field – it is done. Except that in any normal workplace if you cursed someone for doing their job you are likely to find yourself either flat on your back or out the door.
The FA should sort it out ? The PGMO ? Seems to me Mummy and/or Daddy should have sorted these bad tempered foul mouthed brats out long before.
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As for managers and the VAR they never ‘see’ anything – and how can they in the dugout or in their technical area miles away from the penalty box action, arms flailing like a windmill? Would the manager have his own video assistant in the stand and an earpiece ?
Present state of some managers every throw in and corner would be up for lengthy debate. I suspect some are a bit biased. (Coughs)
If the VAR system can be made to work there may be the option to give managers the option to challenge decisions – until it works keep them well away.
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So if they didn’t the league shouldn’t either? That logic extended to the normal world should mean no punishment by law for any errant behaviour. I don’t care that the league do clamp down on this. But if that is the rationale for not making public what the mics pick up then I have a problem with that.
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I don’t think managers should have right to appeal every single decision. But definitely for red cards and penalties. If it doesn’t work, it will be because the refs aren’t using the tool given to them properly/fairly. Why should managers, whose jobs could depend on the refs using the video system well be left out of the process?
Of course they are biased. So what? They are supposed to be. And yes, they should have the TV sets back in the dugout (they were removed because Mourinho used it to show that his player was not offside, in his typical manner) and clubs should be able to access all camera angles. Why not? The idea is to get the decisions right, without slowing down the game too much. I don’t see how this contradicts that aim.
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The point I am trying to get at, be it related to swearing or violent play (or pie eating), is that at some point clubs have to set standards of behaviour for their employees and enforce them. They never do.
One player cripples another the default managerial response is “he’s not that kind of player”. Wayne curses referee and lino for 90 minutes = “it’s a working class game, industrial language etc” Players cheat, dive, feign injury etc = “I did not see it, its all part of the game”
So while referees deserve criticism for avoidable errors the notion that the PL or FA or PMGO are responsible for the mass shithousery of modern football is waaaay off target (imo)
And if the clubs continue to do less than nothing it will go on and on and on.
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