Evening Positives fans,
A point each, not a bad game of football, plenty of quality footballers on both sides. Ample cut and thrust although neither side had the guile to really open the other up. Half chances, and some good keeping, but the defenders had the edge over the 90.
However yet another game ruined by a player cheating . A slight contact on the Hazard resulting on an incredible tumble and writhing. Utterly fucking pathetic – but you know that.
Blame Taylor though – he is corrupt – incompetent – blah blah blah.
I have had enough of football.
Shotta is upon Friday.
Enjoy.
Positively Arsenal 
I love Football.
And I love watching quality world class footballers at the Arsenal like Cazorla Sanchez and Ozil.
And the rest too.
Never been much of a Theatre luvvie myself. Saw Hamlet once with some Fienne or other and though I knew the script nay the poetry I still fell asleep. As it was predictable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wenger on the game
It was a great football game, we have shown great mental resources, I knew the last 20 minutes would be tough.
We got a farcical decision on the penalty.
On the penalty
I don’t want to talk about that, I’m fed up with that.
Wenger hammers the press
The referees get away with it with you, the English press. you say nothing.
More from Wenger on the press
Referees decisions influenced the game last night. Tottenham against Swansea, but no-one talks about it – so nothing will change.
Wenger on his FA charge
Will you contest it?
100 per cent. I know what I said after the game,
Wenger not letting up
What I find terrible is we see a great football game, but we talk nothing about football. What are we talking about?
Wenger on being sixth in the table
It’s very frustrating. We have to look at ourselves as well. Our performances have been top quality but we have not had the results we could have had. We have not been gifted luck.
Wenger on Wilshere
He’s at the level now that not many people expected him to be. He has not played for England since 2016, that means everyone gave up on him. But now it would not be a surprised if he gets a call up. He deserves great credit.
Wenger on signing Mavropanos
Wenger confirms young Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos will join Arsenal
Yes, but he’s not ready to play. He will go out on loan.
Wenger on what he would have done if Zappacosta’s shot had gone in at the end
Maybe I would have commit suicide
Wenger on whether Wilshere should have got a second yellow for diving
“I didn’t see it, honestly.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Wenger on his FA charge Will you contest it?
“100 per cent. I know what I said after the game”
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’ll be issuing a written warning.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Be nice if we got calls like the foul by willian on walcott in the same box in Mourinho’s first visit after his return – ten times more a penalty then the one given against today. No need to dive as you could spot that blatant foul from the opposite side of the stadium. Same reason why most in the ground could spot the non foul today.
But we know what to expect.
Because it is predictable.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Don’t bother – I am out
LikeLiked by 1 person
pg what does that mean
LikeLiked by 1 person
God, the “I didn’t see it” comment will not go down well.
I say this in good faith: I think West Brom was an outrage. That one is a handy barometer: Anyone defending the decision probably has an agenda against Arsenal.
Hazard’s penalty? It’s just what attackers do.I don’t even blame him; it was smart.
LikeLike
Brilliant Wenger, he is taking on the lot of them, the refs, the authorities, the media, and he isn’t finished yet. Glad he mentioned the Spurs game, what a contrast to the fortunes we get, as I say, someone wants certain teams in the top four.
The downside, I think he will soon call it a day, once he has finished his say, that may sadly, be inevitable.
Even if the refs are the victims of players cheating, ok, they are, they create a rod for themselves by letting certain players away with it time and time again. Let’s face it,every team on the planet now knows what they will get if they go down in an arsenal pen area.
Whatever the consequences, Wenger needs to write that book show the English football establishment in its stage managed, turn a blind eye, biased , self serving, true light. Stan might not thank him though.
LikeLiked by 6 people
I had to give this one a miss as it was probably not a good idea to go sit in the cold with a chest infection. Having seen the obvious dive from Hazard that was rewarded by a penalty, I wonder about these referees. Everyone who watches football knows exactly who the diving cheats are, but somehow the referees continue to be fooled by some of the worst acting outside of a soap opera.
I will continue to attend matches to support the players, but the events of the last 2 games in particular and to be honest most of the season to date have made me give up on the concept of fair play and a level playing field. The game is rotten and tilted in favour of a select few (players and teams who get away with murder). We are clearly not on that list. Players have always been tempted to cheat and the more they have been allowed to get away with it the worse it has become. It seems like we have reached critical mass where referees are too afraid, too incompetent or too corrupt to stop it. I have seriously fallen out of love with the game, but my love for Arsenal and respect for Arsene are keeping me hanging on for now with more hope than expectation.
LikeLiked by 6 people
must say Maitland-Niles is quietly having a great breakthrough season, tonight was his 15 game of the season, 12 starts. And he is just betting better and better, I do wonder how good he might be in his preferred position of CM, or even at RWB
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wenger on whether Wilshere should have got a second yellow for diving
My answer, “perhaps when Dele Alli, Hazard, Sterling and Vardy get one”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Football’s such an unpredictable game. Whoever would have guessed that if Arsenal went ahead, Chelsea would get a penalty four minutes later?
LikeLiked by 4 people
Now look what you have done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wilshere probably should have been booked in the first half. But it’s a stupid question, because he wouldn’t have dived again later if he were on a yellow.
LikeLike
passenal the media are on full on get Wilshere banned for diving mode, i expect he will be at the very least passed on to the diving panel to review
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seriously think we have 4 of the top 5 games for entertainment this year, all at home- Leicester, Utd, Pool, now that. Spurs home also offered (objectively, I think) great entertainment, City away good also.
Tonight, as on the other occasions, you’ll see pundits et al offer praise for it as such-prem at best- but no hope of recognition of what we bring overall to league where pragmatic play has taken over, and leads to so much dross.
If that’s the prem at best, how often have there been similar events this season? 4? 5? With who featuring?
Anyway, i feel for Anicoll. Hates cheats as much as the next man who seriously hates cheats, and so modern football serves up endless punishment.
I thought Taylor had a generaly decent game, but can’t escape conviction he would not give that to us, and that rather than some crazy plot to kill us it is more a matter of being primed, by God knows what, to give them when it’s against us, but to not give them when it’s for us.
A perfect storm of something or other, overseen by a man who fucked us royally once on what for me was a defining day, and a sort of great leap forward, or new benchmark at least.
I don’t fucking know, but they are surely primed to generally dismiss good penalty appeals for us, and give anything half decent for opposition players.
relates to what I saw once when a ref, Foy I think, looked beside himself when Cahill did a stupid dive, while on a booking, in a game ref had booked players twice for diving in. Momentarily, and with bulging eyes, that ref looked in a world of pain, knowing he should book him but not wanting to. Unforgettable for me. Sometimes they are totally open to this or that huge decision, sometimes they really don’t want to
Conspiracy schmiracy, they often look to me like people who do not want to ward pen, or send someone off, or are ok with it, or much more than ok. Why? I’m sure that even if right I’ll surely never know
Do those players apply themselves skillfully to the con? Absolutely. But these refs study and review each game in great detail- 4 hours on the dvd if necessary-, so how can they not learn to be cautious, and which players especially are adept at fooling them? How can they not err with caution and display an understanding of what penalties mean in a low-scoring sport?
Fuck em. No idea what big Weng has had to say but hope it’s suitable.
LikeLiked by 3 people
birdkamp, jack was on a yellow when he dived, and he did dive, it was a jamie vardy type, he instigated the contact by throwing his leg out to make contact with the defender.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ediardo, instantly regretted posting that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He did Eddy, and I don’t like it but………Normally the media call that “clever play”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Passenal – same here, except I reached that point last season.
Whilst there are zero sanctions against cheating players the referees have little chance.
For as long as the FA refuse to push VAR, fans will continue to abandon the game we once loved.
The embarrassment of not having a single @fa referee at the forthcoming World Cup for the first time since WW2 is symptomatic of the total loss of control English refs now have over the English game.
What we have is a form of sporting anarchy and the gleeful collusion of the UK media in this state of the game is nothing short of shameful. The FA is no longer fit for purpose and the distinct whiff of corruption around PGMOL, happily untroubled by the need to be transparent or accountable, makes the powers that be in England about as trustworthy as FIFA or UEFA.
Sad times.
LikeLiked by 5 people
It’s such a shame there was such ref intervention and diving , that was a really decent game of football, we have been involved in a few of those this season, Liverpool springs to mind. Two attacking teams with talented players, that kind of went for it.
Ozil was excellent at times, Alexis involved and certainly trying his best, AMN doing well, bellerin got a goal which will help him, he gets stick but plays such a difficult role and is often exposed. Jack had his moments, I suspect fatigue is kicking in after all his time out with injury. our attacking was certainly decent, we could have had more,as could they. In terms of chances created, a draw probably a fair result, though a sense of injustice pervades.
Can only agree with Passenal. Whatever goes in elsewhere, can only back the manager, the club and team., and enjoy some of the stuff they play, no matter what others do to counter it.
I suspect when the man departs, things will be subtly different, a DOF from Barca, now our football relations liaison? Or whatever his role is at the club is going to be no innocent babe in arms when it comes to the dark arts within the game. Sounds to me like they are going to create a David Dein type influence more far and wide than we have at board level now, who knows where this will extend.
But, can only reiterate, well done the team for fighting back against a very good team in a very difficult few weeks, with some trying circumstances, not of their making
LikeLiked by 1 person
good point rich about the refs reviewinf every game,
assessors and other refs all take part, they discuss who and how they were conned, why each major decision was right or wrong.
you ask then why do they keep falling for it over and over, why did it take into a second season for Jamie vardy to get called for his diving antics,
well the answer might be that, for an unknown reason to me, the ref, the assessors, the other refs, and the pgmol bosses, actually don’t agree that they are being conned, and they back this up with their own stats that they get almost every decision in every game correct, was it a 97% correct decision stat they claimed, not sure but it was something like that,
so as wenger put it, “he seen what he wanted to see”, now that suggests one of two things, either they are as wenger put it, seeing what the want to see, or should that be, they are getting the outcome they want, or its that the whole bloody lot of them at the pgmol are totally inept.
Either way, its a real mess, and as wenger stated tonight, there is no will to change it, not the pgmol, the fa, bpl, or media.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Of course it was a dive. The fact that, if there was contact, it was nothing more than a tap on the sole of lower side of the boot, so when he started rolling around in pain, holding his knee and shin, the whole watching world knew that it was a con. Taylor should have seen that and realised he was being conned, but chose to ignore it.
I get the feeling that AW is so fed up with what is happening that he is going really let it rip, to hell with the consequences from the EPL, who seem unwilling to do anything to improve what is clearly a very bad situation.
IF this continues, who is to say that the TV audience will start to go down and they will difficulties in selling the rights.
BY the way, I hope that AW has a word with Jack about how he should be conducting himself on the the pitch.
LikeLike
yes george the media normally, especially when its an English player, call it clever. Seen a replay of it and Taylor totally unsighted on it, and with the media fuss, especially with Wenger calling them out on not highlighting what happened in spurs game last night, I fully expect Jack to get charged, and probably get a 1 game ban,
LikeLiked by 1 person
we face CFC again this day week. before that we have fa cup game, big rotation expected in both those games
LikeLiked by 1 person
how many penalties is that awarded against us so far this season
LikeLiked by 1 person
didnt see the ANM penalty claim?
Was it?
Today was one of those days where I’m not so pissed of with the ref, unlike Dean at West Brom, more the fact that we had them where we wanted at 1-0, but glad for BEllerin to make amends and 2-2 is okay I suppose.
LikeLike
more from wenger
on the game…
I think it was a great football game, where we saw fantastic action on both sides and a game where we have shown great mental resources. I knew before the game that the last 20 minutes could be difficult for us, because we have a big disadvantage with the schedule. We got, again, a farcical decision but we knew that as well before, so we have to deal with that. That’s it basically.
on the penalty decision…
I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it. I’m fed up with that. The referees get away with you, the English press, no matter what they do.
on what he wants to say about his charge…
Nothing at all.
on what he means by ‘we knew that as well before’ in his first answer…
Sorry? I mean nothing. You are always more intelligent than everybody, so you can guess what happens.
on whether he thinks VAR would prevent errors…
I am very sceptical.
on if he has decided to contest his FA charge…
Sorry? 100 per cent. You can listen to every interview I said, and I stick to everything I said without any problem. I am 35 years in football, I know what I say after the game and I stand up for what I said. No problem.
on whether his conscience is clear…
Look, what I find terrible is that we have just seen is a great football game and we talk only about things that are nothing to do with football. At some stage, you stand up in the morning and you say ‘we have seen a great football game’ but you are not interested in that. For me, that would be nice, that at some stage we speak about football again. What are we talking about? It’s nothing to do with football.
on whether managers should just accept refereeing decisions and not complain…
That’s what I do. I have no choice. But you have to say as well that at some stage in football, you have to stand up for the referee’s decisions. But you have to say as well that at the moment, we have to face surprising decisions.
on Petr’s comments after the last game and whether referees are contradicting what is said in meetings with players and managers…
What I am finding is just what I want to tell you. I would love to talk about football, because that is what I love. We have seen a great football game tonight, but what are we talking about? Not about football.
on whether it is frustrating that we are sixth in the table…
That is very frustrating, I agree with you. We have to look at ourselves as well, but still, I think it was a great football game and when you look recently our performances have been top quality. The regret we have is that we have not the results that we could have had. Certainly that is part of our problem, but as well on the other side, you have to say that we have not been gifted this luck.
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/we-saw-great-game-we-dont-talk-about-it#ceqjdyOzZtbzJhXV.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/we-saw-great-game-we-dont-talk-about-it#17UUPeXcyckeM6X2.99
LikeLiked by 2 people
on whether he thinks VAR would prevent errors…
I am very sceptical.
I totally agree with Wenger on this,
LikeLiked by 2 people
ed, it’s only from reading a few ref books I heard about that stuff. Despite saturation coverage media have zero interest in thinking about such a key part of the sport.
Webb was on about spending 4 or 6 hours with an assessor for an Everton game that went badly wrong for him after an early mistake where he let that mistake and the crowd completely disrupt what he should have done afterwards.
That, and numerous other details, such as the presentations they have on the monthly ref courses about key incidents, the encouragement they have to discuss difficult (or favourite. Webb liked Barton!) players , the extensive review system in place…knowing that made it more difficult to accept the way they operate, very often as though a player sticking out his leg for contact, running into an opponent instead of pursuing the ball, etc, is a brand new thing which, unfortunately, tricks them.
Especially suspect is when they give a pen instantly or run over after a bad foul and get the yellow out as quick as possible, when they are implored to give themselves an extra bit of time, which fits with the science that says system one*- instantaneous- is vital in certain situations but has grave limitations and is a problem in others. Mostly, that’s a matter of bias, how helpful it is for much of life, essentially when it’s a matter of life or death, but what a problem in others.
All the training directs them to seek extra time on the biggest calls,to make sure system 2 gets a chance. .
* Thinking, Fast and Slow, by the world’s best expert in the filed of bias. Should be the number one read in any decision-makers library. Oh well, more chance they read Beano
LikeLiked by 3 people
MV, the AMN penalty claims, well he cut in between 2 cfc defenders, as he went by moses, the cfc player made contact with AMN foot, causing him to trip up, one foot hitting his other, now as we found out later with the Bellerin touch on Hazard, if contact made its a penalty, well it is if you don’t player for afc, or at least are playing against them.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Ed, this is a few days out of date, but with this week, think,we have conceded four and been given two
http://www.myfootballfacts.com/Premier_League_Penalty_Statistics.html
Up with Watford and West Ham in terms of conceding, and as with much of Mike Riley’s tenure, a negative balance, especially compared with other top, attacking teams, who would be expected to get more pens.
Just look at last year, when we conceded ten, a balance of -4! Compare and contrast with the spuds who had become quite a dirty team last season, given 9 pens, a balance of plus 7.
Remember UA doing a big article on our pens under Riley, we really do not come out well , there was a suspicion that Riley was put in place by those who feared arsenals play and needed to counter it
LikeLiked by 2 people
yes rich, all the assessing, and going over every big decision, so it must come down to PGMOL’s – “Game Management”
LikeLiked by 2 people
On penalties, for reference , I see, to believe Riley came in around 2008/2009.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wenger on refereeing in England: “Read what the foreign newspapers write about it & read what the English newspapers write. You will see the difference.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wenger is going to go out is a blaze of glory, befitting a man who has already, with his coach, Primorac, helped stand up to corruption involving Marseilles
LikeLiked by 3 people
Think I’ve known for years anyway- and in a world Ferguson will always be considered an untouchable as the best of management- your own feelings and opinions about what’s right, who’s good or great, will have to do.
Big Weng is a footballing giant, a good man, pearl among swine and all that.
Only thing now is to give full respect to that, enjoy the immense entertainment we can serve up if anyone comes to play, fight against the onslaught of error and deliberate bullshit.
Do that and the future is win win or maybe lose lose. We’ll get a more cynical boss next, possibly a much more cynical one, and he will fit better with football as it is, and maybe that will bring rewards.
Who knows. We still have more time of this yet. Honest football, with an eye on sublime stuff. Gave me an evening of tremendous entertainment despite the nasty business of being hit again by cheating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jack probably thought he was protected by the ‘being English thing’, but he needs to remember that ‘playing for Arsenal’ trumps that every time. AFC and their players are tainted by association with the belief that they are a ‘foreign’ team, whereas somehow the spuds, chelski and Liverpool are still considered to be English. It’s definitely one rule for them and another rule for us.
LikeLiked by 3 people
When you come here, you see football. Unfortunately, the games are always spoiled by factors you can’t master.
“You can only do one thing – to continue to play the way we want to play and hope that, at some stage, things will go for us.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fergie was a great, but not so great he didn’t have to unlevel the playing field to deal with Wenger back in the day, he pretty much admits it, and his public respect for Wenger these days is palpable, almost as if he recognises what his machinations have caused our manager.
Will the next boss when he arrives, be more cynical, oh yes, on a logarithmic scale, the quickest win in a very difficult situation
LikeLiked by 1 person
mandy, on our next boss, both Ivan and Arsene have said on several occasions that the next manager will be someone who carries on and safeguards our principles, our playing style and what we stand for.
LikeLike
Get French Football @GFFN
Arsène Wenger to SFR Sport: “The penalty decision comes from up the referees sleeve, nobody saw it coming… it was a farce.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
i’ve had this ‘had enough of football’ in past seasons, after our win over leicester, after alonso elbow
life goes on, support your local team, appreciate Arsenal doing their best in one of the most corrupt leagues
LikeLiked by 1 person
To me this match was a microcosm of our season, of where AFC are at right now. Dazzling offensive plays at times just a tiny bit off, unbelievable saves by their keeper, complete defensive breakdowns (how the F@ck was morata in alone…again(!) at the end) and the refereeing was consistent with what we’ve seen this and the past years….
I appreciate and enjoyed our efforts, the kids on defense had a heck of a tough job to do and overall did great job. I admire Arsène and am happy to see him calling out the FA, the press and doing so in a very clever way. You hope that it will have some people (press, pigmol etc) waking up, what’s the worse that happen, we rarely get proper calls called for us as it is….
Upwards and onwards! COYG!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Andy, these old bones need 10a.m. reviews…much more enjoyable. So many highlights from our lads…Holding, Cech, and, AMN in particular. What a talent this kid is. It was a wonderful game, that penalty apart, and justice ruled at the end.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Can anybody update me on the penalty count for top 6 club in Epl this year.
For and Against.
LikeLike
Its sounds so weird but after this constant Pigmob agenda against AFC shouldnt the club stop its operation in UK and get register with Bundesliga to get a level playing field.
I am sure Bundesliga will welcome a club having massive stature and following like AFC .
What could be the legal implications at both ends?
I know its a very absurd proposal in all respects but with this constant targeting by Pigmob why not?
LikeLike
Seems Spanish Gooner has been documenting calls against us this season, I am not good with links but should be somewhere on this thread
https://mobile.twitter.com/geoffarsenal?lang=en
Of course I should mention the pen we got against media darlings, plucky Burnley, a stonewalled for everyone except the media that is
Ed on your post last night, I am sure the next manager and regime will stick to our fine principles like attacking football, giving youngsters a chance, the clubs foundation and community work, self sufficiency, but I think the new man, when he arrives will want people onside quickly, he will most likely shore up the defence to a degree, maybe take some of the nativity out of our game, he may also have plans to be more subtle in avoiding , and receiving pens, who knows.
Only reports, who knows what really goes in behind the scenes, but if some of the mentions of managers we have spoken to as Wenger decided his future last season are true, I would expect a more streetwise approach , and that’s not a criticism of Wenger, more a reflection on what I expect to be an experienced manager who will be under a degree of pressure from day 1
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is clear , I’m a VAR pessimist but when the Germans are struggling with organising it I know there is a real diffculty with it’s implementation. Mr Wenger (Who we all know has been a major advocate for the technology) has reservations with how and when it is used.
Here is a link to informative and intelligent pod on German football
Episode 4: Scandals, Scheming, Shambles
11/26/2017
What is going in the German FA? The Fussball Nation tries to shed a light on the recent mishandling of the VAR, a lack of transparency and shady ploys at the top level of the refereeing board.
LikeLiked by 2 people