The football Arsenal are playing is described as ‘monotonous, pointless and toothless’ as another ‘outrageous’ decision goes against them. Plus, Tottenham have finally broken Ange Postecoglou’s brain, Man Utd laughing stock and much more…
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Another outrageous against Arsenal
Well here we are again with an unprecedented and never to be repeated game deciding decision going against Arsenal. Let’s get a few things clear, every team gets bad decisions that alone isn’t isolated to Arsenal, but what is isolated is these decisions that you cannot point to another time it’s happened in the league and you can be sure it won’t happen again. The decisions are completely out of context with how the game is refereed.
Secondly, I’m sure there will be plenty of fans who come out to gas lite Arsenal fans saying the decision was fine, a certain penalty, that much is obvious, the poor decision suits virtually every other fan, it takes 2 points from Arsenal so all the teams at the top are happy with it, all our big 6 rivals are happy and generally all fans are happy when something bad happens to a big team. Tribalism is not allowing fans to be objective. Sky sports are implicit in it too, look how critical Sky were of so many ref decisions until this season, PGMOL have clearly told Sky to button it and in exchange they will give Sky better but carefully orchestrated access to PGMOL. Webb has done the seemingly impossible and made ref standards worse.
Apparently var took 3 seconds to confirm the penalty, you can see on the slow mo that the ball clearly bounces of Saliba’s head before any clash of heads. That’s the equivalent of a tackle by Saliba, winning the ball. So even if the refs believe the head on head contact constitutes a penalty (which it never has in any game ever) they’ve completely ignored the touch on the ball by Saliba. PGMOL should be releasing the audio for every var decision, not just the ones they want, let’s hear the conversation on this particular one to see if the var even recognise the ball hitting Saliba’s head before the clash of heads.
Yes Arsenal didn’t play that well in the second half but Brighton were absolutely held at arms length until the penalty. Arsenal were without their first 4 choice starting attacking players so there was going to be some pragmatism about the performance and a hard fought 1-0 victory was on the cards until the ref intervened. Not one Brighton player appealed for the penalty and had it not been given every pundit and commentator would be talking about an unfortunate clash of heads rather than tumbling over themselves to try to justify it as a penalty.
Arsenal have had 4 decisions this year on an outrageous never seen before, never seen again level. It’s cost us likely 7-9 points. Again, I’d invite any rival fan to show me where Arsenal have been given big decisions this season in any game to ‘even it out’. Arsenal fans have been saying it for years, unprecedented decisions, bizarre decisions – backed up in law if you contort yourself in knots to defend it but no one can ever show an example of it happening before or after – this penalty is the same. Arsenal fans will happily point out plenty of times in just the next handful of games where the same incident happens and no pen is given. Just file it with the Martinelli 5 second double yellow card.
Arteta was taken to a tribunal last year following strong criticism of refs, they lost and he won, in the tribunal it was proven the authorities decided that Arteta’s higher profile meant he should be more harshly punished. Just something to think about.
Every fan will point to their bad luck, (or call it excuses if your tribalism blinds you) Arsenal’s has been shocking this season, 3 months out for Saka, 2 months for Odegaard, 3 months for White, Merino 2 months in his first training session, Tomiyasu all season so far, and so many other injuries in clusters in the same position. We’ve had 6 full backs out injured at the same time!
Add on top the 3 red cards and this penalty it’s been a season to forget already.
Finally, can it be agreed that a bad ref decision and a general poor performance or lack of striker signing can BOTH exist independently of each other or are there people that still sit at home saying ‘team x should have just scored 3 goals then the refs bad decision has no influence’? *sigh*
Rich, AFC
Oh dear
Oh Dear Arsenal. So it’ll be 11 points behind Liverpool soon enough. I assume Arsenal fans are allergic to reality, as the last 21 years have demonstrated! What more can you add to this shitshow? I’ve recently heard a few Arsenal and non-Arsenal fans, sarcastically compare Arteta’s Arsenal to “George Graham Arsenal”. This is meant to be an insult but in fact, Arteta doesn’t deserve to be compared to a manager who assembled a title-winning side, that pipped one of the greatest ever Liverpool teams to a PL title, at Anfield!
Arteta gets his arse beaten each time he goes near Anfield, what with his gimmicks of playing YNWA on Spotify 🙄. What a ridiculous situation to witness Arsenal frequently face lower ranked sides who possess strikers who would improve Arsenal: be it Semenyo at Bournemouth, Cunha of Wolves, Mbeumo of Brentford, Villa backup Jon Dhuran, Isak at Newcastle etc.
How is this possible when the Arsenal manager has had five years and over £750m?! Wow.
If you are William Saliba and you’re clearly potentially the best CB in Europe, Madrid want you, you’re guaranteed major trophies, and playing with actual attackers (not £65m ashtrays), and demanding fans who won’t settle for glorious failure….wouldn’t you also take the RVP/Cesc/Nasri/Cole route? It’s a continuation of the same Loser mentality we saw under Wenger, except Arteta’s failure is being rebranded as some sort of Harrods car boot sale! It’s still tat lads – Harrods or not.
Arsenal’s football is monotonous, pointless and toothless. It relies on scoring first and the opposition floundering and completely opening up – when they don’t, the results are clear. Arteta is unable to build an attacking side that wins. Watching Arsenal run down the clock in stoppage time, at home, to Ipswich, is a scandalous embarrassment. Watch Arsenal play for set pieces at Brighton because every player on that pitch knew the 3 points relied on hanging on to a precarious 1-goal load….is embarrassing. Watching Joao Pedro and Mitoma, knowing that they were both far superior to every single Arsenal attacker on that pitch, is embarrassing. Knowing that Jesus in on £265k a week, but inferior to virtually every other starting PL striker, is embarrassing (but Arsenal fans curiously don’t care so much about clubs blowing stupid money in this case eh? Strange 🤔)
We’ve all gone over the £65m ashtray – at this rate he’s making Rashford look like a Pele-style signing.
Farce upon farce, 21 years straight. Congrats to Slot and Liverpool – Slot a thoroughly decent chap, spent nothing, never bitched, didn’t need 5 years and £750m, never talked shite about “Process”. Rocked up, on a much lower salary than Arteta’s current £15m (!!!). And has humiliated him on the pitch. Oh the shame.
Stewie Griffin (21-Gun salute to honour the 21 years of Failure!)
At least we’re scraping through and winning matches. Arsenal can’t even scraped through Brighton.
Veni, Singapore (I’d give them 1989 though, that was such a heartbreak.)
Brighton’s penalty
I’ve seen a lot of Arsenal fans (and manager) complaining about the penalty because it was ‘something they’ve never seen awarded before’. And although there are plenty of examples of similar things happening (like a keeper punching a player’s head rather than getting the ball and a penalty being awarded), they are right – I’ve never seen this precise thing given as a penalty before.
The thing is, I’ve also never seen a player run at an opponent from behind, drop-kick him, and then rain blows down on top of them from the mount position either.
Just because something is unusual – dare I say – even vanishingly rare, does not mean that it isn’t a foul. The reason no-one can point to a similar example of another penalty being given for the same offence is the exact same reason no-one can give an example of the obverse.
Greg, Taunton.
Spurs have done it at last…
Ange Postecoglou’s wildly absurd post-match comments make it clear (and obvious) that Spurs have finally broken his brain. I’m quite pleased with the prominent role Newcastle has played in the utter loss of his marbles over the last 18 months, but Spurs really do deserve the lion’s share of the credit.
Chris C, Toon Army DC
A long moan
Eddie Howe made me miss my train.
He coaches his teams to time-waste and pretend to be injured. I hate him for it and I hope he is never considered for the England job because he is a disgrace.
Referees have to stop the game and they get to rest and regroup whilst the momentum is gone. After the 4000th time someone fakes it, why does the ref not start booking people for cheating? Should retrospective bans happen? Should point deductions happen? I hate watching Newcastle but go because I have a season ticket and it’s always the same. Why no bookings for timewasting? It started after 30 seconds. 2 minutes for the most innocuous challenge and then he sprints back on. It’s shameful.
And the clearest handball in the world the whole stadium saw apart from the most pathetic ref (who also didn’t give at least 3 blatant yellow cards early on) and VAR and pundits make up total nonsense about it.
Anon. (looking forward Wednesday… Sack the board, Levy out).
Sad to see Man Utd become a laughing stock…
As a Liverpool fan, it would be easy for me to revel in United’s trouble, but I won’t, because we travelled the same path.
Since Ferguson retired, there have too many changes of manager resulting in players becoming complacent and coasting whilst waiting for the next coach to come and get sacked. Managing a big team in a second tier league is not the same as managing a big team in a big league. Didn’t Utd learn from the ten Hag experiment?
The front office is in turmoil and the instability there creates instability on the field (an example is bringing a former great in Ronaldo back to the club and de-stabilising their on-field structure, and remembering that the season before his arrival Utd finished second in the league with the best defence). Some of the players they’ve bought, and the money paid for them, is truly head scratching and this comes down to senior management instability and team management instability.
And finally, buy players that want to play for Utd. As I’ve said, I’m not lover of Utd but it’s sad to see the laughing stock they’ve become.
Milan
Man Utd get battered everywhere they go
Manchester United’s visit to Anfield this Sunday has all the makings of another nightmare for the Red Devils. While Liverpool thrives under the transformative leadership of Arne Slot, United is weighed down by years of mismanagement, poor decision-making, and the stench of corporate greed. The stage is set for Liverpool to dish out another humiliating lesson to their bitter rivals, thanks to a perfect storm of United’s structural dysfunction and Liverpool’s relentless form.
The Jim Ratcliffe Sideshow
Jim Ratcliffe continues to add another layer of chaos to an already fractured club. His controversial business dealings, which include environmental disregard and tax avoidance, have made his involvement in United’s future less of a solution and more of a PR headache. His ownership of Nice, a Ligue 1 club riddled with underperformance and fan unrest, is hardly a glowing resume for steering United back to glory.
More content with being the Reverse Robin Hood, Ratcliffe’s focus has often been on cutting corners rather than building sustainable success. If his track record at INEOS is anything to go by, United could find themselves subjected to a culture of profit over passion, further alienating the fan base. ( How’s that model going Spurs fans? )
The Glazer Legacy of Stinking Decay
Let’s not forget that the Glazers’ reign has been a 20-year masterclass in how to destroy a footballing institution. Saddling the club with debt while siphoning off dividends, the Glazers have prioritized balance sheets over silverware. United’s crumbling infrastructure—both on and off the pitch—is a testament to their neglect. The roof leaks at Old Trafford mirror the leaks in the squad, where aging stars and expensive flops struggle to create any semblance of coherence.
While Liverpool operates with a clear philosophy, United lurch from one identity crisis to another. Erik ten Hag tried to instill discipline and tactical structure, but his efforts were undermined by a dysfunctional recruitment strategy and a squad filled with inconsistent performers. Ruben Interim is like a fawn mid road as a 20 tonner bears down … and his arrogant reluctance to switch formations may well cost Utd their PL position this season. The Glazers’ habit of chasing marquee names for commercial clout rather than footballing necessity has left United with a bloated wage bill and a team ill-equipped to handle a high-octane side like Liverpool.
Liverpool’s Momentum vs. United’s Malaise
Liverpool, by contrast, is a well-oiled machine. Klopp rebuilt his midfield with the energy and creativity of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, while Gravenberch has been a sensational revelation as the holding DM so afr this season. Mohamed Salah continues to defy expectations and is the best player on the planet. Anfield will be a cauldron of noise, and Liverpool thrives on the intensity of their home support.
United’s defensive frailties—exposed brutally in recent weeks—are tailor-made for Liverpool’s press.
Prediction
As United struggles under the weight of its own mismanagement, Liverpool is primed to exploit their weaknesses. Expect Slots side to dominate possession, press United into submission, and expose their lack of cohesion. A 3-0 or 4-1 scoreline feels inevitable, it could even be a 9-0 rollocking of LFC click, and the post-match analysis will likely include calls for further upheaval at Old Trafford.
At this point, United’s issues are less about form and more about a systemic failure at every level. Until the Glazers are gone and Ratcliffe proves he’s more than just a corporate opportunist, the gulf between United and Liverpool will only grow. UTFR
Poor scouser Tommy, Spion Kop, Africa
Man Utd fans are ridiculous
United fans are absolutely insane. Ill add the caveat of saying not all as a close friend is a united fan and is pretty reasonable.
But calling for a new managers head and questioning if he can do the job after a handful of games is genuinely ridiculous.
Amorim is a good manager. I watched his Lisbon teams many times and he is clearly a good manager. But he is not Harry potter. He can’t conjure up players that can play his way out of players that can’t. Now you can argue the mistake was that he should have been appointed in the summer then this could have been addressed and that would be valid. But wanting him gone now before actually giving him a shot is super dumb.
To finish let me ask you a question which would hopefully snap everything into focus – who would do better? If you can’t name a currently existing manager who could do better then there’s no point in getting a new one.
I’m of the opinion nobody could do better because it’s at least a 5 year job and I said that in a letter on this site 4 years ago.
The fanbase needs to lose the “we are man united” mentality. You are what your most recent history shows you are – a mid table struggler akin to what villa USED to be. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Lee
Keep Ruben Amorim for three years…
I think keep the governor He has inherited a rabble at least give him a chance to build his own team and turn it around if he can.
How long that’s going to take i don’t know ????
I would give him 3 years then see where we are.
Brendon 8437 from Melbourne Australia
Oh my…
Hormoz from Canada called Michael bloody Carrick a workhorse and also Wayne Rooney a true number 9.
Jesus wept.
Nikunj “MUFC” Solanki, Mumbai.
