On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[Atila Reincarnate]

I've been away for a few days in sunny Southampton and this is my first chance to post pre the old stratford farce.

Surprise surprise, Man ure get a penalty, and even greater surprise we don't!!! No argument with the Rooney penalty, but Fletcher was a dirty little fcuker throughout, and, surprise surprise, went unpunished. Now if we are to use video evidence to punish players retrospectively, as was the case with Eduardo, then Fletcher should be banned retrospectively on the basis of clattering the little Russian. Never mind, at least Man Ure didn't score from open play, and I beleive that the Champions this season, on the basis of what I've seen thus far, will be the noveau riche CSKA Fulham.

[matthew123]

One day to go before the transfer deadline.. I think there is going to be a lot of activity in and out of Anfield tomorrow

[red devil]

Can't see it being as exciting as last years e.g. the Robinho and Berbatov transfers, Sky's coverage is always good to tune into though...

[matthew123]

Wenger has made some interesting observations about United's central midfield, he has alluded to their purpose as being to destroy rather than create. I'm not sure whether it is sour grapes on Wenger's part but I have to say Fletcher has never struck me as a midfielder enforcer. I'd say his greatest attribute is a good engine but other than that he is limited. I think Wenger should be pointing the finger more at his own players - this was a game where they dominated United more than when Liverpool won at Old Trafford 4-1 and yet barely tested Ben Foster. Arsenal should have been shooting on sight as I believe Foster is United's major weak link. In many ways Foster reminds me Scott Carson who struggled with the fundamentals but seemed to have made a career solely from point blank saves.

[Narnia]

When SAF plays one up front at home against anyone it's an admission of not really believing in his players being able to dominate a game. United chose to stifle the Arse and frankly were lucky to win. Maybe his tactics were spot on as they won but I hope it's not a sign of things to come. I prefer the you score X and we'll score X+1 approach to football.

[Mick Mac]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've been away for a few days in sunny Southampton

> and this is my first chance to post pre the old

> stratford farce.

>

> Surprise surprise, Man ure get a penalty, and even

> greater surprise we don't!!!

Atila - Is one dodgy penalty per week not enough for you - don't get greedy now.

[matthew123]

On the Sunday Supplement yesterday, Matt Lawton from the Daily Mail claimed to have now seen a previously unseen camera angle that shows the keeper knocking Eduardo's ankle... whether there is much credibility in this claim I don't know as also on same show it was claimed Wayne Rooney is best player in Premiership.

[Sandperson]

Ok, so Fletcher got away with a dodgy tackle and if they review the evidence and he gets a ban then he should hold his hands up. Fletcher is a great international player and we miss him when he sn't playing, in my opinion.

Why did saturdays performance not make us look good enough? It was pretty well balanced in terms of play for most of the game. We played openly and expansively and made several good chances and certainly looked better than we have for a couple of games. We obvioulsy had Arsenal on the back foot otherwise you wouldn't have had an own goal like that. It seems to me that we did what we needed to do and as far as Arsenal playing as well as Liverpool in the 1-4 Matt, you do your team down. Arsenal weren't that good.

[Mick Mac]

matthew123 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> On the Sunday Supplement yesterday, Matt Lawton

> from the Daily Mail claimed to have now seen a

> previously unseen camera angle that shows the

> keeper knocking Eduardo's ankle... whether there

> is much credibility in this claim I don't know as

> also on same show it was claimed Wayne Rooney is

> best player in Premiership.

Any journalist who thinks a little bit of contact, on a player who has 1) already decided to fall down and is 2) already falling down before contact takes place, gets that player off with cheating/diving accusations is missing the point.

[red devil]

SP said...

Why should Fletcher get a ban, he wasn't cheating or trying to con the referee like Eduardo or Emmanuel 'Swan Lake' Eboue did, are we going to start banning players now because of poor refereeing decisions?..

[Sandperson]

I'm just trying to be fair RD. I was trying to show I was being even handed rather than too partisan but I agree with you, there is a difference between a swan dive and a hard tackle.

[matthew123]

Wenger seems to have been suggesting that part of United's game plan was to kick Arsenal players (with getting the ball being a bonus) in safe areas of the pitch to break up flow of play - a similar claim was also made back in circa 2004 when Gary Neville systematically fouled Jose Antonio Reyes at Old Trafford.

Yes diving is different - and again this fixture probably threw up the most infamous dive in Premiership history back in the autumn of 2004. These players should be punished retrospectively if necessary but persistant fouling has to be dealt with by the Referee.

[red devil]

...that of course is only your opinion Matthew rather than the general concensus your posts suggests, I think if you asked the question generally you'd get many nominations, mine would be Pires's against (I think) Pompey, the blatancy of it was truely shocking at the time...

[Sandperson]

Wenger is just being ridiculous. There was hardly a hard tackle in the game. for the first 20 mins it was end to end. How were we breaking play up in a negative fashion? I've just logged a film of the 1973 FA Cup quarter final replay between Arsenal and Chelsea. It shows an example of a blatantly diving Arsenal player winning a penalty.....nothing changes (and I don't mean it's just arsenal before a certain person comes on going on about ladyboys - a fixation he should really watch - and mugs :))). When the film is digitised on our website I'll post a link.

[Atila Reincarnate]

matthew123 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes diving is different - and again this fixture

> probably threw up the most infamous dive in

> Premiership history back in the autumn of 2004.

> These players should be punished retrospectively

> if necessary but persistant fouling has to be

> dealt with by the Referee.

Couldn't agree more this was when the fat twat Shrek look a like Rooney went down like a sack of shite when Sol Campbell looked at him the wrong way, gaining a pen and putting and end to our unbeaten run. Easily the biggest and most notorious dive in the history of the Prem. Can we ban him retrospectively???????

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Wenger is just being ridiculous. There was hardly

> a hard tackle in the game. for the first 20 mins

> it was end to end. How were we breaking play up in

> a negative fashion? I've just logged a film of the

> 1973 FA Cup quarter final replay between Arsenal

> and Chelsea. It shows an example of a blatantly

> diving Arsenal player winning a

> penalty.....nothing changes (and I don't mean it's

> just arsenal before a certain person comes on

> going on about ladyboys - a fixation he should

> really watch - and mugs :))). When the film is

> digitised on our website I'll post a link.

I've no fixation with them, as they all seem to play for your team, and I think you'll find Red Devil is the person who has the fixation not I. Yet gain you missed the point, Arshavin was clearly clattered but didn't get the pen, WHAT A SHOCK!!! AS for divers, those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, or have already forgotten the antics of Horse Face Van Nistleroy, Forlan, and the fake Ronaldo, not to mention Shrek???

[red devil]

Latest Arsenal team photo...

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/02/venusflytrap_450x250.jpg

[Jah Lush]

Is that the five-a-side team.

[Atila Reincarnate]

red devil Wrote:

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> Latest Arsenal team photo...

>

> http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/02/venusflytrap_

> 450x250.jpg

I thought this was Ronaldo and Ferdinand with friends on a fashion shoot

[red devil]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> Is that the five-a-side team.

Shrewd move by Wenger don't you think Jah?, gets around the problem of players getting distracted by WAGS, I wondered why Wenger looks so pleased with himself recently...

[Sandperson]

Ha, ha. I love that in Atlia world Arsenal players don't dive. I think he IS Arsene Wenger.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Ha, ha. I love that in Atlia world Arsenal players

> don't dive. I think he IS Arsene Wenger.

You really are a bigger plum than I thought, if you check my posting I've not once said our players have never dived, but take a long hard look at your team before you start throwing the dirt around. As I said your record is fair from clean in that regard.

[matthew123]

Question marks being raised about whether Rooney was already going to ground before keeper clipped him on Saturday. Is Rooney being picked on unfairly?

 

[matthew123]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> matthew123 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Yes diving is different - and again this

> fixture

> > probably threw up the most infamous dive in

> > Premiership history back in the autumn of 2004.

> > These players should be punished

> retrospectively

> > if necessary but persistant fouling has to be

> > dealt with by the Referee.

>

>

> Couldn't agree more this was when the fat @#$%&

> Shrek look a like Rooney went down like a sack of

> shite when Sol Campbell looked at him the wrong

> way, gaining a pen and putting and end to our

> unbeaten run. Easily the biggest and most

> notorious dive in the history of the Prem. Can we

> ban him retrospectively???????

 

[????]

yeah....question msrk by some 'objective' Arsenal supporters...it was a penalty....