Tuesday 8 April 2008

I Have Nothing To Say...

...that wouldn't be termed 'partisan', 'biased' or' sour-grapes' by many people who have not set foot on the left wing of a snowy pitch on a Sunday morning in February against a fat pub team of middle-aged cloggers from the arse-end of Tadcaster. I have, however, so I shall say what I like :)

Whilst tonight was one of the most entertaining games of football I have witnessed for a long time, the decision of the referee to award a penalty for the alleged 'tug' on Babel was an utter disgrace. I ask anyone who may have stumbled across this corner of the internet to look at the first leg and the Hleb incident on 65 mins (no penalty given) and then examine tonight's Babel incident on 85 mins (penalty given) and explain to me in no uncertain terms what the rubbery fuck was the difference? Eh? Nothing. Oh, apart from the referee. Either it is or it isn't a penalty. Yes or no. Black or white. Pinky or Perky. Cheech or Chong. Randall or Hopkirk (Deceased), etc...

For most of the game it was impossible to split the teams. I was discussing this at length with some Liverpool fans in the pub when the penalty as awarded; even they had the good grace to be embarrassed. The Guardian MBM commentary described it as "not entirely clear-cut". That should be in the dictionary under L (for Liberal). I know I'll almost certainly have calmed down by tomorrow but for now the result has a nasty aftertaste. Admittedly, us taking the lead on 13 minutes forced Benitez into a reluctant attacking formation. Perhaps we would have been better off scoring in the 89th minute. Now, for the purist, an almost certainly dour Liverpool-Chelsea semi-final does not fill the heart with glee. Oh well. Penalties, anyone?

Anyway, I keep reminding myself that Arsene told us in August that this team was "not ready". Having been top of the league and in with a shout of the semi-finals of Europe's 'super-league', all us Gooners begged to differ. Maybe he was right. Bring on 2008-09?And Theo...

5 comments:

  1. I don't know about everything else (I'm sure you're right of course) but by-the-by it sounds like that Theo is a bit good.

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  2. His jinking run reminded me of Owen against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. So why, oh why did he start with Eboué again?

    On reflection this morning, I still think it was a brilliant match. Liverpool took their chances better (the Torres strike was excellent) and on balance probably would have won even without the penalty decision. But it gives us Gooners something to hang our disappointment on, I suppose :)

    Oh well.

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  3. I thought we played pretty well after senderos' blunder, broke up your midfield (never thought you'd miss flamini that much!) and created a fair bit, albeit sporadically. mostly, (aside the obvious joy) i'm pissed off a controversial decision has marred a brilliant game. any contact from behind in the penalty area is always going to get european refs worked up, but it was no way clear cut enough. worse, over the knockout stages i'm not sure we really deserve to be in the semis. the sendings off vs inter and the blatant penalty denied at the emirates leave a sour taste. not helping us shift the luckypool tag certainly. we're still well behind the other prem top 3 but we can always turn it on in big games. anyway roll on another semi of terrifying, edge of the seat, dullness...

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  4. "...the decision of the referee to award a penalty for the alleged 'tug' on Babel was an utter disgrace. I ask anyone who may have stumbled across this corner of the internet to look at the first leg and the Hleb incident on 65 mins (no penalty given) and then examine tonight's Babel incident on 85 mins (penalty given) and explain to me in no uncertain terms what the rubbery fuck was the difference?...

    Great point.

    If only your teams manager felt the same way. He spent a whole week complaining that the Hleb incident was a penalty then another week complaining the Babel incident wasn't.

    Perhaps rather than asking for 'consistency' from referees, he could employ a degree of objectivity to their decisions?

    Now, according to your manager, your season has collapsed "because of the decisions of officials since March".

    Indeed, Wenger may have reminded you in August that the team 'wasn't ready'

    However, his actions across the season do contradict this somewhat. Why not come out after the second champions league tie and reiterate how the team had overachieved?

    Why not strengthen the squad in January?

    Why say he only needs to add one player to the current squad in the summer?

    The arrogance of his actions does not indicate to me the humility you attach to the man!

    Arrogance and complacency lead to Liverpool falling from a position of strength to perennial strugglers for third/fourth place in the space of two decades. In different circumstances the arrogance and complacency of your manager could lead you down the same road.

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  5. @Anonymous

    "Perhaps rather than asking for 'consistency' from referees, he could employ a degree of objectivity to their decisions?"

    I'm not sure what your point is - mine was that both of those decisions went against us, in diametrically opposed ways. So it wasn't as if he was being blind (of which he is guilty as charged on occasion) but was, er, objectively assessing them and asking why they were not treated in the same way both times.

    "Why say he only needs to add one player to the current squad in the summer?"

    Er, so that every agent in Europe doesn't start banging at his door with a price-inflated left-winger? If you notice, the moment Chelsea say they are up for a new right-back, the price of right-backs doubles overnight. He may well buy more, but why should he tell the players, agents and media that at this stage? That would be dumb as rocks.

    (I have more to put to you, but I'm tired, having just been at the birth of my second child...)

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