That’s Arsene Wenger in his post-Champions League presser after Arsenal dismantled SC Braga 6-0.
Uh, I know you’re a footballing mastermind and all, but dude is that a pick or is it a scratch?
Actually, we’re thinking it might be a signal to the media to pile on to Sunderland prior to the weekend’s matches. We touched on it yesterday. But in addition to Owen Coyle’s complaining about his team’s petty thuggery—and by the way, if you find yourself in Vegas this weekend, we might suggest laying some money on Villa, Bolton’s opponent on the weekend, because if Coyle is still obsessed with what happened last week, there is no way his team are prepared to play this week—anyway, where were we?
Oh yeah, managers bitching about Arsenal.
Anyway, Coyle was actually complaining about the appeals process for officiating. And believe it or not, we kind of agree: there should be a better process for reviewing.
We’ve written before about how the Aussie A-League is on the side of angels with their post-match reviews for carded offenses. And if the Prem wants to do the same, all the better. But if a manager wants a match reviewed, it shouldn’t be limited to the single call or play they are whinging on about. The entire match should be opened up. Yep, everything that team did for the full course of the 90 minutes. Pretty sure that would, in this instance leave SF Bolton even more shorthanded for the trip to Villa, and might curb Coyle’s complaints.
Then there’s Fat Sam, who must be making a push up the charts at Rafa Marquez as the person we’d most like to see sodomized by Satan (with his pitchfork, no less… business end first), as he came out Tuesday with the following comments:
“Arsene has most of the media in his pocket now and is almost—almost—affecting the officials so that you can’t tackle an Arsenal player… There is a perception that we [Blackburn] kick everybody and Arsenal’s motivation is that you can’t tackle us as you aren’t supposed to. In terms of saying people are trying to injure players, he’s trying to influence, through the media, the referees—and that’s something they shouldn’t get sucked in to.”
Pretty sure that perception is there because, well, your teams do kick people. You’re outclassed against Arsenal and so you stick them.
As for the media cowing to Arsene’s complaints and affecting officiating, we’d be inclined to make the opposite argument. Everyone just accepts Arsenal will get kicked and that is that. And the refs, for the most part don’t do much about it.
This is from the Guardian’s postmatch report—the second paragraph no less—of the Arsenal v. Braga CL tilt: “Arsenal’s next game can be expected to stand in total contrast—they will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. With that fixture in mind, there was a protective policy at work when the manager substituted Marouane Chamakh, his one senior centre-forward who is fit.”
It’s such a given that Sunderland will put their studs into the Gunners to slow them down that the Guardian simply prints ahead of time that’s what will happen. And with that in mind, Wenger even has to take off his lone healthy option up top to make sure he’s okay for what awaits at the Stadium of Light. Nobody even thinks to question it. Yet, it’s Wenger who is controlling the media and telling officials his players are untouchable (hence the Bat Signal nose scratch).
Yes, good physical challenges are part of the game. And if a team wants to use physical tactics to slow down and try to dispossess a superior opponent of the ball, the Gunner contingency around here has no problem with that (re-read that last bit again if you think we’re complaining about TACTICS!).
All we want is if something is a foul (cough*Robinson on Diaby*cough), call it a foul. If something is a yellow card (cough*Robinson on Diaby*cough) call it. And if something is a red card (cough*Robinson on Diaby*cough), call it.
How the victims (Arsenal) here are still to blame for wanting the laws of the game called with as much fairness as completely fallible humans can manage over the course of 90 minutes, is utterly f**king stupid. But nobody ever accused Fat Sam of being a genius.
FYI ALL UF readers/ bloggers etc… This is a call out to NED… I propose a wager….If his Team loses this Sunday v. My newly promoted REQ league side… (from Mens 2nd division to our premier league) he should be required to wear a Newcastle Kit for three Norwich City Home Games and a buy me dinner at the restaurant Boca Juniors in Queens. In addition, if he scores on me (very unlikely since he is a defenseman and I am a rather good keeper lol) I will buy him season tickets to the Red Bulls Next year. (uppper deck last row of course).
So cheers my good friend and lets see if you can come up with some friendly propositions of your own!!!!!
Clearly a scratch. Arsene can do no wrong.
Nice, Dan V. Duly noted.
@Dan V: If he scores you should have to wear this:
http://unprofessionalfoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/norwich-sweater-1.jpg
Arsene calls for post-game reviews and punishment of bad tacklers. Arsene calls for better officiating. Coyle and Allardyce call for Arsene to shut up or see their studs up, and Andy Grey calls for his mom to help him offer betting advice.
Fat Sam also thinks that Ines Sainz was asking for it.
“It’s such a given that Sunderland will put their studs into the Gunners to slow them down that the Guardian simply prints ahead of time that’s what will happen. ”
You sure that’s what they were going for there? I didn’t see the match, but listening to people talk about it, Braga were essentially Arsenal-lite. So, I don’t think it’s so outlandish to expect a slightly different style of play against Sunderland.
Ok GOAT… That is hideous… and actually I think he really owns that.
@Ryan: Yeah, but that slightly different style of play is one that is much more likely to result in injury. It’s not quite the same as resting a left back because he’s going to have to contend with a speedy winger in the next game or giving a CDM a bit of a breather knowing that the team is going to face a fair amount of pressure on Saturday.
what’s wrong with a pick anyway.
i’m picking my nose right now. all french people pick their noses
@Clem: Remind me never to shake hands with you or NYK.
Fat Sam and Coyle are snapper heads.
A vigorous scratch. No more.
Does anyone else not look at who wrote post until midway into it? It’s a little game I play. This one was very easy to figure out with the “the Aussie A-League is on the side of angels” comment.
Dan. Our manager is going to let me play up front-game on my friend. its a deal on dinner, but I will certainly not be purchasing or wearing a Newcastle jersey. When you pick the ball out of the net on Sunday, I will be asking for seats on the half way line!
Now this makes it more tasty…. I have a Deportiva Cali Jersey for our dinner date just waiting for you… You will look splendid…
@Goat: Yeah, I agree with that I guess. I’m just saying, I don’t really buy that it’s an Arsenal specific thing like some of you do. I think that same sentence could easily have been written about Chelsea or United coming home to face a Premier League side.
Done. Let’s add this–if you beat us ( we finished 5th last season and won 5-2 last week) I will treat you to a jersey of your choice. As a promotion gift, I am going to bring you a back corset so you are comfortable when bending down to pick the ball up from the back of the net.
I appreciate the gesture… AS you know we just won promotion and got stomped last week… but you are still not scoring….
That’s not even the funniest thing Big Sam said yesterday
-
“I’m not suited to Bolton or Blackburn, I would be more suited to Inter or Real Madrid,” Allardyce said. “It wouldn’t be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the double or the league every time. Give me Manchester United or Chelsea and I would do the same, it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s not where I’m suited to, it’s just where I’ve been for most of the time.”
-
I mean, good for him that he’s that confident, but really, Sam?
^ Disregard; Shane got to it in the backpasses. Still funny though.
*Winner*
@Ryan: Sure that could easily be said about Chelsea or ManU facing the rigors of the Prem but those teams don’t have the reputation (deserved or not) of getting off their game if you stick a boot up their ass. That, I think, is unique to Arsenal but I’m against illegal, leg-breaking thuggery against (almost) everyone.
@Goat/Ryan/et al: Still frustrates me that leg-breaking thuggery is tolerated and joked about because it’s a “legitimate tactic,” as if playing defensively is not possible without diving over the ball at every chance.
@ Shane: I’ve wondered if what is thought of as the thuggery is in truth a visible demonstration of the talent level gap of the players. Supposed Thug A from Wolves might appear to be so as he is slower in response and reaction to a free ball, attempts to challenge but Fleet-of-Foot Player B from Arsenal is much quicker and by the time the two meet, it looks as if Supposed Thug A meant to break Player B’s leg when in truth he is just slower both in football intelligence and in terms of speed. I guess that’s sort of a “it’s Player B’s fault for being better” argument, but it moves away from a theory that the SF Boltons and Wolverhamptons of the Prem are game-planning for the shin kicking and more toward the general theory that their players suck more.
@Shane: Agreed. I played at a fairly high level up until high school at which point my skills deteriorated rapidly. My high school team was comprised of several folks who had played at various levels before and the vast majority (both men and women) who hadn’t ever played. Needless to say we were severely outclassed in pretty much every game and engaged in our fair share of thuggery and boorish behavior (fisticuffs inside the goal, brawls in the handshake line after the game, our habit of stealing the other teams’ balls, etc.) but I can’t recall us ever seriously injuring another player–and this is with bruising American football players (who elected, for various reasons, not to play high school football) who were less than delicate in their tackling. I guess my point is that you can still give a forearm to the back, muscle someone off the ball, surreptitiously tug a jersey, and outright trip someone without breaking their leg.
@ Goat!: And, you can do that without going studs up. Is that the problem Prem gaffers see then, that players from some clubs go in studs-up and think ‘s on purpose when really they just might be technically deficient?
Not that kind of player, etc. I played in college, semi-pro after, and continue to play in a couple of competitive rec leagues for old men. I can say with certainty that I have had people attempt to tackle me with the sole purpose of breaking my leg or something of the sort. In one instance I jumped the tackle, was away on goal, and the referee stopped the play because one of my teammates was beating on the guy on the ground who tried to maim me. That’s how obvious it was.
My point is, there is a certain mentality amongst *some* defenders that they know their tackle is dangerous, they know it may be late, but it’s the responsibility of the offensive player to avoid it. It is deliberate in that sense. In other words “you’re a dumb s**t if you see me coming in cleats up and don’t surrender me the ball.” A clumsy tackle is always frustrating, but a studs up tackle from an otherwise decent player is f**king disgusting. At any level of play. It has nothing to do with the skill of player A or player B. In my opinion it’s criminal and has no business in the game. You can easily stop an offensive player with professional foul that doesn’t involve the increased likelihood of breaking their leg. Just learn how to f**king tackle.
@berg: There should also be some directives from FIFA or the FA about calling fouls on dangerous plays even if the offensive player jumps over the tackle.
@OM: Being technically deficient or slower doesn’t explain/excuse the Paul Robinson’s of the world making a habit of going over the top and landing with tackles somewhere between the mid-shin area and the jaw line of his target. When there’s a habit that is clearly visible, and thanks to the magic of camera and video technology it is, then you call it what it is. Yeah, s**t happens sometime, but you can’t excuse it when it happens every time you take the field.
.
@Goat: I had a propensity for, say, twisting an opponents shorts until his nuts turned blue while waiting for a free kick to come in. I only ever deliberately went after a guy one time and it was after my “competitive days”. He had a nasty habit of treating every game like a World Cup final, which is admirable in a sense unless you’re also acting like you’re Mark van Bommell, even in co-ed leagues. He cleared out two of my players, two footed, one studs up sending a guy to the hospital, and only received a mild talking to from an official who looked eerily like George W. After he tried getting stuck-in on me I took it upon myself to make him hurt, and did so with a really really good looking challenge to the center official who was trailing the play (opposite the linesman on that end of the pitch) but he didn’t see me wrap my trailing leg and break his ankle. Whoops.
That is, as it stands the referee can take action if someone throws a punch that doesn’t connect but not really do much if someone goes in studs up but doesn’t connect. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
@ Goat!: In my adult league, whether the player goes in studs-up or not, it’s called if it’s close. As for the big boys, I don’t think the refs would be quick enough to spot a studs-up attempt that didn’t connect. Sometimes they don’t even catch the obvious studs-into chest tackles. See DeJong, Nigel, for reference.
@ Shane: Certainly, some players are really “those types of players” and there’s no excuse for that type of play when there are ways to defend without leg cracking. I was attempting to differentiate between those individuals who play in that fashion v a club/manager directive that his squad will play in that fashion.
@Shane: I’m all for retribution.
@OM: Maybe the manager should be punished, then. Clearly some managers-AH-Mick McCarthy-HEM-are sending at least one player onto the pitch solely for the purpose of sticking the boot in. That should not be.
.
And I don’t buy for a second the, “If we don’t play like that we’d get run off the pitch,” because it’s always appended with, “If we tried to go and attack we’d get torn apart.” Don’t go attack; don’t try to break legs. There’s a middle ground in there called “defending”.
@Goat: Sometimes people just deserve it. If you’re willing to risk my health (and I’ve had three knee ops) then I’m willing to risk yours, and I’m clever enough that I’ll probably get the best of you in those sorts of games.
.
Speaking of, you think if Wenger had Denilson dive in on Shawcross/Cahill/Robinson/Henry and break his leg this kind of s**t would stop?
@berg: “Just learn how to f**king tackle.”
.
That’s about it, isn’t it? Lost art and all that…
Goat was the Messi of peewee soccer.
@ Shane: Always wondered if Arsene would send a message like when a pitcher appears to hit an opposing batter on purpose for something that previously happened. And I think Mick and/or Wolverhampton have already received a fine from the league for their early season accumulation of cards–perhaps that should be stregthened up a bit to include a touch-line ban or something.
Pup in on a flyer!
.
@OM: Yeah, 75k or so I think. Deserved to say the least.
@Anon: I was awesome.
BTW, ‘Arry has weighed in on the tackling question. Or, if you just have to listen to the dulcet tones of ‘Arry, go here.
@anon: Yeah, see the problem is just that: players are deliberately going in to hurt people, and neither officials or their managers or pundits seem to give a s**t because “you should’ve seen the game 40 years ago.” Well, people weren’t as fast or as big 40 years ago, and what went on 40 years ago has no bearing on what’s happening today other than in minds of old c**ts like Arry. Nostalgia’s great; being able to walk when you’re 50 is better.
@Shane: ‘Arry’s Missus can take a good hard challenge better than most of these so-called footballers these days.
/poking the anthill with a stick
Sigh…
.
Maybe Arry’s missus could’ve netted 25 for him last year since Bent’s 24 weren’t good enough even for his bench.
@Shane: She could, could ‘Arry’s missus.
So how much did it cost to get that dog mounted?
@Shane: May someone dive in two-footed and break your leg.
@anon