There are Gooners who believe luck was the only reason we didn’t finish top 4. by Dan Smith
Injuries is one excuse used. Yet I only recall Partey, and Tierney as having long term issues, and let’s not pretend Partey being unavailable is like having Patrick Viera out.
The fact is Arsenal are not unique. Every squad has absentees, and unlike the 4 clubs who finished above us, we didn’t have a European schedule to organise.
We also went out of the FA Cup in the third round, meaning most of the campaign we only played once a week.
In February we only had 3 fixtures.
The other theory going round our fanbase is refereeing decisions have gone against us. Some supporters will say this tongue in cheek but make no mistake, those who mean it do exist.
Ask supporters of any club and they will tell you decisions always go against them. In reality, officiating is poor in the UK but it’s balanced. My stance has always been how can I complain about the manner of how our undefeated streak ended at Old Trafford without acknowledging the Pires dive Vs Portsmouth in the Invincible campaign? Or preach about a Champions League campaign ended due to Van Persie wrongly sent off yet not mention Eboue diving in the final?
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but sometimes it’s hard to look in the mirror and take accountability, I think it’s easier for some to hide behind conspiracies rather than admit we are simply not good enough.
We are not unique, there is zero reason for the FA, Premier League, refs, etc, to be sitting in dark rooms plotting our downfall? Why would they? For what benefit? Why would they concern themselves with a side who haven’t been in the top 4 for years?
This is the same governing bodies who accepted our application to postpone an NLD? If they had an agenda, why would they do us that favour? Would we be getting penalties at the Bridge and against United awarded if the objective was to cost us points?
Let’s though do an honest evaluation of our 38 fixtures and see how many controversial decisions went against us and how many points we should have had ….
Brentford – A … and Chelsea – H
Arteta would later admit surprise that these fixtures were not delayed due to 4 positive tests of COVID in the squad and non-playing staff. That doesn’t explain Leno grasping at air when trying to deal with a throw in! Or Lukaku bullying our back 4. Plus, Arsenal got a game postponed later in the campaign when they shouldn’t have
Man City – A
19 percent possession, not a shot on target and a team who melted the moment they faced any adversity. Then, one of the few leaders we have, loses his head and lunges in with a two footed tackle to get sent off.
Norwich – H
If there was a conspiracy would, in a tight outcome, VAR come to the conclusion that there was zero offside when Auba puts the ball in the net?
Burnley – A
A ref awards a penalty to the Clarets. VAR interjects and after checking with his monitor the ref decides that Ramsdale didn’t make contact with the player so reverses his decision.
So, for 2 fixtures in a row VAR goes our way.
Spurs – H
Spurs have a soft claim for a spot kick denied.
Brighton – A
We were largely outplayed in 0-0 draw .
Palace – H
Arteta feels that MacArthur should have been sent off for a lunge on Saka. Then he talks about how VAR should have intervened, more than our poor second half display .
Villa – H
VAR interject on the stroke of half time to give us a pen. If there’s a conspiracy, why does VAR keep doing this?
Leicester – A
Zero drama
Watford – H
Another penalty awarded for the Gunners.
Why are we getting so many penalties if there is an agenda? We score when not giving the ball back after Watford put ball out of play for an injured player. Certain Gooners don’t mention that!
Liverpool – A
Outplayed yet again at Anfield
Newcastle – H
No talking points
Man U – A
VAR corrects the referee showing that De Gea was knocked over by his own player. There is nothing contentious about Ronaldo’s pen
Everton – A
Toffees have two goals disallowed for offside thanks to video technology.
Saints H
Zero talking points.
West ham – A
West Ham conceded a pen and have a player sent off.
Leeds -A
Leeds awarded a pen when we are 3 -0 up so this doesn’t cost us any points.
Norwich – A
One of 5 goals is a pen
City -H
VAR doesn’t ask ref to look at Ederson bringing down Odegaard but in same area of pitch does advise Xhaka’s challenge on Silva to be looked at.
What I can’t defend is Gabriel deciding to body check an attacker knowing he’s on a yellow. We mentally crumble the moment we have to deal with adversity.
Burnley – H
Zero excuses from the majority in the Emirates who boo players off after goalless draw with team bottom of the table.
Wolves – A
Bizarre double yellow card within seconds of each other but that doesn’t mean it was wrong.
Brentford – H
Seems to be a foul in the build up to our second goal but not according to ref.
Wolves – H
Only talking point was our over the top celebrations
Watford – A
A game of great goals but nothing to debate.
Leicester – H
Another pen awarded for the Gunners
Villa – A
Hard fought win
Palace – A
Arteta offers zero excuses, apologizing for the defeat and admitting it’s not acceptable.
Brighton – H
VAR proves Martinelli header was offside. Arteta is again honest admitting the display was a concern.
Saints – A
A better performance but our manager rightfully focuses on our lack of cutting edge and end product
Chelsea – A
If there was a conspiracy against us, we don’t get awarded the pen we do. If you think that’s a spot kick you can’t complain what happens in the NLD a month later
Man U – H
Both Pens are justified.
West Ham – A
Zero drama
Leeds – H
We play over an hour against 10 men and just win narrowly.
Spurs – A
Arteta claims that if he says how he feels about the officiating he would be suspended. It’s a transparent attempt to deflect from a terrible performance. In reality Cedric doesn’t play the ball, and Holding is stupid to shoulder barge Son on a yellow card.
Newcastle – A
Outplayed completely. It is still hard to fathom how the players could be so unmotivated considering what was at stake
Everton – H
One of our 5 goals is a pen.
My surprise when approaching this with an open mind is how many penalties we were awarded, and in particular how many times VAR asked a ref to take a look at an original decision.
Most of our red cards were justified.
I can’t see that many fixtures where we were truly robbed because of an injustice? We were even allowed to manipulate a rule designed to protect squads from outbreaks of COVID.
I’m sorry, these things don’t happen if those in charge have an agenda.
Dan Smith
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Another generally negative post about Arsenal :/ Yano I think we have enough negativity from neutral sites. Even way your writing is negative. Guessing you don’t like Arteta eh pity cause I can see him being around longer than Wenger. Anyway would be nice to see some positivity from you even when writing negative things… is it so bad Arteta complained about VAR instead of our performance in public? I’m sure best managers defend their teams in public and lose their rag in private… I mean what is need to even write that other than you had nothing else to write as not as controversial as you believe before you started writing… sad to see non supporter feeding us crap on daily from a site ment to be dedicated to Arsenal
@Nigel
I am sorry you see everything as negative, but Dan has gone out of his way to analyse every game to see if the MYTHS stand up or not.
In fact he even states he was surprised to find so many in our favour.
Facts are facts, whether you like them or not….
PAT LETS LOOK ATV THE OTHER VIEWPOINT FROM YOUR DEFENDING AND PROMOTING DANS REGULAR ARTICLES, hardly any of which EVER mention anything positive about our club.
I will now list some salient points as follows:
A/DAN is a very regular and prolific writer on your site which is always desperately in need of articles, esp when there is no actual news, which, discounting the several times daily “transfer” rumours, is actually always in very short supply.
B/ Dan can certainly put words together and has writing skills, technically speaking.
C/ His content is deliberately controversial and designed to generate posts, which you yourself badly need, as the guv’nor on JA.
D/ His regular WEEKLY predictions chart is designed to win popular support and does so, which helps you in using him so very much and in disguising to some extent , (except with those who are in the know) , how much damage to Gooner morale his constant negativity is doing.
E/ Dan is implacably an anti MA fan, as so many point out, and so many of his bashing MA pieces are, albeit artfully constructed, simply rehashes of many of his previous articles. MANY OF US ARE JA REGULARS AND KNOW EXACTLY WHY AND HOW THIS IS ALLOWED!
F/ For balance, you do also permit and use articles from whereever they are offered and some do support MA , TO BE FAIR TO YOU. But the balance is extremely loaded against those who support MA. Your recent poll said 57% supported MA with 28% against, a two to one in his favour result. JA articles do not reflect that vote at all but very much the opposite.
G/ When , fairly recently we held a four point lead over Spuds just before the NLD, there was ONE single more positive article from DAN. That was, in my considered view, a partialand tactical rowing back by Dan, when it looked more likely than not than we would actually make top four.
Dan knew that if we did make top four he would be called to account for his season long – more actually- negativity towards MA . But as soon as we lost at WHL, DAN QUICKLY REVEETED BACK TO HIS SLAUGHTERING OF MA.
PAT, it is so damned obvious to all who are not in DANS CAMP- and in all honesty I am convinced that you , Martin and Patrick are all supporters of MA continuing , despite the several Devils Advocate article thast all three contribute from time to time on that matter.
If I am wrong about any of yuou three then please have the honesty to say so, as I firmly believe you are more keen to promote your site and your personal income therefore, than to give a balanced version of what you three TRULY BELIEVE.
Being personally very perceptive in picking out the truth from the Devils advocate articles, I have long time been convinced that all three of you actyally agree with me and with the majority on JA who still support MA, even while accepting and admitting the MANY misakes he has made while here.
Many of us accept there will be more but stay loyal . We are TRUE ACTUAL SUPPORTERS, something that I honestly feel that DAN and those who agree with him(28% with some undecided) CANNOT HONESTLY CLAIM TO BE.
A supporter is more than simply a fan as a supporter supports and does not constantly and all the time offer ONLY criticism. Of course we all call out things we do not like, as THAT is fair game on a debating site. But I have to wonder whether SOME of the regular anti MA posts on here arefrom true supporters or merely fans who love to slaughter in print the very club they claim to love!
I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE, AS WOULD OTHERS, I am sure, a full and proper answer to ALL the above, with proper explanations and not just insults to me for my detailed post.
THANK YOU, IN ANTICIPATION PAT!
Does it need to be pointed out that if he achieved top 4 all gooners would have been behind him because that is what we all want? If you are satisfied with mediocrity no one is stopping you but don’t force others to be.
If you haven’t realized already most gooners consider 8th, 8th 5th a failure considering 4th was already in our hands before bottling it in spectacular fashion.
And lastly there are a lot of pro Arteta fans who is stopping you all from posting articles?
This from the man who believes(on this very thread, posted at 11.41) that until three years ago refs were biased but suddenly stopped being so when UE was here, closely followed by MA.
Only biased when WENGER WAS MANAGER, EH!!?” Then suddenly honest again, overnight!!
Stupidity beyond belief! HH, It is no wonder that I IGNORE YOUR FOOLISH POSTS.
Why don’t you write positive articles to rebut Dan’s? Because there are no positives to write about and you know it and you are not as good as he is and you know that as well.
Yes that was the intent of my post below to show you and your ilk that anyone can be biased if they ignore reality as you constantly do. And emery was not included in that only Arteta.
Just because the club has extended his contract results wise (and that is what matters to fans) you are continuing your personal tradition of backing the wrong person.
@Jon
You believe that you know everything about Dan, me and JustArsenal, but I can tell you that you are FACTUALLY wrong on so many of your ASSUMPTIONS above (NOT FACTS).
For starters I don’t see this as a negative Anti-Arsenal article but a well-research fact sheet. And the fact that you consider a majority of the articles on JA to be anti-Arteta is complete and utter rubbish. You must be getting confused with the comments section.
This page here has a list of the last 20 opinion pieces on JustArsenal. Have a count and tell me how many in your view really were “Anti-Arteta”
https://www.justarsenal.com/category/arsenal-opinion
As for the POLL results, for you to accuse those of voting against to not be real SUPPORTERS is a step too far. Just because they don’t agree with your every dictatorial thought does not make them any less of a supporter than you.
Now, i have to go as I need to write another three Anti-Arteta articles before I can go and enjoy my Sunday!
👍 Sick of this trying to dictate the narratives, while accusing others of having agendas to do the same. i find it rather insidious. Glad to hear that you see through it.
Well said admin!!!!!!!
Pat, As expected, no serious reply. Why did I EVEN FOOL MYSELF BY HOPING FOR ONE!
I will not make that mistake – to hope you would take detailed and proper comments seriously – ever again. Sigh!
You have simply ignored almost all I said. Whever did I expect any different from YOU, of all people!
Pat, while your at it, can you delve back in the archives for the last ten years of Wenger’s reign and see how Jon supported him?
I suggest it was a daily barrage of negativity, ranging from no defence thru to dross players and, finally, calling those who actually supported the manager, dullards.
Then, we will get a balanced idea of what a realist is all about!!
KEN I NOW REGARD YOU AS SOMEONE I NEVER WISH TO SPEAK TO EVER AGAIN, NOR PERISH THE THOUGHT, EVER MEET IN PERSON.
I actually feel rather sorry for the duplicity and underhand tactics of someone of my own generation, in you.
Let’s hope that Pat finds the time to print some of your “support” for our previous manager Jon and then we can ALL judge how you switch your ideals to suit your own views and arguments.
As for the two of us ever meeting, as you actually never go to the Emirates and follow the Arsenal, I’m sure that will never happen.
Pat, could you also reproduce the poll that gave the opposite result and print Jon’s response to that?
I think it’s about time you showed how Jon applies different standards to suit his own views – keep up the good work on Just Arsenal, as many of us support your organisation.
Dodged a bullet there ken.
As he usually does Reggie – I just hope Pat does reprint Jon’s support of the, then, incumbent manager, as he tells everyone else we should be supporting the current incumbent manager.
Of course, if we do see his comments, it would show he was a mere fan intent on slaughtering the club!!!
The ones that went our way are clearly obvious even the refs dear not decide otherwise for the sake of their job.
WHAT!
Arteta will never be around more than Wenger. There will never be another one like Wenger for a very simple reason that Arsenal was everything to the great Arsene. He breathed Arsenal, he lived Arsenal. Arsenal was his life from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep. He put Arsenal and it’s interest before everything else including his own interest.
Arteta does not have that love for Arsenal. He did not build the Arsenal we know today, Wenger did and Arteta with the help of his bosses are destroying it and he is awarded handsomely for it.
If it happens that he become a top manager and make a name for himself I promise you he will jump to manage a more ambitious and richer club because he has already shown he is a checkbook manager.
Arteta is enjoying the house the great Arsene built. He is like a rich kid wasting away an inheritance that he contribute anything to accumulate.
Never compare Arteta to the great Arsene. What Wenger did for this great club goes way beyond trophies even with the invincibles making a once in a millennia history.
I have said from day one, i have no problem with VAR, I dont ever use it as an excuse and i find myself blaming the refs far less than i ever did. Refs made far more errors than VAR ever does. It just gives the game more perspective and consistency. Im calm with VAR and the reffing is far better as a result. If people cant blame the refs, they will blame VAR and even the time of day but the truth is the buck stops with the club.
I agree on VAR, just because it’s not perfect doesn’t mean it’s not a significant improvement.
👍
Absolutely Reggie and what Dan doesn’t realise (at least I don’t think he does) that VAR was actually pointing out the referees bias / mistakes and, without it, we would have been worse off.
👍ken, it isn’t perfect by a long chalk but it is more accurate and rights the wrongs, where before people conveniently forget, the wrongs stayed just that, wrong.
With VAR you win some and lose some. That is life.
I think there is a denial with some people – Arsenal simply do not turn up to some games. A few examples include the Palace game. Another one was the Newcastle game and another the Spurs game.
This is not VAR or refereeing decisions. This is either tactics or motivation from the manager or the attitude of the players.
Another aspect of our game that warrants comment is our ability to completely fold under pressure – not always but sometimes the team just folds and retreats when it should be fighting for the win.
This all points to the manager – it is not an anti MA agenda but rather the facts as they are. He is a rookie manager that I suspect was employed not because of his tactical approach but more to the fact that he was cheap and the morons in charge of the club hoped that working with Pep he would bring that experience here.
For me next season will be the test for him – if we don’t get CL football after the outlay of last summer and presumed spending this summer I feel he will be moved on – I suspect his contract with reflect that…
I also bet next season’s target is the fourth place, but I don’t think he’d get sacked unless Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel or Nagelsmann is available
Does that mean those are only managers who are better than our current manager??
I am not surprised, simply our manager had it so easy with the way he was chosen to manage such a big team, you mentioned 3 Managers out of four who have won the Ucl, arteta doesn’t even have anything to his coaching career except a repeated fa cup win and community. That’s the only thing he has both as a player and manager so far, no doubt it’s quite impressive considering that’s his first job , but with a team like Arsenal, it’s not surprising.
Rodgers has the same achievement with Arteta so far with leceister with less Budget, and less squad , but yeah Arteta is better because he has the privilege to manage a team like Arsenal.
I forgot to include Hansi Flick. I picked those managers, because I believe they’re currently the only ones who could win multiple major trophies under Kroenke
As for Rodgers, he won an FA Cup trophy after 2.5 years as compared to Arteta who won it after a few months only. Rodgers also always parked the bus against us and Arteta did the double against him this season
We shouldn’t consider ultra-defensive managers like Rodgers, Mourinho, Simeone, Allegri and Ancelotti, as they tend to use negative football when playing against highly attacking teams. I don’t care about their La Liga and UCL trophies, because I like Guardiola’s and Klopp’s attractive football styles
Wait reminds me how Arteta won the fa cup and the community sheild.
Isn’t by parking the same bus you accused Rodgers of ??
Have you ever thought if Rodgers was managing a better team like Arteta has he would be parking the bus??
When he was managing Liverpool, was he packing the bus.
In that 2.5 years he has done more than Arteta has done for Arsenal. And his trophy his more recent than that of Arteta.
I have nothing against Arteta, but let him manage a team like leceister and let see where he’s going to finish and how many trophy he’s going to win.
Remember Rodgers doesn’t have 150m to spend every summer. And he has finished in 5th twice and 8th this last campaign. Man you can’t even compare Rodgers to Arteta in terms of achievement.
Forgot the Swansea he managed used to pack the bus as well..
@gota , congrats to us doing double against them this season. Didn’t Rodgers did double against us last season??
We are finally able to return the favor this season , after we played 12 less games than them.
Let me reveal more shocking start, a bus parking Rodgers score more goals than us this season in the league..
Now how does that even possible if your statement is anything to be true ?? They did this with vardy their main striker starting only 20 games.
Their goals are almost the same as ours. But because they tend to be highly defensive when playing against big teams, they conceded more goals
Watch how they played against us in the first twenty minutes of the games this season. I’d prefer more courageous teams
Almost and the same are not equal.
We almost got into Ucl with emery with similar situation. 1 point and 1goal difference. So it’s not the same.
Secondly like I said let arteta go to a lower quality team and let see how he will perform against the big boys.
I mean he’s managing a team who can spend 50m on a single CB. Only the big boys would have afford that.
3rdly yeah Arteta won it before him, but guess what, he did it with deadwood team that finished 5th before he was appointed and Europa finalist.
Let see what leceister a year before Rodgers was appointed.
Now no more deadwood Arteta biggest achievement so far is 5th, Rodgers reached that twice and did played European competitions when he was doing that unlike Arteta.
3rdly are you telling me 8th, 8th, then 5th is better than 5th, 5th, then 8th?? Ok let erase 8th of Arteta first appointment, what is the excuse for last year?? Getting 5th and playing in Europa is more impressive than getting 5h without European competition if you ask me..
4th. So you were telling me that Liverpool Rodgers managed used to be defensive, do you even know how terrifying their attacking was that year ??
It’s easy to mention courageous when you can afford to spend 150m every summer.
And if that’s what Rodgers have spent in his 4seasons, then it’s quite impressive.
We Arteta has spent roughly 100m more. And you know how much 100m will strengthen a team like leceister who can’t afford to spend 50m on a single player.
Nobody knows what would happen if Arteta manages a smaller team. Our finishing place is getting better under Arteta’s management, whereas Rodgers’ trend is downwards
Exactly why Rodgers is better than him. Because he has proven himself with 3 different team. Took an average Liverpool team to challenge for EPL, won the 2 cups with leceister. And got Swansea playing a good football.
Our finishing is better under Arteta after how many years and after how much we have spend.
Give Rodgers the same privilege and let see if he won’t finish even in better place. Like I said, Rodgers past achievement has been Arteta biggest achievement so far.
Top5th? Rodgers a done that with less Budget.
Two trophies? He it did with less Budget.
Yeah we have progress from last season after we were able to miss out on Europe , like it wasn’t Arteta that did all that. Spending the most in summer than any other team in the top5 league means you were supposed to finish higher than were you finished last season.
We saw that with Newcastle don’t we.
You can use man u as a failure example but the fact is, we still spent more than they did.
Arteta did set the team defensively when winning the FA Cup, but he changed the style since last season. Arteta won it sooner than Rodgers, so we can’t say Rodgers has done more than him
As for Rodgers’ time at Liverpool, I remember he used a similar defensive style when facing big teams like ours. According to Transfermarkt, Rodger has spent €163,700,000 and that’s just for published transfer fees
I don’t know whether Dan is being analytical or is just trying to justify his persistently negative comments. Reading through the lines I get the feeling that Dan is merely saying that if you have ever benefitted from injustice then injustice is good and should continue! Truly this is perverted logic. Perhaps we need to balance the scale and ask whether we gained more or lost more from injustice. It is not enough to recite all these games without analysing what overall impact those situations had on the games in question. If we got a penalty what was its overall impact on the game? Did we win because of that penalty or it merely added on our goal tally? If we had a man sent off, how did it affect the game? I feel Dan doesn’t adequately address these issues. He is just trying to justify his belief that Arsenal is merely trying to create excuses for its failure to get top four. He is trying to disprove some Arsenal fans’ assumptions that the team is often treated unfairly. The question is why would any Arsenal supporter waste his valuable time and space trying to prove his fellow gooners wrong? Is it love for justice or just being snobbish? I, for one, didn’t find much value in this.
I second that
David whilst agreeing with your post, IN THE PARTS CONCERNING DAN AND WHY HE CONSTANLY WRITES SO NEGATIVELY, I sincerely believe Dan is both a clever and artful man who does have really good writing ability, technically, and his use of word are both powerful and effective, from HIS OWN point of view. THAT is why I call him “artful”!
As I wrote to Ad PAT(above this post) I truly believ Dan is doing harm to those on JA- WHILE SUPPORTED BY PAT, FOR REASONS OF HIS REGULAR ARTICLES BEING WELCOME ON A SITE WHEN ACTUAL ARSENAL NEWS IS FAR FROM COMMON – and gives a casual reader of this site entirely the wrong impression of how most Gooners think and what we believe .
In all social media sites the anti brigade, to whatever the subject is, will always make most noise and give a false reading to those who are not , as I am, regulars on here.
To that extent I BELIEVE DAN IS HARMING AND ATTEMPTING TO RESHAPE GOONER OPINION TO HIS OWN NEGATIVE OUTLOOK.
I regularly attempt to put the other and majority opinion.
In a recent JA poll ,MA WAS SUPPORTED BY 57% WITH 28% OPPOSED, a two to one in his favour and in the Emirates MA is not much criticised by those who attend. Of course it is natural that all fans willhave gripes but that is not the same as constant criticism in print from ones own vindictive and unfair view.
I no longer go to matches, for personal reasons, but have been attending til Wengers last season , so I reckon I know a thing or two. And I KNOW UNFAIRNESS AND AN UNBALANCED SITE WHEN I SEE ONE.
To be completely clear, I am not one who ever thinks refs are deliberately biased against us. I have never doubted refs integrity and am a member of my local league refs association, where we regularly have refs who are at top or high level address us and I know how impossible a job it is. I admire them and their honesty in extremely difficult circumstances and would personally never be so ARROGANT as to question their personal honesty and integrity
Refs go into refereeing for love of the game and in some cases because they would have loved to be players but had not that ability. I support refs, even while accepting the clear relative incompetence of SOME, at top level. But NOT cheating!!
its simple
my articles get comments
I mean look how often you comment on my work or about me lol
Okay dude , give me examples where you think this season we were treated unfairly .
Remember we had a fixture postponed to help us
That wouldn’t happen If there was a agenda against us
Regarding the McArthur kick on Saka in the Crystal Palace game , if VAR does it’s job Palace are down to 10 men it changes the game completely no matter how Arsenal are playing at the time of the incident .
Also in that game ESR was pulled back by McArthur which is always a yellow card , Dean the referee decided different after playing an advantage , this happened before the kick on Saka . So if the the referee does his job properly the kick on Saka is a straight red card or as Deans see it as a yellow card which then should have been McArthur’s second yellow card and off he goes
Great well thought out Article. Yes VAR has not been a problem for us, some refs get it wrong just like every human on this planet & we messed up with 5 huge losses to Palace, Brighton, Southampton, Spurs & Newcastle.
We had it in our own hands on too many occasions to blame it on anything else than poor planning from Edus point of view & Mikels for his over inflated ego to which forced certain players out who wouldve helped our Too 4 push.
We have no excuse for burnout with one game a week basically, earliest possible exit from FA Cup & we royally messed it all up. Eveb Brentford 1st game of the season, we knew we had injuries & covid was playing a massive part, so where was the planning?
We pick ourselves up from the disappointments of this season and LEARN from it, that’s all we can do. We now have to plan for a FULL season and Mikel/Edu better have a plan b as there never seems to be a back up to their main plans!!
If Arsenal are to be serious then get rid of alot of player who we have mentioned loads on here. Go all out and buy a main ST like Nunez for £80m, use all the player exits to fund that!
We will have a pot to play with also so buy Teilimans CM £25m, Aouer CAM £15m & a winger like Gnabry for £25m. Its all about money and if we pay it we will get what we want but we need to move fast and get the fans back onside that we are serious for an actual title challenge very soon and back in Champions League. Wingback also like Hickey, plus Saliba return.
Convincing the players targeted on this project to come to the club will be difficult but not impossible. We have cut that wage bill so much we mow have a chance to use it properly on players who will come straight in and improve this squad.
Ramsdale
Tomi – Teirney (Taveres, New)
Saliba – Gabriel (White, Holding)
Partey (Lokonga, Elneny)
Teilimans (Aouer, Xhaka)
Øde (Smithrowe)
Saka – Gnabry (Martinelli)
Nunez (Eddie)
With Europa League we also can rotate and players in brackets above will get the game time needed. That’s dream targets I have mentioned but we need to be looking at these sort of target for an instant return on our investments.
I agree that refs are not biased towards Arsenal… but this article doesnt show us any proof on the topic… analysing the decisions that refs and VAR got wrong then finding out which all decisions were unfairly judged… finally finding which teams were in the receiving end would give us better insight on VAR and refs…
A quite reasonable analysis.
Every club has the same belief lE we are treated worse than every one else its not just an Arsenal thing.
VAR is great but not yet perfect.
Partly because some rules are almost imposible to make clear and obvious like the handball rulling is extremly difficult to determine intent/accident. “Contact” in the box and deciding whether it is a foul or not is not yet an exact science. Being a finger nail off side in the lead up to a goal seems really harsh. 2 soft yellows leading to a red is tough. It would be ok if sides scored 25 goals a game one or two close decisions would noit hurt. But because football is such a low scoring games every little card or goal decision is analysed in great detail. “Hard done by” is likely to remain entrenched in many a football fan mentality.
Fairfan, is that why your boast that we would qualify for the CL never materialised?
Or did you, quite simply, get it wrong?
Fairfan will no doubt correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure they have been one of the most consistent posters on this site in the conviction that we would finish in the top six but not in a CL position this season.
Fully agree that refs are not at ell the reason we missed top4.
Can’t be used as an excuse
The officials were biased during Wenger’s era and cost us few titles because of their favouring Man Utd. There have not been biased for the past three years.
Of there was no VAR we would have finished4th, fact.
Opinion, not fact, big difference. Respect your opinion but not that you are trying to make out it is fact. IT ISN’T
If that’s true, does that not mean we’d have got top 4 by luck?
Does it mean that the refs on the field are actually favouring us?
We’ve been quite well served by the refs this season, although previously not always so. People usually remember the poor decisions that go against us to justify their views that there is an anti Arsenal conspiracy when in truth it’s for the most part incompetent referees making poor judgments. The very worst one (Jon Moss) has retired, so we won’t have to put up with him any more, but also retired Mike Dean is to become part of the VAR team, so we’ll have to see how that works out and I’ll be really pleased when Mike Riley eventually leaves his position with the very secretive PGMOL.
It would appear that I’ve got my wish and Mike Riley is being replaced as boss of PGMO…by Jon Moss😱
Nope, I’m wrong. Riley is not retiring, they’re just adding another layer of management and coaching in which Moss will be involved.
I don’t read his comments anymore
👍
It’s funny because I used to accused of being very pro Wenger
I don’t see this as being negative , just reporting facts
If that’s something you don’t want to hear , that’s not my fault .
For example , reading how many pens in reality we were given doesn’t suit those who want to say there is an agenda against us .
Yet that’s not my fault , I’m not responsible for that , it just happend and I’m reporting it
I stopped reading when you said the two yellow cards in the same play for GM was right.
If the English FA do not investigate the officiating by Referee Oliver and the video referee in the play off game between Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest, there is seriously rotten (and its not in Denmark). The outcome of this game is worth a fortune to the winner. A lot at stake on the two penalties not given.
It was actually Jon Moss who was the referee at this match and who has justifiably come in for plenty of criticism for his handling of crucial match changing events. This was his very last event as a ref due to long overdue retirement, but we’re not getting rid of him as ironically he’s going into a management post with PGMO. Not Sure if this is as replacement for the despicable Mike Riley or another position created as a classic example of the Dilbert Principle.
This is not analysis, it is your opinion, you are saying refs are not biased against Arsenal.
You never put the context you just pick which side of the argument you wanted.
You kept hammering about the penalties we got, the question is were they dubious penalties or stone wall pk? Infact we didn’t even get all our stone wall PKs..compare to dubious ones that were given against us, Spurs and City game come to mind. You also say Martinelli’s Red card is right..lool. even in the red card(s) that was given to our opponents, did you not notice the reluctance? Ref actually gave Ayling a yellow for that horrible tackle, seriously? could that be an Arsenal player? It even took a needlessly LONG VAR review to send him off. Ref had no problem sending off Gabriel for his first foul of the game vs City but allowed Rodri and Co to foul all game long, rewarded Bernaldo’s dive with a Peno, meanwhile opponents will have to kick Saka hard enough for him to win a peno! You didn’t mention MacArthur volleying Saka in front of Mike Dean and in VAR presence but still getting away with it but Xhaka can get a yellow for shoving Buendia after he himself got shoved by Buendia..lol.
The problem with some of you is that you don’t watch other PL games, you don’t know what bias is. Us getting decisions in our favour RIGHTLY is NOT prove that refs are not biased, like this author is saying. You all hate Spurs but even you will award them some decisions if you’re the ref else you’ll be an idiot but you’ll still screw them at the appropriate opportunities! It’s called Intellectual manipulation – e.g A bad tackle can be interpreted in various ways depending on your bias, you can say it was an accident, you can say the receiver made too much of it, you can say it was a malicious tackle, reckless tackle etc, I have seen it all, but the truth is a bad tackle is a bad tackle, same rule should be applied for all instances of it but if you want to manipulate, there you have your options.