The majority of Arsenal fans are sick and tired of VAR, technology that was meant to highlight obvious mistakes but now dissects every last detail. What makes it worse though when it happens in an Arsenal game is you know you will spend the next few days reading and listening to conspiracy theories.
It’s a shame as Saturday the Gunners were actually good to watch, which is all we can ask for in a League campaign where we have nothing left to play for. As long as my team give 100 percent, I’m happy to accept Xhaka made a freakish error and on another day, we would have taken our chances.
Yet straight away the internet was bombarded, with the officials and the FA accused of corruption.
On JustArsenal one reader commented, ‘Every season they know where Arsenal will finish because the corrupt referees and VAR will do the programming.’
Another wrote, ‘VAR cost us 14 points last season. Shame on English FA’.
On Twitter, Tweets included, ‘A Clear agenda that against Arsenal’, and ‘A corrupt League’.
On AFTV, Tye is getting views for constantly complaining of a conspiracy. Funny how he only starts doing that once he hasn’t got someone with depression to argue with?
When my cousin was younger, my Auntie entered her into various singing competitions. Whisper it quietly, my cousin had an okay voice but nothing special.
She hated to lose so would have various reasons why she didn’t come first.
‘It’s only because that girls mum’s friends with the judge.’
‘That girls popular.’
‘That girls dad left so everyone felt sorry for her.’
After years of this I plucked up the courage to point out that maybe just maybe, on that particular night, the winner was simply better?
My cousin was young. I shouldn’t have to explain this to adults, but here goes ……Arsenal are 10th because we haven’t been good enough this season. The likes of Villa, Wolves and Burnley all deservedly beat us at the Emirates.
Have there been fixtures where a ref got it wrong? Of course!
Yet if you get outside of your bubble, you can see that dodgy decisions are happening, but not just to us.
Did you see Lewis Dunk’s free kick at West Bromwich, Fulham’s goal against Spurs, Man United should have had a penalty at Chelsea. So is there an agenda against everyone? Not just us?
Say it out loud and think how immature it sounds.
The Football Association get with match officials in secret meetings and say ‘whatever you do, make sure Arsenal fail’. Why? What’s the motive?
Why do some fans think we are so unique that organizations are out to stop us?
If you really wanted to think a bit, common sense would show that the theory doesn’t work.
We got a penalty at Leicester and against Leeds? How come? If the ref had been told to screw us, why would he give us anything?
As one of the tweets I mentioned referred to last season, let me point out the Cup Final. We got a penalty at Wembley where the foul started outside the box and Chelsea got a red card when there was zero contact. Again, what kind of an agenda involves helping us win a trophy and qualify for Europe?
If the FA were out to destroy us, what a golden chance to make sure we are not in Europe, yet decisions went our way?
Explain that to me?
If some want to go as far back as our invincible streak ending at 49 games due to shocking officiating at Old Trafford, then be honest and admit we would never have gone unbeaten in the first place had Pires not dived against Portsmouth.
Unless they are really rubbish at this agenda, why would an official give Pires a pen with zero contact if he was corrupt?
Burnley supporters have rightfully pointed out that it’s not like Arsenal have never had big calls go their way at Turf Moor.
Don’t misunderstand me, VAR and officiating needs to improve, but to try and claim Arsenal are the only victims is naive or arrogant or both.
The club motto is Victoria Concordia, Latin for Victory in Harmony – meaning to win in the right way.
There’s also such a thing as losing in the correct way. Show dignity, pride, class, a little bit of humility.
It’s easy to blame everyone else for your failings. It’s harder to look from within…
Be kind in The Comments
Dan