TBH, i think everyone is surprised we actually responded to their goal, pen or no pen. Normally we'd either concede another, or spend the remainder of the game trying to score the perfect equaliser.
Hey up guys...I am not here to pick a fight but interested in what your opinion of this is. This is the 2nd Arsenal goal, is this classed as a tug on the shirt? If so, why was the goal allowed, if not why was the penalty given? please log in to view this image Let's get this right - I am not blaming the Arsenal team but if there was any question that the officials were poor yesterday I am guessing this clinches it. The game is done, you have the points and we have to fight again next week but you must be able to understand why there are accusations that the "big boys", especially at home, get the big decisions in their favour and why some of our guys were so pissed off with the last 10 minutes yesterday? To me it looks pretty damning and the inconsistency by officials is highlighted somewhat. Try to be honest with your judgement and look at it as if it was a Norwich player holding the shirt of a Gooner just before they scored.
I would never agree that luck was on our side. We were a better team, hit the post twice, attacking most of the time and controlling the game. Norwich goal came from a free kick that never was. Just watch it on repeat - it was a classic dive by what's his name - Kamara? Ramsey was hit in the face blatantly in the Norwich penalty area, Walcott was fouled in the penalty area, etc etc. Actually I was amazed how dirty some Norwich players play. It is all about constant little fouls, kicks, tugs, blocks and simulation. Sagna got a yellow.. for what?? On the other hand Wilshere was blocked ruthlessly - a stone wall yeallow, yet he goes away with it. So in the end I think the linesman had enough of this and rightly so. So justice done, end of.
You have effectively agreed that officials are poor and inconsistent but you are happy as long as it goes in your favour. That does not come as a complete surprise to be honest. I bet you are in favour of vigilantes as well, as long as it doesn't directly effect you I was hoping for a slightly more reasoned response but as I said about, not that surprised
I would never agree that luck was on our side. We were a better team, hit the post twice, attacking most of the time and controlling the game. Norwich goal came from a free kick that never was. Just watch it on repeat - it was a classic dive by what's his name - Kamara? Ramsey was hit in the face blatantly in the Norwich penalty area, Walcott was fouled in the penalty area, etc etc. Actually I was amazed how dirty some Norwich players play. It is constant little fouls, kicks, tugs, blocks and simulation. Sagna got a yellow.. for what?? On the other hand Wilshere was blocked ruthlessly - a stone wall yeallow, yet he goes away with it. This is as if because "small boys" can njt play, thay have the right to commit endless small fouls. Just watch the game if you recorded it and count how many times Giroud was fouled. For Norwich foorball is a contact game and they get away with it again and again. So in the end I think the linesman had enough of this and rightly so. So justice done, end of.
You have effectively agreed that officials are poor and inconsistent but you are happy as long as it goes in your favour. That does not come as a complete surprise to be honest. I bet you are in favour of vigilantes as well, as long as it doesn't directly effect you I was hoping for a slightly more reasoned response but as I said about, not that surprised
and again, you are conceding the officials were poor. Thanks for the support Ever heard the phrase "two wrongs don't make a right". The above suggestinon that the linesman should take matters in to his own hands is quite frankly bizarre but then again this is a football forum
Bassong has got hold of Giroud's shirt in that picture just before the goal, so again had the ball not gone in, it could reasonably be called as a foul and a pen. The actual pen that was given was correct. The only reason some people have got their knickers in a twist about it is because it happens every week and the ref / lino more often than not, simply ignore it. But it is still a foul and a foul in the box is a penalty end of
I have never disputed that Bassong was shirt pulling, same as many, but they were both at it. My question under such circumstances is how can an official give it either way? Saying it happens every week does not justify it, so what does? As I said, it's gone and there's nothing anyone can do about it but it does leave me shaking my head in disbelief sometimes at the amount of errors and inconsistencies that are seen week in/week out. In the early season they are still a bugbear but at this time of the season when the pressure is on for us little teams it becomes increasingly frustrating You said it yourself in your quote - Bassong has got hold of Giroud's shirt in that picture just before the goal - so again it was both of them and the goal was given - inconsistent yes?
There's always an element of shirt pulling in the penalty area, and there is inconsistency in the refereeing. But the pen given yesterday was the correct call from the linesman
That is something we are never likely to agree on as we are different sides of the divide but I only hope that one day these officials are held to account for their decisions as I feel the current regime of assessors are not being brave enough to reprimand some of the loonies that are let loose to officiate games. Please note I have not reverted to claims of corruption or cheating here but it is happening more and more and each season goes by
I thought we should have had 2 penalties before the one we got. I guess I agree with you that the one that was given was the least of the 3, I cant for the life of me understand why the Walcott penalty wasn't given. The defender fell onto the ground to push Walcott with his arm. That isn't shielding the ball by any man's rules. I suspect like most referees the guy was adding up the fouls and when the assistant was prepared to take responsibility for the call, the referee leapt at the chance. I will give a word of support for the assistant in that he wouldn't have seen Giroud pulling the defenders shirt, from where he was. I also think that in all these things the impression people give is important and Camarra should have let go a lot sooner, pulling Giroud over after the ball was well gone was not smart. As far as the off-side goes, I've run a fair number of lines in my day, and it is very hard to judge a call when the runner is close to you, particularly when he is on the run and faster than you. You get a split second and you have to be in exactly the right position. I was already very upset by the referee, before he gave the decisions in our favour. Both for not seeing the potentially red card offenses, and his general lenience with your defenders. But I don't think we will agree on whether his calls evened out. For me, I think it is quite clear that the better side won. For you, I am sure that you think that the referee should have called things 100% in yoiur favour all game, because that is what most people, fans and comentators seem to expect when they play against Arsenal. Edit: I just watched the MOTD discussion. I don't believe Hanson and Moyes. I don't think for a second there would be any discussion, if Rooney had been pulled down in the box like that.
There is always an element of shirt pulling but it is the level of pulling and advantage gained that is crucial. In most tussles it will be fairly even with both players pulling/pushing the other as it the photo. The penalty yesterday overstepped the mark as he pulled Giroud to the floor and in doing so used it as leverage to swing his whole body forward to reach a ball he would never have otherwise reached and stopped a goal scoring opportunity. I would argue that as he stopped the striker hitting the shot with no one else between him and goal it could have been a red card as the last defender so you were lucky.
I love these arguments. Each side argues with their tinted specs on. No matter how eloquently and logically the case is presented, each side will steadfastly hold their opinion. Against all evidence. It's basically like believing in God. So no surprise that when independent pundits' views are mentioned it is always dismissed as "oh, it's because they hate us, they're just wrong". Ever thought, perhaps, they are just better at assessing the situation objectively? No, I didn't think so. In which case we should all move on. What's done is done.
Incredible! There are surely not a more bitter set of supporters out there. I was willing to give them the fact that they got a raw deal yesterday and admit the fact (see my post earlier in the match thread). However they are reduced to snivelling whining insulting brats that have completely changed my outlook on them and their set of fans between then and today. Terrible club and I for one hope to never see them in the PL again.
By the end of the day to win the game when the other team parks the bus, a better team must put the opposition and referees under relentless pressure to make mistakes. The ref ignored the first weak penalty, then the second, but because Arsenal kept pressing the inevitable happened. It was a deserved victory. All the rest is not important.
Odd that we are fine when we fairly and completely lose to the likes of Man U, Chelsea, City then... And they come on our board and say how well we played and deserved more. Even Fergie has that sort of munificence in him. Perhaps it has something to do with them having a bit more class and magnanimity in victory? I entirely blame Arsene "the world is against us" Wenger. A brilliant manager, a superb strategist and a despicable man. Honestly, for a "big" club, you lot sure as hell have a serious inferiority complex given your inability to see how close the game was and how you were seriously lucky to win (even Santis Classlesszorla admitted that!) You play (at times) wonderful football, you have a well-run club and you have been extremely successful. Begs the question why you can't have a bit more grace when a "little" team with players on an nth of your players' salaries come and play their hearts out and lose because (as almost unanimously agreed in the media) poor officiating? It's extraordinary, because it doesn't really take anything away from your team. You should expect to beat a team like us and I am astonished that all your first reactions wasn't "phew, lucky, they played well and we can't afford to have another game like that against a small team"
