Written by Mean Lean
on
Monday, 07 February 2011 14:46
If I was writing this out on paper with a pen then I would have a dustbin opposite me overflowing with screwed up bits of paper. Never have I started, deleted and then started again a review of a football match so often. Never have I suffered such a mixture of emotions as I did on Saturday from 3pm until I finally dragged myself to bed after 1am.
Even as I write this, late on Sunday night soon to be Monday morning, I still find it difficult to try and jot my thoughts onto electronic paper. It is somewhat late to actually go in depth about the game which is a little strange given the fact that this is supposed to be my thoughts on the game of football but for me, this is a great deal more than football.
What I will say is that the first 45 minutes on show at a packed St James's park put me on such a high. We were clinical, stylish and devastating. Arshavin's pass around the corner for Walcott was magical, Theo's finish was coolness personified. Second later Djourou added his first for the club and then Theo and Van Persie gave us an almost identical goal to the one we saw against Wigan a few weeks back.
There I was watching my Dutch stream high-fiving myself that my team were able to kill a game early but taking the chances presented to them for a change, instead of squandering early efforts then giving the opposition hope. When Sagna crossed for Van Persie to head home after barely 26 minutes on the clock I had entered complacent mode.
'Bring off Cesc and Van Persie at half time, our jobs are done. We need to think about future fixtures'
How I actually wish that had actually happened. Might that have changed the direction of the game and perhaps the madness would not have unfolded quite in the way it did.
I shook my head when I saw Johan Djourou limping off the pitch. It is typical, just give us enough time for the transfer window to shut before Djourou gets a knock. I am praying that it isn't too serious. I am ignoring rumours until I get the full confirmation from the club.
Then it all started to go wrong. The wheels were about to be unscrewed from beneath us. Joey Barton had already crashed into the back of Andrey Arshavin who had dragged the ball away from our thuggish opponent. Barton's 'challenge' on Diaby was reckless and could have quite easily resulted in yet another break for Abou Diaby.
It is very easy for all of us to say, he is a professional footballer who is getting paid x amount of money and should control himself. I am sure if Diaby was a machine who was cut off from human emotion then he would have dusted himself down and walked away gingerly.
We are talking about a man who was 'attacked' by Dan Smith for it seems, no reason. He had his ankle shattered and has still suffered as a result of that injury. We are talking about a man who had studs from Paul Robinson high in his leg without a foul being given. We are talking about a man who had his ankle stamped on by Michael Essien at Stamford Bridge, given his lack of playing time this season due to injury that is quite a few assaults from players and I am sure I have missed out a few more.
I cannot fault Diaby for seething after such a dangerous tackle, especially as the referee did not blow his whistle for a foul. Abou Diaby saw red so there was not going to be any rational thought behind his actions.
Many people who are insulting Diaby's behaviour are the same people who have been wanting the same fight as 'a Patrick Vieira' a player who stood up for himself and did not allow the opposition to bully him.
I have only two regrets on that incident. One that another Arsenal player was not close enough to pull Diaby back before he grabbed hold of Barton and two, if he was going to get sent off then he may as well have stamped on his leg or broken his nose.
Enter Phil Dowd.
Arsenal fans were pulling their hair out a few days earlier against Everton for some very strange refereeing from Lee Mason. A northern referee from Bolton who had studied in Liverpool. He was bad, very bad but Dowd was worse.
I don't like using the word incompetent, because that implies that the man in charge is trying to do the job to his best ability but is making accidental mistakes.
I'm sorry but I am not buying it. I am not buying that a qualified referee can decide to ignore a sliding follow through into the back of Arshavin and then crashing into Diaby's leg and then flip out the yellow card for Eboue kicking the ball away or for our keeper holding on to the ball.
The first penalty was soft in the extreme. Koscielny didn't push or trip Best, he reached his foot to get the ball and the striker fell over.
Their second penalty was just taking things too far. There was absolutely nothing to give a penalty for. I thought the referee and his assistant were supposed to be 100% sure before making a call. Well judging by the decisions up until that point it was clearly the right one for the officials.
Leon Best did also have a perfectly legit goal disallowed for offside which shows how ridiculous the officiating was on the day. Did they actually get more correct decisions than wrong ones? Well luckily for Newcastle they were only penalised once and that would be repaid with a mystery penalty shortly after.
Joey Barton's dive when Rosicky challenged in the air was ridiculous, not because he tried to win a free kick because most players would have played for it in that circumstance but he looked so obviously like acting and not an actual foul. Yet, Dowd gave it.
Take nothing at all away from Tioté's strike. It was a fabulous hit from distance and curled into the corner of the net and Szczesny who had a good game couldn't reach it.
Whilst the refereeing was an absolute disgrace and with a fair impartial referee the result would have seen a different result the team have to take a large chunk of the responsibility for not stamping their earlier authority on the game.
Our greatest strength is keeping the ball. We pass and move better than any team in the Premier League, probably in Premier League history. We panicked and continuously gave the ball back to a Newcastle side who had nothing to lose. Dowd did all he could to give them the advantage their craved but Wenger and Arsene have to address the panic that sets in once we concede after developing a healthy lead. The players have to take responsibility collectively and wrestle back control of a game that they should win.
To make matters worse Van Persie scored a late winner which was ruled out for offside. He was level with the defender. So I am being told that Louis Saha was onside in midweek and then Van Persie is offside?
At the full time whistle I lay face down in my bed trying to deal with my rather intense emotions, my nine year old daughter walked in and asked if I was ok. How must a football fan look to people who do not live and breathe the game?
I was wallowing in my mini depression and refused to believe that Wolves would take anything from Manchester United. I usually have that hope that our rivals will lose points but have that snatched away often late in a game. Amazingly we had actually gained a point on Manchester United after Wolves battled hard to beat last seasons Champions.
In the cold light of day would you rather lose to Wolves who are bottom of the league or draw at Newcastle? Obvious given the circumstances we should have taken all three points and stepped two points nearer but Manchester United and their over rated squad have some much tougher tasks coming up away from home than Wolves.
What a torturous weekend of football, I think the international break has come at a good time for the sake of my health.
Szczesny (8)
Sagna (7)
Djourou (8)
Koscielny (7)
Clichy (7)
Diaby (7.5)
Wilshere (6.5)
Cesc (6.5)
Walcott (7)
Van Persie (7)
Arshavin (7)
Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions
Arsenal News 24/7
Comments (21)