Morning all.
Arsene Wenger turned up early for his press conference this morning which makes a change. Usually he’s late. He was in no mood it seems to get too involved in what’s going on in China and players leaving the Premier League to earn more money over there:
If people want to go to China, they go to China. I have completely different worries today ahead of the Manchester City game.
I think I closed that subject, there is nothing more to add.
On Sunday:
What is important is that we respond straight away [to the Everton defeat].
Big games against City mean defending well together and not being timid when you get the ball.
Squad news ahead of Sunday:
We should have approximately the same squad who went to Everton.
Nobody back. Aaron Ramsey’s not back, he’s the closest to come back, so we have some knocks and bruises but they should all be available again.
Next week, I believe he [Ramsey] should be back in the squad and in normal training.
Danny Welbeck is one week away from completing normal training and being back in the squad.
Well dropped in Arsene, knocks and bruises thanks to Mark Clattenburg allowing Everton to play rough on Tuesday.
Which is probably the reason why Arsene Wenger said he’d ‘love to see the introduction of video technology tomorrow morning’ and I’m right with him there. Football is too fast and furious these days and it’s impossible to expect the officials to keep up with every incident which takes place on the pitch. Most can’t even spot a foul when it’s right in front of them, especially when that foul is against a player dressed in red and white or yellow and blue..
As I said yesterday, someone will soon get seriously injured because of the referees incompetence and inability to stamp out late or bad tackles early in the game. Letting the bad ones go unnoticed sets the tone of the game as certain players, if they get away with a foul, will continue to play in such a way. We see it week in and week out against our boys and yet so often, the first foul one of ours commits results in a yellow card. If Arsene Wenger mentions it, he’s criticised, or almost laughed at as he was by Ronald Koeman after the game on Tuesday as he said the Frenchman always moans when he’s beaten by him….
Technology, together with honesty when these incidents are reviewed is the way forward imo. And as players naughtiness gets dealt with, so should the referees who continually make mistakes because only then might they start to improve. Also, take away the ruling which says a booking which should so clearly have been a sending off, can’t be reviewed and then we might see the cheating and horror tackles leave the game.
The final question of the day was about the contract situations of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil:
There’s 18 months left, so there’s no reason to worry. Maybe you need more creativity in newspapers.
And with that, he upped and left the press conference, and who can blame him, especially after the media witch-hunt continues this morning with headlines about how Arsenal have offered Alexis £80,000 a week less than he wants…..
They couldn’t make it up could they? Actually, they probably have……
Have a good Friday guys….
By the way, the quotes come from The Telegraph… 😉
It would be hard to form any reasonable argument against video help for decisions made by officials during a game. When the decisions made are directly deciding the results it surely makes competition somewhat farcical. At this moment I cannot think of a single referee who hasn’t been shocking this season. I realised, when Xhaka was sent off for a tackle on the half-way line that we would be unlikely to see that decision made gain this season and despite some on here agreeing with it, we haven’t. What we have seen is far worse challenges go completely unpunished and people like Rojo commit a couple of two-footed assaults that could have maimed opponents and yet walk away without the red card and subsequent lengthy ban he so richly deserved on both occasions.
The lists of stupid decisions is virtually endless and must be considered ineptitude by now. Yet, on we plough, game after game, armed with video evidence that is instantly available to the watching public on TV, yet unavailable to the man who really matters, the ref.
The games not hard or dirty it’s just fast.
Ref’s on the marsh’s got everything wrong
most day’s.(sorry You ,Know,who).
But would even it up as you went along
to keep the peace.
We used to call it Common Sense.
As for for men with slow motion camera’s
We used to them Pedo’s.
What can we do if Sanchez get offered 1/2 a mill a week.
Prehap’s say his worth 50mil + 200,000 a week
could we pay him a one off 100mil per 2 years,
rolling.
Not too of sure the sum’s?
He is like having 2 player’s on the park…though.
I saw his two tackles Adam, dreadful they were too.. He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with those but he has done..
Those tackles alone render the word ‘consistency’ as nonsense Rico. And surely that is what all fans want. The authorities really must do something about a situation which only gets worse as technology improves.
I agree Adam. I wonder how much Atkinson will let go on Sunday..
Every other sport uses technology, football really needs to catch up…
Off out visiting so catch up later…
You all must try potatoes in their skins.
Microwaved for 25 minutes.
Seasoned and drizzled with olive oil.
Then into a hot oven for 20/25 minutes.
Quick and easy with any meat, hot or cold, and as Rico isn’t here, chicken is my favourite…
🙂 Kev, I am here but no one else is but you…..
Rico, I will never desert you… ??
I know Kev 🙂
I’m here too.
🙂 Adam.
London is busy this evening…
Everyone rushing around getting that last minute present or turkey… ?
Or nut roast with extra lentils ?
Newbury was dreadful today too Kev, and it’s not even Christmas…. lol
No nut roast for me but I am going to be making ‘pork’ and chestnut stuffing with a pork substitute… ?
Alexis latest comments are positive… over to you Arsenal…
Been tree felling today,
Just back and now the decorating starts. Interesting to hear that 90 % of the Christmas trees sold by Supermarkets and stores like Homebase are imported from the E.U . Another product we could grow ourselves. I went to a tree farm in Suffolk today, a family business , bought 2 x 7 foot trees and 1 x 5 foot , they threw in a sapling 12″ high which they dug up whilst we were there and they cut the trees for us after we chose them. £ 70.00 the lot.
Support your local businesses I say.
Sanchez says it’s now up to the club to meet his demands and that he is happy and wants to stay.
Smart move by the Chilean….
Night…
Well that’s the ball firmly in the court of the money men at Arsenal…
If the club don’t/can’t/won’t come close to his demands and Sanchez leaves, then the game is up!
All of Gazides’ words of a couple of years ago of Arsenal being able to match any club for the best players will come back to haunt them…
Alexis leaves and the bottom will fall out of season ticket sales and the corporate seats…
Then we might, just might, see the value of Arsenal plateau or even decline,
Kroenke will not be happy at that, but he’ll ultimately be responsible, as the club represents his moneyball policy…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/12/16/alexissanchez-became-arsenals-brilliant-problem/
Morning all..
New Post up.