The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals took place last night and we came out with a trip to Bramall Lane to take on fellow Premier League side Sheffield Utd on the weekend of Saturday, March 21. Not an easy fixture by any means and I’d much rather our number had come out of the pot first so we’d be playing at home.
Sheffield Utd are one of the clubs we need to leapfrog in the league if we’re going to have any chance of finishing this season in a European place. Just three points separate ourselves, Sheffield Utd and Toots. We’ve a game in hand over the latter.
Toots were knocked out of the Cup last night by Norwich. Dier scored an own goal which brought the scores level but neither side could find a winner during extra time.
I only mention them because of what took place as the game ended and whilst I couldn’t care less about our neighbours usually, what happened was ugly. I don’t what it is that makes a human being believe it’s ok to be vile, hostile or abusive towards another. We’re not all going to get on in life but there’s not need to be unkind towards each other. People will always argue, I’d be stupid to think otherwise but hatred towards someone one that person doesn’t even know is simply cruel. Which is probably why Eric Dier jumped the hoardings last night and confronted someone in the corporate seats behind the home teams dugout who’d reportedly been firing insults at Dier or his brother. (Mixed reports) I’d imagine the insults were aimed towards the player because of his own goal.
Mourinho said after the game that Dier shouldn’t have done what he did but totally understands why he did. He also said he wouldn’t support any idea of an internal punishment. I totally agree with him too.
We had this kind of thing earlier in the season with Granit Xhaka and at the time I thought our midfielder was in the wrong but when the bigger picture unfolded, I soon changed my opinion. Just because someone digs deep into their pockets to buy a ticket or season ticket orcas it seems in this case, a free ticket, it doesn’t give them the right to fling abuse at anyone sat around them, or the players, coaching staff or the tea lady. Dier wouldn’t have deliberately scored an own goal just a Xhaka doesn’t deliberately miss place a pass half a dozen times during a game because if either did, they wouldn’t be selected to play. They are doing their best and in Xhaka’s case, even if you or I believe his best isn’t good enough, there’s something the last three Arsenal managers see in him which ‘we’ clearly don’t. Even so, it doesn’t give us the right to insult him either on here, social media or anywhere else. I know I’d want to fight back if myself or my loved ones were victims of abuse verbally or in other ways, so why shouldn’t footballers?
Please don’t say ‘if I was being paid £100k a week I’d take the abuse’ because that’s making it acceptable for the right price. There is no price which makes violent behaviour, verbal or physical, acceptable.
Seldom do we see/hear it in rugby, tennis, cricket etc, so why football? The Xhaka and Dier incidents aren’t isolated either as we hear or read of this nasty and personal stuff on blogs, in newspapers, on the news, it’s everywhere but as far as sport goes, the football fans who think it’s fun or acceptable to behave in such a way are ruining it for the rest. Not just here in England, but everywhere.
I get it, we all get frustrated with our team, manager and individual players too, heck, I’m sure there are plenty of people who read HH think I’m a right idiot or worse because of my views or what I write and I don’t care. It’s a free world, a democratic world too but all I’m trying to say is just because you don’t agree with me or I don’t agree with you, we don’t have to insult each other to get our message across. Thankfully, on here we don’t.
#bekind
Post of the year!!
Morning all.
There is no excuse!!!
Criticism is one thing, but personal abuse and insults are another.
Thanks Scott.
What really baffles me is abuse is often directed towards others who we’ve not even met in person. If one doesn’t like another, steer clear or don’t speak to them.
I will put my hands up and admit I’m guilty of this previously but life’s experiences has made me have a rethink. As has all this other horrid stuff going on in the world.
Good thought provoking post rico, the days of social media have’nt help make some people think they are immune to the consequences of disgusting behaviour. Cannot see it getting better now that it’s even harder to enforce discipline at schools etc without teachers being in trouble, but that’s another story.
Sad to see Torreira has fractured his ankle, blast!
rico, I have directed terrible abuse at Dean who I have never met, but from my own lounge in front of the TV. Does that make me bad 🙂
Thanks Andrew, I think we’ve all been guilty of abusing Dean but it does make me stop and think about it. Cant stand the bloke as a referee because he’s useless which I would say is factual rather than abuse but as a person, he might be quite a good chap…
Gutted for Torreira ☹️
Yes, thinking about it, abuse is centered on his decision-making rather than anything personal! I compliment you on standing up for a Spuds player, sometimes rivalry also blinds people from what’s right and wrong.
Thanks again Andrew. Like the rest of Arsenal fans, I don’t like the club or it’s fans really because of the way they behave but then sometimes our own don’t cover themselves in glory either.
Dier nor his brother deserved what’s been reported.
Excellent post, Rico!! It amazes me the abuse fans come out with and then act the angel when the player reacts!! I can’t believe that was a so-called spud supporter! You’d expect it from the opposition – not saying that’d be right – but from your own, wow!
Oh no, Torreira….that is terrible news….
Hi Rico nice post in regards to Xhaka when he had a go back at fans I stuck up for him but got shot down by every one who claimed he had no right does that mean I was correct but on a serious side the player was lucky he never got injured by the fans or climbing the seats
I am always frustrated by the use of language and I am not taking a pop at Andrew but a more factual comment would not be “”Sad to see Torreira has fractured his ankle,”” when in fact in my opinion it should be “sad to see that Torriera had his ankle broken ”
It’s the apportioning of blame , had it been said that Shawcross broke Ramsey’s leg and that Dan Smith was responsible for Diaby’s career or even Rashford has possibly ruined Holdings or even Taylor crippled Eduardo perhaps , just maybe , people like Dean might react differently and the it’s a man’s game run it off attitude might not prevail.
Looking at the Dier situation , again we can sympathise with his reaction . Were you or I in a pub and someone screamed abuse in your ear and you confronted him and maybe fists flew apart from a possible slap on the wrist no-one would neccessarily blame you but the spectre of Eric Cantona looms large . How will the authorities react to this ? parity ? 9 months ?
Who knows.
Thanks Sue. I’m not trying to appear holier than thou or anything because I know I’ve made mistakes but I wonder sometimes why others can learn through life that stuff like this really isn’t nice. What message are they sending their children?
All the isms etc, will never be eradicated from life if we the adults can’t learn and teach our young relatives what’s right and wrong.
Hi Geoff. It’s not always about who is right or wrong after the event is it? I don’t think all of knew what had been going on beforehand on social media. I certainly didn’t. Nor did I know that he’d responded to a fan who’d insulted him. I’m not condoning Xhaka’s response but I certainly understand it now.
Same with Eric Dier but if the powers that be don’t do something, it’s left to the victim.
Excellent Potter. I didn’t actually think at the time that much was wrong with the tackle on Torreira although the letter of the law says there was. I’m pretty sure though had Xhaka for example made an identical one, he’d have been shown a straight red card by Dean.
If the FA dish out a suspension to Dier, I think it’d be wrong. Instead I Hope person responsible for the abuse relieves a ban from all stadiums for as long as they see fit.
Potter, apart from going into the crowd, I don’t think Dier’s action can in any way be compared to Cantana’s. A sideways on aimed Kung-Fu kick was a little more threatening 🙂
Thank you for the post Rico and I broadly agree with it’s sentiments, although I would happily have someone criticise my driving for 90 minutes, twice or three times a week if I was earning £100k per week, a year of that would set me up and my two boys, so I’d happily take the stick, in fact I’d welcome it for £100k per week for a year and then retire. 😀
But yes, the abuse footballers take has got well beyond ‘you’re a load of rubbish’ or ‘you’re useless, hang up your boots’ etc from days of yore. The worst we use to see was a V sign or tosser sign directed at a player, even the odd chant like ‘Rodney/Stanley is a fairy’ it seems so very tame now…
The abuse has become vindictive, spiteful and bordering on the psychotic especially on social media. That is what the Internet has bequeathed us, a generation of people who say unacceptable things to each over, safely hidden behind their keyboards.
There is no easy answer, maybe more intervention by stadium staff would help but that could well escalate into crowd disorder. Banning people from stadiums is an option? Players deciding not to go on social media is another?
We don’t want government intervention of woke types getting involved but I can see it going that way unfortunately.
Scott, 10.06, yes I agree with you, but I’m still gonna dig you out all the same… 😄
It was a scissor tackle , he got the ball but then took the player and in the new laws could easily be seen as reckless . It was a card at the least but as usual Dean was listening to the crowd.
https://arseblog.news/2020/03/tyreece-john-jules-season-over-after-bone-fracture/
And another one bites the dust!
But what you’re suggesting is different I think Kev. Being critical of your driving isn’t offensive as I’ve been in your cab don’t forget….. 😜
Agree with the rest of your comment. Stewards are pretty ineffective these days aren’t they? Other than, ‘sit down’.
That was my point really Potter, first off I thought it was clean but strong. However, it’s not allowed so I agree with what you’re saying.
I’m not innocent, Rico.. as I’m partial to a good moan about certain individuals (usually the ref 😂) but I don’t like it when family members are brought into it… I remember when one or two West Ham fans taunted Jake Livermore over the death of his son…. and West Ham fans also chanted about Kevin Kilbane’s daughter – who has downs syndrome – it’s sickening the lengths some people go to.
Le Saux takes it up……………………….., North bank gave him pelters.
Robbie Keane , Sheringham , Fashanu , Savage , plus many others got their share.
We as a club have never been lillywhite and on that subject they have suffered the Y**dd* chant for years despite using the name themselves .
Football gets attacked frequently but it really is a society problem . As a kid I left Highbury and tried to look over the shoulder of people in front that had got a classified , Now information is instant and alongside comes the abuse , criticism and threatening behaviour.
Not wishing to be ageist but society is going downhill at a very rapid rate . I doubt anyone knows how to reverse it.
Sue, totally agree re your last. Why anyone would want to be so cruel is beyond me.
Sue, that is the lowest. But some unfortunately are that low and it’s sickening.
I think you’re right Potter, things aren’t getting better in relation to this topic, it’s getting worse. Social media has ensured that, amongst other things.
Well bor thas a rumen, little ole Norridge beating th Spurs. Mind yew they hin’t as good as they bleeves.
It were right nice t’see that little mauther Delia so happy nex to her ole man Michael.
Yew kno that there Danil Farks got his lads hossin about all over the medder.
Keep yu a troshin bors.
Cicero’s uncle Ebeneza
Kev, i’d expect nothing less Hahahahahaha
On the Torreira challenge, I saw it, and then saw a replay but thought nothing of it-just a hard, ball first tackle that obviously left our lad injured but again, based on the two times I did see it, couldn’t see any reason to even consider it worthy of a foul.
If the rules do suggest it is, then the rules are wrong, imo.
If a different camera angle shows something else then fine, I’d stand corrected.
On the abuse issue, I believe social media has so much to answer for, it’s just not funny.
A simple rule of thumb should be only say on social media what you’d say to someone’s face.
Excellant post Rico.
I`ve been abused all my prison sentence……….sorry…………..marriage………………I`d happily be paid hansomely for it!
When I was young playing for SENRAB and scoring goals for fun I played in a Cup Final and was having a stinker, I had scored more than a goal in every League and Cup game, but this Final was the last game of the season and I thought my record was coming to an end and to make matters worse I was being abused from the stand……….” get him off!…… he`s fcuking shit!……….break his leg!…………….he`s too good looking with a great body to be playing football someone break his mirror!”…………..it was affecting me and it wasn`t untill the last minute of the game that I scored to make it 3-1 and we won the Double and as I walked off the pitch the abuser put her arm around me and said………….”No hard feelings son, I`ll make you your favourite Apple Crumble when we get home!”
As for Dier, fair do`s to him for having the bravery to go and retrieve the balll from the stands after Lamela`s penalty kick!
A great week so far……….Bindippers losing, Spuds losing and we get Sheff Utd in the quarters…….easy peasy, I feel another FA Cup trophy to add to the cabinet!
“Troy Parrott coming on young kid”…………………………that`s what Lord Sugar tweeted last night!
😆
Great post Rico!
How bad do I feel about Torreira Now!!
Maybe he wasn’t being a Drama Queen after all.
There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed Rico…….. I love the BANTER at matches and between people. You’re having a dig, but with no malice attached. In life, everyone at some time is going to get a bit of abuse and you must be able to handle it to a certain extent.
When I started work (all those years ago) on my first building site, I couldn’t believe what people said to me. The more I reacted, the worse it got. I soon learnt that if you ignored it and gave it back, it was actually funny.
These days we have two extremes………..
We have the people who will take offence at the slightest little thing and are so precious.
Then you have the real cowardly scum haters who will say the most vile filth that no right minded person would or should tolerate.
As you have all mentioned,Social Media is a great way for cowards to operate, I wouldn’t be on it if I got abuse, but I’m old and could easily live without it.
Sorry waffled on too long.
Mike, yes, being polite to abusers is the best way to shut them down.
Unfortunately, it’s something I’ve never mastered so do as I say and not as I do hahahahahahahaha
Thanks Lc, Mike.
I see Dier is getting a lot of stick on line for his actions and the FA might punish him. What about the guy who kicked it off, not seen much about him…
I`d happily french kiss all the inhabitants of Wuhan if ManU get knocked out tonight!
I wouldn’t pucker up just yet, Le Coq 😜
“I’ll make you your favourite apple crumble when we get home” that was hilarious!!
Odion Ighalo Is looking like a good signing for Utd.
https://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?attachments/dier-heat-map-jpg.64168/
Now if we could only get past Sheffield Utd then the FACup S/F is going to be very very tasty, interesting even, with probably a Manchester derby and a London derby?
What’s the odds on a Guardiola vs Arteta final?
Written in the stars Kev. I’d love that final..
Morning to you and all.
New post up now