Still in the running.

As I posted last weekend - that last minute goal could be a catalyst

Arsenal have the easier run in - what odds would you have got after the defeats by Chelsea and Man U????

Lionheart wrote:As I posted last weekend - that last minute goal could be a catalyst

Arsenal have the easier run in - what odds would you have got after the defeats by Chelsea and Man U????

It's a funny old game.

jak wrote:

Lionheart wrote:As I posted last weekend - that last minute goal could be a catalyst

Arsenal have the easier run in - what odds would you have got after the defeats by Chelsea and Man U????

It's a funny old game.

Yeh, funny old rules and funny old refs and 'assistants' too.
When Franco went down I thought "The ref'll give a pen for that" and it was so nice to see Franco doing the "Give him a card" signal too - added to the quality and ease with which the player went down IMO. But then the ref gets out a red card? That, I find amazing. The player didn't have the ball under control, if he had and Vermaelen had chopped him down then yes, that's a pen and a red but it wasn't like that - at best it was a 50-50 pen decision. I could accept the pen, not the red card. Later on when Upson handled the ball à la Thierry Henry for France (i.e. not just once but with feeling) we got the pen but, given the earlier red to Vermaelen how come Upson didn't get a yellow? OK, it would have been his second yellow and he'd have been off and I honestly don't have anything against Upson but how is the refereeing consistent?
Oh well, we got the ponts we fully deserved, even when down to ten we looked more-or-less in control and, as usual we created enough to have put the game to bed long before Captain Cesc did the business with the pen.
Well played Almunia - an excellent and extremely important penalty save. Well played Denilson too (c'mon jak the lad done good) who was at them the whole match and might even have nicked a second goal. Onwards and upwards!

jpr60 wrote:

jak wrote:

Lionheart wrote:As I posted last weekend - that last minute goal could be a catalyst

Arsenal have the easier run in - what odds would you have got after the defeats by Chelsea and Man U????

It's a funny old game.

Yeh, funny old rules and funny old refs and 'assistants' too.
When Franco went down I thought "The ref'll give a pen for that" and it was so nice to see Franco doing the "Give him a card" signal too - added to the quality and ease with which the player went down IMO. But then the ref gets out a red card? That, I find amazing. The player didn't have the ball under control, if he had and Vermaelen had chopped him down then yes, that's a pen and a red but it wasn't like that - at best it was a 50-50 pen decision. I could accept the pen, not the red card. Later on when Upson handled the ball à la Thierry Henry for France (i.e. not just once but with feeling) we got the pen but, given the earlier red to Vermaelen how come Upson didn't get a yellow? OK, it would have been his second yellow and he'd have been off and I honestly don't have anything against Upson but how is the refereeing consistent?
Oh well, we got the ponts we fully deserved, even when down to ten we looked more-or-less in control and, as usual we created enough to have put the game to bed long before Captain Cesc did the business with the pen.
Well played Almunia - an excellent and extremely important penalty save. Well played Denilson too (c'mon jak the lad done good) who was at them the whole match and might even have nicked a second goal. Onwards and upwards!

Denilson played OK but I watched him closely and he neglects his defensive duties. We were playing a very poor West Ham side so he got away with it but I tell you, this boy is a liability against the better sides.

The problem with Denilson is that he just totally forgets to pick up runners.. its not he is lazy or slow etc.. he just for some reason has a malfunction when it comes to that..

Big big games are decided normally by one move and if Denilson doesnt trakc his runner then it could lead to disaster...

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:The problem with Denilson is that he just totally forgets to pick up runners.. its not he is lazy or slow etc.. he just for some reason has a malfunction when it comes to that..

Big big games are decided normally by one move and if Denilson doesnt trakc his runner then it could lead to disaster...

and has !!!!!

Although it's only a one-match ban, apparently I'm glad Arsenal are contesting the red that Vermaelen was given. It's a question of principle and although we could end up with a longer ban surely sense will be seen - we suffered a debatable penalty, a red card for a nothing offence was way out of order.

jpr60 wrote:Although it's only a one-match ban, apparently I'm glad Arsenal are contesting the red that Vermaelen was given. It's a question of principle and although we could end up with a longer ban surely sense will be seen - we suffered a debatable penalty, a red card for a nothing offence was way out of order.

Sense and the FA do not go hand in hand. I don't hold out much hope but I'll be pleased to be proved wrong.

They are mad to contest the red card.They are risking an extra game's ban for frivolous appeal and it only takes the referee to stick by his original decision.what's the likelihood of the ref saying "i was wrong"?

QBVILLA wrote:They are mad to contest the red card.They are risking an extra game's ban for frivolous appeal and it only takes the referee to stick by his original decision.what's the likelihood of the ref saying "i was wrong"?

Depends how they judge it. On the day the ref was 50 yards behind the play, saw his assistant raise his flag and awarded the pen plus red card. Perhaps if they see the action up close they'll notice that Vermaelen has his eye on the ball, which is bouncing around as he tries to clear the danger, they may also notice that Franco wasn't in control of the ball and he was also battling to reach it. I fail to see how a red card was given - a 50-50 pen decision I can live with - so perhaps with the benefit of actually seeing the action up close the ref might decide he was a touch hasty in his decision-making.

JPR, Good morning.
I recall a 'Boro player getting sent off last season (Alliadiere possibly).The pundits on MOTD all said it was a wrong decisioon as did Dermot Gallagher on Sky on the Sunday evening.Boro appealed and lost because the ref wouldn't admit he'd made a mistake resulting in Alliadiere getting an extension on his original suspension.As it pretty much boils down to one man's ego i think it's too big a gamble on a player who is central to your club's chances of winning a trophy.For the record i thought it was a penalty but not a sending off.

And there we have it, appeal dismissed but no additional match bans for having woken them up, which in itself is some kind of success, I suppose? Seriously, this was a chance for the FA to prove they've got some sense, even if only in hindsight, but they behaved badly yet again - I dunno, there's no saving some people is there?!!!!
So Vermaelen gets a rest before a busy period - it's not the end of the world, as long as whoever gets to shore-up the defence plays a blinder -step forward, Campbell & Song or Silvestre & Song - keep Birmingham out and we're on a winner!

I don't believe it was a penalty, but as the penalty was given and Vermaelan was the last man it had to be a red. FA made the right decision I think.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I don't believe it was a penalty, but as the penalty was given and Vermaelan was the last man it had to be a red. FA made the right decision I think.

Oh well, it's all done and dusted now. One question though, wasn't there supposed to be some sort of reprimand on players waving pretend cards at refs in order to get opposing players carded? Franco did a pretty good job at the weekend, unless, of course it was like $tevieMBe with his two-fingered salute-that-wasn't a couple of games back, perhaps Franco was using his hand to express a feeling he was having, a sort of continental gesture rather than the old 'Give'im a card ref', eh?

As much as I like Franco, think he's vastly underrated, he does have some annoying continental habits. He's done the card waving a lot.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I don't believe it was a penalty, but as the penalty was given and Vermaelan was the last man it had to be a red. FA made the right decision I think.

Incorrect.The offence of denying a clear goal scoring opportunity is punishable by red card.

So, we're a Vermaelen short against Birmingham. Not gonna be easy - I assume we'll have Sol and Song in central defence - but again, we've got enough to do the job. Keep it going lads!

JPR, they were saying on talksport that they may hold Sol back for the Barcelona game as he cant play 2 games in such a short period. If that is the case, will it be Silvestre playing there? Will be a tough game at the Blues. I think we may nick a point at Chelski to help you

villanfromluton wrote:JPR, they were saying on talksport that they may hold Sol back for the Barcelona game as he cant play 2 games in such a short period. If that is the case, will it be Silvestre playing there? Will be a tough game at the Blues. I think we may nick a point at Chelski to help you

I reckon Arsene's going for broke, he'll play our strongest defence at Birmingham (which includes Campbell) and have Vermaelen back for the Barca game. Vermaelen and Song against Barca wouldn't be bad. I somehow don't see Silvestre starting either game. I certainly hope you'll get a point off Chelsea - they're there to be taken!

I hope Silvestre doesn't play. Feck knows what was in Arsene's head when he signed him.
Campbell and Song will have to do. It's a shame that Wenger will play Denilson though. I'd sooner see Nasri with Eboue playing on the right side of midfield.
Come on you Gunners !!!!!

jak wrote:I hope Silvestre doesn't play. Feck knows what was in Arsene's head when he signed him.
Campbell and Song will have to do. It's a shame that Wenger will play Denilson though. I'd sooner see Nasri with Eboue playing on the right side of midfield.
Come on you Gunners !!!!!

Jak, Eboue has done well this season hasnt he? Hopefully, we have seen the last of the play acting etc. Ashley Young is in a similar way, is a far better player without the silly antics,

I've been really impressed with Eboue this season.Fair play to him he's really turned it around

QBVILLA wrote:I've been really impressed with Eboue this season.Fair play to him he's really turned it around

I think we look much better when he's in the side. He gets forward quickly and causes the oppo real problems, plus unlike some of our other midfield players, he is well aware of his defensive duties.
There are, by all accounts, some big clubs sniffing around him now and that's no surprise. I just hope we don't make the mistake of letting him go.
I agree with Luton players are much better when they concentrate on the football rather than cheating.

Alway thought Eboue was a class player.. good Rb and now developing into a good midfielder.. and im sure Wenger paid peanuts for him..

ADRIAN_1976 wrote:Alway thought Eboue was a class player.. good Rb and now developing into a good midfielder.. and im sure Wenger paid peanuts for him..

Bullshit