On Wednesday, Eduardo dives to earn a penalty and he is branded a cheater and a disgrace.
On Saturday, Rooney dives to earn a penalty and he is deemed a clever footballer.
Eduardo's dive against Celtic, as well as Eboue's many dives for Arsenal over the years, are not defendable and the appropriate punishment, a yellow card is deserved for anyone who tries to trick the referee is deserved of that yellow card.
If the FA or UEFA or FIFA was inclined to make a new rule, where diving to earn a penalty in particular was made a red-card offense, then Eduardo's proposed 2-game suspension from Champions League competition would be appropriate if he was sent off. But there is no such rule in effect. It would be ludacris to suspend a player for two games on a yellow-card offense.
The fact that the "pundits" in the English media are such staunch supporters of this suspension makes no sense.
But the fact that the media calls for Eduardo's head while labeling Rooney's dive as "clever," and the media's non-questioning of Mike Dean's decision to give the penalty when clearly the replay showed Rooney to have begun falling before contact was made is despicable. Rooney and Gerrard get away with diving all the time, Ashley Young dove to win a penalty at Anfield two days before Eduardo's dive but nothing was said about it, but Drogba, Ronaldo, Eboue, and now Eduardo, are branded as divers.
It is hypocrisy for the British media to ignore their English divers. Gerrard, arguably England's best player, is a diver and a cheat at the highest stage. Rooney, the bright young hope up front as the World Cup approaches, not only tries to deceive the referees, but he abuses them as well. The English's media's choice to turn a blind eye to these players is obvious.
As an example, the Guardian had this to say about the claim for a penalty:
"Wenger was waspish in his verdict of the penalty decision that gave United their equaliser. 'Oldtraffordish,' was the neologism he coined for it. True, when Manuel Almunia, the Arsenal goalkeeper, came flying out to challenge Wayne Rooney, the England striker started to go down before contact was made. But there was substantial contact, unlike with the Eduardo incident, so it was a penalty. Rooney converted from the spot."
The report says, Rooney "started to go down before contact was made," and still said it was a penalty!
If you start to fall before contact was made, you are diving. No contact was made on Eduardo because Boruc is an excellent keeper. Almunia clumsily made contact with Rooney, but after he was already going down and already had booted the ball into the stands. Rooney played for the penalty and was given a free pass, plain and simple.
Its a shame that the best football league in the world has the most biased media to cover it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I Hate Patrice Evra
- forgot to include that in the last post. It needed to be said though.
I hope Martin Taylor breaks his leg too
I hope Martin Taylor breaks his leg too
Dean takes the points away from Arsenal at Old Trafford
Manchester United 2 - Arsenal 1.
The better team lost today.
Arsenal dominated the game, even without Cesc Fabregas, and took the game to the champions at Old Trafford only to see their efforts all crumble away in five minutes.
Mike Dean was a joke.
After failing to award a clear penalty where Arshavin nicked the ball past the clumsy and overrated Fletcher, Dean decided to grant a penalty when Rooney had booted the ball into the stands and played for the penalty, just like Eduardo did midweek against Celtic. Although there was contact with the Almunia, Rooney had no more right for a penalty than Eduardo did against Celtic as Rooney's touch had put the ball was far out of play. It was a joke of a call and Dean, who handed out 9 yellow cards in the game, is to blame for United's equalizer. He gave them a way back into the game. There is no other way around it.
Five minutes later, on a United free kick after a soft and arguable foul by Denilson, Giggs played the free kick terribly and overshot every red shirt, but Diaby, perhaps trying to play the ball back to his keeper, put the ball past Almunia into his own net. 2-1 United. Arsenal were shell-shocked.
Had it not been for a great save by Ben Foster early in the second half, Arsenal might have been 2-nil up, which would have been a fair scoreline. The Gunners played with purpose and were by far the better team today, and hopefully the unfair result won't damage their psyche.
With Vermaelen and Gallas in the middle, United rarely got a good chance to score at Old Trafford. This is a clear improvement from last year. Denilson and Diaby, who was solid and strong on the ball and had a good game other than the terrible mistake on the own goal, seem to be maturing into quality players. On the road against the champions, Diaby and Denilson controlled the midfield, dominating against the likes of Carrick and Fletcher.
Fletcher should have been yellow carded in the first half before his clumsy tackle on Arshavin, where he should have been sent off.
And Arshavin, who claims he is not in full fitness, needs to get fit quickly. He is a player who plays in spurts of energy, not controlling play for long periods of time with long runs but taking over moments with short bursts of energy. The more fit he gets, the more bursts of evergy he gets, the more goals Arsenal will score. He proved today with his goal that he is on another level of quality - above Rooney and Vidic and the rest. If fit, Arshavin is fully capable of being the best player in England.
Arsenal fans should look at the game like this: Had anyone told you at the beginning of the season that Arsenal would lose Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky, Walcott, and Vela to injury and still outplay and outclass Manchester United at Old Trafford, you would have taken it, regardless of the result.
The Premier League race is a marathon, not a sprint. If the Arsenal team the battled in defeat today is any indicator, this Arsenal team, a team that can take full control of a game at Old Trafford and lose it on bad luck and bad refereeing, is going to be in the race to the end.
The better team lost today.
Arsenal dominated the game, even without Cesc Fabregas, and took the game to the champions at Old Trafford only to see their efforts all crumble away in five minutes.
Mike Dean was a joke.
After failing to award a clear penalty where Arshavin nicked the ball past the clumsy and overrated Fletcher, Dean decided to grant a penalty when Rooney had booted the ball into the stands and played for the penalty, just like Eduardo did midweek against Celtic. Although there was contact with the Almunia, Rooney had no more right for a penalty than Eduardo did against Celtic as Rooney's touch had put the ball was far out of play. It was a joke of a call and Dean, who handed out 9 yellow cards in the game, is to blame for United's equalizer. He gave them a way back into the game. There is no other way around it.
Five minutes later, on a United free kick after a soft and arguable foul by Denilson, Giggs played the free kick terribly and overshot every red shirt, but Diaby, perhaps trying to play the ball back to his keeper, put the ball past Almunia into his own net. 2-1 United. Arsenal were shell-shocked.
Had it not been for a great save by Ben Foster early in the second half, Arsenal might have been 2-nil up, which would have been a fair scoreline. The Gunners played with purpose and were by far the better team today, and hopefully the unfair result won't damage their psyche.
With Vermaelen and Gallas in the middle, United rarely got a good chance to score at Old Trafford. This is a clear improvement from last year. Denilson and Diaby, who was solid and strong on the ball and had a good game other than the terrible mistake on the own goal, seem to be maturing into quality players. On the road against the champions, Diaby and Denilson controlled the midfield, dominating against the likes of Carrick and Fletcher.
Fletcher should have been yellow carded in the first half before his clumsy tackle on Arshavin, where he should have been sent off.
And Arshavin, who claims he is not in full fitness, needs to get fit quickly. He is a player who plays in spurts of energy, not controlling play for long periods of time with long runs but taking over moments with short bursts of energy. The more fit he gets, the more bursts of evergy he gets, the more goals Arsenal will score. He proved today with his goal that he is on another level of quality - above Rooney and Vidic and the rest. If fit, Arshavin is fully capable of being the best player in England.
Arsenal fans should look at the game like this: Had anyone told you at the beginning of the season that Arsenal would lose Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky, Walcott, and Vela to injury and still outplay and outclass Manchester United at Old Trafford, you would have taken it, regardless of the result.
The Premier League race is a marathon, not a sprint. If the Arsenal team the battled in defeat today is any indicator, this Arsenal team, a team that can take full control of a game at Old Trafford and lose it on bad luck and bad refereeing, is going to be in the race to the end.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sorry Pompey to visit the Emirates
Arsenal has its first home game tomorrow after winning their first two on the road in impressive fashion. In Portsmouth, however, the Gunners will face a different test.
Finishing fourth from bottom will be a great accomplishment for this year's Pompey side. They have lost Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch and still haven't had the funds to replace them, let alone add to a squad that fell dangerously close to the relegation zone last term. As a result, Portsmouth play a tediously boring 4-5-1 formation with 3 holding midfielders and leave it up to their opponents to break them down, and stop the potential of a counter attack. Portsmouth has yet to score a goal this season, and it looks unlikely that they would be able to score at the Emirates in open play, at least, but they will be a threat on set pieces.
Arsenal may rest some players after playing the same side against Everton and Celtic in successive games earlier this week. Walcott is still out with a back injury, as is Nasri, Djourou, and of course Rosicky (RIP). Look for Diaby and possibly Eduardo to get a start, but for most of the side to remain the same.
In all the game will be decided when the first goal is scored. If Pompey can nick a goal off a set piece and then pull everyone back to defend, Arsenal could find the going tough at home. If the Gunners get an early goal, however, and force Portsmouth to come out and play, the result could become lop-sided in a hurry. Let's hope for that early goal. Preferably by van Persie, Arshavin, or Bendtner so they can get their season up and running before the second leg with Celtic on Wednesday and the big matchup against a wounded Chelsea at Old Trafford next weekend.
Finishing fourth from bottom will be a great accomplishment for this year's Pompey side. They have lost Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch and still haven't had the funds to replace them, let alone add to a squad that fell dangerously close to the relegation zone last term. As a result, Portsmouth play a tediously boring 4-5-1 formation with 3 holding midfielders and leave it up to their opponents to break them down, and stop the potential of a counter attack. Portsmouth has yet to score a goal this season, and it looks unlikely that they would be able to score at the Emirates in open play, at least, but they will be a threat on set pieces.
Arsenal may rest some players after playing the same side against Everton and Celtic in successive games earlier this week. Walcott is still out with a back injury, as is Nasri, Djourou, and of course Rosicky (RIP). Look for Diaby and possibly Eduardo to get a start, but for most of the side to remain the same.
In all the game will be decided when the first goal is scored. If Pompey can nick a goal off a set piece and then pull everyone back to defend, Arsenal could find the going tough at home. If the Gunners get an early goal, however, and force Portsmouth to come out and play, the result could become lop-sided in a hurry. Let's hope for that early goal. Preferably by van Persie, Arshavin, or Bendtner so they can get their season up and running before the second leg with Celtic on Wednesday and the big matchup against a wounded Chelsea at Old Trafford next weekend.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Does Arsene need to add to this squad?
Although the season is not even a week old, confidence is sky-high at the Emirates Stadium. Two impressive road victories have quickly made people forget about the losses of Adebayor and Kolo Toure and have established Arsenal as a team not to be taken lightly, unlike many of the preseason pundits would have suggested.
New center back Thomas Vermaelen has been fantastic, whether scoring goals at Goodison or sprinting full field to prevent them at Celtic Park, Wenger's lone summer signing has been just what Arsenal needed: a quality center back with pace and aerial ability. Alex Song, who improved massively towards the end of last year, has built on his game even more, and has proven himself to be a more than capable holding midfielder. And arguably what's most impressive about the success of this Arsenal team is the fact that the three starting attackers--van Persie, Arshavin, and Bendtner--have yet to score a goal.
Arsenal has started the season on fire, but a week ago Arsenal fans weren't so optimistic. After all, Wenger had not done anything to address the team's needs: a proven holding midfielder, a tall center back that could win headers, and a striker to replace Adebayor. Now, after impressive performances in the first two games of the season, the cries for Wenger to add to the squad aren't so loud.
On August 6, Wenger said "We can still make do with one or two players more. One could be in the defensive areas, and one in the attacking areas." He later hinted that these acquisitions would likely take place later in the summer transfer window, when prices drop and when a Champions League birth, and the money that results from it, is secured. He bid for a striker, Chamakh, but Bordeaux rejected the bid. Now the rumor is that he has turned his sights to PSV left winger Balazs Dzsudzsak, who has said as much on Hungarian radio. The 22-year-old left winger seems to be a quality player, but does Arsenal need another pacy winger? Arshavin currently plays on the left, and Nasri, Walcott, Rosicky, Vela, Wilshere, and even Gibbs and Traore can provide adequate cover. Dzsudzsak seems like another skilled, pacy, left-footed player, of which we have plenty.
A defensive addition, however, is something we do need. At center back, Gallas and Vermaelen have been outstanding thus far, but Arsenal lack cover behind the two. Djourou is injured often, Silvestre lacks the quality a top 4 defender should have (thats why Sir Alex let him go) and Senderos clearly does not have a place in the manager's plans, as he has been permitted to move to Everton. In general, the Arsenal center-backs lack height, but the failures of Senderos and Cygan have shown that it is difficult to find defenders with the height and aerial ability we need combined with the pace and passing ability to play in a high line. Fulham's Brede Hangeland has been mentioned, but according to him there has not been any formal approach. The problem with Hangeland is that he would merit a first team place, and therefore take one away from Vermaelen or Gallas.
The area of most concern, arguably, is defensive midfield. Alex Song has improved massively in the last two years and he looks to be a real quality player, but there is no cover for him really, which is a problem because he heads to the African Cup of Nations in January. Denilson is a solid player, but not big and strong and not a good enough ball-winner to play in the Song role. Therefore what Arsenal need is a holding mid, moreso than Chamakh, Dzsudzsak, or Hangeland, preferably a holding mid who can cover at center back as well. The unveiling of this holding midfielder, however, is just over a week away.
New center back Thomas Vermaelen has been fantastic, whether scoring goals at Goodison or sprinting full field to prevent them at Celtic Park, Wenger's lone summer signing has been just what Arsenal needed: a quality center back with pace and aerial ability. Alex Song, who improved massively towards the end of last year, has built on his game even more, and has proven himself to be a more than capable holding midfielder. And arguably what's most impressive about the success of this Arsenal team is the fact that the three starting attackers--van Persie, Arshavin, and Bendtner--have yet to score a goal.
Arsenal has started the season on fire, but a week ago Arsenal fans weren't so optimistic. After all, Wenger had not done anything to address the team's needs: a proven holding midfielder, a tall center back that could win headers, and a striker to replace Adebayor. Now, after impressive performances in the first two games of the season, the cries for Wenger to add to the squad aren't so loud.
On August 6, Wenger said "We can still make do with one or two players more. One could be in the defensive areas, and one in the attacking areas." He later hinted that these acquisitions would likely take place later in the summer transfer window, when prices drop and when a Champions League birth, and the money that results from it, is secured. He bid for a striker, Chamakh, but Bordeaux rejected the bid. Now the rumor is that he has turned his sights to PSV left winger Balazs Dzsudzsak, who has said as much on Hungarian radio. The 22-year-old left winger seems to be a quality player, but does Arsenal need another pacy winger? Arshavin currently plays on the left, and Nasri, Walcott, Rosicky, Vela, Wilshere, and even Gibbs and Traore can provide adequate cover. Dzsudzsak seems like another skilled, pacy, left-footed player, of which we have plenty.
A defensive addition, however, is something we do need. At center back, Gallas and Vermaelen have been outstanding thus far, but Arsenal lack cover behind the two. Djourou is injured often, Silvestre lacks the quality a top 4 defender should have (thats why Sir Alex let him go) and Senderos clearly does not have a place in the manager's plans, as he has been permitted to move to Everton. In general, the Arsenal center-backs lack height, but the failures of Senderos and Cygan have shown that it is difficult to find defenders with the height and aerial ability we need combined with the pace and passing ability to play in a high line. Fulham's Brede Hangeland has been mentioned, but according to him there has not been any formal approach. The problem with Hangeland is that he would merit a first team place, and therefore take one away from Vermaelen or Gallas.
The area of most concern, arguably, is defensive midfield. Alex Song has improved massively in the last two years and he looks to be a real quality player, but there is no cover for him really, which is a problem because he heads to the African Cup of Nations in January. Denilson is a solid player, but not big and strong and not a good enough ball-winner to play in the Song role. Therefore what Arsenal need is a holding mid, moreso than Chamakh, Dzsudzsak, or Hangeland, preferably a holding mid who can cover at center back as well. The unveiling of this holding midfielder, however, is just over a week away.
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