It is at times like these that one gets a real handle on the complete lack of objectivity in the media, they love telling people what they want to hear and care little for the truth. Whether it be the Sun blaming immigrants for all our problems or insulting foreign footballers because they are an easy non-English target, it's the same lame pathetic stuff that we've become sadly used to putting up with. Have a look at these two blatant dives from lovely English players and note just how little media reaction there was to these:
There is no other explanation than that the media is completely biased and that our footballing governing bodies are also completely inconsistent in dealing with any disciplinary offences. It is a Kangeroo system. Eduardo's was also not a clear cut dive, it was debatable and most would say it was not a penalty, but in the context of what we see week in week out it was nothing, the media reaction tells us more about the media than anything else.
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I read an article in the Mirror yesterday (don't ask why) written by Lawro, where he says it is getting under his skin when people accuse the British media of being harsh on foreigners who dive but turn a blind eye toward British players who do it. He claims those accusations are completely untrue and unfounded. What a knob.
In regards to today's match. How does everyone suspect we'll line up? Will we go 4-3-3 and revert to 4-5-1 when under pressure. Or play a safer 4-4-2?
I hope we're brave and go 4-3-3. I think our best bet is to take the game to Man U and set the tempo. If we play with caution and let them come onto us, we will be taking too much risk. Having a go at Old Trafford is risky too, but that our best option I feel. Because that's our strength.
Either case, I think it is vital that Arshavin start on the left. Man U's is weak defensively there with Valencia and probably O'Shea. Arshavin can tear them apart. We should overload that side with our attacking.
Man U will probably be looking for set pieces today. We need to be careful of the fouling just outside the box and giving away foolish free kicks.
I also think, and many Gooners have been saying this since the start of the season - Bendtner is the better choice up top. Van Persie doesn't have the strength or ability to shield the ball and bring others into play like a lone center forward. And Bendtner doesn't fit out wide. He's trying, but it doesn't play to his strengths.
I'd love to see Eduardo start today and use the criticism to gee himself up and stuff it down everyone's throats with a brace today. But I don't know how to fit him in the team from the start.
Okay, I'm done. Please forgive the babbling :-)
Come on you GUNNERS!!!!
I reckon it will be 4-3-3:
manuel
sagna gallas vermaelen clichy
song diaby denilson
nikky rvp arshavin
I think you have picked the line up that Mr. Wenger will pick, 1979.
I'm a little nervous about that midfield though. Can't say I have any better ideas though, with Cesc, Rosicky and Nasri out.
http://www.oleole.com/blogs/arseblog/posts/wenger-on-the-warpath--united-preview
agree with a lot that arseblogger says,
however the 'diving' debate is clearly not a black and white issue
sometimes a dive can be cheating, sometimes it deserves a penalty and there are many layers of grey inbetween
after all if a striker has to completely change direction to get out of the way of a defender's lunge, even if no contact is made, it may still merit a penalty
dives are not black and white
on watching eduardo's again and again, i still think it's a very hard call, it's probably not a penalty, but the keeper should not have lunged, eduardo had to change direction and he was still clipped, it's definitely debatable i reckon,
there is also no doubt that eduardo's was way less of dive compared to ashley young's shocker in midweek, for this one the defender didn't even make a challenge, young feigned contact and threw himself down, this was much nearer cheating for me,
the tashed tosser lawrenson:
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/mark-lawrenson/Eduardo-was-singled-out-because-he-cheated-article136261.html
the comments say it all really, the way in which such so called experts single out eduardo while ignoring much worse from out domestic talent says it all, they are xenophobic at best and racist at worst
the inconsistency is indeed staggering
http://www.goodplaya.com/blog/eduardo/
it reminds me of the massively disproportionate punishments we have received for various episodes of handbagging (manu old trafford pizzagate and chelsea carling cup final)
look at what derby and forest did today after the final whistle had gone, utterly disgraceful, and i am sure it won't be punished proportionately
ps
it seems to me that the over reaction to the eduardo incident has been because celtic and shit and would rather live in denial by going on about this rather than acknowledging just how outclassed they were
HT and we're 1-0 up. Fantastic!
But I'm nervous. Our play has been disjointed so far. We look nervous and are having trouble trapping and controlling the ball. We haven't appeared intelligent in our play either. We have been caught dithering on the ball on too many occasions and have not been passing well, which has been cause for our inept lack of possession.
We're at Old Trafford and that is a valid point. But we just don't look like the confident team we've been in every match all season.
Up until his goal, Arshavin had been poor. But his goal was a rocket. This is why we need him in the team. He is a game changer and he can play against sides like Man U without the fear and hesitation that some of our other players exhibit.
I must be totally blinkered, but I swear this ref and the commentators are completely favouring Man U and showing a distaste for Arsenal. I'll be hoarse by the sixtieth minute if it keeps up due to my hollering at them.
Gallas has been immense so far this match (and all season) and Vermaelen has done well too. But the rest of our players are able to play better than they have so far. They need to step it up in the second half.
It won't happen. But if I were Mr. Wenger, I'd take RVP off at HT (or move him out wide for Eboue or Diaby) and bring on Eduardo or Bendtner. He doesn't play the lone forward role well. He falls over at the slightest touch and throws his arms up. Is he being fouled? Absolutely. But he's never going to get the calls he is looking for. He needs to pull his socks up and get on with it. I want to see more fight from him and less mouthing off. But I want him to compete fairly.
One tactical item I've noticed - Vidic has gotten pulled out wide to defend against Arshavin a few times. If we can get men in the box, we can exploit this opening.
Come Arsenal. Smart play now!
Pissed right off. Don't think I can evenly convey my thoughts at this juncture. I'll try to make a few short points.
-Very sloppy play by us. Particularly at the end when we were chasing a goal
-Rooney dived. No doubt in my mind. He's going vertical before Almunia touches him and he pushed the ball so far out of play he never had a chance of getting to it. It was a blatant dive and nothing was even suggested by the commentators about it. I suspect everyone associated with Arsenal will be pointing Rooney's dive out. Though Match of the Day will gloss over it.
-Eboue. Please. You're not doing us any favors by showing that puke faced referee what a dive looks like.
-We lacked the nous to get a goal after going 2-1 down. And I didn't see the required amount of hunger from our players to draw level. Very disappointing.
-RVP up top is costing us. I like Robin but he cannot play that position and I don't want to see this experiment continue throughout the season so that he can eventually have a decent game there and Mr. Wenger can claim that he told us so.
-Fletcher really annoys me with his incessant fouling. In fact, I see this week in and out against Arsenal - niggly little fouls that don't get called but contribute to our loss of possession. That said, Fletcher really is a good player to have around. He disrupted our play at vital moments countless times today. He really does a thankless job for Man U. Credit to him.
-I've reserved my last comment for that ref and the FA. What has Mike Dean ever done to make the FA think he is good enough to ref. Especially a match of this magnitude. He's going to need elbow surgery from all of the cards he's pulling out of his pocket. He's a dopey little man with inferiority complex, which he tries to cover up by showing everyone that he's in charge of the match. Matches between Arsenal and Man U are always tetchy affairs and that needs to be allowed to a degree so that the match can flow. Ughh, it does my head in, these refs. It just feels like we are having to swim upstream and everyone is against us.
I feel so frustrated after this result because we didn't do ourselves justice. I can take us losing when we've been outplayed. But Man U got lucky, got the calls, and managed to scrape out a result against us. We didn't play at the level that we have been at and I feel that is a mental barrier that we MUST get past. And it has to happen early before we miss out on opportunities to win silverware as a result. No excuses this season will be acceptable.
Is that post about gerrard supposed to show him 'diving'? cuz al it does show is gerrard gettin ahead to the ball and a defender knockin him frm behind...
On the other hand, eduardo didnt even make contact with the keeper.. and guess wat every1s riled bout his is his smile after the penalty decision..
But yes it is true... the brit media are biased and hype epl players...
Rhino, you saw the same game I saw, one in which Arsenal was the better team but not spectacular. Just because we were robbed doesn't mean we were exceptional, and you seem to have seen every mistake I saw.
And if you think the Sky broadcasters were bad, well, I have no way of knowing for sure, but the bums on Fox Soccer Channel were hideous.
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