What the pundits & media are saying about us

[TheBlueRooster]

Oh come on. They totally outplayed us in every single department & we can debate the penalty as much as we want but, at the end of the day, we were nothing short of shit & got exactly what our limp, gutless & passion-less performance deserved.

Was almost identical to the Chelsea game & such performances in what should be passion filled derby matches is, quite frankly, shameful.

I agreed that they played better than us but the only way anyone deserves to win is that they score more goals than the opposition. The only thing between the two of us is the dodgy penalty. Had that not been given who knows what would have happened. They could have scored two goals from open play.

Did Fulham deserve to get more out of our match with them? No, because we scored more goals than them. Yes they had a goal ruled out but that was because of the current laws of the game.

Don't get me wrong I'm just as disappointed as anyone with the way we played and didn't start playing until it was too late.

 

[archiewasking]

What puzzles me is although the low block worked in the first match, why on earth do it again in this one? Did Jose not think Arteta might come up with a plan to deal with it if we did it again?

 

[Shadydan]

What puzzles me is although the low block worked in the first match, why on earth do it again in this one? Did Jose not think Arteta might come up with a plan to deal with it if we did it again?

It wasn't a low block.

 

[archiewasking]

It wasn't a low block.

That's what I get for assuming - didn't watch, correctly predicted the score, so I watched Coming 2 America with the wife and kids for our Mother's day film. Incidentally, don't bother if you haven't seen it. Pile of steaming stinking brown stuff. Like us apparently.

 

[archiewasking]

Why on earth didn't we play a low block? Since it worked so well last time??!!!

 

[teok]

I totally agree with all of this. I'm fine with ex players having a bit of banter but it's incredibly tedious that smith is somehow contractually obliged to commentate on all our games. He actually makes them worse to listen too which other ex players don't.

That 'trundling' Lamela rabona exposes partisan punditry - Football365

Erik Lamela scored a phenomenal goal that Alan Smith just dismissed. Is that not all a bit sh*t?

www.football365.com

 

[double0]

What puzzles me is although the low block worked in the first match, why on earth do it again in this one? Did Jose not think Arteta might come up with a plan to deal with it if we did it again?

Mourinho is predictable. I suppose like every single manager. When it comes to Class A games Mourinho will always play to limit the opposition, wait for them to make a mistake and for us to capitalise but we tend to make far to many errors it just defeats the purpose.

It's better to attack, than to retreat

 

[buckley]

What no pundit has commented on is the fact that Arsenal have conceded quite a few games with teams pressing them high starting with the ball release from the goalie . We just did not attempt to press high for me it must be managers instructions because anybody that does not follow his game plan is usually hung out to dry . Why was it bad tactics or laziness from the players . ?

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Paul Merson the muppet has copied and pasted his favourite article for the hundredth time:

"Kane needs to leave Spurs to win silverware"

Every single time we lose a game he does the same. Probably the most irritating pundit there is for me. I would love to punch him in his slab head.

 

[barry]

Paul Merson the muppet has copied and pasted his favourite article for the hundredth time:

"Kane needs to leave Spurs to win silverware"

Every single time we lose a game he does the same. Probably the most irritating pundit there is for me. I would love to punch him in his slab head.

He probably does tbf. I wouldn't begrudge him if he did leave. He's given us numerous class years, he'll be 28 next season, let him win something big before his career ends.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

He probably does tbf. I wouldn't begrudge him if he did leave. He's given us numerous class years, he'll be 28 next season, let him win something big before his career ends.

Not really arguing with the article, its more that he is Ex arsenal and he constantly writes that same article, I think he's been doing it for 3-4 years already. And in general he comes across as a massive prick.

 

[Japhet]

The issue for me is the way the statements are made by the refs to VAR (at least from how I understand it). Oliver has basically made his mind up and essentially "dared" VAR to say otherwise. In my view Oliver should have let the ball go out f play, pause the game (as it's at the very least a goal kick or throw depending on where ball goes out, thus game stopped anyway) and ask VAR, is there reason to award a penalty here?

Because yeah, at first glance it looks like a penalty, I thought it was at the time, so it's ok to question it, but not to state it definitely is a penalty and you have to prove me (the ref) wrong.

But even IF... why does VAR not have the balls to do its job? Because if this is the case, do away with it. It's unfit for purpose in the UK. Oliver should have been told to look again at the monitor and if he STILL takes the wrong decision, should be pulled up for that afterwards. So for me, the Ref in the VAR seat should equally be pulled up for it. Preferably both,.

A lot of time for Ian Wright as a pundit btw... and also Arsenal deserved to win, so just ice for them perhaps, but that's not how football works.

I actually think the decision making process of VAR is the wrong way round. It's heavily biased in favour of supporting the Refs decision when, to my mind, VAR with all of it's technology should be free to make a correct decision regardless of what the Ref thinks. It all comes out in the wash anyway, like this game where the overwhelming conclusion is that the wrong decision was made, primarily by Michael Oliver with VAR unwilling to overturn it. The officials are there to do a specific job and get it right.

 

[King of Otters]

I totally agree with all of this. I'm fine with ex players having a bit of banter but it's incredibly tedious that smith is somehow contractually obliged to commentate on all our games. He actually makes them worse to listen too which other ex players don't.

That 'trundling' Lamela rabona exposes partisan punditry - Football365

Erik Lamela scored a phenomenal goal that Alan Smith just dismissed. Is that not all a bit sh*t?

www.football365.com

I was amazed at the time at how underwhelmed Smith and Tyler were by one of the all time great NLD goals. If you can't get excited by something like that you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a commentary box.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I was amazed at the time at how underwhelmed Smith and Tyler were by one of the all time great NLD goals. If you can't get excited by something like that you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a commentary box.

Or oxygen...

 

[WalkerboyUK]

Thierry Henry's take on the goal was FAR better than Smith's.
He pretty much stated it was a moment of absolute genius, amd something that wasn't a fluke because Lamela will have practiced the Rabona over and over and over again, not to mention that he's scored one previously.
He knew instinctively what he wanted to do when the pass from Lucas wasn't as expected. He had milliseconds to process what was going on, decide what he was going to do, then position his feet to actually do it.
Any of us try that and we end up doing a Kieran Tierney...

 

[Japhet]

I was amazed at the time at how underwhelmed Smith and Tyler were by one of the all time great NLD goals. If you can't get excited by something like that you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a commentary box.

To be fair, I don't think either of them realized quite what Lamela had done until the replays showed conclusively what an extraordinary strike it was. It happened in the blink of an eye.

 

[Shadydan]

To be fair, I don't think either of them realized quite what Lamela had done until the replays showed conclusively what an extraordinary strike it was. It happened in the blink of an eye.

Because they old farts, I knew exactly what he did as did loads of my neutral mates and rival fans when they text me wtf Lamela and Omg fuck off Lamela or words to that effect.

And these two were in the ground as well.

 

[SlotBadger]

To be fair, I don't think either of them realized quite what Lamela had done until the replays

That in itself is worrying because they've both been involved in football for decades and it was blindingly obvious the second he hit it. I'd understand someone who's not into football needing a second look and possible explanation but an ex-pro and long-time commentator should really know better.

 

[wrd]

Even before the replay I was running about like Reguilon was, infact my girlfriend was half paying attention to game and she didn't even need a replay to realise we just saw as I remember going do you realise what the fuck he's just done.

 

[teedee]

I actually think the decision making process of VAR is the wrong way round. It's heavily biased in favour of supporting the Refs decision when, to my mind, VAR with all of it's technology should be free to make a correct decision regardless of what the Ref thinks. It all comes out in the wash anyway, like this game where the overwhelming conclusion is that the wrong decision was made, primarily by Michael Oliver with VAR unwilling to overturn it. The officials are there to do a specific job and get it right.

What about a rule change that for all penalty decisions VAR does not become involved (except for where a referee has missed an infringement by the defending players in the area) but instead the referee, after blowing his whistle for a penalty, automatically goes to study the pitch side monitor and then either confirms or alters his decision. There would be no more delay than in the VAR official studying it and then advising the referee. This would obviate the 'clear and obvious error' and ensure that the on field referee has total control over the decision.