So into the Interlull we go. Practically two full weeks with no real football and the potential for our players to be injured, run over by a lawnmower, get lost in the woods and never be seen again, and countless other little issues to worry the manager between now and the time they return.
Having a quick look around the Spanish papers this morning it seems that Cesc will still be called up and they’re hopeful he can play in both games. Having been unfit to play against Manchester United though you have to worry a little about that but there doesn’t seem to be any sign of Arsenal withdrawing him at this stage.
Going back to the United game and the manager has had a little pop at United and Darren Fletcher in particular, saying:
Look at how many deliberate fouls some players get away with. That’s a bigger problem because it cuts the flow of the game. And people pay to see football, not free-kicks. Players who make repeated fouls and who are never punished and get out of the game without a yellow card. That, for me, is more anti-football than a player who has done what Eduardo did.
He certainly has a point. How Fletcher didn’t get booked is a bit of a mystery but hardly that important in the great scheme of things. Felcher says he deserved a bit of luck with penalties against Arsenal having missed the Champions League final after his professional foul on Cesc Fabregas back in May. I’m not quite sure how that works though. The clear penalty he conceded at the Grove means the most penaltiest penalty I’ve ever seen shouldn’t be given at Old Trafford? Erm, no. That’s not luck, it’s just terrible refereeing.
Yeah, Fletcher is a bit of a hacker and Mike Dean is never likely to treat United’s fouls as harshly as he did Arsenal‘s but we shouldn’t really get bogged down in stuff like this. If we really need to make a point we could just kick him up in the air next time we play. Job done. And while United weren’t at their best on Saturday they’ve always been a good footballing team, even if they are chock full of despicable flangeinhalers.
And while the press are reporting that AW has labelled United ‘anti-football’, my interpretation is that he’s having a little go at officialdom there. It’s always been quicker and easier to punish a guy who dives, for example, than a guy who fouls constantly. Those kind of players can hide behind the fact they’re ‘physical’ or ‘committed’, in fact they’re even praised for it, but the other guy is slaughtered. The fact is that deliberate fouling is cheating too – yet you never hear anyone say we have to rid the game of it.
Anyway, I have no real problem with United’s approach on Saturday. We gave away our share of free kicks, Gallas’s in particular was deliberate and cynical, so it’s not like we’re angels. It’s a physical game, we have to accept that, and it’s the job of the ref to deal with it. Sometimes, like on Saturday they don’t, or they won’t. We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and move on.
Expecting some reference to the Celtic player sent off after getting a 2nd yellow for a dive yesterday? Who cares? More media driven crap with which I want nothing to do with.
So, the transfer window, eh? It closes at 5pm tomorrow and there’s only thing I can say with any assurance – that Sky Sports and the NewsNow hit hoors will whip everyone up into an absolute frenzy. There’ll be gossip, rumour, tales of press conferences, medicals and all kinds between now and the time it closes?
Am I expecting us to do any business? Maybe. I really don’t have the first clue. Nobody does. That’s the truth. Would it be a surprise if we brought in a couple? No. Nor would be a surprise if our chequebook remained closed. Could we do with a couple? Sure. Am I hoping we sign someone? Yes. Can we cope without them? Yes, for now.
And as there’s nothing at all I can do to influence what happens I’m going to remain an interested, yet unfrenzied, unpanicked, unpullingmyhairout, unbleatingabouthowmuchwegotforkoloandcuntybayor, observer.
And of course I’ll be spreading rumours like wildfire via Twitter.
Till tomorrow.
ps – To those of you using the Arseblog iPhone app – yes, there’s a problem with it at the moment. It’s been removed from the iTunes store and has to be reapproved, so that could take a week or two. In the meantime you’ll have to be all old fashioned and stuff and just visit the website.
