Rank Hypocrisy

Just a short article on this occasion (quite a challenge where I am concerned). But a few observations I have noted today. Firstly, this time last week Wigan should have had a penalty against Arsenal. It was not given and it was arms across England, poor Paul Jewell, a minute’s silence requested at all matches this season and Arsenal were invited to make a public apology to Wigan for having the temerity to beat them. ‘Same old Arsenal always cheating’, the big clubs get all the decisions.

Yesterday, Arsenal should have had a penalty when Aliadiere was tripped by Warnock. Where are the hysterics? Where is the nationwide outcry? Why are Blackburn not being asked to apologise for not letting us win? Last week, Thierry Henry was lambasted by sections of the media for having the downright gall to get upset with Chris Kirkland for time wasting. His celebration of the equaliser elucidated his upset and the media were full of how classless we are and how poor Chrissie will now need counselling as a result of being criticised for cheating. Sly Sports handed out giant wanted posters with Thierry’s face on them. Of course the dunce that is Richard Keys was very critical of the F.A for charging Gary Neville following his taunting of Liverpool fans at Old Trafford last year, ‘do we want players to be robots? We’re taking the passion out of the game,’ he remarked (rumours that Rupert Murdoch’s hand was up his backside when he uttered these remarks have yet to be confirmed.

Having watched the re run of Match of the Day this morning, I was disappointed but not a bit surprised by Ray Stubbs’ utter stupidity. In the post match interview Wenger was heard to remark, ‘The problem is not with Blackburn being too defensive. It is with us, we have to find a way past it.’ This did not prevent Stubbs from rattling off absurdities such as, ‘What do they expect Blackburn to do? How much more help do the big clubs want?’ Admittedly, there was a regrettable incident after the final whistle with Cesc Fabregas making disrespectful remarks to Mark Hughes. Cesc is a bad loser, this has been shown in the past (whisper it, but this is also why he’s a born winner). The comment was made in the heat of the moment and he apologised for it later, whether he was told to or not we’ll never know, but the incident is over. But Ray Stubbs reasoning for his distaste was laughable, ‘Mark Hughes has won four F.A Cups, which Cesc Fabregas hasn’t.’ So? What does that have to do with anything? Fabregas was in the wrong, but why do Hughes’ trophies come into this? Well Mr. Stubbs, if I am to apply your logic, Mr. Wenger has won three F.A Cups, Fabregas started and won an F.A Cup Final aged 17, Ray Stubbs has won no F.A Cups, therefore you are not within your rights to criticise either party.

Half way through the build up to the Spurs v Fulham match, Richard Keys quite randomly brought the Fabregas- Hughes incident up. (It had absolutely nothing to do with anything they were discussing, least of all Fulham v Tottenham). The conclusion? That Fabregas should apologise for his remarks. Well if Mr. Keys was not such a despicable liar he would have perhaps mentioned that Fabregas did apologise. I’m not going to suggest that the media are against us, because every fan thinks like that about their team, the fact is we get a lot of good press for the way we play and the likes of Sky will blow any incident out of proportion in a sad attempt to boost ratings, their idiocy is not restricted only to us. Besides, I will leave the paranoid, persecution complex stuff to Vital Chelsea.

Which leads me nicely onto my last point. I had to laugh heartily when I visited my old muckers at ‘Vital Chelsea towers’ to see they have penned an article accusing Arsenal of potentially ruining the Carling Cup Final as a spectacle by playing the reserves! Yes, that’s right, Chelsea fans complaining about another team ruining a game of football as a spectacle. Chelsea, the most boring side since, well, us in the early nineties. Chelsea, the team whose playing surface is so pathetic, that Ashley Cole is conteplating legal action against the F.A for deeming it playable. They then went on to accuse Wenger of arrogance for entrusting his youngsters with a place in the Final starting line up. Yes, Chelsea fans accusing another side’s manager of arrogance. Chelsea, the team managed by a guy who gave himself the nickname ‘the Special One.’ Chelsea, the team managed by the man who said, ‘First there was God and then there was me.’ And I said this article would be short! LD.