By Walter Broeckx
Another Champions league game … and another controversial game by the ref.
I will not start over the not giving penalty for Arsenal for a blatant foul on Rosicky just before THE incident that over shadowed the game.
But I just did. Well we don’t get penalty’s this season from refs and this is getting a bit annoying I think. If the Uefa has decided Arsenal not to give penalty’s any more that they please just say it so everyone knows it and we don’t expect penalty’s given anymore.
So let’s get on to the most important decisions of the game.
The rulebook says:
An indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following four offences:
• takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession
• touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player
• touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate
• touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate
I put the most important word in bold and underlined it. But this is a decision which is based on how the ref sees it. I think Campbell was trying to shield the ball and it hit his left foot without the intention to kick it. But the ref saw it as deliberate so we cannot do much about it.
But then starts the real mess up from the ref.
Fabianski is holding the ball in his hands to prevent that Porto try to play it quick. But the ref demands the ball from Fabianski and if Fabianski didn’t give the ball to the ref he would have got a yellow card.
Now if a ref takes the ball in his hands it is to place the ball on the right spot and to get everyone at the right distance. This was what all the Arsenal players were expecting. In fact when the Porto player takes the free kick Fabianski is walking back to his goal line with his back to the ball because he anticipated that the ref was going to take things in hand and to put all players in the right position.
But the ref gives the ball to Porto who take it quickly and scores.
Let me quote the rule and the instructions once again ( and I apologize if the English is not totally correct but the instructions from Fifa to refs I have are in Dutch) :
In cases where a whistle is not required to restart a game, the referee GIVES A SIGNAL with one arm to get the game going. (except for a goal kick and a throw).
So the ref has to give a signal with his arm to allow the game to restart. The ref does not give a signal. So the game could not be started again. I’ve seen it some 24 times now and nowhere and from no angle there is a sign that he makes to allow the game to restart.
So the next thing from the rule book about:
The Indirect Free Kick
Signal
The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.
This means the ref has got to indicate BEFORE THE FREE KICK IS TAKEN that it is an indirect free kick. The ref only gives this signal when the ball reaches the other player. So again a mistake and a foul from the ref.
To make things worse he obstructesn Sol Campbell who tried to prevent things as he ran in Sol’s way. So he took the defender out. Very bad positioning from the ref.
The ref has made a total mess of this. If he had any common sense he would have blown and had the free kick retaken. But he didn’t and we can all feel very bad about this very poor decision from the ref.
And like 2 seasons ago when the Swedish ref Peter Frojdfeldt send us home after a bad penalty decision against us in Liverpool it is another Swedish ref that hands us defeat and gives Porto a goal on a silver plate. Do the Swedes have something against The Arsenal ? Or is it instructions from higher places?
UNTOLD RUMOURS
(If we had a press, these stories would be hot off it).
Mohammed Bin Hammam, has tabled a motion for the next Fifa big boys meeting, which says that in future no one with seven letters in his name, starting with B and ending with R is allowed into any position of power in FIFA.
Blatter (at whom this is said to be aimed) is standing for an unprecedented 83rd term, under the slogan, “I haven’t alleged anything yet”. Blatter wants to outdo João Havelange who was in charge for 176 years and who oversaw the introduction of sheep slaughtering at half time, and the creation of McDonalds as the “restaurant of the world cup”, thus giving a bad name to restaurants everywhere.
Sir Stanley Rous, was in the chair for 196 years, but is not believed to have done anything except ensure that England won the world cup by playing every game at Wembley.
Blatter is allegedly 374 years old, and has the IQ of an alleged shrimp on heat, according to Alleged Corruption Newsletter, the key journal of Fifa. His great grandmother is allegedly an unemployed painter and decorator with a pathological fear of crustaceans who lives in New York and serves on the FIFA financial committee in between running the Quick and Cheap Cleaning Co
Blatter has allegedly invested much of other people’s personal fortunes (plus the gross national product of South Africa) in the World Cup this year, and will allegedly take all credit and profit if it works well, and blame the Africans for not being able to cope if it goes badly.
Blatter recently ordered the Finance Committee (see above) to pay over to the Nigerian Football Association $30m to cover the total financial disaster that was formally known as the Under-17 World Cup held there in 2009. (Not “allegedly” in that sentence!!!) In an exclusive interview with allegedly Untold Arsenal Mr Allegedly blattered us to “stick your head in a pig.”
Untold Arsenal bids for international TV rights for the EPL
Untold has bid 25p for the rights to show EPL games on Albanian TV. Untold chairman, Sir Tony Attwood said, “Our finance committee in New York, under the guidance of Quick and Cheap Cleaning Co has offered this substantial bid for the rights to show the game in South Georgia. As South Georgia has no population and no one other than Norman Wisdom has ever come back from Albania in one piece we think that is fair and generous. Sepp Blatter is allegedly said to be against the deal on the grounds that his personal commission is not high enough. His mother is allegedly said to be on the way to Untold Towers.
There’s info about the Making the Arsenal book on www.emiratesstadium.info
There’s more on Arsenal at www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk
Well walter you have tread what I think is the “Grey” line in football.. In football decisions are qualitative and rarely quantitative.. Like you rightly pointed out “The referee’s point of view”.. On the other hand a game like Cricket (Ask tony if you haven’t a faintest idea) the rules are defined to the point of being insane and there is always the option for the on-field Umpires (cricket refs) to confer with their colleague who sits high up above the stands watching replays, commercials and stuff.. Now the reason we all watch football is that it is a game thats played for 90 minutes with great twists.. A normal game of cricket is played for 8.5 Hours including all breaks.. Should we bring systems that challenge the refs decision in football we compromise on the excitement.. So all of us know that its impossible so in the world of football the Refs word is absolute even if he is a vermin like Hansen.. So imho i think in this Arsene has to let go about the Ref and do something about the factors that led to the goal.. 1) Clichy with all his experience shouldnt have made himself look so trivial 2) Fab needs catching practice 3) Am not going to blame Sol, I felt he had am AWESOME game yesterday, but I dont blame Fab for picking it uo either cos with all the benefit of hindsight it took me many replays to see that there indeed was a touch but i think the Goalie was a bit naive in holding onto the ball he shouldnt have cared or even looked at that son of an honourable bitch hansen and just kicked it or thrown out of the Area.. I think he was nervy after the way the first goal was conceded.. I was talking to a fellow gooner and he told me we were level so why be nervous.. but having played the game myself i can confidently say that although Football is a team game EVERY player on the pitch is conscious about the mistakes EVERY OTHER player makes .. Hell Arsenal could have been 5 up Fabianski would have still been nervous.. So Lord Wenger has to look at thi defeat in another perspective and try to bring about a change in the mentality of the players.. you know has to go out of his way to boost them up.. and am sure we’ll get these hardplaying porto guys at the emirates..
The ref did raise his arm to denote the indirect free kick. But he did it just as the ball was almost in the net well after the kick was taken. So he knew he’d made a mistake and should have made Porto retake the free kick. Also Fabianski picked up the ball just inside the box and yet the ref allowed them to take the kick about 5 yards forward. So the referee mistakes just keep piling up.
Criticizing Martin Hansson does not mean effacing the mistakes of Fabianski and Sol. Yes, our players bungled it, that is certain. No one is, as WEG states, trying to “defense the indefensible.”
But Champions League level referee Martin Hansson ALSO bungled it. That is what Walter is pointing out in his excellent analysis.
I worry about Fabianski’s nerves, particularly after the media and fans are jumping on him. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he’s feeling queasy about even stepping onto the Emirates pitch. What he needs are fans to support him after this (think about Abou and how he came back after his mistake against Man U earlier this season). I also think he should be sent out on loan for next season so he can gain some experience and composure. And so he doesn’t have to think of his night in Porto. From the looks of things, a loan might be the only way to save his Arsenal (or even footballing) career.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2857873/Porto-2-Arsenal1.html
Tony,
Check out this photo from The Sun.
It shown the ref’s arm was raised to indicate an indirect kick.
Sol was blocked by a Porto’s player with an outstretched arm.
But it happened behind the ref.
For those fans who were at Porto, it will be interesting to read here the actual unbiased event.
Did we remember that fatal error of Richard Wright by letting a shot thru’ his legs?
Well Tim, I believe that these latest errors (two of ‘em) from Fabianski may have effectively destroyed his confidence and he may very well be never the same again.
In all probability, he may go the way of Richard Wright.
If Wenger still has the confidence and belief in him, we will see him playing this Saturday; under closed scrutiny as to the mental toughness of Fabianski.
We will know if Fabianski is as mental fragile as Manniger.
Actually the ref’s hand was raised after the ball was played contrary to the picture Merlin provided from the Sun.
I have to admit that I have never seen an incident like that but we shouldn’t have been in the situation to begin with.
Merlin96,
The referee only raised his arm after the ball was played. Watch the video
Oh remember Chelsea vs Barca (2nd leg) last season? The media supported them going against Ovrebo, saying Chelsea lost due to the ref and the ref only. The ref got death threats and all. What about this? Did any news report say it’s the ref’s fault, or did they go on trying to defend the ref (a la Graham Poll) and instead put fault on both Fabianski and Campbell? Yet another case of double standards.
Thanks Ole Gunner. I didn’t watch the match.
Another interesting question:
Is the goal off-side?
There was no defender in front of both Porto players.
Indirect freekick means that you need a 2nd touch, a pass to a 2nd player.
Then, the 2nd player, when he received the pass from the dead ball, is in an off-side position as the last defender – Sol – was behind him.
The goal should be disallowed for off-side.
@Merlin96, It cannot be offside because when the freekick was taken, the second player was coming from a location ‘behind’ the ball. Hence, no offside even if there are no players between him and goalkeeper.
Everything went wrong, like I pointed out, but it sure was not offside.
What I’m tired of is always having some sort of controversy surrounding a post-match analysis of Arsenal. There’s always some media circus and it’s tiring, even as a spectator. Even when Arsenal wins, like against Liverpool, we had to have a deliberate handball at the death.
I’d prefer a straight up win or loss. A straight up loss and we can say we just were outplayed, there were no individual errors, or anything of that sort. No more of “if who and who didn’t…we would have won/scored/not conceded”. A straight up win and we can sit back and say we deserve it and no one can dispute us.
Arsenal, like Liverpool, has been made the media’s whipping boys, and this needs to stop. If I, as a spectator, am sick of this, I cannot imagine how the players feel, and that is not helped by the strong section of Arsenal supporters calling out for beheadings after one or two bad performances.
The Boss doesn’t mince words. Wow. This is just awesome.
From today’s press conference, as related through the Daily Mail (a very reputable source, of course, but they are quoting him correctly this time):
Wenger said ‘I believe that he is incompetence or dishonest. I prefer that he is incompetent.
‘Usually I trust the referee. I never have bad intention. But when I spoke with referees I want to understand why he made so many technical mistakes. That assesses his competence.
‘The rule is quite clear. I don’t want to get too much in technical details but he made at least five technical mistakes for a referee.
He (also) missed a 100% penalty on (Tomas) Rosicky. I can accept that judgement. But once it gets to technicality. For me the (Sol Campbell) back pass is accidental. He (the referee) judge differently. We have a difference there.
‘A guy who makes so many technical mistakes that (it) is not about judgement. I believe that he is not competent.’
Good and strong words from Wenger.
I think there could be some other things as well but as you know by now I’m a bit paranoid. Maybe because I move around in ref’s circles…
Top quality as always !!!