Referees favour Arsenal? Blackburn & fixture chaos

Referees favour Arsenal?

Meanwhile Bolton decided to hide behind the referee to explain their defeat by the Gunners, now it wasn’t Arsenal Times that coined the phrase "the referee only made one mistake all night, and that was not sending Anelka off". No it was those Arsenal fanatics the Guardian and the BBC. So Arsenal got two pens, but that hardly changed anything as in the Corinthian spirit two Brazilians skied the ball into row Z. What are the odds on that happening?

No doubt Hughes will have his speech attacking referees partiality towards big clubs written in advance, but how did the sending off of Gilberto prove the theory? Yes according to the letter of the law he had to go, but then so did Savage who lunged at Silva after his disgusting tackle. At Highbury I thought they were pretty lucky with the Bentley penalty. Some refs give them, some don’t – but either way no proof of discrimination.

Against Wigan Arsenal collected 6 cards, and had a perfectly good goal disallowed, another was possibly offside, but very close. Then some people seem to think that Heskey’s diving should be rewarded, but that it was perfectly ok for the foul on Clichy in the area to be ignored.

I thought Wednesday’s night’s refereeing was as excellent as Dowd’s was poor. All the TV and Radio pundits agreed, and even non Arsenal fans ringing in to 606 said that Foy had done an excellent job. If Wenger had carried on whinging and attacking referees in the way that plucky little Bolton have the press pack would be on his back. Instead they amplify the arguments and endorse them. Good old Jewell time we all stood up for him, just like they stand up for Wenger whenever the Gunners get an unjust decision – which is of course never.

Arsenal has had its share of crap decisions this season, and also some fortunate ones, so it evens itself out. Of course part of the game is to influence referees into becoming harder on top clubs, to help the little clubs out. A bit like letting your nephew beat you at chess – how exactly does that improve competition – or your nephew’s chess skills?

Can’t I just recycle the old one (Get on with it. Ed) ? So we played Bolton four times, and will play Blackburn at least three times. We also had to play away against Liverpool, are they rigging a North West tour for the Gunners? Please Arsenal kill it off – we don’t need a replay, or a visit to another half empty ground in the North West. One good thing is that bugs bunny in the psycho wig won’t be playing, although we will miss him being nutmegged. Allegedly Tugay is to be rested, so there is a clue there that Blackburn will be looking for the draw.

Arsenal have beat Blackburn twice this season once with ten men. Arsenal had a tough match mid week, but so did Blackburn. Cesc and Henry who were rested midweek may play, and Gallas is back in the squad. Alexander Hleb (slight strain) and Johan Djourou (knee) are out and defender Emmanuel Eboue (ankle) is unlikely to feature. Wenger has to keep in mind that it is away in the CL on Tuesday, he has to rotate, there is no choice.

Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has a sore Achilles, and joins hamstring victim Morten Gamst Pedersen on the treatment table. But on the plus side for Blackburn Bruno Berner and Christopher Samba return after being ineligible in the Uefa Cup. It’s hard to know how much better Blackburn will be with these two new additions. It should not be forgotten that Blackburn beat Everton 4-1 at Goodison in the cup. I know it’s a cliché, but the cup and league are different competitions. It is important that Arsenal play at the tempo they did midweek.

Arsenal possible squad from: Almunia, Toure, Clichy, Gallas, Senderos, Denilson, Rosicky, Fabregas, Ljungberg, Henry, Adebayor, Aliadiere, Hoyte, Walcott, Gilberto, Eboue, Diaby, Baptista, Poom.

Blackburn possible squad from: Friedel, Emerton, Henchoz, Khizanishvili, Todd, Dunn, Warnock, Bentley, Mokoena, Nelsen, Roberts, Nonda, Jeffers, Brown, Derbyshire, Samba, Berner, Gallagher, Peter.

Arsenal’s rearranged match against Man City on the 28 February has been cancelled; this is due to unforeseen maintenance at Arsenal Station. Arsenal should sue the bastards. They paid over £6 million to TFL for the upgrading of Holloway station. Instead the money was spent on a lick of paint at Arsenal station, and a canopy for Finsbury Park station.

Meanwhile they shut the Kings Cross interchange when Arsenal are playing, and not when they are not. It is a bloody disgrace – if Arsenal draw against Blackburn the fixture chaos will be unmanageable.