Villa match thread

[northbank123]

Read his post match comments again

"unhappy with the spirit" in which the game was refereed. Honestly he needs a mentor to tell him sometimes its best to say nothing at all.

What a fucking stupid thing to say. The 'spirit' - fuck me, does he have to use that word in every interview

He also praised our quality yesterday. Even though we were dicked 3-1 at home by a poor side.

[Trevor Ross]

With limited funds to invest and a need to generate £19M a year just to break even
there was IMO nobody better than Arsene for the job
that's not where we are now, we have boosted income streams and lots of money in the bank (thanks Arsene)
we now need somebody to spend it. In a way refusing to do so could be seen as a noble move,
he's saved some dosh for his successor.
Personally can't see this squad achieving our minimum targets without multiple high quality additions.
If that happens the manager should be let go, a sax sad end to a great Arsenal career.

But doesn't Wenger's reluctance to spend this summer make you think that maybe there has always been significant sums to spend (as successive board members have publicly stated, including specific figures being mentioned), and Wenger has chosen not to spend those either in order to follow his own moral and righteous path?

[highburyJD]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

[Dan_85]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

It wasn't a great reffing performance but if you have the quality in your team that becomes an irrelevance.

[highburyJD]

I know what you mean, we overcome some terrible refs in '02,
but think 'irrelavance' is over-egging it. Ultimately if the ref DECIDES you will not win there's very little you can do.

Anthony Taylor was truly terrible, he fundamentally affected how the game was played
he encouraged Villa to try and injure our players - allowed advantage for them
stopped the game with us in great positions time and time again. Was the worst performance I've ever seen from a Prem ref.

I do agree in that if TR7 scores his two 1on1s I believe we win.

[Rosie_titters]

Roll on April, that's When Kos starts to look like a world beater, and gets Bayern licking their lips with a £10m bid, for some strange reason the early part of the season he looks awful, just like last season and the season before that

[1989]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

It wasn't a great reffing performance but if you have the quality in your team that becomes an irrelevance.

Spot on!

[highburyJD]

it's not 'spot on' at all.
I think Taylor was incompetent rather than corrupt - but obviously if a ref won't let you win, you won't win.

Rosicky missed his chances but the ref could still disallow them if he wants.
Or just give them a 3rd and 4th penalty...

[northbank123]

it's not 'spot on' at all.
I think Taylor was incompetent rather than corrupt - but obviously if a ref won't let you win, you won't win.

Rosicky missed his chances but the ref could still disallow them if he wants.
Or just give them a 3rd and 4th penalty...

Let's get back to the real world - the ref let them get away with a lot of fouls without carding them and the second penalty decision was harsh (although hardly a shocker given that he was obviously a long way away and Koscielny barely got studs to the ball, not really changing its direction). But none of that had anything to do with our performance - as usual we stop playing at home after 15 or 20 minutes and we were unable to create anything long before they really got going with the niggling fouls.

[flash gunner]

That's it JD blame everything but the real problem, your beloved Arsene

[BFG4]

it's not 'spot on' at all.
I think Taylor was incompetent rather than corrupt - but obviously if a ref won't let you win, you won't win.

Rosicky missed his chances but the ref could still disallow them if he wants.
Or just give them a 3rd and 4th penalty...

First penalty - correct decision, and scez lucky not to be sent off, Second penalty- proven on MOTD to be the correct call. As for sending off, if your on a yellow, and lunge at someone, what do you expect. Dont blame the ref, blame shit players and management.

[highburyJD]

Didn't watch MOTD.
Didn't have to, to know the 2nd pen was bullshit and you're wrong.
The fact Taylor is the worst ref I've ever seen in no way affects the transfer market.
We can't blame anyone but ourselves for the summer shambles.

[euphoricone]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

It wasn't a great reffing performance but if you have the quality in your team that becomes an irrelevance.

Spot on!

Thats not spot on at all. Teams with quality fall to shabby refreeing all the time. One bad decision is relatively acceptable, two of them makes it very difficult.
Wenger deserves what he got, but this game happened at an unfortunate time.

[Dan_85]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

It wasn't a great reffing performance but if you have the quality in your team that becomes an irrelevance.

Spot on!

Thats not spot on at all. Teams with quality fall to shabby refreeing all the time. One bad decision is relatively acceptable, two of them makes it very difficult.
Wenger deserves what he got, but this game happened at an unfortunate time.

In what way did it fall at an unfortunate time? 3pm on a Saturday? The middle of August? Wenger has known for months when he had to prepare his team by and he failed catastrophically yet again.

[nut flush gooner]

game was terribly reffed, almost has embarrassing a performance as our scouting/transfer team

It wasn't a great reffing performance but if you have the quality in your team that becomes an irrelevance.

Spot on!

Thats not spot on at all. Teams with quality fall to shabby refreeing all the time. One bad decision is relatively acceptable, two of them makes it very difficult.
Wenger deserves what he got, but this game happened at an unfortunate time.

Sods law?

Spend all summer sitting on your hands, first game get an incompetent ref, injuries galore and what do you have. The perfect storm.

I used to be a staunch wenger supporter, but I cant back him as things stand. It feels like he is on a crusade to drive our club to mediocrity. Believe me, he's not far off.