Anyone else getting tired of every other football match being overshadowed by fans perceiving there is a conspiracy against them because a decision went against them?
This isn’t exclusive to some Gooners by the way. Every team has a section of their fanbase who think the FA, Match officials and VAR have an agenda.
Which is quite self-involved when you think about it?
Why is your badge any different to your peers, that you think you’re so unique, that those in power have a motive to hurt you?
What makes you so unique?
In reality, they don’t care about you enough to have any kind of grievance.
This weekend Arsenal dropped points in the title race. Zero disgrace, no need to panic, even the most successful sides slip up.
Sometimes you win, lose or draw.
There are days when luck is on your side, there are moments when it’s not your day.
This won’t be popular, but by the letter of the law, Declan Rice’s second yellow card wasn’t outrageous.
Was the ref harsh?
Could he have been lenient?
Of course.
Yet for years I seen bookings constantly for players stopping a quick free kick. I even seen cautions when the taker kicks the ball at his opponent for not getting out of the way quicker.
It’s worth stressing that in the summer all refs were told to get harsher on disciplining players who kick the ball away. In their annual meeting all clubs were informed of this and not for the first time, Mikel Arteta waits till he’s impacted to act like he’s never heard this conversation.
The rule is simple, ‘delaying the restart of play – this includes kicking, or carrying the ball away or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play.’
So, take the emotion out of things for a moment.
Does Declan Rice kick the ball away?
Remove your bias.
Does he take a slight glance to suggest this touch was intentional?
I love Rice. He’s been sensational since moving to the Emirates. Yet reading that protocol, he gave Chris Kavanagh a choice to make when he didn’t have to.
Law 12 on the Football Associations website doesn’t say the ball has to be moved a certain distance to apply.
There is no mention on this only being an offense based on what others do.
Those in charge don’t have a duty to keep everyone on the pitch because it might make fans feel short changed.
They shouldn’t not show a red for the sake of a competitive game.
You might not like the rule but that’s not a conspiracy.
Just because you would rather a policy not be followed doesn’t make you right.
The ref gets paid to follow the procedures written by their employers.
Rice made a mistake and will learn from it and be better for the experience.
I heard classic attempts at deflection which I would expect from children.
Because someone else gets away with something doesn’t mean you get a free pass.
There is a lack of consistency because officiating is poor in the UK.
Sometimes that goes in our favour, sometimes it doesn’t.
For me it sums up a generation who when they don’t get their own way demand answers, feel they are owed an explanation, need someone to blame.
In football, sometimes you don’t win. You don’t have a divine right for that to happen, you’re not entitled, you’re not a victim.
The Gunners have gone 21 years without a title not because of an agenda or conspiracy.
Whisper it quietly …. we just were not good enough. Sometimes that happens.
We won’t be Champions this season because Man City are better than us – not because there is a conspiracy.
It’s called Sport!
Dan
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