By Ian Grant
Arsenal 1 Man City 0
A year on from the watershed Old Trafford game, decided by a mistake from Mike Riley, it was strange the fates conspired to focus on another of his mistakes – over the cocked-up penalty.
Stung by criticism of letting Bolo Zenden touch the ball twice in a Carling Cup final penalty against Bolton, he immediately envisaged that Robert Pires had touched it twice and gave a free-kick to City.
His refereeing is so officious in general and pernicious in particular, that he creates an environment where he is the central character, where his decisions determine the outcome, as in this game. With declining Premiership gates, it doesn’t bode well.
Before going to the game, I went to get a haircut at a barber’s within a couple of miles of Highbury. He asked: “Why are you supporting that crap? That Russian bloke has come in and bought up the whole thing, showing us what a load of ***** the whole thing was in the first place. Why give your money to support a couple of capitalists [Murdoch is the other one] who don’t care a toss? Best thing you can do is support and write on non-league football.” [Incidentally, a couple of Arsenal fans I know have started going to non-league games instead of Highbury].
In some respects, it is hard to disagree with the above view. By supporting your team, one view is that you become a pawn in a bigger game, where effectively the 19 clubs are fodder to glorification of a political exile.
Premiership fans, of course could, and maybe should unite and start boycotting games and Sky TV with a view to pressurising for a budget cap to come in sooner than later.
Wright and changes
When Ian Wright broke the scoring record, I was lucky enough to get a press briefing from him. Arsenal were on the up. It is a different world now.
It is like Arsenal are in a second division, albeit with the other 18 Premiership clubs. But they are playing mid-lower table football. The performance was atrocious.
There was no ball winner, and Gilberto got caught in possession far too much. Fabregas has dipped in form – as happens with youngsters. He is also being played out of position and gave the ball away too much.
There is no leader on the field. The second penalty was indicative. Imagine Roy Keane allowing that.
There’s a lack of central drive. Oh for those galvanising, galloping runs from Patrick Vieira which provided such raw electro-magnetism for the team.
We hear Pat isn’t happy in Italy, with racist undertones and half empty stadia. Welcome back Pat? Better to return to Highbury, than ending up at Old Trafford, as the NoW was suggesting yesterday.
Pires is obviously off his game – through the contract dispute, and domestic break-up etc: But he is paid enough to the effect that these shouldn’t matter.
Dennis Bergkamp – although brilliant and plays worthwhile cameo roles at certain times in the game, is too slow for the way Arsenal play.
Highbury, quite frankly, was lacking in atmosphere during the game. The Man City fans sang: “Shall we sing a song for you?” and “You’re just a small club in Chelsea.” A couple of spectators, in my row, walked out through the second half, saying: “load of ****.”
City kept their shape and were often the more threatening, with Musampa going close once or twice. Vassell’s feet were onside for the disallowed goal, his body leant a bit forward – there was certainly no daylight between the players.
An article in the Observer yesterday by Amy Lawrence indicated that Wenger will address the imbalance in his squad during the January window. But of the target names, Casillas verbally agreed a contract last week with Real; and Michael Ballack is being offered huge sums by Bayern to stay, with Real and Man U on his tail too.
Of previous links, Diop would be better than nothing and provide much needed muscularity in midfield, defensive strength, along with directness from long range shots and set piece headers; Real’s Helguiera might work with his defensive midfield experience; and no-one would say no to Torres. But the need for new experienced players, even allowing for Arsenal’s injury crisis, is desperate.