Morning all.
We’d as effectively begin Friday with snigger. As I’m positive you’ve seen already, Arsenal have been charged with improper conduct by The FA after the gamers confronted referee Michael Oliver following the crimson card issued to Myles Lewis-Skelly throughout the 1-0 win over Wolves.
They are saying:
“Arsenal FC has been charged after its gamers surrounded a match official throughout their Premier League fixture in opposition to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on Saturday, 25 January.
“The membership failed to make sure that its gamers didn’t behave in an improper method across the forty third minute. Arsenal FC has till Monday, 3 February, to supply a response.”
What are you able to even say?! The gamers objected to a horrible determination, one which has since ‘formally’ been deemed mistaken by the unbiased panel that overturned the crimson card, so if the choice wasn’t mistaken within the first place they wouldn’t have had something to say to the referee. The truth that the cost got here after Lewis-Skelly had been cleared feels pointed, however at this stage it’s simply kinda humorous.
I’ve seen it mentioned we should always combat it or refuse to pay the tremendous, nevertheless it’s one we should always in all probability simply get out of the way in which as shortly as potential. Let’s put it behind us, transfer on, and never drag this out any longer. We’ve got way more necessary issues to cope with, an enormous sport on Sunday for instance, so ridding ourselves of as many exterior distractions as potential – even when they’re a load of steaming horseshit – looks as if the perfect strategy to me.
Possibly The FA use a type of ‘Pay in three simple installments’ companions, and we are able to unfold out the associated fee in order to not influence all of the enterprise we’re going to get performed earlier than the switch window closes on Monday night time [you may insert your emoticon of choice here].
Hopefully, that is the final time we have now to speak a couple of ref or a call or PGMOL to this extent once more, however I wouldn’t maintain my breath. Leaving these points of it apart, I believe we’ve additionally seen how – because of the reality main broadcasters and a few very excessive profile pundits have cosied-up to Howard Webb – the protection of this incident has been skewed by these relationships.
On the very least, I’d count on individuals like Gary Neville to have the details at their disposal after they speak about it, however they both haven’t bothered to try this, or they’ve intentionally ignored them. Possibly this can be a downside simply solved by turning off, not watching or paying consideration and many others, nevertheless it doesn’t take away them from their excessive profile positions on Sky the place they’re pressed for his or her opinions on each incident and each huge speaking level.
Their ‘narrative’ can then be bolstered after they do their varied podcasts and it will get clipped up in snippets for social media and many others. Neville’s assertion that Michael Oliver had been taken off Sunday’s sport in opposition to Man Metropolis was simply plain mistaken, he was by no means on it within the first place, so we have now a excessive profile pundit (maybe the very best paid in England) bleating on about one thing he noticed throughout a cursory take a look at some headlines or a random Tweet. We are able to speak about refs or PGMOL being not ok, however neither is that.
Tim made level the opposite day too:
It’s nice when people who work for broadcasting shops which have exhibits like ‘Ref Watch’ and who focus so, a lot of their match protection on refereeing selections begin questioning why there’s a lot deal with referees and conclude that it’s due to Mikel Arteta.
— Tim Stillman (@tim-stillman.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Anyway, as I mentioned I hope we have now a PGMOL free weekend – and the main focus is totally on what occurs on the pitch. Our sport on Sunday is large, clearly, and we’ll hear a bit from Mikel Arteta forward of that later as we speak when he holds his pre-game press convention. There’s unlikely to be something new within the squad by then, and it stays to be seen how Arsenal may pivot within the final couple of days now that it appears like Ollie Watkins goes to remain at Aston Villa.
We’ll have all of the press convention tales over on Arseblog Information, and as ever we’ll have a preview podcast for you over on Patreon later this afternoon.
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In the meantime, the WSL switch deadline was final night time, and there have been a few strikes involving Arsenal. First, the arrival on mortgage of Chloe Kelly from Man Metropolis, a participant who has been frozen on the market and who will hopefully be addition to the workforce from an attacking perspective. We additionally noticed right-back Laura Wienroither go the opposite method, however in a separate deal. All going effectively, there must be some podcast evaluation of that for you at some stage as we speak.
Proper, I’ll depart it there for now. Have a fantastic Friday wherever you’re. If you happen to haven’t had an opportunity to pay attention but, there’s a post-Girona Arsecast beneath. Glad listening.
