Finally back to football, and some of the injured are back too. « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade
The ultimate Christmas present for the Arsenal fan who has (almost) everything
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By Walter Broeckx
So here we go again. The injurnationals are over and it is back to normal Arsenal football days.
During our time away, Wayne Rooney has had a red card, and misses the next three England games, and Wayne Rooney Senior has been arrested on suspicion of match fixing – which was also to do with a red card in a Scottish game.
But focussing on Wayne junior, I think the main reason he got his red in the international was the way Rooney gets too much protection from the refs in the EPL. Only a few months ago Rooney could throw an elbow against the face of a Wigan player and the ref gave him no red card. What can happen to players after that is that they get some kind of ‘I am untouchable” aura. They think they can get away with murder on the pitch and the refs will not do anything against them.
Certainly the refs in the EPL will not give him a red card that easily. And so it can happen that when playing for England with a foreign ref you suddenly forget that you are not having a EPL ref and you do a stupid thing. Like kicking at another player just because you think you are entitled to do so and know you can get away with it at home.
But then as there is not a EPL ref in charge of the game, you find yourself in the shower early after having seen a red card. It has been said before but it really would help the chances for England to win something if the refs in the EPL would start to do the games like they are done in the rest of Europe and the world.
I have seen other examples of other players who found it a bit difficult to adapt to live with other refs. I have seen how players from Belgium like Kompany and Felaini struggled a bit with the ref. They made a few fouls which the ref, helped by his assistant, called correctly. And you could see in the close up the real surprise of those players. Now I know that players are very good actors and would make it in Hollywood for their play acting, but it struck me on a few occasions that both these players had a look on their face saying: “come on do you really blow for such a little push?”
Well yes good refs in Europe do call the fouls on defenders. Something that I miss a lot in the EPL. Where referees try to play advantage when a foul is made on a defender even in their own penalty box. Playing advantage is all good and well but as they told us : Never give advantage for a foul on a defender and NEVER when he is close to his own goal. Because what advantage can a defender have from stumbling around, just trying to stay on his feet in his own penalty box while being attacked by another player? There is no advantage. Yet this is something I see a lot in English games.
And then we can be happy if the ref signals an advantage (which itself is wrong), because on many occasions the referees simply do nothing and ignore the foul. So when you are used to such treatment you can find yourself in trouble and look surprised when in international games the refs suddenly do what they should do and punish such fouls.
But enough of the refs. Back to what football is all about: Arsenal. It has been 14 long days without Arsenal. Now we can prepare ourselves for 6 games in the space of 16 days. 3 EPL games, 2 CL games and a Carling cup game. So a lot to look forward too. As supporters we can start doing what we are supposed to do. Supporting our players on the field. Stick together against the rest of the world.
A few players are still missing and some will be away for a long time. But for the moment the news is rather good on the injury front. Only the 4 players that had surgery are long term injuries (Wilshere, Sagna, Vermaelen and Diaby) and the rest should be fit. Wow, amazing.
Even better Vermaelen and Diaby should be back within the next 2 or 3 weeks ready to play games again. Another amazing prospect. And we will need them back in the next period because playing 6 games in 16 days will ask a lot of the players. But if we can rotate enough we should be fine.
And maybe for once with most Gunners doing a good job when playing for their country and most of them qualifying for the European Championship they can bring in their good vibes in to the team and get us going like we are used to in the past.
Time for the Gunners to get back on the pitch. Time for the Gooners to take up their place in the stands. Time for us unfortunate foreign Gooners to take our place in front of our TV, PC or whatever device you use to see the Arsenal play. And who knows maybe Wenger will have a few surprises ready for us in the next games when he puts his players on the field? Really looking forward to the games.
Is my shirt ready? Is my scarf ready? TV ready? Recording device ready? Just bring it on. Just let us start our fight to come back. Come on you Gunners.
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