Preview Percy has been fairly quiet on the subject of referees lately. After the woeful performance of the officials at Brentford last week we have a feeling that’s about to change...
Next up we face Arsenal at the Ozempic. Kick off on Sunday (no more Saturday for us) is at 4:30pm with Sky taking up the broadcasting mantle on this occasion.
So Arsenal. Doggedly clinging on to the hope that they can become the worst Premier League Champions in years with Man City, an infinitely better team, doing their best to make things look interesting. You all know the score, Arsenal are five points clear of Man City who have a game in hand. So it’s up to us to try and rectify things at that end.
They have picked up the runners-up spot in the so-called Champions League, having mugged their way past Atletico Madrid with a time-wasting display so dreadful it’s a surprise they aren’t still out there.
It is rumoured that UEFA are seriously considering sending the trophy straight to PSG to avoid the expense and embarrassment of having to play what is likely to be the most one-sided match since those Yugoslavian 3rd division sides won their final games by over 100-0, money having changed hands to try and buy promotion. (Unsurprisingly someone noticed and everyone got life bans).
Whilst they have won their last two – both at home – a 1-0 scraping past an out of sorts Newcastle and a 3-0 stroll past an average Fulham, they did lose their previous two. Away at Man City where the 2-1 defeat still flattered them given the football lesson that they received, and 2-1 at home to Bournemouth. So for all their posturing there is still a bit of bottle deficiency going on there.
At this point one would normally be looking to Daisy to supply us with details of their signings in the winter window. However, somewhat arrogantly, they figured that they didn’t need anyone so they made no signings. Indeed for this one they have also felt able to dispense with the services of Anthony Taylor who has brought them so much joy against us over the years.
On the injury front they will be without Timber and Merino both of whom will be out until the last game of the season. And that’s about it.
So that’s the dull stuff out of the way. Now we move on to the Wild and Wacky World of Association Football. And in the week that two people were jailed for spying for China, the world of espionage was further rocked to its feet when it was announced that an employee of Southampton had been caught filming a Middlesbrough training session.
The EFL is said to be expediting a thorough investigation as the playoffs commence. It has been rumoured that Man City have been doing similar for years. Only in their case they have their own satellite to do the job rather than an employee with a Nokia.
And so to us. Last week, for much of the first half in particular we were in control, the main difference between the sides being the performance of the match officials. The rather sickening challenge on Dinos for the first goal was ignored. As were three penalties in our favour – and the Saka dive type penalty awarded against us.
Pawson is poorly regarded and we found out exactly why. It was a stunning example of the consequences of having refereeing run by what is effectively its own Trade Union. Standards have been plummeting with a pool of so-called select group officials comprised of individuals who would have trouble working out the identity of the murderer in an episode of Columbo.
They are under no incentive to improve, safe in the knowledge that no matter how bad they get they are most unlikely to lose their jobs. VAR is, in theory at least, a good idea on paper but it relies on having someone who knows what they are doing in front of the screen.
If you are selecting from a bunch who demonstrate week in week out a lack of competence on the pitch, it surely is folly to expect them to improve when they are sat in front of a screen.
I understand that Liverpool got an apology for the failure by the officials to disallow a possible goal for a handball that, even with an electron microscope, still wasn’t clear. If that is the case I have searched in vain for a similar apology from PGMOL for the failure of its officials to apply the laws of the game last weekend.
The solution is simple. Scrap PGMOL – which was only set up to save the FA paying the cost of professional referees at a time when they were paying to rebuild Wembley – and place the administration of refereeing in the hands of the National Association (as required by FIFA regs). The FA should then appoint proper assessors from the game and substandard officials should be dropped down the leagues.
There were periods in the second half when, probably prompted by the appalling officiating, where we lost our discipline – one challenge could have seen a red but, possibly acting out of guilt Pawson just produced a yellow card.
That is something that we need to cut out and cut out quick. With PGMOL unable to supply anyone capable of doing a proper job if we start lashing out every time they cock things up we will start losing players left right and centre.
The weekend saw a perfect storm of results. Chelsea’s defeat was predictable I suppose what with them being rubbish unless they are being funded by laundered criminal funds. However Villa’s performance against Spurs would have led to investigations – possibly involving Pawson - in many countries – something brought into sharp relief by their performance against Forest on Thursday.
So on to the prediction. Well one bright point in our favour is that their pet ref Anthony “what time would you like your penalty guys” Taylor, who wont be around to be an accomplice to Saka’s diving antics this time around. I have been saying for weeks that we will get something out of this and it should be possible.
It may be backs against the walls at times and we may require the services of an honest and/or competent set of match officials (if PGMOL have any) to counter their so-called dark arts. I actually think we might win this but caution rules and so the £2.50 that I was going to pay to Pawson to give him a DVD to see if he can identify a penalty from a video of last week (safe money there) will instead go on us to pick up a point in a nervy 1-1 draw.
Make it so, Mr Winstone. Enjoy the game!
When last we met at the Ozempic (Premier League November 2024)
Everything happened in the first half. Arsenal utilising their usual tactics of corners, long ball and a reliance on the Saka dive - Anthony Taylor assist combination. The penalty was slightly different to Saka’s usual effort of making a detour to make contact with a nearby leg insofar as he didn’t bother with the contact this time, safe in the knowledge that Taylor coughs up a spot-kick every time Saka goes down. The two best goals came from Wan-Bissaka and Emerson and, had we taken our chances we might have actually got a point out of the whole disaster.
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh
An AI search suggests that is career is bases on the consistency of his decisions. I think us humans who write have little to fear from AI replacing us any time soon.
Danger Man: Bukayo Saka
Oh look theres a leg over there. If I go over there, kick it, and throw myself to the ground the referee will give me a penalty. I wonder why they do that. So do we Saka, so do we.
Percy & Daisy’s Arsenal Fact Of The Week Type Thing
Their supporters think they will win the so-called Champions League. No really they do.
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