FRIEDEL EDITORIAL (Issue 265)

Don’t get me wrong, I like Brad Friedel. He comes across as a decent bloke and he has arguably been the best and most consistent goalkeeper in the Premier League over the last decade. However, I am flabbergasted that the FA rescinded the red card he received in Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool. Friedel made a genuine effort to get to the ball but Torres beat him to it, knocked it past the keeper and then had nowhere to go but into Friedel. Torres was denied ‘a clear goalscoring opportunity’ and Friedel was the last man (Reo-Coker was ahead of his goalkeeper). While perhaps a penalty and a yellow card might have been enough punishment, referee Martin Atkinson was correct under the current laws to dismiss the American. How can referees operate effectively when their (correct) decisions are reversed by the FA? This totally undermines the credibility of referees and it is no surprise that the Professional Game Match Officials Board has written to the FA seeking clarification on how the decision to rescind was reached. Meanwhile, Friedel gets to play on and extend his record of consecutive appearances in the Premier League. Good luck to him.

SPIT-FIRE EDITORIAL (Issue 264)

You all know my bias by now as I am an Arsenal supporter and a big fan of Cesc Fabregas. But if the young Spaniard did spit at Hull City’s Brian Horton on Tuesday night, then I have no hesitation in describing it as a disgraceful action for which the player should be fined and suspended by Arsenal and the FA. Of course, fair judgement has to be reached on the understanding that you are innocent until proven guilty. Fabregas has not issued a ‘no comment’ statement or a bland denial; rather, he has strenuously and unambiguously denied the charge of spitting. For now, that is good enough for me. If the FA investigation declares Fabregas guilty then he will be discredited as not only a pizza-thrower and a spitter but also a liar. I do find it interesting that the initial outrage expressed by Hull about Fabregas allegedly spitting at Horton has been reduced to an accusation that he may have spat on the ground near Horton’s feet. There is quite a difference here!

In terms of the claim that Wenger refused to shake hands with Phil Brown after the game, I have three comments to make. (1) As a general principle, I believe that what happens on a pitch should be left there and handshakes should be exchanged at the end. (2) Notwithstanding the first point, it is not always easy to shake someone’s hand after a match where there has been tension. I have never refused a hand after a match in which I was involved but I have walked off pitches without extending my hand to opponents. If some of the comments allegedly made by Horton and the Hull City staff towards Wenger during the game are to be believed then the Frenchman was entitled to walk away. (3) Phil Brown also claimed that Wenger refused to shake his hand at the other two meetings between the clubs this season. This is plain wrong (see above picture which shows the two managers shaking hands at the Emirates after the league match). It should also be noted that Wenger was fulsome in his congratulations and praise for Hull after they beat Arsenal at the Emirates.

While I am unconvinced by the spitting charge and think that the ‘handshake’ issue is unimportant it does bother me though that, under Wenger, Arsenal have gained a reputation for being arrogant in victory and whingers in defeat. This has to change and it is up to Wenger (as manager) and Fabregas (as captain) to set a proper example.