Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Thursday March 1 2007
Time: 9:36PM
UK time is: 00:47:14
Choose your club
Other Sites
Network Navigation
Vital Partners
'If It's Football, It's Vital'
We Need A Replay!
Arsenal`s defeat in the Carling Cup final and FA Cup fifth round has again underlined the need for video technology to be used during games, not just after.
On Sunday Didier Drogba was clearly offside when he received the ball to score Chelsea`s equalizer. A goal that cost Arsenal dear as he later headed in a Robben cross to give Chelsea an undeserved 2-1 victory. Don`t get me wrong, the Arsenal youngsters did us all proud but their performance deserved so much more than they got - losers medals.
On Wednesday Arsenal were again punished by a poor performance from a referee. This time Graham Poll was the culprit. Arsenal had 2 stonewall pens turned down as Aliadiere was taken down inside the box before Emerton tripped Ljungberg inside the area. Poll waved both away.
That`s twice in 4 days that Arsenal have been punished by shocking decisions. If Wenger had been able to challenge the decisions then Drogba`s goal wouldn`t have stood and Arsenal may have won the cup.
If Wenger had been able to challenge Poll then Arsenal would have scored 2 penalties and Blackburn would have had at least 1, probably 2 players sent off and the tie would have been over.
It`s not just Arsenal that has suffered because of poor performances from Refs, just about every team in the league has suffered at some point. There`s a lot of pressure on refs, I accept that but these are professionals paid good money to carry out an important job (as Tim Stillman pointed out).
The arguments against it are quite pathetic. "It slows the game down" or "It disrupts the flow of the game."
Trying to intimidate the referee slows the game down. The FA said last season that they were clamping down on it and it lasted all of 2 months. It wastes minutes at a time yet nothing is done. It would take a matter of seconds to watch a replay; the ref could then make a decision.
Disrupts the flow of the game? Well so does consistent fouling, yet unless you play for a big club it rarely goes unpunished. Arguing with the referee disrupts the flow of the game. Time wasting disrupts the flow of the game. Do the FA clamp down on them things? Of course not.
Seconds Out! Vital Boxing is here!
Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco
Your Comments
yes, bring the fn replay video thing. I don't think it will slow the game down anymore. Speaking of slowing the game down, poor refereeing decisions are demoralising the game, day by day. And no surprise, its all happening against Arsenal.
49ers
Id like to see ex players turn referees such as in rugby. could also learn a thing or two about the technology they have introduced to make a fairer game. Id sooner suffer the 20 seconds it would take to review an incident than be sick to the stomach until next season. I cant remember a season where decisions have been called into question this often, so many teams have been burned. Its a matter of when not if, just hope its sooner rather than later.
MeetTheGunners
so when the referee sits there blowing his whislte after someone has commited a foul waiting for them to come right up to their face not slowing the game down. when the ref is chating ***** to the players isnt time wasting
its the same freaking thing as when the referee goes to his linesman and asks if it was a penalty . . . instead he will be asking his forth official from the mic wop di doo wat a waste of time . . .they chat so much ***** these *****ers who are truly corrupting the game
abdleb
and to even further raise this issue what the hell is TIME WASTING when goal keepers take years to take free kicks. ALSO WHAT The HELL IS STOPPAGE TIME FOR ??
abdleb
I think we've had enough of these wrong decisions. I am in full favour of stop-in-play for video review when there is a major offence. Now that everything is happening against Arsenal
49ers
The moment any team gets decisions against them we get this pathetic call for video evidence. Watching the Carling Cup Final, Drogba's call was 'marginal' .. and Arsenal have benefited from similar marginal decisions in the past - greater concern might be the decision to put Senderos at right back v Blackburn allowing McCarthy to turn a ponderous defender inside out - not one of Wenger's better calls. Slowing the game down is a legitimate concern, but lets look at some other sports where there is video reply - Rugby Union and American Football - in both of these sports, video replay has not been immediate - it can and has taken several minutes involving multiple TV angles ... and after that .. they still make a decision which is disputed!!!! Ultimately what goes round, comes around. If there was proper punishment meeting out for diving, time wasting and persistent fouling with cards issued retrospectively after the games, then that would soon cut it out
Sir_Harry
bring video technology on! all for it 110%. the fa tw*ts need to sort it out and quickly, cos these decisions can effect the entire livelihood of a club. its only right that the correct and right decision is made-if this makes a football matchday last another hour longer then so be it. why not make a day out of it like they do in the U.S? maybe not 40 refs like they do but enough to ensure the correct decisions are reached.
kingdennis
that si not an efficient way to decide a football season. what goes around comes around! and as for retrospective punishment then i feel this is totally necessary. punish the players for diving, and cheating etc and ban them! that way it will eventually disappear from our game. and this is a discussion on viedo technology not aw's team selections.
kingdennis
Sir Harry I think you would have loved it when your team were disallowed that goal that was MILES behind the line at Old Turdford when the whole world saw the pathetic Caroll scoop the ball and the ref make it as if it was a great reflex save. A 30 second review would have been sufficient to make that one count. 30 seconds is 5 times less time than what it takes for Kirkland to take a goal kick. However, supporting a team that last time had a chance to win a trophy way back in the time of Noah and his arc, it is normal for you to say it's a 'pathetic call'. When a 'marginal' offside decision goes against your team in the Champs League Final (in your wet dreams) I would like to hear your opinion on this issue.
G4L
you can count on one hand this season in rugby union and league combined the number of mistakes a video ref has made sir harry. you can count on several hands the mistakes a "real time" ref has made in the last seven days.
kingdennis
and lets hope sir harry that a close decision goes against you in the final game of the season and stops your little soldiers finishing in the top half of the table!!
kingdennis
thats football, forget about it! :)
AndyDaKing
Who cares how long the games slowed down as long as the right decision is made...i would rather wait a minute or two then have the wrong team win because of a poor decision.
AB_Arsenal
i think they could have 3 people,refs or whatever sitting in three seperate rooms watching the game on monitors,they could all have a control pad in their hand,when an incident occurs they press a button,if two of them simultaneously press for a penalty,then its a pen,if they press no foul,game continues,likewise for offside,yellow,red card,ball over lines, corner,goal kicks
fran merida
fran, that still leaves too many grey areas. I'd say, stop the game for 30 secs, run to the touchline (difficult for fat kunts like Poll), take a peek in a nice screen from several angles, consult with the 4th ref and the linesman and make an honest decision, that the whole world can see and agree with. all this should not take more than a Kirkland goal kick and can always be added on with a standard minute for example.
G4L
Yeah it would be hard for some of those refs to get to the touchline in under 30secs :)
AB_Arsenal
i think we have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. whilst i agree it is very annoying and it hurts to lose those two games because of bad decisions, you also have to remember all the decisions that go for you. that little bit of luck, the other player being sent off, or a pen awarded to us, free kick or something where we score from. Refs are human, therefore prone to error, its what makes our game exciting and you never know what will happen, the bad decisions always average out over the course of a season i feel, but ofcourse that doesn'r feel that way today, but i can't see video evidence for a penalty coming into the game, the pace is so fast , to stop the game and have a decision would take too long, if you had 4 or 5 appeals during the game, cos lets face it, if you knew you could appeal everything now you would !
PUREGOLD
PG - you could have a system like tennis, where a player can make only 3 appeals every match. this will cut down the frivolous appeals. And we have seen video replays working more often than not, the prime examples being tennis and cricket. cricket may not be a good comparison coz the game is slow anyway, and can afford the extra time for replays. another thing PG - I wouldnt want bad decisions going for us. thats no excuse !! Fair decisions will be made, and consider the stakes involved. Millions of pounds for the finals of major events, mebbe even to decide 4th place in the premiership, relegation fights..... Ref errors are just becoming more and more costlier these days for every team, not just us !! But football can definitely start off slow, with line decisions and see how that settles, and then bring in video replays for other aspects of the game.
prits
PG what we have to ensure is that the team that fully deserves to win the game actually wins it....if linesman or referees are making mistakes then it does not ensure that. Also sure it might even out but what if one of those bad decisions costs you the CL final how many decisions have to go your way to even that out.
AB_Arsenal
i dont think we need video tech to be honest, football is exciting without it.... i would love to see it though if we can stop interrupting play because of it... but feel it may take the edge off of things. Also refs need more training, hull have had one good ref all season...
thedunedan
look at the impact it has had on tennis now that players can appeal a set number of times to hawkeye if they believe the decision has gone against them. why not limit the number of times you can appeal about a decision in a game-this would stop the appealling at every incident that im sure some of the idiots that play and manage the game (for example fat pie man sam allardyce and robbie diving savage) would do and take advantage or the pi*s! at the end of the day it is about the fair and correct result, irrespective of the length of time. i would much rather look back at the end of the season and go, wow we lost that game cos of this mistake and gave away a pen and won this cos we got given a pen when freddie was fouled. not well we won that cos that goal they scored wasnt offside and we won this one cos we had a pen for nothing! lets make the game fair. there is enough technology in the world today to do so.
kingdennis
Wenger has made his bed so now he can "lie" in it. He is the most one sided, opinionated manager in the league, possibly the world. We're not blind you know wenger. we all see what happens on the TV. You think Arsenal are hard done by and the rest of the world think otherwise. That brainwashed squad you have don't know how to react professionally in any situation, and with you in charge how could they. You think you deserve every thing but its funny how things turn out. If you did then youd have everything, instead of nothing. No FA cup, no league cup, no league champions, and no champions league. I love Karma. There have been many occasions where Arsenal have got away with things in the past, whether it be discipline, luck in games or officials decisions, and i don't hear you apologising about it. The season you actually won the league you were as lucky as any team that has been there before you, and after. But you carry on like you're always the victim. Only 4 clubs in the league have the quality squad you have, yet you carry on like you're getting relegated. And the clubs disciplinary record speaks for itself. Bad losers and bad professionals. Do the footballing world a favour and retire. You can't cope with the pressure of top flight football any longer. You'll end up having a heart attack. You might aswell spend your cash on your retirement, not some foreigner who's gonna play well but never score. I hope FA throw the book at you. And those cronies you call a team.
Arsenhole 4-ever
A4E If you pulled your head out of your ar$e and used that lump of fat you have for brains you would see that all that you wrote here (and posted on both articles) is a bunch of utter rubbish aimed to provoke and create an avalanche of insults which you by no means deserve. It seems that you are addressing Wenger through Arsenal Vital. Do the world a favour and smack yourself on the head with a shovel repeatedly. You'll end up breaking it.
G4L
You haven't been punished by shocking decisions twice in 4 days. Drogbas first goal for CFC in the Carling Cup final was clearly NOT
offside. You say that Didier Drogba was offside when he received the ball. You should take a good look at the rules because it doesn't matter where you are on the pitch when you receive the ball. What matter is where you are when the ball is beeing played and the moment Ballack strikes the ball Didier is clearly on the right side.
Arsenhole 4-ever
he was offside you freak your the only person saying otherwise...wonder why?
mish
Do you still not think it levels it-self out over a season? Apart of the problem is we get to watch every pass under a microscope after the game, even witha 5th Official theres no guarantee things would be 100%.
col8
Who's the freak? It's you that is an Arsenal supporter. I'm not the only person saying it wasn't offside. Everyone says he was on the right side except Arsenal fans. Wonder why. You are the most one sided, opinionated fans in the league. But you have a great teacher i Mr. Whinger The Brainwasher so it's understandable.
Arsenhole 4-ever
wow alot of stick being thrown about here but back to the subject, i like the idea of being able to appeal so many times in a match, kinda like subs but then you'd have to make a singal to appeal, Manager telling the linesman etc... but could work!
thedunedan
technically,it has to be daylight between attacker and defender,if in doubt,the decision is infavour of the attacker,so you could argue,and you do that drogba is onside...but to me he looks more offside than on,if it was for my team and he scored,i would say tough titty...onside blah blah blah,just like your sayin.im not hacked off with that,i dont like the fact that adebayor,was more onside than drogba,but was whistled..so no consistancy there,also it has happened to us several times this season,in moscow we scored but we lost, against fulham when henry equalised,it was chalked off we lost the game again..they say it evens itself out...but when in four years time!!! i just dont like the idea that so much time effort money etc goes into building a team and competing only for some person who doesnt care.....to make a decision,and change the outcome,why bother playing a game the man in the middle could just play scissor paper rock,with the two managers,and we can stop wasting our time and money
fran merida
Since Drogbas feet was onside and his hip were in line with Senderos Drogba wasn't offside. It's as simple as that. Look for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxGsd6qQnhc. Regarding Adebayor I agree with you that he was onside but as he is rubbish he wouldn't have scored anyway.
Arsenhole 4-ever
as rubbish as drogba was in his first year with chav$ki
fran merida
Nobody could be that rubbish Fran especially at £24 million.
iceman10
I don't know Ice, Shevchenko at £31 million has been about as much use as a dead squirrel!
flv
Veron was class with a silent 'cl' too!
flv
Have Your Say
Recent Articles
Wilshere - More Points Needed From Big Teams (Thursday May 23 2013)
Who Is Your Vital Arsenal Player of the Season? (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 1 (Monday May 20 2013)
VIDEO: Wenger Praises 'Exceptional' Attitude (Monday May 20 2013)
Arsene Wenger, Now Is The Time (Monday May 20 2013)
The Moment That Made It All Worthwhile (Sunday May 19 2013)
Happy St Totteringham's Day To Gooners Everwhere (Sunday May 19 2013)
Team News: Last Game Of The Season (Sunday May 19 2013)
The Squeaky Bum Preview (Friday May 17 2013)
Wenger Confirms Sanogo Deal Almost Done (Friday May 17 2013)
Archived Articles
Vital Members League (view all)
| 1. | nikolaijns | 60 |
| 2. | Rocky7 | 53 |
| 3. | Naijagunner | 48 |
| 4. | Wyn Mills | 34 |
| 5. | prits | 22 |
| 6. | flv | 21 |
| 7. | Nwankwo25 | 20 |
| 8. | gunnerkid107 | 19 |
| 9. | No 10 | 16 |
| 10. | julieloveshenry4ever | 16 |
League Results (view all)
| Latest Results | ||||
| Newcastle | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 4 | - | 1 | Wigan |
| Q.P.R. | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 1 | - | 1 | Man Utd |
| Fulham | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 0 | - | 0 | Everton |
League Table (view table)
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1. Man Utd | 38 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 43 | 89 |
| 2. Man City | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 32 | 78 |
| 3. Chelsea | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 36 | 75 |
| 4. Arsenal | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 35 | 73 |
| 5. Spurs | 38 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 72 |
| 6. Everton | 38 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 63 |
| 7. Liverpool | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 28 | 61 |
Breaking League News
| Stoke Man Of The Match
» Southampton : 24/05/2013 20:37:00
|
| Shaw This Can't Keep Happening To Luke
» Southampton : 24/05/2013 20:32:00
|
| Arsenal Close To £10m Williams Move?
» Swansea : 24/05/2013 20:04:00
|
| Liverpool: Werner hails 'Great Strategist' Rodgers
» Liverpool : 24/05/2013 19:37:00
|
| Liverpool: Robinson Gets England U21 Call
» Liverpool : 24/05/2013 18:03:00
|
| Something For The Weekend (425)
» Aston Villa : 24/05/2013 17:50:00
|
| More NUFC Spin
» Newcastle : 24/05/2013 17:34:00
|
Current Site Poll (view all polls)
|
|