I can’t remember the article but it was a well written and received only one undeserved derogatory comment before I posted. seem like ages ago though, I’m surprised it was only last month.

Keep up the good work, stay away from over the top headlines… well…. I suppose it will get you more hits

The first one, sure he was nibbling a little, but that’s football.

The second was ridiculous. I don’t think it was even a foul! Sure he looked a little clumsy (as gangly 6′4” sportsmen often do), but he didn’t touch the guy.

But anyway, none of this can take away from the fact that Liverpool utterly stifled us, and our performance was poor.

your analysis of ade’s challenges is wholly fair. i’d maintain that in real time they really did look pretty similar and while his intention on the second was to shield the ball, he did so with an exaggeratedly high foot and swung his arm towards arbeloa’s face. if there was any contact, it was minimal, but my point is that ade should have known to be bloody bloody careful, and he just wasn’t.

i sometimes get the sense that, (mainly because we almost always play better football than everyone else and because wenger is so fiercely protective of his players,) we gooners enjoy moral victories a bit too much, rather than asking for that bit extra from our players, like not getting needlessly sent off, which would get us actual victories.

as regarding your previous, or lack of it, there must be an imposter at work:

“”arthur3sheds Says:

November 9th, 2008 at 8:01 pm

Nice articles, I read a few. Should get yourself on arsenal/goonernews to get some more hits. Your posts
are too good to receive a single comment, like the one above.

Keep up the good work. Added to my favourites.”"

You may not have noticed, but you should have, Ade made no contact with the player with his feet, there was no need to. The other player did not have to ball and Ade like any striker with half a brain would have known that there was no way that player was going to get the ball if Ade did as he done which is step in front of the player and the ball.

That maneuver is known as shielding the ball, the first maneuver which earned Ade a yellow card is called a tackle, very different.

The only similarity between the two instances is the raising of the boot, but did you know to run you have to raise your boot too? I suppose that means that Ade running anywhere near an opponent is also exactly the same offence.

Anyway reasonable post despite the “foolish” headline.

By the way I have never posted if I have ever read this blog the “3sheds” you know of is an imposter

Ok I read your article and I actually agree on a few things you wrote.
True Song Had Stevie in his pocket again(!).. remeber that carling cup game when a midfield consisting of Song and Denilson dominated Liverpool.

And when Stevie MBE (apologies to The Fiver) produced the kind of dive that would fetch a 10.9 at the Olympics, he never got booked for it. Lucas repeatedly fouled our players without getting booked. I could go on and on and on.

Yes, Ade’s first challenge definitely deserved a yellow, but the second was, I say again, NOT a yellow card. For fuck’s sake it wasn’t even a free kick. There was ZERO contact, and Arbeloa went down like he’d just taken a bullet.

On another note, I will say that the crowd was magnificent today. Though I only watched on TV, the noise level was deafening, and I think the players drew on that energy. It was the best performance I’ve seen from the in-stadium supporters all season.

I just hope we can push on from here, though my hopes have been dashed before.

Come on you REDS!!!!

i agree with most of what you’re saying about the challenges i cited. but i was NOT arguing that any of them were correct refereeing decisions or in any way “justified” nor did i argue that of ade’s red today.

i don’t have any prejudice against ade, i really like him (though the summer was a testing time for my affection) but i think his attitude of late leaves a lot to be desired.

we’re never going to see his tackle the same way. i stand by what i said – whether or not it was a yellow card it was a bloody stupid thing to do in the context of the game, especially as he was already on a yellow and webb was obviously keen to get a headline.