What can I say? Where can I start?

We started out like a 3rd Division team for the 1st 5 minutes. Then Barmby's fouled on the edge of the box when Tony Adams holds onto his shirt, then Silvinho jumps him in the box and there'S NO FOUL? No penalty?

Then Lauren kicks the ball out for what should have been a goal kick, and SOMEHOW Arsenal get a corner, Liverpool defend like ninnys and the Gunners score.

Then just as we start to get into a rhythm McAllister gets sent off for NOTHING!

Graham Poll is f@cking moron - all three sendings off were BULLSH!T. McAllister's tackle was something you see 3 or 4 times a game, poor Viera gets screwed over AGAIN - his wasn't even a foul, he played all ball, and then Hamman gets sent off because Graham Poll's bored. I was so worried that Smicer or Owen would take a foul throw and be sent off too. If anyone should have been sent off it should have been that monkey Grimandi for stomping on McAllister's hand in an effort to get Gaz to retaliate (watch the replay) and Jamie Carragher with his disgusting flying elbow on Viera.

Words can't properly express how upset I am - it would have been okay if Arsenal thrashed us 4-0 in an even game, but the ref spoiled this game completely. Now were completely screwed because Hamman and McAllister face suspensions - and with Patrik Berger and Bernard Diomede out for 2 months each, and Redknapp out till February we're short of midfielders.

Graham Poll shouldn't keep his cards in that 'wallet' of his - he should have them in holsters.

The Gunners win today, but when they come to Anfield it'll it be a different story.


[This message has been edited by Neutral (edited 08-21-2000).]

Graham Poll is an idiot!! Viera got elbowed in the face Gallagher, and Veira gets yellow card!! FOR WHAT??? HE WAS TUGGED, ELBOWED, KICKED AND SHOVED THE ENTIRE FREAKIN GAME AND THEN STUPID POLL COMES AROUND TO CARD VIERA. THEN, HE GETS BOOKED, FOR A TOTALLY INNOCENT CHALLENGE, WHERE HE GOT THE BALL, DID NOT TOUCH THE LIVERPOOL PLAYER! THEN THERE WAS POOR SILVINHO GETTING RUN OVER BY HESKEY. FLIPPIN LIVERPOOL PLAYERS TRYING TO INCITE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THEM AND VIERA. BERGKAMP GETS CARDED, FOR WHAT I HAVE NOT A CLUE. AND IT WAS NOT AS IF ARSENAL WAS BEING OVERLY AGGRESIVE, BUT THERE WAS NO ONE IN THAT CONTEST, ASIDE FROM GALLAGHER'S DISGUSTING ELBOW ON VIERA, AND GRIMANDI'S TAP DANCE ON McALLISTER WHO DESERVED TO BE SENT OFF. POLL IS AN IDIOT!

Now the FA is going to get even more harsh on Viera. With Kanu probably going to the Olympics, and Lauren to join him, that leaves Arsenal messed up in attack. Liverpool already have Fowler, Berger, Redknapp etc all out, Liverpool are short on midfielders.

THAT FLIPPIN IDIOT POLL DOES NOT KNOW HOW MUCH HIS STUPIDITY HURT BOTH TEAMS! F****** IDIOT!

if the bloody FA wants better discipline..THEY GOTTA FIND BETTER REFEREEES!!!!!!!
that was a crime!!
Viera for the second time sent off for nothing, i think Petit had a case when he left, Viera should leave to Spain or Italy because his brilliant performances are being ruined by biased refereeing !!
Hamann did nothing, it wasn't even a foul and he was sent off, there wasn;t even a shirt tug!!
red cards should be taken off from the players and should be stuck in the Ref's A$$ just to teach him a lesson!!
i hate the premiership http://www.soccergaming.com/ubb/frown.gif

shez

btw Owen and Heskey and Meijer are absolutely RUBBISH!
bring back Fowler...

Sanity please! I suggest that this Liverpool team has the worst midfield ever by a L'pool team, yet I can't find a reason to criticise them elsewhere. In fact Heskey shuts "me mouth" for a week or so. I thought Heskey played excellently.I am also impressed with Liverpool's goalkeeper who was outstanding and nevr once complained or yelled as some of the incompetents do.Finally, the two central defenders were superb......which is a wonderful segue(segway), how is that word 'spelt",to Arsenal's defence.

Allow me to repeat myself, Adams and Keown need to be separated...whilst Hyppia and Henchoz defend twenty or more yards from their goalkeeper. Adams and Keown decompress the field because they are so damn slower than most centre-backs. Maybe its a plan of Wenger's to give the wingbacks confidence to attack, but.......Anyway, Pires played well, but in this day and age to have a right-footed player labour on the left side of midfield seems silly. I have seen that tactic work with Waddle, but with no one else who has a dominant foot.

Finally, the referee....I cannot agree with Neutral on most points. I notice you forgot to mention the elbow, Lauren received in the first half which appeared deliberate. In my estimation the referee perceived that there was an orchestrated plan to target Vieria, and McAllister was punished harshly for that, on the face of it, it was wrong to redcard, but I am offering an alternative
point of view.
The second card was ridiculous, and maybe even the yellow he received..but even there, its standard to penalise both players when the offended player jumps to his feet and is argumentative in that fashion.
The third red was justified. It was a counter-attack and he held the player, thats a yellow card offence. I haven't seen the incident on replay but it seemed that he interfered with the players progress.

I am rambling.time to end this post....all credit to Henry and Silvinho who were excellent
Of course I could be wrong.......

I also thought Heskey did quite well for a lone striker tonight - pity Camara was injured as he played the lone striker role brilliantly in the same fixture last year. As for the midfield, I don't understand why Steven Gerrard didn't feature, surely he and Hamman (who was excellent on Saturday) are the number one pairing, with Smicer on the right and Barmby on the left (for now, when Berger returns Paddy must play as our AMC, and Diomede will challenge on the left). As for our defence Hyypia and Henchoz usually play well, but I was very very disapointed in Markus Babbel, I don't doubt he is an international class player and he'll need a few games to adjust but he was truely woeful. Traore is one for the future - he looked lively, VERY fast - I've never seen anyone else keep up with Henry, but Kanu's run at the end as well as Lauren's play showed that Djimi will need a few more seasons. (which is why we need Ziege NOW!).

I don't know why Jamie Carragher played, or Danny Murphy.

Methinks Silvinho is the best left back in the Premiership.

i still think Harte is the best left back

I heard Gerrard was injured...

and why wasnt henchoz booked earlier in the first half??

and why was bergkamp booked??

and someone said Hamman's sending off was justified???
sorry but once you see the replay you will see that it was AT THE MOST just a free kick...both players were using their hands and it was more they got tangled than anything.

Who thinks that Viera will leave the premiership now???

What a hollow victory ! Damn, that Poll should be banned for a few matches, cause he was the only person deserving of a red card.
I'm really hoping that the referee panel has a look at this and reconsiders all three red cards.
In general though, I thought Arsenal played well, but thank goodness ol pony tail wasn't called upon to do real work else we would've had to settle for a point or nothing.
Overall, the good - Silvinho, Adams, Vieira, Henry, Lauren. The almost good- Keown, Luzhny, Grimandi, Bergie, Seaman. The bad - Pires. Come on Antithesis, he did nothing, he's not fast, he lost the ball way too often, was not too threatening attacking wise, overall, I'm not impressed. The only reason he looked half decent is due to Silvinho's excellent runs and attacking play.
Lauren, now there's a man to watch for. Had a very satisfying full debut for Arsenal.

For the pool I thought Westerveld and his two central defenders were great, as was Heskey upfront. But the rest was just a bit wanting.

Antithesis, Hamann didn't deserve a second yellow for that offence, when many more worse offences happened which went unpunished. I do think that Hamann should've been sent off for his illegal stamping off Vieira, for which Vieira was sent off cause the ref didn't like his two footed tackling of the ball.

Kewell, Bergie was booked cause he kicked the ball away, which was a bit silly on his part.