match reaction v besiktas

[Niall_Quinn]

We were appalling yesterday, no fluency in our play and players looked like they were strangers with each other with some of the passing. Cazorla looks well off the pace and Ramsey just seemed to be trying too hard to make things happen.

However, a draw isn't the worst result but it does leave us vulnerable to the away goal. really have to start the home leg at pace and get a couple of early goals.


Also, although the referee did not affect the result, i.e. no major decisions, the standard of referring is utterly appalling. He was giving fouls against us for being within ten metres of the opposition, yet when one of theirs kicks ramsey in the bollocks nothing happens. Its a real shame that with all the money in football, Uefa etc just don't care about the standard of referees

Ramsey's second "foul" was a joke. He hardly touched him and the bastard dived like he'd been shot. Diver should have got the red for cheating, not Ramsey.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal have been warned to expect a zero-tolerance refereeing performance in their Champions League play-off against Besiktas.

Uefa’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has ordered match officials to crack down on serious foul play, diving, and dissent from both players and managers ahead of Tuesday night’s first leg in Istanbul.

“We are not interested in referees being liked,” Collina said at a pre-season referees’ course in Nyon.

“We want to have referees taking correct decisions when needed, even if a red card needs to be given in the fifth minute of a match.”

With the turks kicking everything that moved and engaging in blind side thuggery at every opportunity, plus their fans chipping in with missiles it was Ramsey who suffered under this zero-tolerance directive. I don't see where Collina stated the policy should be selective, but I guess the incompetent moron selected to ref the game brought his own interpretation. With performances like those offered by Giroud and Cazorla we didn't deserve to win the match, but we did deserve a competent and impartial referee which we certainly didn't get. Hopefully the same useless cunt won't be flown in for the second leg.

[Kano]

Just a reminder of how poor we are in the striking areas. All the talk of defenders, DM's etc and we have a squad style striker as our main man.

Get a proper striker or it'll just be another season of scraping top four and maybe winning the fa or league cup.

[Özim]

Last summer we were interested in Higuain and Suarez, the fact we've not shown much interest in strikers this summer despite little changing up front suggests Wenger see Sanchez as that striker we needed.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Ramsey's second "foul" was a joke. He hardly touched him and the bastard dived like he'd been shot. Diver should have got the red for cheating, not Ramsey.

You mean the theatrics of Ozyakup(sp?) an ex Arsenal protege. The little shi*. It was worrying how laboured we looked though against a side we really should brush aside in terms of European opposition. They weren't in their own stadium and it was far from full.

Ramsey was poor but he has looked the complete opposite in pre season. Arteta going off was a worry though...

[Niall_Quinn]

You mean the theatrics of Ozyakup(sp?) an ex Arsenal protege. The little shi*. It was worrying how laboured we looked though against a side we really should brush aside in terms of European opposition. They weren't in their own stadium and it was far from full.

Ramsey was poor but he has looked the complete opposite in pre season. Arteta going off was a worry though...

That's why we got rid of him, because he's a shit.

[The Wengerbabies]

Shit game.

CL football