Good morning, folks.
Seems like Arsenal’s summer transfer plans have hit a major snag. After controversially handling the Myles Lewis-Skelly red card incident against Wolves, The FA has handed us a hefty fine for supposedly not controlling our players properly.
£65,000. Just gone. And Kai Havertz still can’t find the net.
The club defended its players, insisting they merely wanted to chat with Michael Oliver and didn’t behave offensively. But the FA wouldn’t budge, countering that being at the Premier League’s top doesn’t excuse player conduct. They pointed out the global audience and high-profile nature of the club, reminding us of the responsibility that comes with it.
Okay, screening worldwide and all that. But if our players are expected to maintain the game’s image, shouldn’t referees also bear similar responsibility? Sure, Michael Oliver’s decision wasn’t stellar, but mistakes happen. What’s less forgivable is the VAR slip-up. There’s simply no excuse there.
The red card was eventually overturned, with the appeal panel acknowledging it was ‘Foul Play’ but certainly not ‘Serious Foul Play.’ Yet, rules about overcrowding refs exist—apparently only the captain should talk to the ref. Though, seeing it rarely enforced, that might actually be beneficial. Communication, as long as it’s respectful, is a positive thing. A stern, authoritative approach just doesn’t translate well in football as it might in other sports.
Yet, if we’ve broken a rule, fines are expected. The frustration among Arsenal fans likely stems from inconsistent rule enforcement across the league. Honestly, at this stage, we might as well just pay up and move on. This being the organization that misnamed our player ‘Lewis Myles-Skelly’ in official documents, after already botching the decision during the Wolves game, at the VAR booth, and trying to paint an 18-year-old as the villain—it’s just been wrong all the way through.
How do you address such consistent blunders? I’d love to hear the actual audio from the Howard and Mickey Show incident on Sky to understand their thinking. But typically, Howard Webb might use an example where they corrected a mistake to show their open-mindedness, with Michael Owen nodding in agreement, his thoughts wandering elsewhere.
Speaking of The FA, yesterday they announced that semi-automated offside technology will debut in the FA Cup this season, progressing to the Premier League soon after. This rollout follows extensive testing during the 2024-25 season. The plan is to introduce it in the FA Cup fifth round in collaboration with the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
This tech rollout was initially slated for earlier, but unsurprisingly, they opted for a different system than what’s used in UEFA’s Champions League, causing delays. Whether it’ll make a difference is uncertain, yet I can’t shake the discomfort of implementing it with just 13 games left in the season.
The FA claims this tech won’t affect decision accuracy but will enhance speed and efficiency. Still, can we take their word for it? They couldn’t even get Lewis-Skelly’s name right.
For the Premier League’s ‘sporting integrity,’ sticking to one system for a full season seems logical. We have our gripes with VAR’s decision-making speed, but at least it’s been consistent since August. Now isn’t the time to switch things up.
Yet, that’s probably why they’ll go ahead and do it anyway.
Alright, let’s wrap it up here. Don’t forget to check out the latest Arsecast Extra if you haven’t and join us for The 30 over on Patreon for a look at all the Premier League action.
Take care!
