It would appear that Arsene Wenger is firmly on the FA’s naughty list.
On Tuesday English football’s governing body charged the Frenchman for allegedly questioning the integrity of referee Mike Dean during a post-match confrontation about the decision to award a penalty against Arsenal.
The Press Association now report that they want the Gunners boss to explain comments made before and after last night’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea that hint at an ongoing conspiracy against his team.
On decisions going against his side, Wenger remarked on Tuesday: “I must say what is more frustrating for me is that it happened many times this season — at Stoke, at Watford, at Manchester City, at West Brom. That is a concerning coincidence for me.”
After his side conceded another soft penalty on Wednesday night, Wenger returned to the subject in his post-game press conference, “We got, again, a farcical decision but we knew that as well before, so we have to deal with that.”
In an interview with Sky Sports, he later added: “When opinions always go the same way it’s coincidence. Statistically, it’s built on the fact that when it’s repeated it’s not coincidence.”
Wenger has until 6pm on Tuesday to respond to the FA’s latest invitation to chat.
He insists he’ll contest the other charge, emphatically stating last night: “You can listen to every interview I said, and I stick to everything I said without any problem. I am 35 years in football, I know what I say after the game and I stand up for what I said. No problem.”
FA not massive fans of having the facts pointed out to the public I see.
I was thinking the same. This FA is like the Donald Trump of footballing organizations. Speak out against us in an attempt at transparency and we will come at you with full fury.
On another note, as frustrated as I’ve been with Wenger, I kind of like this bad boy version of him where he gives zero fucks about the FA. He basically said he knows he’ll be in the FA’s doghouse, but he could care less. Fair play.
In Wenger I Trust, fair play to him.
Careful wenger, I seem to remember a couple of players who were 100% not going to be sold and weeks later were gone, lacazette was out for the Liverpool game as was ozil for this Chelsea one too..
Were down at least 9 points because of just wrong faulty idiotic decisions, not dubious or hard to judge refereiing decisons just stupidly wrong. Not much we can do about manc but we should have been 2. not 6. on the table. Wenger have every right to be rabid with fury. Considering all the shit hes been a goddamn gentleman.
Papers say the WWE has sent scouts to watch Mike Dean and they’re very impressed.
Don’t think he cares about any of the punishments they might hand him. He’d rather stick up for his team and speak his mind. Might do the team more good than harm, we’ll see. Like to see the passion!
Wenger isn’t whining like Maureen or Fergie. The way he is talking, i genuinely think he is ready to put his job on the line to bring a change in English football. The sad thing about refereeing today is they owe nobody an explanation for the decisions they make. Even VAR will not change that. For example, if VAR shows there is contact from Bellerin and hence it’s a foul on Hazard it doesn’t change anything. What is really needed is to define ‘What constitutes a contact that is deemed as a foul’? Unless football addresses these issues there is… Read more »
Bang on, Ram. Utterly ridiculous, the standard of refereeing. I can only assume the FA are complicit with PGMOL. No, I don’t believe Arsenal are being singled out, as week in week out, there are numerous examples of the most shocking decisions being made by referees up and down the country. I’ve many concerns with Arsene and have had for years. But on this, he’s absolutely correct.
I agree. The FA should stick up for what’s right. Not for their incompetent referees every time without question.
Simple things like what constitutes an offside, what is a handball?
Lacazette’s toe might have been a millimeter off against Stoke(God knows how the linesman spotted it) but his body was not facing the goal. So, the rule is not clear there. If you compare that with Silva offside against us and Llorente offside against Swansea it is FARCICAL. The only decision which went for us was Mustafi tackle on Jay rodriguez but even that is debatable because he had a real go on goal one on one right after he got tripped. None of the rules are clear/consitent.
It will be a top, top, top, top, top enquiry though.
Referees feel comfortable getting decisions wrong against Arsenal knowing they’ll get away with it. It’s been going on for years. It’s even more pathetic that Arsenal fans see it happen and yet feel comfortable with it. This isn’t a Wenger thing it’s an Arsenal thing and it will continue long after Wenger is gone. The supporters and owners of this club need to let the FA know that enough is enough and they can’t keep getting it wrong. Mike Dean doesn’t ref Liverpool games because he’s from a certain part of the country but he’s allowed to ref Arsenal games… Read more »
I don’t think referees got any decisions wrong exactly, it’s just no one noticed that a new rule 22.f.u. has been added, which states that “in the event Arsenal actually manage to score a goal, an excuse must be found to immediately award a penalty to the opposing team”. Rule 22.f.u.2 goes on to state that “when the penalty is awarded, Cech is not allowed to save it”.
Dishonest to their federation.
FA allowing referees to protect their own organisation rather than protect the game. Shameful.
There should be an independent auditing body for both the FA and Referees Association. They are both a law unto themselves.
Whereas clubs and players have to put up with and clean up the mess.
Farcical.
This new abrasive side of Wenger I like very much. It’s about time! Come On You Arsene!!!
Just saying…Anthony Taylor is consistently poor. BUT last time he officiated a big match for us against Chelski was the FA cup final and that was to our benefit. Remember the Sanchez ‘hand ball’ then the whole thing about whether Ramsey was interfering with play in an off side position? He gave the goal. Then he also sent off Moses for the ‘dive’. So if I were Wenger, I’d acknowledge this and let it slide. What we need to do is ensure we are not in a position to be vulnerable to compromise by poor refereeing decisions and that requires… Read more »
I don’t think the standard is, if you get one pivotal decision right, then you are allowed one incorrect pivotal decision without criticism.
Do you really think they’ll be changing the result of last years FA Cup final, just because they may have got some decisions wrong…. So why not point out that the standard of PL refs important decisions is extremely poor?
We’d much rather they get the majority of important decisions correct rather than having to rely on being on the right side of their wrong decisions occasionally.
Except that it WAS a bloody dive by Moses and he’s deservedly sent off, fuck are you on about?
Are u talking about football?
Pure deflection. Look at how bad referees are. Don’t look at how shit my football team is. His words in the summer were with a chore of signings we will be challenging for the title
I’ve read some of the most delusional comments over the last 24 hours regarding the refereeing of the match but not one mention that Jack could and should have been sent off, so could have Holding.
Are all the contributors here part of the Arsenal PR department?!?
Amazing isn’t he. Since refs became professional, thanks to him, they haven’t improved. But now when his defence is an absolute shower he talks about them. He wasn’t incandescent with rage at the refs when decisions have gone in his favour. It’s so obvious it changes the narrative from just why his defence is so bad and why are we so far from where we were promised in the summer.
It was a lousy decision. FA should consider when awarding penalties first was there contact in the box. In this case it was slight but yes. Secondly was there intent to impede. In this case it was two players competing for the ball 50-50 Thirdly was the ball a direct threat at goal? In this case the ball was moving away from goal and unlikely to represent a direct goal scoring opportunity. So I would not award it but its Anthony Taylor and like Mike Dean he has been consistently questionable. There was a moment in the match where he… Read more »
The fact hazard went down holding a part of his anatomy that wasn’t touched in order to deceive the ref for me means he should be charged under the diving act as he’s attempting to gain an advantage and trick the ref. there was contact but not there
What do you mean? I happen to know the sole of Hazards boot suffered a very nasty bruise and let’s not even delve into how hurt its feelings are. Nothing short of outrageous.
In general, I have had enough of Wenger, but I am happy to see him fight this. He will get a stadium ban in the process, of course, but so what?
I see Mike Dean is doing the Spuds game tonight! Wonder what odds on a dodgy Spuds penalty?
Zero but stay in your victimhood
Son apparently scored an absolute rocket from 30 yards out but I’m sure Dean, the massive cunt with a most questionable authority, had a hand in it.
Just in, hot off the press!!! Mike Dean celebrated the Son goal so hard he dislocated his shoulder and ruptured a testicle due to frenzied fist pumping and intense thrusting.
No pen but he did let a Spuds foul go unpunished in lead up to goal!
What amazes me most is it’s taken him this long to finally crack on this subject. It’s been blatantly obvious refs have been fucking us since about 1997 at least. Mostly it was because of the refs’ Man Utd love-in and their fear of Fergie. And it was widely acknowledged. Look at how Utd felt they were entitled to act towards D’Urso when he had the temerity to award a pen against them (correctly!) at OT. Look at the way they booted Reyes out of English football or the thuggery they employed when they knew we were better than them… Read more »
We have had the odd season since 97 when they’ve been OK and the invincibles season included rather a lot of good (for us) decisions, until Riley did his thing in the last game…
Not to mention Roy Keane hacking people down with impunity while Vieira got booked every time he went near an opponent.
Wenger should be sacked for bringing the club into disrepute.
What’s his opinion on Jack’s dive on a yellow card last night?
What’s his opinion on Mustafi being offside when he scored against Spurs?
What’s his opinion on the penalty not given to West Brom at the Emirates?
What’s his opinion on City’s goal that was disallowed in the FA Cup semi final?
He’s a myopic imbecile and he’s going to be banned for 5 or 6 matches and he’ll deserve it.
He should be far more worried that we’re now a hardcore 6th in the league!
Exactly! He said last season his touchline ban didn’t help the team did this is hardly going to
Ild rather see him being as animated with his defenders during the hand than with the 4th official. It’s pathetic
A Myopic Imbicile doing what he loves to do for good coin and living the dream we all want too???
Arsene yes?
I think you should be sacked for bringing the Arseblog comment section into disrepute.
I do it for free
Well there it is. Don’t criticise the FA’s henchmen. They’ll have him declared insane and deported to a gulag soon.
Paranoia is getting tiresome now.
Wenger has a point that refs (should be officials really, linesmen give offsides) are making too many errors but theses are widespread and not just directed against Arsenal.
VAR may bring improvements but I’m not sure – if someone, like Tony Cottee maybe, was the consultant and decided Chambers was protecting his chest with his arm deliberately. The moans will just be widened to encompass the video ref’s abilities.
Just out of interest, is there anyone in the game who hasn’t described that Dean penalty call as a masterpiece of incompetence?
I just want to know if there’s anyone around who isn’t going to get a bollocking from the FA.
He didnt give any penalties to Spurs today.. so thats a positive atleast!
FA rule number one: you do NOT talk about THAT penalty!
FA rule number two: you do NOT talk about THAT penalty…
Two charges of the sedition and one of treason. To the rack with him! God save our refereeing association!!
He knows that the Bellerin pen and the Chambers pen were “farcical” but then when asked about Jack Wheelchairs dive he smirks and says “I didn’t see it.” There’s no conspiracy against arsenal. The guys on ESPN FC were laughing at Wenger. “Are Arsenal on the same level as Bournemouth now? Reduced to complaining about the top teams getting decisions? It certainly appears that way.”
About time Managers all came out together and said that we are in a multi million sport being officiated by amateurs. Technology has got to be increased and set rules put in place. Retrospective action has to be taken in ALL cases of cheating and thuggery. The whole “What is a Handball” and “What is a dive” have got to be clarified.Refs cannot be allowed to make their own interpretation I.e. Dean it’s Arsenal player,it’s handball. If that was a penalty on Wednesday then football is no longer a contact sport. That was a clear case of “He touched you… Read more »