No other team would have had a player of Adebayor's importance sent off on Sunday for two such innocuous challenges but we've seen it all before. And it's why the scousers should not be a poor fourth in the pecking order of Gooners' ire behind (in whatever order one chooses) Chelsea, ManYoo and the Spuds. Until they scored (Liverpool, hoof the ball...) they were very poor, I thought. Yes, chances were few at both ends, but we were controlling the game. And I maintain that until Porto scored from that corner two weeks ago we looked equally comfortable that night.
Lucas' persistent fouling that went unpunished until it was too late to matter was also very predictable. In fairness to Liverpool, lesser sides than them - and sides less well patronised by officials than them - have gotten away with similar. As Arsene said recently, we are the most fouled against and commit fewest fouls. At 1-0 (to them in bookings) I commented that we'd get the next yellow, and so it proved. All the ref needs is a half decent excuse to "even it up". It's all happened before and will again. And these are gaps that even Arsene can never close.
I was intrigued to hear about Alan Green’s ludicrous comment that Arsenal fans were trying to influence the referee (in a way Liverpool and, presumably, ManU fans would never do). You could not make it up. We'll go to Anfield and win. But I'm looking to next season, really, and that means top 4 and see what happens in the Premiership and CL. It would be no surprise if we were England's only representatives in the last 8. And I'd love it - LOVE IT - if Real, Juve and Inter all won through.
Scolari continues to morph rapidly into the next Fergusmoan. On Sunday, in a must-win game, Arsene had seen his team only draw, probably due to an unjustified sending off. He gave the usual interview, though. But last night Scolari did what we would expect of the Old Trafford outfit. Another toys-out-the-pram job, hot on the heels of demonising a linesman who made an honest mistake. The phrase we often use - lots of money but no class - was never more apt.
I went to Millwall 0, Crewe 0 on my "day off". Not a great game but it's nice to do these things occasionally. For £25 I sat in the front row, right above the halfway line. The man on my left kept feeding me Trebor mints and I asked what he thought of Jay Simpson last year (I'd already revealed my allegiances and the atmosphere in the East Upper was not as intimidating as I'd expected). He was full of praise and we had a great chat throughout the game. Crewe, ironically, are nicknamed The Railwaymen. I say ironically because there were no more than one coachload of them.
The game was a nailed on home win, on paper at least. Millwall had 25 points from 10 games; Crewe just one point out of 30 on their travels. But the difference between the two teams was negligible. Plenty of Lions left early despite the promotion push, so it's not just prawn sandwich-eating Club Level visitors to E******s that most prefer to insult. The gap in class with what we are used to watching is massive, though.
Very few players have time on the ball, or the ability to look up to see what's on. Supporting such fare regularly would be very frustrating, I think. The next time someone tells you that Arsene has ruined the English game by recruiting Johnny Foreigner, suggest they watch lower league football.