In my previous offering ‘Déja Vu’ I apparently baffled certain Gooner readers with my summary of the World Cup Final, which was directed mostly at the imbalance that I perceive Arsenal Football Club receive from the pundits on MOTD (or pundits in general really). I too take most of what is said in the media with a large pinch of salt but find the hypocrisy expressed by Hansen & co deplorable in light of their often quoted mantra of "Arsenal don't like it up them".

However, this apparently seems to have been misconstrued as a glowing revue of a the game where the plucky Spaniards were kicked off the park by the thuggish Dutch. The truth is that I do put most of the blame for the poor quality of the game on the Dutch who had obviously decided pre-match that the only way to stop the Spanish was to rough them up, which as I pointed out seems to be the way that several Premier League sides view any fixture against us.

I at no point suggested that every foul that the Dutch committed deserved a yellow card or that Spain were saints, only that I thought Van Bommel & De Jong should have been dismissed. I am dismayed as much as anyone by the feigning serious injury after innocuous fouls and the running up to the referee brandishing imaginary yellow cards that Spain were guilty of and I am also in no doubt the Puyol should have been given a second yellow for pulling back Robben. But by then Howard Webb was aware of his errors from the first half & I believe he allowed things to go unpunished to balance the score.

Ironically, Robben had thrown himself to the floor all night but decided to stay on his feet whilst Puyol did his best to haul him to the ground & was then subsequently booked for chasing Webb to complain. I know that both Spain & Barcelona can be cynical & brutal themselves but I have to take issue with the statement in the article ‘Spain the innocent little victims? Don’t make me laugh!’ that said "The reality, surely, is that two teams with, considering the stage they were on, limited ambition and ability, and a penchant for stopping the opposition the easy way, played out an awful game of football which deserves few of the plaudits it’s receiving"?

Yes it was a poor game but surely only the most short-sighted football fan could accuse Spain of having limited ability & of lacking ambition. I think that becoming European & World Champions back to back stinks of nothing other than complete ambition completely fulfilled. There was a lack of ambition to make the game a spectacle but I think the ambition to win at all costs was there for all to see. I would be only too happy for us to show the same lack of ability & ambition if it means the Premier League & Champions League trophies are in our trophy cabinet next May.