When push came to shove, farcical FA bottled it on punishing Wenger
inadequate punishment then and this is now.
Never mind precedents, t a r i f fs and mit i gating circumstances, never mind consistency, this was a chance for the governing body to show it had the balls to deal with the
TIGER WOODS’ comeback did not go terribly well, comfortably missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. But the fact is that Woods’ struggles will be the biggest story to emerge from the tournament – and that shows you just how much golf misses him when he’s not around. growing problem of officials being abused.
Never mind the guidelines for these type of offences, never mind the possibility of an appeal.
Wenger PUSHED an official and his punishment is utterly meaningless. This guy earns not far off £200,000 a week.
His contrition might have helped him, it seems.
I was in the post-match press conference and that contrition was delivered with a winning smile, the level of sincerity IT is normal for the TV cameras to cut to famous faces or old boys in the stands and there are always plenty to choose from at Anfield. During the defeat by Southampton, there were lingering shots of Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard, who has been talking this week about his new role underwhelming to say the least.
Don’t worry, Wenger can do sarcasm as slyly as Jose Mourinho.
Wenger has got off lightly and it is a sentence that undermines the FA’s genuine concerns about abuse and violence towards referees at youth and grassroots levels.
No, grown men and women watching or working in those tiers of football are not going to see Wenger escaping meaningful punishment for a shove and think it is a licence to assault officials. Of course not. But the ongoing leniency shown towards managers and players at the very highest level who continue to insult, harangue and denigrate officials allows the culture of abuse to grow.
The culture of abuse that has seen referees in junior and Sunday League games headbutted, punched and spat at.
The culture of abuse that has been addressed only with empty words and continues to be the norm.
The culture of abuse that the measly punishment of Wenger does absolutely nothing to tackle. at Liverpool. That Jurgen Klopp (left) is happy to embrace Gerrard and welcome him on to the staff shows not only his great respect for the man and the club, but his own feeling of security.
But we all know what fans are like.
A few more slumps for Klopp and those camera shots will linger longer.