Arteta rant was justified, the club statement was ludicrous

Was Mikel Arteta justified in ranting over Newcastle’s winner ...and what about that official club statement of support?

FOLLOWING Mikel Arteta’s furious post-match rant at St James’ Park was the Gunners boss right to blow his top over the decision to allow Newcastle’s winning goal to stand? And how should the FA respond to the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool releasing statements criticising refs? Our reporters give their verdict.

MIKEL ARTETA was absolutely right to call out the VAR decisions.

The day that TV pundits, journalists and the media in general complain about managers saying too much is the day we might as well all give up and go home!

Having gone through what Arteta said, I’m not sure he implies bias or questions the integrity of the officials anywhere which is the key to any potential FA charge.

A manager can have a view and be outspoken – and Arteta has every right to be upset. I’m sitting on my sofa watching the game and, with my own eyes, saw the ball go out of play.

Rewind five years ago, the linesman puts up his flag. Now he doesn’t as he has got the VAR safety net. VAR then say they stick with the on-field decision. And there’s your problem, the on-field call was relying on VAR. What a farce.

Then it looked a push on Gabriel and it should have been offside. The standard of officials has never been so low. PGMOL boss Howard Webb was brought in to improve things – and it’s actually getting worse.

But were Arsenal right to put out a statement? Definitely not. Leave it with Arteta whose words were powerful and strong. Why do it? Because Liverpool had. It seems bizarre.

However, let’s not forget… Arsenal could have played all night and not scored. So they have to look at their own failings too.

ANDY DUNN

AFTER being on the wrong end of a couple of VAR judgements at the Emirates earlier this season – when Manchester United were unfortunate to lose 3-1 to Arsenal – Erik ten Hag’s criticism of the officials amounted to the following declaration.

“Definitely, many decisions were against us.”

And that was about it. He was not ‘sick’, he was not ‘ashamed’, he was not ‘embarrassed’, he did not think it was ‘an absolute disgrace’.

But that is because Ten Hag had some class and dignity, both of which were notable by their absence when Arteta (below) and Arsenal responded to events on Tyneside.

The immediate aftermath of a match is a highlycharged, emotional time for a manager and that means we can cut Arteta some slack. But there is no excuse for the sheer pomposity, arrogance and utter pointlessness of the official statement from Arsenal Football Club.

The tone of the 120 words of selfrighteous bluster is truly dispiriting.

“We... would welcome working together to achieve the world-class standards our league demands.”

Well, how about telling your players to stop trying to con referees and telling your manager to stop ranting at them?

That might be a start. The statement declared the refereeing at Newcastle to be ‘unacceptable’… but the only thing that was unacceptable was Arsenal’s pathetic reaction.

MIKE WALTERS

ALL this posturing, with managers jumping in the deep end over VAR bungles and clubs issuing highhanded official statements, is the precursor to an inevitable consequence.

Sooner or later, football matches will be settled, or declared null and void, in the courts, not on the pitch.

It seems only a matter of time before one of the big guns – the clubs with more money than wisdom – sue the Premier League and referees’ trade union PGMOL for perceived injustices which could cost them millions if they miss out on the title or a Champions League place.

M’learned friends with the wig and pen will make a fortune, but it won’t improve football as a product. If grievances were settled in the High Court, Wolves would be heading for Europe after all the VAR profanities they have suffered this season.

And for what it’s worth, this observer’s view on VAR remains unchanged: Bin it, burn it, rid the game of this ghastly disease. Or, if we must keep it, put ex-players in charge of the consoles.

SIMON BIRD

SOMETHING about Newcastle and Eddie Howe gets under Arteta’s skin. The bickering and wind-ups on the touchline have become a feature of Arsenal v Newcastle.

His blast at St James’ Park was one of an over-emotional manager gutted at losing a tight game. We have to recognise it was a tough game to ref. Two marginal red-card decisions that were not given. Three VAR issues with Anthony Gordon’s winner that were so difficult to call and ultimately inconclusive, even after multiple watches.

Arteta was livid, but calculated. He’d fallen the wrong side of those close calls. But kick up a fuss in defeat, and influence the subconscious of refs and VAR officials for next time?

Arteta’s feelings can maybe be excused – only just – by the immediate emotion of the game. Arsenal’s ludicrous statement cannot.

Whether it was serious, or tribal posturing to the crowd to create a siege mentality, only they know.

But club’s should not be trashing referees in official statements. They are trying to start a mutiny and the FA need to crack down on it.