The Real Cause of Football Violence

The game was 3-1 to Arsenal as I predicted. However the manner of the win wasn't predictable.

The Score

A 3-1 win suits Arsenal, and now they are only two points behind Man Utd and three behind Chelsea. If, as seems likely, both teams lose points (after all they still have to play each other), then Arsenal could well sneak past them.

A title run under the radar seems to be what this Arsenal team is all about—shunning the kind of limelight that puts them under massive pressure. Perhaps because they don't respond well to that pressure, as demonstrated when they were at the top.

Whatever the reason, the team respond better when everyone writes them off. Let's hope enough people continue to decry their chances, right up until they win the league.

Goals

Of course, as expected, Rory Delap and his freakishly long throws became a factor. That the defense seemed naive, and Almunia as always, badly positioned, should always be considered factors too.

The Arsenal response though was pleasing, after a short period of panic, the team calmly went about chasing an equaliser. And very pleasing it was when it came—off Bendtners head, and clearly very well aimed.

From that point on it seemed to be mostly Arsenal. Stoke's heads didn't go down, but they slowly faded away. That was to be expected, given their exertions midweek, and many is the time when Arsenal have faced a similar situation, so no sympathy is offered.

Fabregas' penalty was almost reached by the diving Sorensen. Clearly a penalty for the handball from a flicked ball by Bendtner. In celebration Fabregas dedicated the goal to Ramsey by tapping on his shin.

Again Arsenal didn't sit back, but drove on even late into the game, with a pull back for Vermaelen to tap in for Arsenal's third. That capped a deserved victory, and Arsenal showed they are up for the challenge.

Injury

Of course we have to turn our thoughts to the career threatening injury to Aaron Ramsey. Who could have foreseen that?

That's not a rhetorical question though, I have an answer. And the answer is—many Arsenal fans, every time Arsenal play one of a number of teams with the mentality that Arsenal "don't like it up 'em". Stoke, Bolton, Blackburn, Hull, and to a lesser extent; Wigan and Burnley. I'm sure it's coincidence that they're all "Northern" teams—after all, Man Utd manage play proper football against us.

There is a view amongst some teams that it's okay to kick Arsenal harder because they don't like a kicking, or won't kick back. And teams such as those above have been kicking Arsenal for years. Meanwhile referees largely ignore it, and commentators (who should know better) claim it to be "part of the game".

It was inevitable that sooner or later someone would be badly injured by a hard, mistimed, over-aggressive tackle. Don't misunderstand the point: the players tackling are almost all "nice lads" (as their managers' claim afterwards), who "wouldn't hurt a fly". But I'm not saying the player committing the foul is a violent psychopath, and neither is Arsene Wenger when he brands this kind of foul as unacceptable.

It is symptomatic of a mentality that says it's "okay" to kick someone in order to get the ball. That it's "part of the game" to go in with both legs, or with legs or arms swinging. I'm not calling for a non-contact sport, of course some coming together is inevitable. But when teams go too far, then they should be punished.

The tactic of trying to bully your opponents by physical acts of intimidation would absolutely not be tolerated in any other walk of life, and I don't see why it should be tolerated on the football field.

Aaron Ramsey, a 19-year-old Welsh international with a very promising career ahead of him will now sit out the next year, hoping that his leg will heal sufficiently well to allow him to continue a career. That is not right.

No witch-hunt against Shawcross, or Taylor before him. It's time the FA took action against teams who take these kind of tactics. Primarily that's the manager's responsibility because he sets the tactics.

Conclusion

I'm calling for Tony Pulis to be fined and banned from managing his team for three matches. That's the only thing that will target this kind of behaviour. Banning a player who was only doing what he was told, and regrets it terribly is probably still right, but does very little to impact other managers who instruct their players to behave in an overly aggressive manner on the field of play.