Clarets Mad - Clarets v Gunners, English Premier League Match Preview.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Clarets Mad - Clarets v Gunners, English Premier League Match Preview.
Venue: Emirates Stadium, Hornsey Road, London, N7 7AJ.
Kick-off – 15.00 – Saturday 11th November 2023.

The Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta shares Burnley gaffer Vincent Kompany’s sense of grievance about the nonsense that is VAR. The Gunners lost their unbeaten record at Newcastle with an extremely debatable goal awarded after all sorts of deliberations and discussions by the Stockley Park team.

It is beyond reasonable debate that without VAR ponderings and interventions the Clarets would be three points better off than they currently are. It must be the time for the FA and EPL to now review the worthiness and suitability of this increasingly farcical method of officiating and adjudicating what constitutes a correct match official’s decision. One might reasonably ask whatever happened to the old idea that the match referee’s decision is final?

Arteta’s continuing vitriolic criticism of match officiating has led to the PGMOL appointing Michael Oliver as the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon with Stuart Burt and Dan Cook as his assistants. Craig Pawson will be on the touchline as the fourth official, while VAR duties have been handed to Michael Salisbury and his assistant Ian Hussin. We can only hope for positive neutral match officiating, but I will not be holding my breath.

As a dyed in the wool Burnley fan, I can only hope the rigours the Arsenal players will have been put through during their 2-0 Wednesday night Champions League victory over Sevilla might at least level up the playing field on Saturday afternoon. Hope springs eternal especially when your team is mired at the wrong end of the league table.

One’s to watch: Burnley’s current total lack of firepower is magnified by the continuing absence of leading goal scorer Lyle Foster. Arsenal on the other hand have Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Sako and Gabriel Jesus in their ranks. Because I was unable to secure a ticket for the match itself, I will, therefore, be watching the SKY Soccer Saturday news updates from deep behind the sofa on Saturday afternoon.

Verdict: Another hammering for the Clarets is on the cards, predicting with extreme sadness I will have to go with a 5-0 home win.

Footnote: Last time I was at the Emirates my son insisted we went because it was Arsene Wenger’s last game in charge of the Gunners. We got shot down 5-0. Same again on Saturday, I think. (TEC.)

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[sinkov]

In Michael Oliver we have the best referee in the country officiating, but sadly it's a low bar, he's simply the best of a bad bunch and he will have VAR chirping in his ear all afternoon, doing what VAR does best, which is ruin potenrially good games of football.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

In Michael Oliver we have the best referee in the country officiating, but sadly it's a low bar, he's simply the best of a bad bunch and he will have VAR chirping in his ear all afternoon, doing what VAR does best, which is ruin potenrially good games of football.

It's like a PlayStation FIFA game now mon ami. We now have to wait while FIVE eejits think they need to overrule the match officials' decisions while playing on their laptops. It's bloody rubbish.

[sinkov]

It's like a PlayStation FIFA game now mon ami. We now have to wait while FIVE eejits think they need to overrule the match officials' decisions while playing on their laptops. It's bloody rubbish.

One ray of hope, virtually every manager is sick to the back teeth of it now, and they are kicking up about it non stop, even Gareth slagged VAR off at his Presser today. If anyone can get rid of it it's the managers.

[ClaretinBudapest]

It's like a PlayStation FIFA game now mon ami. We now have to wait while FIVE eejits think they need to overrule the match officials' decisions while playing on their laptops. It's bloody rubbish.

Cant wait to get back to the Championship-it was far more enjoyable as a spectacle without VAR.To top it all we won a few games as well.

[Supersub6]

One ray of hope, virtually every manager is sick to the back teeth of it now, and they are kicking up about it non stop, even Gareth slagged VAR off at his Presser today. If anyone can get rid of it it's the managers.

Sadly, sinkov, my guess is that FIFA will be more likely to want to introduce robot officials at the top level, along with the line technology which already exists. Heaven forbid that this happens, however, I have no confidence in anything that those ruining football do these days.

[sinkov]

It's like a PlayStation FIFA game now mon ami. We now have to wait while FIVE eejits think they need to overrule the match officials' decisions while playing on their laptops. It's bloody rubbish.

Being curious, and a bit bored, I've just checked the amount of time the ball was in play in the first half of the Spurs v Chelsea game. The half dragged on for 57 minutes due to a contiuous VAR pantomime, but the ball was actually in play for just over 22 minutes. Fans should be able to prosecute them under the Trades Descriptions Act, they are paying for a 90 minute game of football and not getting even close to that. 22 minutes play in one half is absolutely shocking, it's simply not on.

[Tap in MN]

Arsene's idea of making the criterium for offside clear daylight between the players would simplify the decision making and lead to more goals.
Calling the ref over after a 5 min scrutiny is rediculous.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Being curious, and a bit bored, I've just checked the amount of time the ball was in play in the first half of the Spurs v Chelsea game. The half dragged on for 57 minutes due to a contiuous VAR pantomime, but the ball was actually in play for just over 22 minutes. Fans should be able to prosecute them under the Trades Descriptions Act, they are paying for a 90 minute game of football and not getting even close to that. 22 minutes play in one half is absolutely shocking, it's simply not on.

That is f*cking ridiculous mon ami. How much longer will they let this pantomime go on?

[outwoodclaret]

Arsene's idea of making the criterium for offside clear daylight between the players would simplify the decision making and lead to more goals.
Calling the ref over after a 5 min scrutiny is rediculous.

All of that true Tap but how how can any of us be sure the VAR officials would not f*ck up clear daylight as comprehensively as they have on offsides already?