Gabby

[pauliewalnuts]

I've spoken to people who saw Arsenal play and said everything good they did came through Wilshire.  Maybe he is that good but Villa stopped him playing, to their credit?

I thought personally most of Arsenal's good play came through Rosicky.

Me too. I thought he was their best player by a mile.

Is he due a contract extension or something, because he normally mopes about ineffectively like a moody teenage girl?

[john e]

I thought he was outstanding on Saturday, however I was disappointed to see him applauding the referee upon the red card being shown to the Arsenal defender, we're better than that.

Normally I'd agree. 

But the other way to look at it was he wasn't overawed by the occasion, or fearful of the response.  Arsenal like to portray themselves as a class above.  But they have plenty of irritating little shits who like to moan at the ref when the opposition have the audacity to tackle them. 

A smug sense of entitlement seems to run through that club. 

when you say 'normally i'd agree' you mean when its everyone elses players, but because its one of ours I will make an exeption

No, I actually mean what I said. 

Those sophisticated cultured gooners have enough shitbags in their team so as to render any cries of foul play or injustice null and void.

See also Nani's sending off last season, when the Madrid player did a full pirourette before flopping to the ground.  In most instances, that sort of behavior would be disagreeable.  But because it happened to one of the biggest cheats in the game, he and Ol'Beetroot features didn't have a leg to stand on.

no you meant exactly what I said you meant,
 that applauding the ref is acceptable depending on who its against, the rules of your opinion changes from person to person from team to team, its whats known as hypocrisy, when you say one thing but do another when it affects you

I dont agree with clapping the ref, I dont agree with showing fake red cards, I dont agree with diving, if someone says its all part of the game and accepts it when it goes against them, that's fine,
but I dont agree with it whether its our players or theirs

Armstrong said he took drugs because everyone else was doing it, its no excuse
we should be better than the rest, not falling to the lowest kind of behaviour on the pitch because everybody else does it

and all that stuff about being nasty is just bullshit (I know you didn't say that) but clapping a ref when he's sent someone off is not being nasty, its just being a twat
and I say that whether its Gabby or Terry or Suarez

[Chris Smith]

I thought he was outstanding on Saturday, however I was disappointed to see him applauding the referee upon the red card being shown to the Arsenal defender, we're better than that.

Normally I'd agree. 

But the other way to look at it was he wasn't overawed by the occasion, or fearful of the response.  Arsenal like to portray themselves as a class above.  But they have plenty of irritating little shits who like to moan at the ref when the opposition have the audacity to tackle them. 

A smug sense of entitlement seems to run through that club. 

when you say 'normally i'd agree' you mean when its everyone elses players, but because its one of ours I will make an exeption

No, I actually mean what I said. 

Those sophisticated cultured gooners have enough shitbags in their team so as to render any cries of foul play or injustice null and void.

See also Nani's sending off last season, when the Madrid player did a full pirourette before flopping to the ground.  In most instances, that sort of behavior would be disagreeable.  But because it happened to one of the biggest cheats in the game, he and Ol'Beetroot features didn't have a leg to stand on.

no you meant exactly what I said you meant,
 that applauding the ref is acceptable depending on who its against, the rules of your opinion changes from person to person from team to team, its whats known as hypocrisy, when you say one thing but do another when it affects you

I dont agree with clapping the ref, I dont agree with showing fake red cards, I dont agree with diving, if someone says its all part of the game and accepts it when it goes against them, that's fine,
but I dont agree with it whether its our players or theirs

Armstrong said he took drugs because everyone else was doing it, its no excuse
we should be better than the rest, not falling to the lowest kind of behaviour on the pitch because everybody else does it

and all that stuff about being nasty is just bullshit (I know you didn't say that) but clapping a ref when he's sent someone off is not being nasty, its just being a twat
and I say that whether its Gabby or Terry or Suarez

Why does showing your approval when the ref gets something right make you a twat? All this after you Claude stuff is bollocks.

[seanthevillan]

I don't get the difference between waving an imaginary card, clapping the ref, or just going up to the ref and telling him to send someone off. The first two are generally despised, yet everyone does the last one and nobody says a thing.

I remember one of Gabby's first games under MON - the 2-0 win over Chelsea - where he made one tackle, and Terry was straight at the ref (Rob Styles?) and he got booked. This is just the way all teams are now, and if you aren't at the ref you might lose an advantage. Not that I think this is the best way to play or behave, its just the way it is.

[aj2k77]

Not bothered a jot about showing lack of class against the tarquins. I want more players to not be overawed, accept shit homer decisions and walk round predominantly quiet all game accepting our fate.

I want to see us piss the opposing fans off, wind the players up, get in their faces, be in the refs ears and win. I wont be remembering any particular matches where we acted like gents and then got beat in years to come and gamesmanship is a big factor in top level football, like it or not.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Just before the ref gave the second yellow and red, Gabby gave the ref the'V's, I guess to let him know it was the second offence or card. One thing about Gabby is he always plays 'fair play' and with a smile on his face. He really seems to enjoy playing. I'd imagine Gabby was a bit tired of watching that Arsenal donkey run around the pitch all day kicking lumps out of him and his teammates.

By applauding, he probably thought "about bloody time".

[KevinGage]

I thought he was outstanding on Saturday, however I was disappointed to see him applauding the referee upon the red card being shown to the Arsenal defender, we're better than that.

Normally I'd agree. 

But the other way to look at it was he wasn't overawed by the occasion, or fearful of the response.  Arsenal like to portray themselves as a class above.  But they have plenty of irritating little shits who like to moan at the ref when the opposition have the audacity to tackle them. 

A smug sense of entitlement seems to run through that club. 

when you say 'normally i'd agree' you mean when its everyone elses players, but because its one of ours I will make an exeption

No, I actually mean what I said. 

Those sophisticated cultured gooners have enough shitbags in their team so as to render any cries of foul play or injustice null and void.

See also Nani's sending off last season, when the Madrid player did a full pirourette before flopping to the ground.  In most instances, that sort of behavior would be disagreeable.  But because it happened to one of the biggest cheats in the game, he and Ol'Beetroot features didn't have a leg to stand on.

no you meant exactly what I said you meant,
 that applauding the ref is acceptable depending on who its against, the rules of your opinion changes from person to person from team to team, its whats known as hypocrisy, when you say one thing but do another when it affects you

I dont agree with clapping the ref, I dont agree with showing fake red cards, I dont agree with diving, if someone says its all part of the game and accepts it when it goes against them, that's fine,
but I dont agree with it whether its our players or theirs

Armstrong said he took drugs because everyone else was doing it, its no excuse
we should be better than the rest, not falling to the lowest kind of behaviour on the pitch because everybody else does it

and all that stuff about being nasty is just bullshit (I know you didn't say that) but clapping a ref when he's sent someone off is not being nasty, its just being a twat
and I say that whether its Gabby or Terry or Suarez

Well I am a hypocrite, amongst many other endearing qualities.   

I don't see how it's hypocrisy if I'm happy to see Arsenal suffer a nice dose of karma regardless of opposition though.  Stoke City as an outfit have virtually no redeeming features whatsoever.  But I always enjoyed how they got under Wenger's skin and made him bleat about the unfairness of it all.

Please advise me why I would feel this way - or whether I actually feel that way at all. As you seem to know better than I do. 

I'm not in your league when it comes to mind reading, I'll admit.  I'm probably not brimming with Corinthian spirit to the same extent you are either.   I do know that any comparison between Gabby's antics on Saturday and Armstrong's fraudulent career are ludicrous, mind.

[john e]

I thought he was outstanding on Saturday, however I was disappointed to see him applauding the referee upon the red card being shown to the Arsenal defender, we're better than that.

Normally I'd agree. 

But the other way to look at it was he wasn't overawed by the occasion, or fearful of the response.  Arsenal like to portray themselves as a class above.  But they have plenty of irritating little shits who like to moan at the ref when the opposition have the audacity to tackle them. 

A smug sense of entitlement seems to run through that club. 

when you say 'normally i'd agree' you mean when its everyone elses players, but because its one of ours I will make an exeption

No, I actually mean what I said. 

Those sophisticated cultured gooners have enough shitbags in their team so as to render any cries of foul play or injustice null and void.

See also Nani's sending off last season, when the Madrid player did a full pirourette before flopping to the ground.  In most instances, that sort of behavior would be disagreeable.  But because it happened to one of the biggest cheats in the game, he and Ol'Beetroot features didn't have a leg to stand on.

no you meant exactly what I said you meant,
 that applauding the ref is acceptable depending on who its against, the rules of your opinion changes from person to person from team to team, its whats known as hypocrisy, when you say one thing but do another when it affects you

I dont agree with clapping the ref, I dont agree with showing fake red cards, I dont agree with diving, if someone says its all part of the game and accepts it when it goes against them, that's fine,
but I dont agree with it whether its our players or theirs

Armstrong said he took drugs because everyone else was doing it, its no excuse
we should be better than the rest, not falling to the lowest kind of behaviour on the pitch because everybody else does it

and all that stuff about being nasty is just bullshit (I know you didn't say that) but clapping a ref when he's sent someone off is not being nasty, its just being a twat
and I say that whether its Gabby or Terry or Suarez

Well I am a hypocrite, amongst many other endearing qualities.   

I don't see how it's hypocrisy if I'm happy to see Arsenal suffer a nice dose of karma regardless of opposition though.  Stoke City as an outfit have virtually no redeeming features whatsoever.  But I always enjoyed how they got under Wenger's skin and made him bleat about the unfairness of it all.

Please advise me why I would feel this way - or whether I actually feel that way at all. As you seem to know better than I do. 

I'm not in your league when it comes to mind reading, I'll admit.  I'm probably not brimming with Corinthian spirit to the same extent you are either.   I do know that any comparison between Gabby's antics on Saturday and Armstrong's fraudulent career are ludicrous, mind.

OK, i'm gona leave it there for two reasons

1, the subject is not that important, Gabby clapping right or wrong doesn't really matter
2, I don't want to get into a slagging match with a good poster who I enjoy reading

[eamonn]

It's true that Gabby smiles a lot when a foul is given against him. It's a nice reaction rather than Jack Wilshere, brow-furrowed, effing and blinding.

[mrfuse]

personally i don't have a problem with players clapping the ref and I think its different than showing a fake card, which I disagree with. One is applauding a ref's decision which you agree with and the other is telling the ref what he should do which is unacceptable.

[KevinGage]

Plus, rather than gaining any advantage, if an opposition player signals to the ref that a second yellow card should get brandished quite often it could have the opposite effect. 

In the flow of the game, a ref might have forgotten he's carded the player before, and thinks the challenge is worthy of a yellow.  He acts on instinct, and it might only be when he gets the book out that his memory is jogged. By then, he might be too far along to go back on his initial response, and so he goes through with the red.

Whereas if he has an opposition player telling him 'that's a second yellow,' he might pull back and think, bad challenge, but not bad enough to make a match altering decision. 

[TonyD]

He is gonna score tonight.   The winner or the equaliser.

[Damo70]

Plus, rather than gaining any advantage, if an opposition player signals to the ref that a second yellow card should get brandished quite often it could have the opposite effect. 

In the flow of the game, a ref might have forgotten he's carded the player before, and thinks the challenge is worthy of a yellow.  He acts on instinct, and it might only be when he gets the book out that his memory is jogged. By then, he might be too far along to go back on his initial response, and so he goes through with the red.

Whereas if he has an opposition player telling him 'that's a second yellow,' he might pull back and think, bad challenge, but not bad enough to make a match altering decision.

Interesting point.

[hipkiss92]

How is Gabby applauding the ref for sending Koscielny off any worse or 'less classy' than all our supporters cheering and celebrating when the red card was shown? All our players are going to be pleased about it after all.

[Olneythelonely]

How is Gabby applauding the ref for sending Koscielny off any worse or 'less classy' than all our supporters cheering and celebrating when the red card was shown? All our players are going to be pleased about it after all.

I was going to make this point. Gabby is a fan afterall.