A good advert for the game of football?
Discussion
I think ref let a lot go throughout the game.
Both players grabbing each other. all a bit silly. I think If I was Harland I would play more for fouls, with the eventual 'yellow for shirt pull' than 'fighting back'. I think don't think was really a head butt.. if it was it was then it was the worst head butt ever.
Both players grabbing each other. all a bit silly. I think If I was Harland I would play more for fouls, with the eventual 'yellow for shirt pull' than 'fighting back'. I think don't think was really a head butt.. if it was it was then it was the worst head butt ever.
FazerBoy said:
It was a head rub - not a head butt.
Definitely not a red card - although credit to Haaland for not acting as if poleaxed, as most current players would have.
It was a red card all day long. He lost his head in the moment.Definitely not a red card - although credit to Haaland for not acting as if poleaxed, as most current players would have.
On the OP's point, I thought the old school physical battle between them was great to watch.
Yeah fair play to Haaland, 9/10 Prem players would've hit the deck like they'd been hit with a .50 cal in the same situation, which makes the incentive to dive even greater as the ref let it go with a yellow. He probably got a b
king off Pep for not going down.
I can't stand Gabriel he seemed to be the aggressor nibbling away at Haaland the whole match. But I do like to see some physicality and passion, so I wouldn't say it was a bad thing for the game.
king off Pep for not going down.I can't stand Gabriel he seemed to be the aggressor nibbling away at Haaland the whole match. But I do like to see some physicality and passion, so I wouldn't say it was a bad thing for the game.
J6542 said:
The 2 off them have played like that whenever they face up. It was ridiculous that var never got involved to upgrade to a red card. What he done has been a straight red for at least 20 years. He now gets to play the next 3 matches and helps with their title push.
Giving them a yellow each was good refereeing and about time referees started to make good decisions for the benefit of the game. Too much goes into the rules and the interpretation of them. Glassman said:
Giving them a yellow each was good refereeing and about time referees started to make good decisions for the benefit of the game. Too much goes into the rules and the interpretation of them.
Says the Arsenal fan..Had it been the other way around I imagine your take on it "benefiting the game" might have been a bit different.

SWoll said:
Glassman said:
Giving them a yellow each was good refereeing and about time referees started to make good decisions for the benefit of the game. Too much goes into the rules and the interpretation of them.
Says the Arsenal fan..Had it been the other way around I imagine your take on it "benefiting the game" might have been a bit different.

The biggest problem is with the players, as demonstrated by Haaland in this case. Had he dropped to the ground clutching his face, it's most probably - almost definitely - a dismissal for Gabriel. They were both at each other for most of the game and if I really wanted to be 'that' Arsenal fan, I could have said Haaland's goal should have been chalked off given how he was grappling with Gabriel in the box leading up to him rifling the ball into the net.
Good refereeing for a change.
Skyedriver said:
I'm probably in the minority here but was yesterday's tussles between Haarland and Gabriel really what football is all about?
Torn shirts, wrestling, headbutts?
You see the size of Haarland? If you didn't "manhandle" him he'd score a hat trick every game!Torn shirts, wrestling, headbutts?
Fair play to him though for not going down which seems a plague on the Premier League at the moment.
TX.
Glassman said:
Maybe; but having played rugby (only played five-a-side footy after quitting rugby, and later managing my son's Sunday team) I'm in favour of good refereeing. In football it's frustrating because there are too many facets which result in making a decision so debatable when it's made.
The biggest problem is with the players, as demonstrated by Haaland in this case. Had he dropped to the ground clutching his face, it's most probably - almost definitely - a dismissal for Gabriel. They were both at each other for most of the game and if I really wanted to be 'that' Arsenal fan, I could have said Haaland's goal should have been chalked off given how he was grappling with Gabriel in the box leading up to him rifling the ball into the net.
Good refereeing for a change.
The grappling for the goal was a perfect example of 50/50 and what they were up to all game.The biggest problem is with the players, as demonstrated by Haaland in this case. Had he dropped to the ground clutching his face, it's most probably - almost definitely - a dismissal for Gabriel. They were both at each other for most of the game and if I really wanted to be 'that' Arsenal fan, I could have said Haaland's goal should have been chalked off given how he was grappling with Gabriel in the box leading up to him rifling the ball into the net.
Good refereeing for a change.
Terrible decision on the red card as just shows players that play acting in those situations is the way forward. Haaland even confirmed that after the game.
Terminator X said:
Fair play to him though for not going down which seems a plague on the Premier League at the moment.
Whilst I agree, I'd b3 willing to guarantee a word has been had with him afterwards and he may well react differently in future. Losing Gabriel for 3 games thanks to his lack of composure would have been a massive blow to Arsenals title challenge.Edited by SWoll on Tuesday 21st April 09:37
Gary29 said:
Yeah fair play to Haaland, 9/10 Prem players would've hit the deck like they'd been hit with a .50 cal in the same situation, which makes the incentive to dive even greater as the ref let it go with a yellow. He probably got a b
king off Pep for not going down.
I can't stand Gabriel he seemed to be the aggressor nibbling away at Haaland the whole match. But I do like to see some physicality and passion, so I wouldn't say it was a bad thing for the game.
Haaland definitely wouldn't have got a b
king off Pep for not going down.I can't stand Gabriel he seemed to be the aggressor nibbling away at Haaland the whole match. But I do like to see some physicality and passion, so I wouldn't say it was a bad thing for the game.
king off Pep for not going down, Pep hates any play acting and simulation from his own players.I agree there's nothing wrong with aggression and physicality in the game but unfortunately it seems only certain teams and players are allowed to get away with it, Grappler Maguire and the midget "Butcher" at Man united being two particularly obvious examples.
Glassman said:
Maybe; but having played rugby (only played five-a-side footy after quitting rugby, and later managing my son's Sunday team) I'm in favour of good refereeing. In football it's frustrating because there are too many facets which result in making a decision so debatable when it's made.
The biggest problem is with the players, as demonstrated by Haaland in this case. Had he dropped to the ground clutching his face, it's most probably - almost definitely - a dismissal for Gabriel. They were both at each other for most of the game and if I really wanted to be 'that' Arsenal fan, I could have said Haaland's goal should have been chalked off given how he was grappling with Gabriel in the box leading up to him rifling the ball into the net.
Good refereeing for a change.
I agree as a fellow Gooner, I absolute hate Haaland but give him plenty of credit for not going down like a little kid. His goal should have been chalked off so this evens the playing field at least. The biggest problem is with the players, as demonstrated by Haaland in this case. Had he dropped to the ground clutching his face, it's most probably - almost definitely - a dismissal for Gabriel. They were both at each other for most of the game and if I really wanted to be 'that' Arsenal fan, I could have said Haaland's goal should have been chalked off given how he was grappling with Gabriel in the box leading up to him rifling the ball into the net.
Good refereeing for a change.
Rugby refereeing needs to come into football more. Only the captain to speak to ref, no effing and blinding if you do its a yellow - time to start setting an example for kids not just for football but as an example of how you speak to people in authority and that there are consequences if you speak out of turn/line.
Same with the players going down like they've been shot. Let the referee ref the game not the play acting. If you're that injured you receive treatment and go off the pitch.
I thought the ref dealt with it well.
I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
Shooter McGavin said:
I thought the ref dealt with it well.
I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
It's an escalation of the level of aggression and lack of control. You could see from Gabriel's reaction once he'd calmed down that even he though he was off.I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
Shooter McGavin said:
I thought the ref dealt with it well.
I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
It's how the rule gets interpreted. If there's interpretation, that rule then becomes subjective. In that case, the referee can look at it, and do what he's there to do: adjudicate. If he's not sure, ask VAR for a review. That said, the process is still flaky and very inconsistent. This is why I was pleased (and relieved) to see the referee handle Gabriel and Haaland by issuing a yellow each. I hate this rule of "moved his head towards him" when it isn't a full on headbutt.
I fully expected Haaland to go down as if he'd just been shot from the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, as players are instructed to do, I felt a yellow for both was sensible.
SWoll said:
There's a surprise. 
Looks about as 50/50 as it gets to my eyes at least. Gabriel didn't complain either.

Even if it had been chalked off, that hardly balances out potentially losing your best CB for 3 games with 5 left?
Interestingly looking at that photo is Haaland denying Gabriel the chance to defend and had he have missed would Gabriel be deemed to have stopped a decent scoring opportunity and be given a penalty? 
Looks about as 50/50 as it gets to my eyes at least. Gabriel didn't complain either.
Even if it had been chalked off, that hardly balances out potentially losing your best CB for 3 games with 5 left?
2 wrongs make a right or...?
Whats the neutrals view on that
FazerBoy said:
It was a head rub - not a head butt.
Definitely not a red card - although credit to Haaland for not acting as if poleaxed, as most current players would have.
Give over. It was a red card all day long. How the VAR concluded it was "not excessively aggressive or violent" I will never understand.Definitely not a red card - although credit to Haaland for not acting as if poleaxed, as most current players would have.
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