Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl frustrated with referees unable to prevent time wasting tactics by players #SaintsFC

March 14, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl admits he “understands” Watford’s desire to waste time while leading, but questions whether supporters want to see it with referees and officials left powerless. Roy Hodgson’s side won 2-1 and picked up a crucial three points to lift them to 18th in the Premier League and level on points with Everton, after a first-half Cucho Hernandez double. The relegation scrappers proceeded to slow the game down at every opportunity, keeping Saints out for the entirety of the second-half despite Moi Elyounoussi getting one back before the break. It was the second time in a week that the St Mary’s support had watched on as a team put backs against the wall and used the dark arts to “disrupt the rhythm” of Hasenhuttl’s side, after Newcastle’s 2-1 victory on Thursday “We know that the Premier League is a tough league,” Hasenhuttl said, speaking after the match. “And when you have a start like we had today, a chance to score and then concede a goal, nearly an own goal, and then things are going in a different direction. “I must congratulate Watford for the three points, they absolutely need them, they deserve them because of their defensive performance. Their coolness and cleverness. “I would maybe do the same when in a relegation battle, I don’t know if I want to see this in the Premier League where every action is stopped immediately with one laying on the ground after every foul.” He continued: “But I understand this, they are fighting for their life. It is hard then to find the rhythm for us, hard to find our game and this is the second time this week this happens. “Against Newcastle it was very similar, we must learn to find solutions to this. As a young team we must learn to stay cool, to stay patient and to break them down and create chances to score. But that good we are not so far, this is what we have to learn. “Our decision making was driven from stress, from impatience and not waiting for the right moment because of what I have just said. “This is what we are missing at the moment. You could feel that we had definitely not our highest level with the ball and not our highest level against the ball. Then it looks like this.” Asked if the referees should be doing more to prevent it, Hasenhuttl admitted they could not. “I had the discussion on Thursday evening with the same couple (Graham Scott and Kevin Friend),” he revealed. “The other one was the fourth official and the other was leading the match and what can they do? “This is a very difficult situation for them, they stop games because somebody is lying on the ground. We can never keep on playing, what can they do? “This is tough, I understand completely they are in a relegation battle and need everything to stop our rhythm, I only don’t know if people want to see this? “This is not for me to decide, but for the supporters to decide if they want to see this.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl not happy with referee decision before Newcastle’s winner #SAINTSFC #NUFC

March 11, 2022
BOSS Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted his frustration over a decision in the build-up to Newcastle’s second goal, during their 2-1 defeat at St Mary’s. The Saints manager insisted referee Kevin Friend should not have awarded a free-kick, which eventually paved the way to a corner for the visitors on the south coast. From that set-piece, former Saints left-back Matt Targett’s corner was headed down at the far post by Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes improvised to back-heel the ball into the roof of the net for the winner. Hasenhuttl, who saw Stuart Armstrong’s opener wiped out by Chris Wood’s first goal for the Magpies, was left frustrated by the pivotal passage of play. He said: “After the break, I think the second goal – we (the sides) had a foul on the middle line, what for me wasn’t a foul. “Then a long free-kick which leads to a corner, then from a corner it leads to a goal. “It’s frustrating but we have to speak about the fact that it’s not possible we need two or three goals to win the game. This is fact - one must sometimes also be enough “Although we could also score more from today – but this is the difference, as I said, and we have to turn this thing around in the next game here in the next one against Watford. “It’s a must to put it on our side.” Defeat left Saints with back-to-back losses in the division, with the St Mary’s side 10th in the league table.
Graham Potter Brighton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Graham Potter thinks Lewis Dunk was incorrectly red carded against Manchester United #BHAFC #MUFC

February 16, 2022
Graham Potter has backed Lewis Dunk over his red card at Old Trafford. Referee Peter Bankes initially showed yellow before being directed to the pitchside monitor. Albion head coach Potter said: “It was a yellow card live. “Adam Webster was around on the cover. “It’s not clear and obvious that he can’t get there so I don’t understand the intervention. “I don’t know what the stats are but, when the referee goes over to the monitor, it seems it’s only going to go one way.” United made strong representations to Bankes when Dunk was shown yellow – to the extent that Bruno Fernandes was booked. GRAHAM POTTER VERDICT AS BRIGHTON LOSE TO MANCHESTER UNITED Potter was asked by a reporter based in the North West whether the home team were over-zealous in their arguments. He replied: “I think asking the question, you’re answering the question.” Pushed to respond himself, he added: “I don’t blame them, I’m not being critical. MANCHESTER UNITED 2 BRIGHTON 0: OUR LIVE REPORT “They have got to their bit for their team, which I respect. "Then you need the referee and VAR and to make the calls independent of any external pressure, which isn’t easy.”
Tino Livramento
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl wants Referees to protect lively Tino Livramento #SAINTSFC

November 19, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl says he’s not worried by the amount of fouls Tino Livramento is drawing but insists that: “Referees should take care of him when there is a situation like last game.” The Saints boss is referring to the constant fouling from Anwar El Ghazi during the 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, when the Dutchman was booked early on for tugging the teenager to the ground. After being booked, the Villa man landed at least one or two more late tackles on Livramento but escaped further punishment, before Livramento himself left the field looking bruised and battered. The 19-year-old former Chelsea product then had to withdraw from England under-21 duty with an unspecified injury, while statistics emerged that showed he is the most fouled defender in the Premier League. Read more At such a young age and having played 11 consecutive Premier League matches, the Saints boss was asked if he’s concerned by the methods opposition teams are using to stop his dynamic advances. Tino Livramento has played every game of the Premier League season so far (Pic: Stuart Martin) “That means that he doesn’t stop going one-on-one when he has the chance to do it,” Hasenhuttl said, of the statistic. “He is super quick when he has the ball and when he is passing the players, the only chance they have is to sometimes take a foul because otherwise he’s gone. “This is a big strength of ours this season, and we have to use him as often as possible.” He continued: “It’s always a good sign that he’s lively and hard to stop. As long as he’s not injured after this, it’s OK. “We must take care of him, and the referees should also take care of him when there is a situation like the last game when his opponent should have been sent off after 30 minutes. Tino Livramento is the most fouled defender in the 2021-22 Premier League (Pic: Stuart Martin) “They must have open eyes for these situations. But, for him, I’m not scared because he likes to do this and he has all the ability to do this. It’s what I want to see.” Of all players in the Premier League, only Crystal Palace’s tricky forward Wilfried Zaha and Watford’s enigmatic winger Ismaila Sarr have been fouled on more occasions (31) than Livramento’s 26. What’s more remarkable is that Livramento is also in the top 10 of all players for most successful tackles (28), showing his industry at both ends for Saints. Holding midfielder Oriol Romeu also shares that same statistic with his young teammate.
Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PL Stories- #MikelArteta wants answers from referees as Aston Villa expose Arsenal’s weakness #ArsenalFC

February 7, 2021
It was another disappointing defeat for Arsenal on the road today as Mikel Arteta's Gunners lost out against Aston Villa. Ollie Watkins' second minute strike sealed all three points for Dean Smith's men at Villa Park as Arsenal failed to break down a stubborn Villa side. It was a result that left Arsenal in tenth place in the table and nine points behind Liverpool in fourth, having played one game more than the Reds. As a result, Arsenal are facing a battle to try and qualify for European football via the Premier League this season, with Arteta's Gunners losing ten of their 23 league games so far this season. Below, we look at the talking points from the game. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel New signings impress for Arsenal There weren't many for Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime so it makes sense to start with the positives. The Gunners were relatively active in the transfer window, shipping several players out but also bringing a couple in. The first of them was Mat Ryan on loan from Brighton who made his debut for the club he supported as a boy in the absence of the suspended Bernd Leno. Things didn't exactly start off to plan for the Australian who conceded before even getting a touch on the ball as Cedric's weak pass and Rob Holding's slack marking allowed Ollie Watkins to give Aston Villa an early lead. From that point on though Ryan was faultless. The 28-year-old pulled off splendid stops from Watkins, Jack Grealish and Bertrand Traore to bail out the Gunners defenders in front of him on several occasions. His form, especially when compared to the shaky displays of Runar Alex Runarsson between the sticks this season, was another example of how important it is to have a top quality back up goalkeeper for a team at Arsenal's level. BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06: Mat Ryan of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on February 06, 2021 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) This may well be his only chance in a Gunners shirt with Leno set to return next week, but if that is the case he's done plenty to suggest a permanent move come the summer might not be the worst piece of business. Further upfield it was a second appearance from fellow loanee Martin Odegaard that also really caught the eye. The Norwegian drifted all over the pitch looking to play balls forward and penetrate the Villa defence through the middle in a way that Arsenal had struggled to do a bit before his introduction. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles Odegaard also showed off his ability to dovetail with Emile Smith Rowe as the two combined well to create some decent chances. The only downer on his cameo was that he missed arguably the Gunners' best chance of the match, blazing over the top from just inside the box after a Bukayo Saka pull back. Despite the result the performances of both indicated that strength in depth is no longer an issue for Arsenal in the goalkeeping and attacking midfield positions. Full backs react It was a day to forget for both of Arsenal's full backs. Cedric was at fault for the first goal as a weak pass to Gabriel was seized upon by allowing Villa to take the lead. The 29-year-old was visibly angry after the error and was captured on camera gesticulating angrily and lambasting himself for ultimately proved to be a game-deciding error. It did not get much better for the Portuguese defender after that, as he was careless in possession and given the run around by a winger named Traore for the second time in as many matches. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles Cedric is playing out of position in all fairness to him, but it was no surprise to see him hooked at half time. Having just praised Arsenal's business in January it is worth just tempering that by asking what might have been if they had been able to bring in a left back. Retrospectively Junior Firpo of Barcelona has been linked and it's safe to say the Spaniard would have been a better signing than Patrick van Aanholt or Ryan Bertrand. But with Kieran Tierney still out the Gunners will have to soldier on without a specialist in the position. Mikel Arteta said himself that the club "could not do everything" in the transfer window, but it's looking like they may have missed a trick here. ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Hector Bellerin and Cedric of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on September 27, 2020 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Over on the other side Hector Bellerin, who once again skippered the side in the starting absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was not much better. The Spaniard has actually been much improved this season and has faced some harsh stick as the team around him has failed to pick up points. But on Saturday there was no hiding for Bellerin, whose attacking output was simply not of the standard required. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles Consistently poor crosses and pull backs were compounded by consistently giving the ball away. Again the disappointment with his own performance was clear as the 25-year-old could be seen hopping around in frustration at his inability to play a simple ball to Nicolas Pepe when the Gunners looked to counter. The question may seem harsh but it does have to be asked if Bellerin would be starting were Tierney fit. Cedric may have had a poor performance today, but the Spaniard's underwhelming displays are becoming something of a worrying trend for the Gunners. Old habits die hard The press conference after the game was a strange one as Mikel Arteta began by refusing to open up on what he had said to referee Chris Kavanagh at the full time whistle (more on that later). Stranger still though was the Spaniard's assessment of a highly underwhelming display from his side. "Really strong performance again today," said Arteta. "We completely dominated the game, we dominated every department and we should have won the game. "But, in the Premier League when you just give a goal to opponents, and we gave them another three opportunities to be fair ourselves, we gifted it to them, and then you are not ruthless in the box, you cannot win these games. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles "The rest, the way the team played, the energy that they showed, the quality that they showed, the amount of chances and situations that we created, how quickly we regained the ball, how we controlled long balls second balls, how aggressive we were, just incredible." Having seen his side struggle to break down a Villa who were probably the better team on that day it was difficult to argue that Arteta's analysis really rang true. Instead it felt like Arsenal were returning to some of the more concerning characteristics seen in the winless November and December run. A dejected Emile Smith Rowe after Arsenal concede against Villa. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images) Despite having 67% of the possession and nearly double the number of passes, the Gunners ended up with less than half of the number of shots of their opponents. The attacking talents of Aubameyang, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Pepe and Willian were all on the pitch by the end of the game, but at no point did Arsenal ever really look like they were going to score. Of course he will try and put a positive spin on things to the press after, but it will be a worry for Arteta, that his side are showing signs of what he has worked so hard to move them away from. More refereeing controversy Going into the game the sense of injustice around Arsenal was already pretty palpable. The FA's decision to uphold the red card of David Luiz but overrule that of Southampton defender Jan Bednarek was something Mikel Arteta was openly questioning in his pre-match interview. "We put a case and hoped it would be overturned," he told BT Sport. "It didn’t surprisingly, but it did with the Southampton boy. But we have to accept it." What happened in the game will have done little to make the Spaniard think that his team were getting the rub of the green when it came to refereeing decisions. Mikel Arteta interacts with Referee, Chris Kavanagh after Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa. (Image: Nick Potts - Pool/Getty Images) Ezri Konsa was only booked for hauling down Bukayo Saka when it seemed as though the England international was clear on goal, while VAR chose not to deem Emi Martinez's shirt pull on Alexandre Lacazette worthy of a penalty on closer inspection. After the game Arteta marched towards the centre circle in order to remonstrate with Chris Kavanagh and his refereeing team. On camera the Spaniard could be heard saying "I am speaking to you with respect," but the officials simply had no interest in engaging. It is tiresome to write about referees and in reality if the decisions had gone Arsenal's way it would have been harsh on Aston Villa, who were deserved winners on the day. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles But decisions haven't fallen for the Gunners in recent games, something which Arteta was keen to point out after the game. "No," he said when asked if there was consistency in the decisions referees have been making in the Premier League this season. "As you can see me, I was really animated for a few decisions and one big decision that I will not discuss here as well what happened." Sign up to our Arsenal newsletter for the latest transfer news By signing up for our Arsenal newsletter, you will receive a once-daily email, focused around goings-on at Emirates Stadium. You won't miss a thing when it comes to the Gunners - you'll get all you need to know directly into your inbox. We'll also send out special newsletters with any big breaking news too. And with the January transfer window now open there's plenty of content to get your teeth into. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. And that's it, you're all set. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. For more details, click here. In fairness to the Gunners boss he was intent on refusing to use the perceived injustice as an excuse. "But it’s what it is," he added. "It’s not an excuse. Regardless of those decisions we have to win the game. It’s as simple as that." But the reality is that his side do not appear to have luck on there side at the moment, which even the greatest need to succeed.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PL Stories- #OleGunnarSolskjaer agrees with #MikelArteta over #DavidLuiz decision #ArsenalFC

February 4, 2021
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has delivered his verdict on David Luiz's red card against Wolves. Luiz was sent off during Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Tuesday night, initially receiving a yellow card before Craig Pawson reviewed the incident on the VAR monitor and upgraded it to a red card. The decision proved pivotal with the Gunners 1-0 up at the time, going on to lose 2-1, and goalkeeper Bernd Leno was also sent off, coming out of his box and pushing a through ball away with his arm in the second half. Fans were left furious with Luiz's red card, and many pundits agreed, the Arsenal defender doing his best to pull away from Willian Jose whose trailing leg seemed to cause the tangle. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Manchester United boss Solskjaer was another who disagreed with the call having watched the game before his side thrashed Southampton 9-0 at Old Trafford later in the evening. "Funnily enough, I had a discussion with referees before the game and just asked them about David Luiz sending off, because I didn’t think he should’ve been sent off and Bednarek definitely shouldn't have been sent off," he told the Manchester Evening News. Mikel Arteta, of course, agreed, saying: "If there's any contact it's him with David. Again, I don't know if they have a different angle what they have or you have. "That's where the disappointment is coming from. It's hard enough to win football games in the league and those big decisions are like that but it's nothing we can change at the moment." Sign up to our Arsenal newsletter for the latest transfer news By signing up for our Arsenal newsletter, you will receive a once-daily email, focused around goings-on at Emirates Stadium. You won't miss a thing when it comes to the Gunners - you'll get all you need to know directly into your inbox. We'll also send out special newsletters with any big breaking news too. And with the January transfer window now open there's plenty of content to get your teeth into. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. And that's it, you're all set. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. For more details, click here. It has since been confirmed that Arsenal will appeal the Luiz red card decision and if successful, the centre-back will be able to play against Aston Villa on Saturday. If not, the Gunners will be without him for one game, though they should be able to manage given Gabriel Magalhaes impressed after coming into the fray against Wolves. Arsenal will not appeal the Leno call and he will serve a one-game suspension.
John Terry
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PL Stories- #JohnTerry furious over ‘unbelievable’ #DavidLuiz ban for Aston Villa clash #ArsenalFC

February 4, 2021
John Terry blasted the decision to show David Luiz a red card in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ win against Arsenal. The Gunners took the lead midway through the first half at Molineux thanks to Nicolas Pepe and wasted numerous chances to punish Wolves further before drama unfolded in first half stoppage time. Brazilian defender David Luiz tripped his countryman Willian Jose inside the box and referee Craig Pawson awarded Wolves a penalty before sending the Arsenal man off. Ruben Neves scored the resulting spot-kick and Joao Moutinho netted the winner in spectacular fashion in the second half to earn Wolves their first win in nine Premier League games. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will auto-play soon8Cancel Arsenal would go on to have goalkeeper Bernd Leno sent off as well and Luiz vented his fury on social media after the match. Posting on his Instagram story, Luiz simply wrote the word “unbelievable” with four exclamation marks and added several angry emojis. Aston Villa assistant coach Terry agreed jumped to the defence of his former Chelsea team-mate. Terry, responding to a post by Sky Sports, said: “Never a red card! Double jeopardy.” Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles In response to a comment disagreeing with him, the Stamford Bridge legend added: “Anyone who has ever played the game can see David never attempts to play the ball!!! “He actually pulls out of the challenge, which means penalty but no red card. You obviously don’t play and, also, check the rules yourself.” As things stand Luiz will be banned for Arsenal's trip to Villa on Saturday. According to football.london, the Gunners plan to lodge an appeal to get the 33-year-old's red card and subsequent suspension overturned. Manager Mikel Arteta said: “I've seen the replay 10 times from five different angles, and I cannot see any contact. I would like to see if VAR have different angles.”
John Terry
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PL Stories- #JohnTerry thinks #DavidLuiz should not have been sent-off for Arsenal #ArsenalFC

February 3, 2021
David Luiz has found an ally in his former Chelsea teammate John Terry after being sent-off for the third time in his Arsenal career. The defender was given his marching orders on the stroke of half-time for tripping Willian Jose as the Gunners let a 1-0 lead slip against Wolves on Tuesday evening in the Premier League. That decision proved costly as not only was Luiz sent-off, but he conceded a penalty from which Ruben Neves converted before Joao Moutinho scored what turned out to be the winner early in the second half. Despite admitting that the Arsenal centre-back didn't mean to foul Jose, former Premier League referee Peter Walton explained why the red card decision was correct. Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles "Intent doesn’t come into the law because you can’t read what’s in a player’s mind," Walton said on BT Sport. "So, you’re going by his actions and his actions there were rather careless. "In terms of bringing the player down, yes, he doesn’t make an attempt on the ball - that’s the important thing - had he have made an attempt on the ball, it would be a yellow card plus a penalty kick. "But because he hasn’t made an attempt on the ball, and the ball is not within playing distance, that becomes a red card and Craig Pawson has no opportunity to give a yellow. "It has to be a red card and a penalty kick. "If I can just add: that’s the third time I think David Luiz has been sent off for a similar offence, so you say players should learn and understand, maybe so." Read More Related Articles Read More Related Articles This rule is something that former Chelsea captain doesn't agree with and made his feelings clear with a lengthy post on Instagram. "Never a red card!" he wrote in response to a user's comment. "Double jeopardy. Sign up to our Arsenal newsletter for the latest transfer news By signing up for our Arsenal newsletter, you will receive a once-daily email, focused around goings-on at Emirates Stadium. You won't miss a thing when it comes to the Gunners - you'll get all you need to know directly into your inbox. We'll also send out special newsletters with any big breaking news too. And with the January transfer window now open there's plenty of content to get your teeth into. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. And that's it, you're all set. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. For more details, click here. "Anyone who has ever played the game can see David never attempts to play the ball!!! "He actually pulls out of the challenge. "Which means penalty but no red card, you obviously don't play and also check the rules yourself."