An Official Complaint

Extreme disappointment is inclined to affect the judgement of some people, so it is hardly surprising that in the immediate aftermath of Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the final of the Carling Cup and subsequent elimination from the F.A. Cup a few days later at the hands of Blackburn Rovers, message boards, sports radio shows and the media generally are deluged with calls for easy fixes – the most popular of which seem to be a new striker, a new centre back, better behaviour and less intricate football.

No-one can deny that Arsenal are not taking enough of the multitude of chances they create and no-one should dispute the contention that loss of composure, even when provoked, is not defensible. However, the single improvement that would have won Arsenal the Carling Cup, kept them in the F.A. Cup and ensured that they were still in the race for the Premiership lies, exasperatingly, beyond their control. What Arsenal desperately need is to have their matches controlled by a team of officials whose ability to run the game matches their ability to play it. Simple as that.

But it isn’t going to happen, because the bad news is that, with the possible exception of Alan Wiley, they don’t exist.