Stamps, Slaps and Simulation – Newcastle and Arsenal disappoint on Day One

Ever get that feeling of déja vu? I’ve got the feeling right now. For the second season in a row I find myself writing an article about Arsenal drawing their opening game of the season, a game which saw an Arsenal debutant sent off and the Gunners perhaps a bit lucky not to finish the game with 9 men on the field.

Last season Arsenal played Liverpool to open their season in an incident filled match. Joe Cole, making his debut for Liverpool, was sent off just before half time with some people suggesting Jack Wilshere should have been sent off for a strong challenge on Mascherano. However it was Laurent Koscielny who saw red for Arsenal, receiving a second yellow card for a fairly innocuous handball. This time round Gervinho is sent off for an anything but innocuous scuffle with Joey Barton. Alex Song could also see himself suspended for a stamp on… Joey Barton.

The launch of the new Premier League season saw Richard Scudamore highlight the need for players to adhere to the Respect campaign, a campaign which many people just assume says people shouldn’t harass the referee. The match at St. James Park showed that respect for opponents is just as important in upholding the image of the game. Indeed, Newcastle players have sometimes had troubles respecting each other but the scenes in the match with Arsenal seemed to indicate Scudamore’s message fell on deaf ears.

The first incident of note was Song’s stamp on Barton after the Newcastle player fouled him. It wasn’t a particularly tough challenge, a free kick, nothing more. The fact that Song, one of the more experienced players in an Arsenal midfield missing Fabregas and Nasri, felt the need to step on Barton is a rare lapse of temper from the Cameroonian.

Song should have seen red for it, no doubt but whether he will receive a suspension for it is another matter. The referee didn’t see the incident so this usually means a suspension could be retrospectively awarded. Peter Walton will submit his report over the next couple of days and will obviously say he didn’t see it, as if he did he would have at least issued a yellow card and probably a red for Song. Unfortunately referees don’t have eyes everywhere and you can’t blame Walton for missing the incident, so the FA will charge Song and suspend him based on video evidence.

Barton was the centre of attention again later on when the referee did produce a red card to Gervinho for violent conduct. The incident started when Gervinho went over in the penalty area rather easily and Barton took exception to this. Barton, who Fabio Capello described as ‘dangerous’, grabbed Gervinho by the collar and dragged him to his feet. A scuffle then ensued and as Gervinho was being pulled away he caught Barton in the face with the palm of his hand (unlike the fist Barton seemed to suggest shortly after the incident).

Barton went over clutching his face as if he had been punched and Gervinho was subsequently sent off. I don’t think many people were surprised when Gervinho was sent for an early bath but should Barton have seen red as well? He had no reason to drag Gervinho to his feet and would have been better off walking away from the situation and carrying on playing, seeing as the referee hadn’t actually stopped play. The manner in which he grabbed on to Gervinho’s shirt is enough to be violent conduct, and therefore a red card offence, in my opinion. But as always this is a matter of interpretation and I can completely understand if people think the referee was right to issue a yellow card.

One more point I would like to make which some people seem to have missed was the reaction of Steven Taylor to Gervinho’s slap. As the referee walked over, Taylor immediately indicated that Barton was elbowed and this is quite an obvious attempt to con the referee. There were no Arsenal elbows nearby from what I could see and, in my view, this is as bad as diving. Not only is it cheating to try and get a fellow professional sent off, it is also lying, and what example does that set to footballers of the future.

All in all this match was a very bad advert for English football and not just because it was a 0-0 draw with little goalmouth action. Richard Scudamore’s plan of this season being about the Respect campaign didn’t last until 7pm on day 1 of the season and football’s reputation is certainly not getting any better.  On Match of the Day, Alan Shearer, talking about whether Gervinho dived or not said something along the lines that Gervinho went over theatrically but there was contact so it’s not simulation. What a shame it is that exaggerating contact to draw the referee’s attention is now seen as within the laws.

Arsenal, English Premier League, Gervinho, Joey Barton, Newcastle United