We can complain all we like about Costa's antics, but it shouldn't be beyond our players to

[Monty91]

Ccontrol their reactions.

They are playing against probably the biggest wind-up merchant in world football. He does this **** in every single game. Quite frankly, if the imperative not to react to Costa wasn't included in the teamtalk, then I might feel inclined to join the "Wenger out" brigade after all.

['Neg]

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

plan. As we prepare to take our dickless out-swingres there is no frisson and no fear from our opponents; no hint of nervousness in their support. Even our own players display no expectation that anything might happen.

[Monty91]

and made sure he did absolutely nothing that could have got him trouble.

[Monty91]

pre-planning involved, despite the fact that the end result gave the impression you correctly describe.

[nola]

But what did he actually do? Did he even do anything? The picture in the article below doesn't even show him making contact. I still don't see the "violent conduct"

http://http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-f urious-gabriel-sees-red-6474691 (http://http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-furious-gabriel-sees-red-6474691)

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Wondering why he got involved in the original incident.

[nola]

Then Costa scratched him on the neck, yelled at him, and then followed him to the halfway line, berating him the whole way, before walking into Gabriel's back to instigate contact

[Herbette Chapman - aged 15]

have a look (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqxfVr5LtE)

[Monty91]

Gabriel what he did and Gabriel fessed up, or there is footage of the "kick" that Wenger has seen.

Gabriel was sticking up for Kosceilny, which was commendable. But when you become involved in handbags with the biggest wind up merchant in world football, you make absolutely sure you don't do anything that could case a reaction or gives the referee a reason to send you off.

And that should have been pressed home to him by his manager, coach and teammates before the game and if it wasn't then someone needs sacking.

[nola]

Not the same as accepting he did something. Presumably already knows that he won't be able to win an appeal unless the FA throw Mike Dean under the bus

[Monty91]

[nola]

Wenger says he deserved it but at the same time says Gabriel didn't touch him. not exactly a damning indictment by the boss

[Monty91]

I don't know. I think we have a fair amount of combativeness. out of our six midfield and attacking options we usually have three (Coquelin Ramsey and Alexis) who are combative and physical. So I don't really know what Neville means :shrug:

[Bergkamp's Brain]

Certainly Costa's reaction made it seem that way ;-)

[Prat]

The first commentator said you can't retaliate to words by stamping and headbutting so he has let down all his team mates. It's generally a bad day for all of us and we haven't even mentioned Cazorla getting sent off for a studs up challenge in Fabregas knee

Pert

[Monty91]

attack and often had just the two. I'm thinking, for example, of the team that beat Man Utd 2-0 ay Old Trafford in the FA Cup in 2002, which had only Vieira and Parlour as what you would call combative types.

[Monty91]

[Prat]

Pert

[CrossGun]

[Peter]

Than slapping an opponent in the face, gouging his eye, chestbutting him to the floor and then scratching another opponent in the neck, what sort of f**king sport are we watching?

Gabriel should have calm ed down but it was criminally poor refereeing to punish the most minor offence of the entire incident most severely. Costa is an f**king animal and Gabriel will need to learn his lesson. I would love to think that Mike dean will learn his but that would be the triumph of hope over experience.

A shameful and disgusting incident all round.

[Monty91]

ambiguous. It wasn't a full slap, it wasn't with the full force of his hand, it was more just a flailing push in the face that he could claim was not violent or malicious but just him giving as good as he got in his tussle with Kosceilny in the box. Of course, he rides the line incredibly thinly, but his absolute genius is that he consistently rides it on the right side.

I can't help but have a certain respect for this. Equally, I respect Gabriel for his own role in the incident and determination to stick up for his team-mate. But ultimately, his naivety cost us the game.

Referees should clam down on Costa's antics, watch out for his behaviour as he is such a brazenly perpetual offender. But that is not the job of Mourinho, Costa or Chelsea. Equally, it is the job of opponents to not rise to his bait. As Mourinho rightly said, "emotional control is essential". Costa showed it, we didn't.

[Peter]

And while I accept your attempt to appear objective the fact remains that the crime that was most harshly punished was pathetic.

Costa did not stay on the right side of the line. He hit koscielny three times and drew bloody from Gabriel ' s neck. He should have been sent off for both and wasn't.

This is nothing to do with emotional control and everything to do with a referee missing or bottling a decision and failing to read a situation.

[Monty91]

and consistently does so. He does this **** every single game, and yet I think in his time in England so far he's only been punished once - for the stamp against Liverpool last season.

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

He lifted his leg, but it was hardly a kick, and didn't look impetuous.

[Dr Headgear - Wannabe viking]

He regularly crosses the line, but usually just out of sight of the ref.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

he would've been sent off. If the ref claims to have seen it in his match report then he is the most incompetent c**t alive. I expect him to get a 3 match ban for it from the FA.

[Peter]

Two red card offences and was not punished for them, presumably because read managed to miss them. The ref missing it is hardly an act of genius or emotional control.

The ref alsoc aused the last incident himself. The players had been separated, the incident was over.vread called them back to him, removed the other players, booked them and then let them walk off together. Poor refereeing and failure to read the situation.

[Monty91]

[Monty91]

down as soon as Gabriel got sent off? It is a total act...

[Peter]

Throw it at an opponent.

And you don't think he is an animal and that he is in complete emotional control?

Lord help us....

[Monty91]

You genuinely think he is as angry as he looks when these incidents occur? It is utterly contrived.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

They aren't the same. Granted that he knew exactly what he was trying to do. He went a bit too far but got away with it. He should be banned retrospectively. Scant consolation though.

[Peter]

Incident where they are hardest to spot. It is also why the emotional pressure is never on him. If a guy slaps you in the face why would he be angry about it?

You seem to find the fact that these actions are utterly contrived admirsble and an act of genius. I think it makes the, a lot worse. To lash out in anger is human, its wrong but understandable. To drag your nails down a man's neck or throw spit at him is the act of an animal. Its disgusting and in no way admirable.

If it is done in a state of complete emotional control then it suggests to me thst the perpetrator is an absolute nutcase and a total sack of ****. What on earth will he do if he does lose his temper one day?

None of this alters the fact that it is crossing the line. Weak refereeing des not make costa a genius although i do accept that he probably spots this weakness in the ref before he acts. I also accept that he probably made sure he did enough to get booked in the incident to ensure he cant be banned retrospectively.

I feel for gabriel. He did completely lose his head and you could see that before the red card incident. He has to grow up and learn how to deal with this. However, if the incident was as minor as it seems (costa barely reacts at all, doesnt even feign pain) you have to feel sorry for him, he was so close to not reacting st all.

For me the worst thing he did was after the red card. He wouldnt leave the pitch and went looking costa,cshoving several players out of the way. People expect costa to get banned for this but i wouldnt be at all surprised if gabriel got charged for this.

[redgunamo]

your opponent.

Or, as Wenger Himself put it the other week, the problem with some players is that, when going up for a header, they are concentrating only on the ball, whereas other players understand that "accidentally" elbowing the chap in the face is, at this moment, far more important. Or words to that effect.

[redgunamo]

that can be dealt with by a mere pre-match teamtalk.

Stamford Bridge hasn't been a pleasant place for us to go at least since the Seventies, but I think our current difficulties with Chelsea Football Club as a whole stem from our sense of righteous injustice over the success their money has granted them.

Basically, they are not rotten *to* the core; they are rotten *from* the core.

[redgunamo]

[Peter]

[redgunamo]

In that sense, you cannot compare a group including Keown, Campbell, Lauren and Cole to the cadre of preening, fanny-dancing midgets we have nowadays.

[redgunamo]

an SEK-trained wife and six children in mine.

[Peter]

Rules of football and all that. After all, what a man keeps in his house is entirely his own affair.

[redgunamo]

and industrial language does not. Even though it should. If you follow me.