Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
I think lots of factors came into play. Ferguson certainly told them to target our players and probably said Riley 'lets the game flow' at OT, so you'll probably get away with it. I agree it was the worst example of bias and incompetence I've ever seen in a top English game, I'm just saying I don't think its bentness was planned or orchestrated.

As I say, the media reaction was the most extraordinary thing. Normally, TV can't stop poring over bad refereeing, but here it was simply glossed over. It was genuinely weird and ensured that I'll never believe there isn't an anti-Arsenal bias in the media.
I think there were bigger stories than poor refereeing. THe most obvious one was the end of the unbeaten run- people love to see a team taken down a peg or two so the public probably enjoyed it. Secondly, I think a lot of people hadn't forgiven us for the fight att he end of the game the season before. Ferguson managed to manipulate this to look as though we had 'gotten away with it'.

The press wanted another fight and so they focused on the pizza incident rather than the game.

I wouldn't agree there is a broad anti Arsenal agenda in the media. I do think there was a huge bulk of the media that was pro United and pro Ferguson, or at least too scared to criticise him/them.