They Need To Be Nastier

A couple of interesting moments in the Ipswich game.

Early in the second half, Koscielny blasted a clearance out of play off one of the Ipswich players. The player was winded. Koscielny went over and apologised!!! It's something you rarely see on a football pitch. Good sportsmanship, in a way, but is it really necessary to be so nice?

I'd rather have an unpleasant bastard at centre back, as long as he was good. Rio Ferdinand- now there's a cunt. Pretty good player though.

Later in the game, and not for the first or last time, a speculative hoof up the pitch caused havoc in the Arsenal defence. Djourou wanted to shepherd it back to Szczesny; the Pole was staying put. The ball ended up in the keeper's arm after a bit of scrambling. After the ball was cleared, the two players exchanged words and bemused looks. But there was no shouting, which is what the situation merited.

I remember Rio Ferdinand scoring an uproarious own goal a few seasons back. Eamonn Dunphy branded him a "tramp" for his reaction, which was to berate his goalkeeper. But if you watch Man United, they're always at each other's throats. Everyone is berated for any perceived or actual dereliction of duty. It runs from the manager, probably down to the tea lady. You can just imagine Rio scalding her because she didn't give him enough milk.

The nasty streak at Arsenal seems a thing of the past. They all seem to get on a little too well. Players should not be afraid to make a mistake, otherwise they wouldn't play with any freedom. But they shouldn't think it's ok to make the same elementary mistakes over and over. Without reproach from manager or team mates, the mistakes proliferate.

Fabregas actually voiced his disappointment in Denilson's schoolboy error against Leeds. Arsenal need more of that attitude, or they'll stay perennial bridesmaids.