Wenger asks for greater protection
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has again asked for the Football Association to hand out more protection to Premier League players.
Wenger was furious after Bolton Wanderers defender Paul Robinson went unpunished after a late tackle on Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby during the game last weekend. This is not the first time the Frenchman
has asked for more protection from the FA.
In the last two seasons Arsenal has had to suffer without key players because of leg breaks. Both former striker Eduardo and youth player Aaron Ramsey suffered horrific broken leg injuries because of late
tackles from opposition players.
The Premier League has a very distinct style from other leagues around Europe. It's fair to say much more could be done on the part of referees but it will be difficult to break an entrenched style of
English football.
Attractive football
Arsenal is a football club that plays high paced and attractive football. The side passes the ball beautifully and this is very difficult for opposition teams to defend against.
Arsenal has a number of players that are very comfortable on the ball. The only way for some teams to deal with these players is through physical aggression. This is because the majority of sides don't
have the quality needed to stop good players with normal tactics.
A lot of late tackles are due to bad timing; defenders slide in on players who pass the ball before the tackle has arrived. This means a defender cannot pull out of tackle because he's already diverted
a lot of his momentum towards another player.
Wenger said: "I do not have enough power. It is the referees, the people who watch the games who have the power.
I watched this tackle 10 times and it is an unfair tackle. Diaby was angry, he could have been sent off for over-reacting.
The tackle was very bad. I cannot protect the players, only the FA can do that. I don't know if my views are taken seriously."
Greater protection
The Premier League has an aggressive style when compared to other leagues. Referees could deal with this aggressive style by booking players earlier. This would decrease
the level of high risk tackles during matches.
However, the FA already has a number of ideas and plans in place that are designed to offer a higher level of protection to players on the pitch. This means it will take
a long time for any logical idea to be used in a match situation.
Wenger added: "People think I protect my players and there is an interest
there, but no I speak about football in general. It's not about me this story, it's about the players who play football with the right intention.
Don't take me wrong, we make bad fouls as well, sometimes."
Betting advice
Very little is going to change quickly in terms of players being protected more. Arsenal is a very strong team and there is very little reason to change the way you think
about backing the side.
Some referees offer greater protection than others and this means the best way to bet is in play. Doing this will let you see if the referee is offering a greater level of
protection to a side like Arsenal. This will mean fewer tackles, which will give Arsenal more space and time to try and score goals.
Arsenal has started the season well and currently sits in second place after four games with ten points. Have a punt on the club winning the Premier League if it seems as
though referees and the FA have taken Wenger's comments on board.
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