MAN-U 0 ARSENAL 0, A great challeng

[rano01]

 Inspite 11/10,the fans and the refree,Man utd was unable to slotted a single goal.
    In 1st half,arsenal didn't play well.But,in the 2nd half they skillfully advertised what Wenger tought them.very fortunate VIERA red card made Arsenal STRONGER.

  Manutd should remember PIRES and WILTORD are waiting them at HIGHBURY feb 2004.

[gogannaka]

since when did the premier league become a wrestling arena? ? ? ? amma dai an ji kunya........... ba fada bane !!wasa ne!!

[kariballa]

"I feel the only way that players like Keown, Parlour and Lauren are going to learn about sportsmanship is if either their team are deducted all points earned or the players banned for the remainder of the current season which would cost the club and fellow players almost any chance of winning the league. This happens in other codes and will help clean the game of bad sportsmanship. This will reward all the other clubs in the league who play the game with the honour it deserves."

[Venom]

Saraki I do agree with u, it was a sad what Keown, Parlour, Lauren, and Cole did 2 Ruud at the end of the game.

[kariballa]

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has criticised the behaviour of his players during Sunday's ill-tempered 0-0 draw at Manchester United.

"There are no excuses. We were guilty of stupid behaviour," Hill-Wood told the Sun. "The players
concerned were rather silly when you would hope they would show more intelligence.

"What makes matters worse is the fact it was senior players who were involved, experienced professionals who have played more than enough games to know not to react like that. All I can say in our defence is we are not a dirty side and nobody was hurt."

Arsenal defender Martin Keown jumped into United's Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was also jostled by several Arsenal players at the final whistle.

Van Nistelrooy, who had just missed a stoppage-time penalty, was a target after his tangle with Patrick Vieira led to a red card - prompting Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to later accuse the Dutchman of cheating.

French newspaper L'Equipe reported there had also been a heated exchange between Vieira and van Nistelrooy in the players' tunnel after the match.
  
Arsenal could face a potential defensive crisis if the FA charge the club and up to five of their players after the post-match melee at Old Trafford.

The FA are reviewing video evidence of the incidents which marred Arsenal's goalless draw away to Manchester United on Sunday.

United and defender Gary Neville could be investigated, but it is Arsenal who are expected to be the main defendants in the FA dock if and when any charges are brought.

While the Gunners should escape the same sort of points deduction with which they were hit in 1990 after a brawl in the same fixture, they could still receive a hefty six-figure fine if found guilty of failing to control their
players.

However, the matter is not expected to end there, with the FA also poised to look at whether to individually charge up to five Arsenal players for their part in the scuffles which surrounded Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Dutchman, who angered Arsenal with his reaction to Vieira's attempted retaliation as he earned a second yellow card, is not set to be investigated himself.

However, Keown, Ray Parlour and Lauren, who all raced over to harass van Nistelrooy and celebrate in his face, are all at risk of receiving FA charges that could lead to suspensions or fines.

The roles of Ashley Cole and Jens Lehmann are also understood to be under review by the FA, with some reports suggesting that Cole may have attempted to throw a punch.

In a worst-case scenario, that could leave Arsenal, who have already claimed there is an FA vendetta against them after Sol Campbell was charged following the Community Shield, with a disciplinary nightmare encompassing their entire defence.

Campbell is facing a possible ban of up to three games if he is found guilty of retaliation in Cardiff, while Vieira now misses next month's game at home to Chelsea because of his red card at Old Trafford.

FA head of media Adrian Bevington last night told the FA website, : "The FA can confirm that we have received the report from referee Steve Bennett, as well as video tapes of the match.

"As a result, the FA will now review the video tapes in detail and as a matter of urgency. The FA have also requested further videos of the various incidents from different camera angles.

"The FA will be looking at various aspects of player behaviour during the match and in the scenes following the final whistle. TheFA will make a further statement as soon as this process is complete."

[kariballa]

 
ARSENAL: PLAYERS LET CLUB DOWN
Wednesday 24th September 2003
 
Arsenal's directors have reacted to 12 separate FA misconduct charges by admitting the behaviour of their players at Old Trafford fell below the club's 'high standards'.
Six Gunners stars have been charged following scuffles during and immediately after the goalless draw in Manchester, with full-back Lauren alone accused on four counts.

The club itself has been charged with misconduct for 'failing to ensure the proper behaviour' of its players, and the directors have confirmed that Arsene Wenger has already taken the matter up with his squad.

A club statement: reads: "The Board is taking this matter seriously and intends to meet in the near future to further discuss the events of last Sunday.

"At this juncture, we do not have the video evidence supplied to the Football Association and are not going to jump to any premature conclusions.

"The Club demands high standards both on and off the field and the Board believes these were not met last Sunday. Ars?ne Wenger has already addressed the players on this issue."

As well as Lauren, Martin Keown and Ray Parlour have been charged twice each, and Ashley Cole, Jens Lehmann and Patrick Vieira once each, along with Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo of United.

[kariballa]

EIGHT IN THE DOCK AFTER OLD TRAFFORD
Wednesday 24th September 2003


Six Arsenal players and two Manchester United players have been charged by the Football Association following their Old Trafford battle.

Ashley Cole, Martin Keown, Jens Lehmann, Ray Parlour and Patrick Vieira and Lauren (twice) have all been charged with improper conduct.

Lauren is also one of three Gunners to have been charged with violent behaviour - the right-back again being charged twice - as several Arsenal players rounded on Ruud van Nistelrooy at the final whistle, furious at his involvement in Vieira's sending off.

Keown and Parlour are the other two Gunners up on violent behaviour raps, although Cole has only been penalised for his "involvement" in the confrontation with the Dutchman.

Van Nistelrooy himself escaped punishment, but Manchester United duo Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo have been handed improper conduct charges, while Phil Neville has been warned as to his future conduct.

Arsenal Football Club has also been charged with failing to control its players, with some people predicting a points deduction for the Gunners.

Lauren appears to be in the most trouble, facing a whopping four charges for confronting van Nistelrooy after the red card, Giggs at the final whistle and kicking out at Quinton Fortune during the game and "forcibly pushing" United's Dutch striker at the end.

He is likely to face a fine and ban while Keown could also be hit with a suspension as the only player to be charged for "striking" van Nistlerooy, while Parlour will appear at Soho Square for "grabbing" Gary Neville, also after the final whistle.

All parties have 14 days to respond to the charges.

[kariballa]

THE OLD TRAFFORD CHARGE SHEET
Ashley Cole Charged with improper conduct (breach of FA Rule E1) for his involvement in a confrontation with Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo after the final whistle.

Martin Keown  Charged with improper conduct (E1) for confronting Manchester United player Ruud van Nistelrooy following the penalty miss, and with violent behaviour (breach of Rule E2) for striking van Nistelrooy on the back of the head following the final whistle
  
Lauren   Charged with two counts of improper conduct (E1), for confronting van Nistelrooy after Patrick Vieira's sending-off, and for confronting Manchester United player Ryan Giggs after the final whistle. He has also been charged with two counts of violent behaviour (E2), for kicking out at Manchester United player Quinton Fortune following the penalty award, and for forcibly pushing van Nistelrooy in the back following the final whistle  
 
Jens Lehmann  Charged with improper conduct (E1) for confronting referee Steve Bennett after Patrick Vieira's second yellow card and for then persistently seeking to confront van Nistelrooy  
 
Ray Parlour  Charged with improper conduct (E1) for confronting van Nistelrooy after the final whistle, and with violent behaviour (E2) for grabbing at Manchester United player Gary Neville from behind shortly afterwards
  
Patrick Vieira Charged with improper conduct (E1) for failing to leave the field of play following his sending-off, and for instead seeking to confront van Nistelrooy and engaging in a verbal exchange with Fourth Official Neale Barry

Ryan Giggs Charged with improper conduct (E1) for his involvement in a confrontation with Lauren after the match had ended
 
Cristiano Ronaldo Charged with improper conduct (E1) for confronting Martin Keown at the conclusion of the match
Arsenal FC Charged with misconduct for failing to ensure proper behaviour  

[kariballa]

WENGER APOLOGETIC IN GUNNERS ROW

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger issued a qualified apology for his players' loss of self-control at Old Trafford but still insisted that the ensuing condemnation of them had been an "over-reaction".

The Football Association has charged Arsenal as a club for failing to control their players, while six members of the first-team squad are also individually charged with misconduct.

That could theoretically mean Martin Keown, Lauren, Ray Parlour, Ashley Cole, Jens Lehmann and Patrick Vieira could face suspensions totalling up to 20 games.

Wenger, meanwhile, has been asked to explain his outspoken post-match criticism of Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose clash with Vieira sparked the angry scenes during last Sunday's goalless draw.

The Arsenal boss had defended his players immediately after the game at Old Trafford and had issued no other public comment until today.

But he declared: "I thought we over-reacted after the game and we apologise for that. I think we have to keep control of our behaviour in every situation.

"On the other hand, I think you could say that the media response was an over-reaction as well. It was not in proportion to what happened at all. That is maybe not surprising but also not right.

"We have to be conscious that we didn't behave in a perfect way like we should have, but also not to be too much victimised by what people say.

"If one of my players had tackled someone round the throat or hit somebody in the face during the game, I would feel much more shocked than I am.

"I have been in English football for seven years now and I have witnessed situations that were 10 times worse that were not punished.

"That doesn't mean we were right but it does mean that some people get away here with some things they shouldn't get away with."

[kariballa]

Arsene Wenger has been warned by Arsenal’s board his players must clean up their act. The Gunners top brass are horrified their club is seen as the Premiership’s bad-boys. Chairman Peter Hill-Wood branded the club’s players’ behaviour “stupid” after the disgraceful scenes following the goalless draw with bitter rivals Manchester United. And now Wenger has been left in no doubt about the Highbury board’s feelings.MANUTD.COM

[kariballa]

Arsenal will be hit with a record fine of up to ?500,000 for their Old Trafford shame. And the club’s title challenge faces ruin if the six stars charged yesterday are all banned. The FA issued an incredible crime-sheet which saw them hammer the Gunners for their part in Sunday’s Premiership bust-up against Manchester United. Ashley Cole, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Lauren, Jens Lehmann and skipper Patrick Vieira, whose sending-off sparked the late mayhem, were all charged. The FA are also writing to manager Arsene Wenger asking for his comments about a Sky TV interview in which he implied United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was ‘a cheat’. United’s Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, were also cited, with Phil Neville warned as to his future conduct.

[kariballa]

Arsenal will be hit with a record fine of up to ?500,000 for their Old Trafford shame. And the club’s title challenge faces ruin if the six stars charged yesterday are all banned. The FA issued an incredible crime-sheet which saw them hammer the Gunners for their part in Sunday’s Premiership bust-up against Manchester United. Ashley Cole, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Lauren, Jens Lehmann and skipper Patrick Vieira, whose sending-off sparked the late mayhem, were all charged. The FA are also writing to manager Arsene Wenger asking for his comments about a Sky TV interview in which he implied United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was ‘a cheat’. United’s Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo, were also cited, with Phil Neville warned as to his future conduct.