how did andy todd get away with that one?

[ken foree]

? unreal!

[ciaran76]

? unreal!

I think he didn't do it on purpose. I have watched it a few times and am not convinced he did it on purpose.

[Éanna]

accidental IMO

[ciaran76]

accidental IMO

Thats the word i was looking for.

[Dublin12]

Who's Andy Todd?

[drinkfeckarse]

I thought it was deliberate myself. I've only seen it twice but the ball was in the net and Van Persie was turning away by the time he connected with him. His forearm was suspiciously high to me.

[Dublin12]

Oh yeah..the blackburn player that done Van Persie with his elbow!,accidental me pollocks!!,look again and you can clearly see his elbow going up to eh..meet his face

[Karlos]

? unreal!

Firstly he was wearing blue and white and not red and white, it's far easier to let them off when that's the case. The biggest shock is that they haven't charged Van Persie for Diving - accidental my a*se!!

and secondly Our Chairman David Dein must be on holiday and not around to use the influence that he always utilises to Arsenal's advantage with the FA this time around.

The same influenece that got Wenger off calling Utd cheats as Mourniho got fined for similar comments aswell as the influence he used to get the FA to move the Ashley Cole inquest to 4 days before the FA Cup Final to obvoiusly suit us

Expect a least one of our players to be banned in some FA loop hole before the cup final.

Nothing like having an inside man to get things your own way!

[Éanna]

Firstly he was wearing blue and white and not red and white, it's far easier to let them off when that's the case. The biggest shock is that they haven't charged Van Persie for Diving - accidental my a*se!!

and secondly Our Chairman David Dein must be on holiday and not around to use the influence that he always utilises to Arsenal's advantage with the FA this time around.

The same influenece that got Wenger off calling Utd cheats as Mourniho got fined for similar comments aswell as the influence he used to get the FA to move the Ashley Cole inquest to 4 days before the FA Cup Final to obvoiusly suit us

Expect a least one of our players to be banned in some FA loop hole before the cup final.

Nothing like having an inside man to get things your own way!

who or what is that rant getting at? Do you support one of the teams involved or something?

[Dublin12]

Karlos is a Arsenal man and imo it's a fair call

[ciaran76]

Oh yeah..the blackburn player that done Van Persie with his elbow!,accidental me pollocks!!,look again and you can clearly see his elbow going up to eh..meet his face

Watched it a few times Todd was running so his elbows had to move !

If it was so simple a decision then everyone would agree. It is obvious that that it didn't look like he went to clobber him and it was more of a coming together that happens sometimes in football !

[Karlos]

who or what is that rant getting at? Do you support one of the teams involved or something?

To put is simply is that the one thing this FA verdict isn't is Shocking

Can only imagine the uproar, fine and ban that would have followed had it been Ashley Cole for example doing this to a Blackburn goalscorer given his reputation. Lest we not forgot he's already been fined by the very same FA for picking a ball up from the net after Manchester City had scored a goal last January - obviously the height of unsporting behaviour compared to raising your arm and smashing someone in the face with it.

If there was consistancy, there would be no rants.

[Éanna]

Can only imagine the uproar, fine and ban that would have followed had it been Ashley Cole for example doing this to a Blackburn goalscorer given his reputation.

doesn't matter two ****s who did it as far as I'm concerned, unless the player has a history of violence on the pitch. AFAIK neither Todd nor Cole do

[Karlos]

Watched it a few times Todd was running so his elbows had to move !

If it was so simple a decision then everyone would agree. It is obvious that that it didn't look like he went to clobber him and it was more of a coming together that happens sometimes in football !

he was jogging when he made contact, not sprinting or jumping or travelling at a fast pace.

I've yet to see someone who jogs or sprints with their fore arm horizontal at shoulder level

[Karlos]

doesn't matter two ****s who did it as far as I'm concerned,

That's my point, it doesn't matter - the player should have been punished and the fact that he's got away scott free becuase he doesn't have a history of doing this sort of thing and the FA have given him the benefit of the doubt is in my opinion wrong and I have genuine reservations that benefits of doubts wouldn't have been given to others.

I'd expect someone to be punished for incidents like that everytime no matter who they play for.

[ciaran76]

That's my point, it doesn't matter - the player should have been punished and the fact that he's got away scott free becuase he doesn't have a history of doing this sort of thing and the FA have given him the benefit of the doubt is in my opinion wrong and I have genuine reservations that benefits of doubts wouldn't have been given to others.

I'd expect someone to be punished for incidents like that everytime no matter who they play for.

So you just punish someone because your not sure if they did it on purpose ?

I understand your opinion but you have to understand alot of other peoples too. Alot of people also think it was an accident nothing more nothing less.

[Tired&Emotional]

Todd got away with alright....knew van Persie would collide with him (van persie was turning away from the goal right in front of him just after vP. scored) and proceeded to lead with his forearm/elbow out and up and ....BANG!#! todd knew exactly what he was doin' !

[ken foree]

todd got skinned by van persie for the other goal too so i think he had enough of the young dutchman, sickener to watch

[Karlos]

So you just punish someone because your not sure if they did it on purpose ?

I understand your opinion but you have to understand alot of other peoples too. Alot of people also think it was an accident nothing more nothing less.

No, i do see the point. I myself thought it was accidental originally. But when you look at the simple human mechanics of it, there was no reason for his forearm to be so high, if he was just jogging. If RvP had bumped into his shoulder or clashed heads then I would have said accidental for sure. Having watched it numerous times, there is absolutly no reason for the players arm to be that high, he's not jumping for a ball where elbows are rasied for elevation or anything like it. At the very least I believe it's seriously dangerous play and he should have at got a warning at the very least. But he got nada and that sums up the attitude of the FA to me.

[Tired&Emotional]

yeah he had had enough...physical midfielder, past his best , with a track record for this lark, just conceeded another goal from the younger more skillful vP. .....his reaction was not surprising for a thug..