Comparing corner kings Arsenal to Stoke is disrespectful – Saka wouldn’t get in

I SEE Arsenal are being compared to Tony Pulis’ Stoke because of their success at corners.

Dimitar Berbatov made a joke about it in punditry after Manchester United lost to two set-piece goals at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

If anything, it is really disrespectful to Tony.

He did a wonderful job with a bang-average Stoke team keeping them in the Premier League — and yet it was ONLY because of their set-pieces?

And why is there a stigma attached to it?

Maybe everyone should play wonderful football like at Southampton — then get hammered for being bottom?

I was there on Wednesday. It was a s**t game which Mikel Arteta and his side won from two corners.

I played against Pulis’ Stoke and they were nothing like Arsenal of today.

Bukayo Saka wouldn’t get into that Stoke team. Not because he isn’t good enough but because it is a completely different style.

But God forbid a team gets in the box and wants to head a ball — compared to a United team that didn’t want to head anything.

I loved Berbatov as a player, he is a real football man. But it feels a lazy comparison from a really smart guy just to protect his old club.

If United won 2-0 from two corners, would Berbatov call it a tactical masterclass? Yet, when Arsenal do it, it’s Stoke?

Arsenal dominated possession for most of that game, too. It’s called winning football.

OVER THE RAINBOW

THE debate around rainbow armbands deserves a nuanced, respectful and a completely honest conversation.

In football, and in society, we should aim to move forward by having these sorts of discussions — even if we disagree wholly with someone’s views — without vilifying certain people.

Abusing someone because they don’t think the same way we do is a dangerous space that we can end up in really quickly.

Whether it is not wearing a poppy on a shirt during Remembrance weekend, not taking the knee in support of fighting racism, or in this situation, not wearing an armband — or donning an alternative armband — that represents an LGBTQ+ initiative.

As a former captain of a Premier League club, would I have made the same decision that Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Ipswich Town’s Sam Morsy chose? No.

I would be more than happy to raise awareness for something that sadly is needed because there are still far too many marginalised and discriminated-against groups of people in society.

But we have to understand that not everybody thinks the same way or has the same beliefs or priorities, even if the actions they then take can hurt members of that community.

As long as things are done in a respectful manner, we have to keep an open mind, however hard that may be to understand or to comprehend.

I had a similar experience as a captain at Watford during the first campaign of taking the knee before certain games.

I made my view known to my team-mates, why I was doing it.
If they wanted to join in and support me, great. If not, no pressure.

I would never force that on anyone if they felt uncomfortable or decided not to take part.

I have to be honest, when I first saw players like Wilfried Zaha and Marcos Alonso not take the knee, I took it personally.

Then, I spoke to them and was like: ‘OK, I understand’.

I didn’t agree, but I understood.

With the rainbow armband, what we’re talking about is essentially forcing beliefs on people. I am not sure that is something we can do, especially when there are those who cite their own religious beliefs.

A devout Christian, Guehi decided to write ‘I love Jesus’ and ‘Jesus loves you’ on his armbands, while a practising Muslim in Morsy opted not to wear one at all.

Again, would I have done that? No. I wouldn’t feel it necessary.
But I am not going to destroy the player, the man, for doing so.

Guehi has said it was a “message of truth and love, and I hope people can understand that my faith is my faith, and I’ll stand by it for the rest of my life”.

Ipswich came out and said Morsy made his call due to his religious beliefs, showing a transparency while also fully committing themselves as a club to the campaign.

I can see why members of the LGBTQ+ community would take offence in their fight for representation and equality, not just in football.

But the problem in the world now is we are so quick to vilify others for having a different opinion or belief, not taking the time to understand who, what, where and the why.

The approach sadly is often: ‘Your opinion is different to mine, I don’t want to hear your reason why. You’re a racist, you’re a bigot.’

You get labelled instantly and I don’t think that is fair.

I saw others suggest Guehi and Morsy could have passed on the captain’s armband for those particular games. I don’t agree with that either.

From experience, these initiatives are not something that the Premier League sit down and talk to clubs and individual players about before the season starts, actively reaching out and asking important questions and getting a better understanding.

Do any players have objections? Why is that? Can we understand why?

Is there a way of finding a solution that still supports an important initiative but also respects those religious beliefs?