Graeme Souness expresses his total sympathy for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta over his VAR rant.
Arteta’s remarks on Premier League officials have received a lot of scrutiny after Newcastle’s goal against Arsenal last Saturday was controversially given. Pundits have heavily condemned the Gunners’ following statement, which supported their boss and called out the PGMOL, although Souness is among a small group of supporters. The Liverpool great, nevertheless, thinks Arteta ought to refrain from expressing his annoyance in public going forward.
“So I have to say I had sympathy with Mikel Arteta over his reaction to a flagrantly poor refereeing decision last weekend. I’ve been in his shoes. The conclusion that Anthony Gordon’s goal for Newcastle should stand was plainly wrong to anyone with an ounce of knowledge of the game.” said Souness for Daily Mail.
“And of course, Mikel was having to come to terms with the fact that those officials were equipped with the most sophisticated video technology known to man. You have to ask yourself how hard it must have been for him when he walked into his press conference, given that he had half an hour to calm down — yet still went for the officials and their decision-making in a big way. I can well imagine how he felt. I would have been boiling.”
He added: “The noise and controversy surrounding Arsenal last weekend is not something you want, as a manager. I love passion and I was passionate, both as a player and a manager, but I think Mikel would be wise to temper things a wee bit. If I were advising him I would say: ‘Remain as passionate as you are — but behind closed doors’.”
The loss meant the Gunners lost their first game of the season having already beaten defending champions Manchester City and gotten the early lead on them. They now sit fourth in the league behind City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Arsenal will now be in action when they take Burnley at the Emirates on Saturday, November 11.
Goal
