Arsenal and the missing sense of gracious defeat

This post is in response to various rants online from Arsenal fans about how we were lucky, how Shearer is dirty, and will hopefully explain how to lose with good grace

As a Newcastle fan who was at the match this afternoon, my impression was that we struggled to get near Arsenal in the first half, but for all their slick build up play they failed to capitalise on it. We gradually got more into the game nearer half time and even ventured forth once or twice.

In response to the various 'the referee was crap' 'the referee was a homer', 'that was never a sending off' type comments, I'd say:

1. Both teams had the same ref
2. You play each team home and away once apiece, so even if he was a homer (and I disagree), these things should even out
3. It shouldn't have been a sending off when Jenas got done at Highbury. Nor should it have been when Bellamy got sent off at Highbury. Both were rescinded but it's not much help after the event. So again, these things even out, yeah?
4. You only ever spot the wrong decisions that go against your own team. There were also poor decisions in the match in Arsenal's favour.

To follow the 'it's just not fair, the ref should have done this' (or 'that' or 'the other'). Refs don't always get every decision right. Shearer should have been booked earlier. He wasn't. Ref got it wrong. On the other hand, McFadden handled Ameobi's shot on the line at Everton. No pen, no sending off. Shearer's header was over the line at Wigan. No goal. Did I complain about crap refereeing? Well, yes to be honest, but my main gripe was with the team. If a decision doesn't go your way, you can moan about it or you can keep working and let your football do the talking. Guess which one is more likely to work.

When Wigan reserves played us off the park and knocked us out of the League Cup, did I complain because the penalty that won them the match was a bit soft? Did I hell. They deserved to win and good luck to them. I would have been disappointed in myself if I didn't have the good grace to recognise that.

Not long ago, Arsenal would have been good enough to beat us comfortably, even with a few dubious decisions. For all the slick play, they didn't have a cutting edge, and once they'd lost the midfield early in the second half they never really got back into it (until we started to panic because we were winning).

We won for one simple reason. We scored, they didn't. End of.