Why do players lose all sense of reason when they score... isn't that what they train for every day? Plus, the problem with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Man United return and Arsenal's fear of ditching Arsene Wenger

Another sly dig at Brexit in a Martin Samuel article. Let's keep the political opinions out of sports journalism, please. Glennjo95, Londonderry.

So yet again you just had to get in a snide anti-Brexit comment in a sports column. Was it necessary Martin? Do you like antagonising readers who just want to read about sport? I'm sure the Mail would happily let you sit down with Richard Littlejohn or Peter Hitchens and have a discussion about politics if you feel that strongly about it. I’d read it. I just don't want to see snide anti-Brexit comments in a conversation about football. Chase Wolf, Cannock.

Well, tough. You see, I hate to burst this bubble, but this isn’t a conversation about football. It’s a debate. And it’s wide-ranging. So, last week, we digressed into the death of Princess Diana, we posted some Afrofunk by Don Bruce and the Angels, we took in bad haircuts, newspaper picture bylines, financial fair play, my old English teacher’s definition of an English student, and we got there via I, Ludicrous, Spinal Tap, Aldo Leopold, Maria Sharapova – and Brexit. One line on Brexit. A line that intimated, in my opinion, we have become very belligerent in our attitude towards Europe and foreigners since the referendum vote. There was nothing sly or snide about it, and it is nothing that hasn’t been mentioned before, and has every chance of being discussed again. When I joined this newspaper the editor told me it was a broad church. Certainly, that’s what this column has to be: a broad church.

Anyway, what is the word those on the right-wing use for liberals or anyone expressing a different opinion? Snowflakes, isn’t it? Well, let me say now, the biggest bunch of snowflakes I have ever known are the current right wing. Donald Trump? Complete snowflake. Reacts like a spoiled infant to any criticism. The Brexit lot? Snowflakes. Any suggestion that we might have made a mistake last summer, and they can’t hack it. Glenn, Chase: you won. Now own it. Own this mess, this uncertainty. Own the election result. Own the aftermath. Don’t keep trying to stifle the conversation, to silence criticism as if 48 per cent of the vote no longer deserve to be heard. I think I’ve mentioned Brexit twice, in passing, in the last month. The reference already detailed – and an unflattering comparison to David Davis’s negotiating skills in a piece about the transfer window. That’s as many times as I’ve referenced the music of Neil Young. And this is too much for your sensitive egos? I’m very sorry, but if Britain is to go forward from here, we need a bit more resolve than that.

And please don’t try the one about keeping politics out of sport. From sporting boycotts to the motives behind the purchase of Neymar to Nicolas Anelka’s quenelle gesture, sport has always been political. And Brexit is too big. It will influence every aspect of British life, including sport. Applied in this area we have the inflated transfer market caused by the weak pound, increased travel costs for fans around European and international games caused by the weak pound, the eventual increase of food prices at matches caused by the weak pound, plus work permits, border complications, the divisions in society, and that is before we get to the impact on local sports facilities if the economy slows and austerity bites further. So yes, where appropriate, Brexit will continue to be mentioned: as will a lot of other issues some might regard as tangential. But the alternative is the same old, same old. Wenger: in or out; Mourinho: winning the league or parking the bus. That gets so dull after a while. There’s a big world out there. I say we explore it. Starting below. Five points, and no further mention of Brexit, up next.

Point one: it’s all the fault of the stewards.

Would anyone from Bournemouth Football Club or Bournemouth Police care to explain what they thought was going to happen just after Raheem Sterling scored his winning goal? Was there going to be a pitch invasion or a mass invasion of the home supporters’ stands? It was a total over-reaction to the behaviour of no more than 50 fans who were in the pitch edge seats. It wasn’t as if they were mad or angry about a decision – the winning goal had just been scored, for heaven’s sake. Ewanwhosarmy, Bognor.

They didn’t know what was going to happen, Ewan, that’s the point. They didn’t know how many more would spill onto the pitch if they didn’t stop the instigators, they didn’t know that Bournemouth supporters wouldn’t feel provoked into confronting them. What they did know, however, is that their job is to maintain order – and order is not having fans on the pitch, under any circumstances. It is not for them to guess that it will all pass off happily, if they just let it slide.

As ever, I look forward to the day a Manchester United player gets sent off in similar circumstances, or if we’re talking about the convenient excuse that is ‘the letter of the law’ how about cards for players who incite opposition fans after scoring a goal? Wayne Rooney at the Etihad Stadium last week, ran the length of the North Stand waggling his ears. How about consistency? Jordan Ayew scored for Swansea and ran over to the visiting fans at Selhurst Park on Saturday, but wasn’t booked – the only difference being the Swansea fans didn't spill out onto the pitch – and when Ross Barkley scored a 95th-minute goal at Bournemouth two years ago, prompting a much bigger pitch invasion, he wasn’t booked either. Manchester City represent low hanging fruit for referees in this country, because they know there’ll be no media condemnation if they enforce the letter of the law. If they did it to a Manchester United or Liverpool player there would be uproar. Johnny B, Exeter.

That’s simply not true. Manchester City have a very well-run and proactive media department, and the club is quite capable of looking after itself. That the Sterling dismissal shifted very quickly from blaming the player to blaming the stewards and police may be evidence of this. If the triumphalism of some Manchester United fans gets very wearing after a while, then the chip on the shoulder paranoia of some from City is equally so. The reason nobody in the media found Rooney’s celebration provocative last week was that half the stadium had been singing he was a fat granny shagger all night, and the press box probably saw the sarcastic cupping of his ears on scoring as a fair riposte. The reason Ayew wasn’t cautioned against Palace was because his actions did not contribute to a pitch invasion, as you acknowledge. As for Barkley, he didn’t get within two yards of the touchline, let alone the Everton fans. He scored, ran towards them, and slid on his knees. They then ran on the pitch and jumped on him. He was entirely blameless. Sterling wasn’t.

Look at the picture illustrating the celebration, Martin. There isn't a single fan on the pitch at that point. There's plenty of footage suggesting police and stewards actually dragged people out of the crowd and onto the pitch, including the fan who was put in a choke hold by the guy in the orange vest. The same man can be seen dragging Fernandinho by the back of his shirt and lashing out at Sergio Aguero, who's clearly concerned about the treatment being meted out to the fan pinned down. Prestwich Blue, Manchester.

The photograph you refer to looks to be the aftermath, not the potential flashpoint. And stewards dragged fans onto the pitch? Seriously? If that happened – and I’m not convinced – it would have been as part of the need to control the situation. Your implication seems to be that it was an attempt to frame them which is, frankly, ludicrous.

Manchester City's players and fans went wild after the last-gasp winner at Bournemouth

Manchester City's players and fans went wild after the last-gasp winner at Bournemouth

Martin Samuel has never kicked a ball in his life, yet knows everything about football and the emotions of scoring a last minute winner. What a t***. Sunshine Boy, Florida.

While Sunshine Boy has never read or understood a column in his life, or he would have known that my absence of experience as a professional footballer was acknowledged in the piece. What a berk.

Martin, why did Mike Dean not book Charlie Daniels? He scored a cracking goal, then proceeded to run into the corner, celebrating, and kicking the corner flag: the same corner where the City fans were. That could have incited them, but they showed restraint, and the stewards and police had no problem with Daniels because he was one of their own. At most away grounds these days, the stewards are all wannabe hard men, and push their powers to the limit. It may not be like that in your comfy press box but, believe me, they are no angels. Every ground in the country is the same: one rule for them, another for the away fans. Blindfold, Murcia.

Yes, but if you look at the way Bournemouth’s ground is designed, that corner flag is nearer to the home fans to the right, as the City fans behind it. And why should scoring against your team be an incitement? Is no-one allowed to score anymore? I don’t think we should start praising supporters for not behaving in an unreasonable and unlawful manner, just because a player celebrates a goal in proximity. Nothing Daniels did was aimed at City’s fans. They didn’t show restraint as you put it; they just acted like normal people with a sense of proportion over what they had seen. Bournemouth scored. It happens. Life moves on. And, by the way, we have stewards around the press box, too. Most are very reasonable people; but then so are we. We’re there to work. The away end is a bit different. In my experience, there is always a sprinkling of wannabe hard men on both sides.

If there is a problem with the stadium suffering pitch invasions Bournemouth should deal with it as part of their health and safety responsibilities. I know it will cut down on an already small away allocation, and in doing so cost the club a few quid, but it sounds as if the first two or three rows of the away section should be netted off to prevent encroachment. David, Manchester.

Football Association ‘Player Essentials’ document. “You are specifically reminded of the need to exercise restraint when celebrating goals. Celebrations that are considered to be inflammatory or which cause crowd issues, can lead to disciplinary action and potential match bans.” Philip, Merseyside.

Brilliant posts, these. David, who if he is the same bloke that often posts is a Manchester City fan, proposes a sensible, practical solution, while Philip has gone to the trouble of finding the specific paragraph that explains why Sterling was booked. David, I notice, got a measly four green arrows; Philip had more red than green. Sometimes I despair, really I do.

There is a general malaise in society where people behave in a way they shouldn’t and then want to find someone to blame when they don't like the consequences. All sense of proportion has been lost. Nearly all of us will never score an injury-time winner for a football team but do the resulting excesses apply in other sports? Jonny Wilkinson won a World Cup with the last kick of the game; Roger Federer has 19 Grand Slams; Usain Bolt too many medals to list. In the heat of the moment, these stars managed to celebrate without inviting criticism or winding the crowd up. Bobsin42, Manchester.

To be fair, with the exception of Wilkinson, the others do not experience the concept of opposition fans. But I take your point, Bob. The bit I also struggle with is the idea that scoring a goal is such an unbelievable event all sense of reason is lost. Isn’t it what they train for every day of the week? When I finish a column, I like to close my glasses case with an emphatic snap to indicate the job is done. I think that’s a fairly proportionate reaction to an event that occurs probably three or more times a week. If I went out and punched a small dog in the face claiming to be overwhelmed by euphoria and not responsible for my actions, I’m not sure many people would be buying it.

Point two: how will Zlatan Ibrahimovic fit in at Manchester United this season?

As problems go, it’s a good one. Fredney, United Kingdom.

But is it, Fred? I can see the point about having as many gifted players as possible, about needing strength in depth for Europe and when fixtures pile up in the second half of the season, and I was much taken by Jose Mourinho’s sense of loyalty with Ibrahimovic having got injured on United duty, but deep squads can create problems – and the last two champions of England have both been clubs that used a small, tight unit of players. Look at the situation at Manchester City with all their forward options right now. There is clearly a degree of discontent. I think the ‘good problem’ of huge selection options is a cliche managers use and we all know what they mean by it. ‘Problem’, however, is as much a part of the sentence as ‘good’.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be fitting in to Manchester United's set-up for one more year

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be fitting in to Manchester United's set-up for one more year

Point three: heavens, is it that time already?

Perhaps the real issue at Arsenal is Arsene Wenger. If Arsenal had confirmed his new contract mid-term last year would the players have reacted as they are now? Motivation for any team has to start with the manager and is then reinforced, consistently and frequently, by the captain. Wenger does not inspire confidence any more. He’s not an arrogant man but he does exude an air of being beyond reproach. I think he should sell Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil. He needs to break open the bank and spend to bring in strength of character and heart. There is no bottle in this Arsenal team. PPhillips, Southend.

I do find the captaincy issue puzzling: it always seems to be players that are injury prone, recovering or out for a long time. If the team was showing great leadership qualities and didn’t need inspiration I would understand, but too often Arsenal appear to be without direction and if they haven’t got a playing captain, what do they expect?

Arsene Wenger is under pressure (again) after two defeats in the first three games of 2017-18

Arsene Wenger is under pressure (again) after two defeats in the first three games of 2017-18

The question always was, how do you replace Wenger? Now the question is, how do you replace Wenger and rebuild a top-four team nearly from scratch? Despite his other accomplishments, I think he'll end up leaving a squad at Arsenal far weaker than the one he inherited. BarryBwana, Canada.

It is two decades on, though, Barry. Without doubt Wenger leaves Arsenal a greater club than the one he joined. Having said this, I think the reconstruction of Arsenal is a huge task, certainly when you look at the squad depth of the Manchester clubs. Arsenal seem to stick with him for fear the problem could worsen under his successor, but the longer this decline continues the likelier a horrible transition becomes. Think how long it has taken Manchester United to emerge from the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, and he left a title-winning group. Wenger’s bequest will be nothing like that.

Point four: about noted German rugby player Toby Flood.

The loophole that may allow Flood to play for Germany after representing England is only there because Rugby Sevens is now an Olympic sport and IOC rules dictate that they take precedence. This means that Flood has to be picked for the German Sevens squad before he'd have any chance of playing XVs for them. This knowledge is easy to find if you have the wherewithal to do your research properly. IWWT, London.

You mean you read the article in The Times about it, same as I did before I wrote the piece. Not exactly research is it, mate? Just reading really. Five-year-olds can do that. Research would have involved you seeking out a book such as Sports Law by Michael Beloff, Tim Kerr, Marie Demetriou and Rupert Beloff, and noting this sentence: ‘IFs [International Federations] determine their own eligibility criteria for participation in the Games, as long as the criteria are compliant with the Charter and are approved by the IOC Board.’ So not only do IOC rules not take precedence over federations, they do not even take precedence in the Olympics, where the national federations still make the call, as long as they abide by the Olympic charter. So while playing Sevens in the 2019 Olympic qualification event would make Flood eligible for Germany in the World Cup according to the rules of World Rugby, that does not apply through all sport. The International Tennis Federation still have strict rules surrounding qualification for the Davis Cup: a player can only represent one country. Even if Great Britain picked Aljaz Bedene to play in the Olympics, their stance would not alter. Having represented Slovenia in the Davis Cup he couldn’t then play for Great Britain. I had that confirmed by the International Tennis Federation, who told me by e-mail: 'The ITF does the eligibility rules for the Olympic Tennis event, which for 2020 specifies that the player must meet the eligibility criteria in the Davis and Federation Cup regulations in force at the time of the Games. Players also have to meet the IOC requirements in Olympic Charter 41 (and its bye-law). So yes, ours take precedence/are in addition to the IOC’s Regulations. The IOC is content with the way the ITF deals with eligibility - they were consulted and have approved our stricter nationality rules.' So, bottom line, IWWT – once again, you’re wrong. And that is what you call research.

Point five: never take travel tips from this man.

M1 until you come to the M62 turn off, continue to Junction 16, go left onto the Manchester M60 Ring Road to Junction 21 and follow the signs for Manchester's No 1 Stadium, the Etihad. Welcome to Manchester's No 1 club, Alexis Sanchez. Blueandproud, Manchester.

Alexis, you’re probably a little busy right now. Maybe you haven’t got this far, maybe you switched off halfway through the Brexit interlude, maybe you’ve spent the last 15 minutes downloading The Liminanas last album, which would be a fine idea – but, if you’re with us, seriously mate, don’t follow that route to Manchester. He’s bringing you in at a right angle, Alexis. He’s got you coming in via Leeds. Leeds is in Yorkshire. It’s madness. When I first lived in Manchester, back in 1985, my then brother-in-law Matt came to visit. Lovely bloke, Matt, but one of these fellows who reckons he’s sussed a clever route to everywhere. We lived in Prestwich, north Manchester; Matt was coming from Essex. He overthought it, went up the A1 almost to Pontefract, west along the M62, just the way this bloke is telling you to come in. We waited for him all night. I could have cycled it quicker. Want to avoid the traffic to Manchester? Shoot across from the east on the A14, up the M1 a bit, off at the A50 through Stoke, go north on the A500, link up with the M6 in Cheshire. You’ll be living out that way, anyway. They all do. Trust me. This is what I do for a living. And keep yourself company with The Liminanas. It’s great driving music, too. Until next time.

 

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