Premier League / Frank Gregan / 02 September 2009 / Leave a comment

Arsene Wenger is on the naughty step after his Old Trafford antics at the weekend but Frank Gregan supports the Frenchman and wonders if his sending off wasn't simply down to yet another official wanting his moment of fame.

"By kicking the water bottle, the Arsenal manager harmed nobody and I doubt there was a neutral watching who didn't feel his frustration."

The Man Utd v Arsenal game on Saturday was a corker. Arsenal served notice that they aren't going to surrender their big four status without a fight. Remarkably though, a game between two of our very best sides will be remembered for a ludicrous refereeing decision and to add insult to injury, it was made by the fourth official.

The Gunners' last minute equaliser was rightly flagged offside but Arsene Wenger's reaction was perfectly natural. By kicking the water bottle, the Arsenal manager harmed nobody and I doubt there was a neutral watching who didn't feel his frustration.

But up jumped fourth offical Lee Probert and across came the referee. There's no point in trying to write a witty account of what happened next because Gordon Strachan did the job as only he can on Match of the Day. He slaughtered Probert and referee Mike Dean and extracted a modicum of revenge for every manager in the country.

What you have to bear in mind is that the fourth official is a peer of the man in the middle, he is a Premier League referee in his own right, not some bloke that they have grabbed off the street. Once he summons the referee over, the referee has very little room for manoeuvre, unlike a situation with an assistant referee where he may well overrule and take no action.

The farce didn't end there, Arsene Wenger, whether intentionally or not, pulled a masterstroke with his move back through the technical area, stopping along the way to check with the fourth official if he had reached the edge of the punishment zone. His pose with his arms out in the gesture of an innocent man was superb. It summed the entire event up - teacher had been called over and the offender had been consigned to the naughty step!

This is where my credibility goes out of the window a bit because I have to confess that I know Lee Probert. I also think he is easily the best referee that any of my teams have played under and over the years I've seen more than my fair share of Premier League refs. He's a decent bloke, full of common sense and always willing to have a chat before and after the game. It is bewildering that he got himself into this situation, one for which he is being ridiculed from every direction and leads me to wonder what has changed.

Of course, these days referees believe that they are every bit as important as any of the other 22 blokes on the field. Many have their own agents and an agent in any walk of life will tell you that "no publicity is bad publicity." Try explaining that to Gerald Ratner! Lee Probert's was a split second decision, 10 seconds to go. You can imagine him thinking, "Here's my chance, this'll get me noticed." If that was the plan it certainly worked, he has got his name out there but sadly it's for all the wrong reasons.

Arsenal have started the season well, it seems they always do, but doubts linger about their lack of depth. At full strength and in full flow they are as good as anyone. With that in mind and given that they've had a very favourable draw in the group stages of the Champion's League they are my first recommendation to win that competition at [11.0]. One of the Spanish giants needs to be added to that portfolio but La Liga has to settle down before we decide which one to go with.

Arsene Wenger showed his continental breeding on Saturday. Having played so well and having been denied at the death he elected to kick the bottle. A British manager would be more likely to "Hit the Bottle!"

Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Frank Gregan, Lee Probert, Manchester United, Premier League Football Betting