Soccer-Arsenal poised for hammer blow after FA charges ( 2003-09-25 11:36) (Agencies)
Arsenal's season looks set to receive a hammer blow after six of their
players were charged with improper conduct on Wednesday following their
bad-tempered 0-0 draw at Manchester United.
The Football Association has came down hard on keeper Jens Lehmann,
Lauren, Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, skipper Patrick Vieira and Ray Parlour after
Sunday's ugly scenes of United players, mainly Ruud Van Nistelrooy, being
jostled.
Punishment is likely to be particularly severe for defenders Keown and
Lauren, who face additional charges -- on one and two counts respectively -- of
violent behaviour.
Fines are almost certain but, far worse for Arsenal, is the very real
prospect of the FA inflicting mass suspensions that could rule out the league
leaders' entire rearguard.
Lehmann, Cole, Keown and Lauren represent four-fifths of the Arsenal
defence. The fifth member, Sol Campbell, is awaiting a personal hearing after
being charged with violent conduct for lashing out at United's Eric Djemba
Djemba in last month's Community Shield.
Worse still, Arsenal's defence is itself shielded by Vieira, who was
red-carded at the start of Sunday's mayhem, and their other combative
midfielder, Parlour, is also facing a violent behaviour charge.
LASTING EFFECTS
Though coach Arsene Wenger might be grateful the impending calamity is
occurring at the early rather than the latter stages of the season, the effects
could well be long-lasting.
Not only could points be deducted by the FA, or dropped as Wenger turns
to his reserves, but the blow to morale is likely to extend to Arsenal's already
faltering Champions League campaign.
Though domestic suspensions do not apply in Europe, the effects of any
slide down the premier league table would clearly filter through to a team
already in need of pulling itself together after a humiliating 3-0 home defeat
by Inter Milan.
Under new chief executive Mark Palios, the FA has made it clear that
discipline in the game is a major priority and that offenders can expect to be
dealt with promptly.
The two clubs have a history of stormy encounters, which stretches back
before the premier league was set up.
In the 1990-91 season, Arsenal had two points deducted and United one
point after a brawl involving their players.
If nothing else, the likely sanctions for Sunday's clashes could
finally force Arsenal to have a long, hard look at their dismal disciplinary
record under Wenger, whose team have collected 52 red cards.
Though widely admired for the fluid attacking football that has brought
them three FA Cups and two league titles since 1998, those dismissals represent
the darker side to Arsenal's game.
Tackling that longstanding problem is likely to be as demanding as
holding their season together in the months ahead.
But if Sunday proved to be a turning point for the north London club,
there may yet be some benefit for Wenger from a situation that is destined to
get much worse before it gets better.
