Now Taylor fears the worst for Rio

Taylor does not believe there can be total justice in the case because of the breach of confidentiality. He said last night: 'It is imperative in these cases that the confidentiality is kept until the matter has been dealt with. Here we have had everybody giving an opinion, the world and his wife, including UEFA, FIFA and Uncle Tom Cobbley.

'It does make it more difficult but we are where we are and we had better get on with it now. We have to clearly do all we can in future to get the testing procedure so this never happens again and for the confidentiality aspect to be nailed down.'

Taylor and Palios met yesterday at the FA's Soho Square headquarters along with John Duncan of the League Managers' Association and Richard Scudamore of the Premier League as the game's top administrators gathered to evaluate the bizarre events of the last seven days.

But Palios's warnings of the FA's no-nonsense approach sound somewhat hollow in the wake of their dealings with Arsenal yesterday. It seems clear that the FA and Arsenal have come to an arrangement whereby in return for guilty pleas there would be a downgrading of the charges against their players following last month's stormy Premiership meeting with Manchester United.

There will be some suspicion over Arsenal's decision to plead guilty to all charges resulting from the battle of Old Trafford, so out of character for a club that usually lodges its appeal before the charge drops through the letter box.

Arsenal's own press office were briefing the exact opposite only the day before, suggesting that the change of heart is down to vice- chairman David Dein and some delicate plea-bargaining.

The time extensions granted to Arsenal over their response to the original charges would indicate that some deal has been reached.

If this is the case, it would be dangerous for the FA and for the game. Leniency in return for a guilty plea has never been a part of football discipline and other clubs who know that Arsenal are notorious for being obstructive when their players are in trouble have every right to be suspicious.

If a raft of lenient punishments are meted out to Martin Keown and his team-mates then Palios will have failed early in his career at the FA to administer the kind of tough but fair justice he claimed would be his strategy.

If such leniency were followed by Ferdinand being given a lengthy ban for his alleged lapse of memory then the wrath of Manchester United will come down on Palios.

He has vowed not to bend to any bullying tactics from Old Trafford and he must be applauded for that. But he must be seen to be without prejudice to any club or any individual in his pursuit of fairness and justice.