[Archived] Champions League

[thenodrog]

If Arsenal gain consistent success as judged by winning the League/Champions League etc. a number of times, i.e. domination in the next few years, the way Arsene Wenger has gone about building this team will be praised to the heavens and deservedly so. It will be interesting to see if his long term planning pays off.

As I say success imo means staying in the top four and in the black. If MU do a serious dive when Fergy retires / dies and if the new man proves a disaster and if they miss out on CL then they are is deep deep sh1t.............

Lots of 'ifs' mind.

[Hughesy]

Hiddink called it an injustice. Personally I call it justice. About time a big team found itself on the end of some woeful referreeing, the sort of garbage I watch week in week out at Ewood Park whenever the bigger teams come to town. Roman needs to dig deeper next time, someone outbid him for the referee.

+1 - Give that man an oscar!

[LeChuck]

For example, Fletcher's tackle last night. The ref should have given a penalty (as he saw it) but NO card.

Yellow cards should be for persistent fouling or a one-off bad challenge (in old fashioned terms "a caution") and a red card for violent conduct or a really cynical foul.

That's just not true though, the referees have to go by the letter of the law, and this is what it says:

"Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick"

The wrong decision was giving a penalty because it was a very good tackle, but if the referee deems it a foul then he has to send the player off. A penalty but no red wasn't an option in that situation.

[Eddie]

No cos it wasn't. It was a clean, well timed tackle. Any contact came later. I'll tell you what in answer to your question....... I'd have been bloody gutted if it had been awarded against us.

Come on theno, we all know that had that been a Rovers player tackled it would have at least been a 50/50 split on here as to whether or not it was a penalty.

Here's my interpretation on it: with the benefit of replays he touches the ball first and so that isn't a foul, but the ref was right in my view to give it. There was absolutely no way to tell that Fletcher touched that in real time and with such minimal contact on the ball it would have been an odd one for the officials not to give. No ref in the world wouldn't have given it. Once he had given it, he had to send Fletcher off.

[T4E]

Come on theno, we all know that had that been a Rovers player tackled it would have at least been a 50/50 split on here as to whether or not it was a penalty.

Here's my interpretation on it: with the benefit of replays he touches the ball first and so that isn't a foul, but the ref was right in my view to give it. There was absolutely no way to tell that Fletcher touched that in real time and with such minimal contact on the ball it would have been an odd one for the officials not to give. No ref in the world wouldn't have given it. Once he had given it, he had to send Fletcher off.

Did you actually just write that?!

You've lost it mate.

[1864roverite]

Just how ironic was it that a fine player like Diver Dogbreath is shouting down the microphone "its a disgrace, its an effing disgrace".

Dogbreath, a fine player youmay be but in simple mans terms

YOU ARE A CHEAT

You cheated your own fans by feigning injury and then whining like a child losing its dummy when you were subbed.

You cheated yourself.

You cheated the club by diving and falling over every time a Barca player came near you.

It is YOU that is the disgrace.

It matters not that the ref was a clown in denying at least 2 blatant penalties, you missed the easiest chances in the two legs, one at the Nou Camp and one last night.

There is NO conspiracy theory. Barca lost a man sent off when he shouldnt have been, Essien should have been red carded. PLUS after all that if your defence had cleared the ball properly Barca would never have had the chance to score.

To see your pug ugly mush bellowing the spiteful abuse just made every football fan smile last night. Your childish and cheating antics COST YOUR CLUB, YOU and YOU ONLY.

[DE.]

Edit. Agree with the above post. Drogba, Ballack, Jay Tee and Malouda were all disgraceful at the end of last night's match. Worse was Hiddink defending their behaviour.

Edited May 7, 2009 by DE4life

[bennyboyt11]

Almost got stabbed in some dive pub last night due to my celebrations when Iniesta scored

[gumboots]

My daughter interviewed Graham Poll to get his views on this this morning. He used the word despicable to describe the behaviour of the Chelsea players. Full interview on youtube

Edited May 7, 2009 by gumboots

[DE.]

The papers are full of the Chelsea players defending themselves, unbelievable.

[Hughesy]

Ballack & Drogba should both be handed a 3 game ban - UEFA need to set a standard so that all players dont harass a ref like that again.

[Eddie]

Did you actually just write that?!

You've lost it mate.

Listen to the Poll interview that has now been linked. Interesting to hear his take on it.

[gumboots]

Listen to the Poll interview that has now been linked. Interesting to hear his take on it.

Glad you read it, Eddie. It's the first one she's done that's had that many read it.

[waggy]

Just how ironic was it that a fine player like Diver Dogbreath is shouting down the microphone "its a disgrace, its an effing disgrace".

Dogbreath, a fine player youmay be but in simple mans terms

YOU ARE A CHEAT

You cheated your own fans by feigning injury and then whining like a child losing its dummy when you were subbed.

You cheated yourself.

You cheated the club by diving and falling over every time a Barca player came near you.

It is YOU that is the disgrace.

It matters not that the ref was a clown in denying at least 2 blatant penalties, you missed the easiest chances in the two legs, one at the Nou Camp and one last night.

There is NO conspiracy theory. Barca lost a man sent off when he shouldnt have been, Essien should have been red carded. PLUS after all that if your defence had cleared the ball properly Barca would never have had the chance to score.

To see your pug ugly mush bellowing the spiteful abuse just made every football fan smile last night. Your childish and cheating antics COST YOUR CLUB, YOU and YOU ONLY.

and you would welcome him here with open arms

[gumboots]

Reports are that he is likely to be sold for 15 million in summer so I doubt we would.

[Gus Gus]

It was hilarious to see apparently grown men (Ballack and Drogba stood out inparticular) acting like 5-year-olds. I was cracking up at the end of the game.

I really hate to say this but I think Manchester United is going to route Barca in the final, 4-0.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Gus Gus

[gillibrand]

2mil and 30k a week come on down Dogy.

[waggy]

barca going through saves us all watching a poor final like last year,at least barca will give utd a game and utd will let barca play,chelski problem was that with 20 mins to go they tried to shut up shop,took dogbreath of and replaced him with a defender

[thenodrog]

barca going through saves us all watching a poor final like last year,at least barca will give utd a game and utd will let barca play,chelski problem was that with 20 mins to go they tried to shut up shop,took dogbreath of and replaced him with a defender

and ultimately against 10 men!

[waggy]

and ultimately against 10 men!

i thought the ref levelled things up

[thenodrog]

Here's my interpretation on it: with the benefit of replays he touches the ball first and so that isn't a foul, but the ref was right in my view to give it.

Do you ever stop to think what you have written eddie? It wasn't a foul so the ref was wrong. There just how simple is that?

It was not malicious by the ref, he was simply mistaken. The fact that there is no appeal procedure is just daft and is basically sending out the message that referees cannot ever make a mistake or a wrong decison.

[DP]

That's just not true though, the referees have to go by the letter of the law, and this is what it says:

"Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick"

The wrong decision was giving a penalty because it was a very good tackle, but if the referee deems it a foul then he has to send the player off. A penalty but no red wasn't an option in that situation.

I'm still puzzled as to why he has to be sent off. Makes a genuine attempt to win the ball. Whether he wins it or not it was nothing mallicious, nor was he deliberately attempting to win the ball by foul means.

"Denies a clear goal scoring opportunity"........ tell me, what's a penalty if not a clear goal scoring opportunity?

[Eddie]

Those are the rules, deny a clear goalscoring opportunity or if you are the last man it is supposed to be a straight red. Whether or not a penalty is sufficient punishment is an entirely different matter.

[rog of the rovers]

As much as I dont like Chelsea or Drogba, no one can deny they were hard done too.

Hope United can beat Barcelona.

Edited May 8, 2009 by rog of the rovers

[LeChuck]

I'm still puzzled as to why he has to be sent off. Makes a genuine attempt to win the ball. Whether he wins it or not it was nothing mallicious, nor was he deliberately attempting to win the ball by foul means.

"Denies a clear goal scoring opportunity"........ tell me, what's a penalty if not a clear goal scoring opportunity?

There's nothing about intent or malice in the rules though, it's just whether it was a clear goal-scoring opportunity or not.

I totally agree with your last point by the way, I don't think players should be sent off when a penalty is also awarded...it's almost like being punished twice. I know a lot of referees don't agree with it either, but unfortunately they have to follow the rules as they are written.

Edited May 8, 2009 by LeChuck