[Archived] Rovers 1-1Tottenham

[cravenblue]

one thing that nobody has mentioned, is that we didnt miss neill at all today. for me shouldnt play again, but thought that before today, but performance by back four just reinforces it

[BigDom]

Tonight I am absolutely ******* ###### off and infuriated by the poor, inept refereeing I witnessed today.

The referee had a very bad game, and I hope that Tugay's red card is looked at as I am still not sure that he was the last man

But....his linesman on the Riverside touch line should be ashamed and embarrassed of his performance today...to miss such a blatant handball, at such a crucial time in the game was unacceptable...he is paid to do a job....if any of us performed badly at work we would be warned, disciplined or even sacked....the same should go for referees and their assistants.

I am so mad that I cannot even focus on the positives that came from today's game....all I can think about is crap referees and how there are far too many

Surely there must be a better way ?

[den]

The whole of the back four were awesome today.

The experience of Ooijer and Henchoz shone through when we were down to 10 men.

[1864roverite]

see in Amsterdam Den Lad keep of those space cakes and orange beer that is of course until we arrive

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

The whole of the back four were awesome today.

The experience of Ooijer and Henchoz shone through when we were down to 10 men.

I agree - but I feel it unfair to single out any one player. It was almost as though the injustice of the sending off really gave us a lift. To be honest - we played better with 10 men than 11.

I will always believe that Refs and linesmen give honest decisions - but why do they always go against Rovers

[Hasta]

I've watched the replay tons of times and wasn't sure, I can't see how we can expect the officials to be. Would have loved to have had it, but if he hadn't made a mistake for us then I wouldn't have complained about it too much, though we are owed a bit of luck.

On the ground everybody to a man appealed in all sides of the ground. It's the loudest handball appeal I've ever heard. It looked a nailed on penalty. However when I saw the replay on TV from two different angles several times there is a case that it strikes Midos chest which suprised me as I was (and still am) 100% sure it hit his arm.

The key is to watch the incident again at actual speed. As the cross comes over, Mido is almost stretchg sideways to reach the ball. However his control manages to make the ball deviate about 90 degrees. At the angle he was at there is no way he could have controlled this on his chest to make the ball roll infront of him. If it had hit his chest it would have gone out for a throw. The only way he could have controlled the ball that way unless he's got a pyramid for a chest (he is Egyptian) was with his arm, hence the reason at the time it looked so blatant.

People will say that a ref cant analyse this, doesnt have all the replays and if hes not sure cant give it. However at first glance at actual speed it is clear handball. Everyone can tell, the fans, the players and surely the officials. Even in commentary on Sky they called it as being a definate handball. Doubt only creeps in when you see the slow replays.

It was a pen. I can let the ref off for having his view blocked by half a dozen players. The linesman should be struck off for gross incompetance.

Whether or not it would have changed the result we'll never know.

[RevidgeBlue]

The whole of the back four were awesome today.

The experience of Ooijer and Henchoz shone through when we were down to 10 men.

Except that poor old Tugay got sent off trying to cover an area the 2 centre backs should have been covering after they went AWOL.

[den]

Plus, I've just seen the Mido handball incident. There was NO chest involved, as Andy Gray said, he controlled the ball with his arm.

[philipl]

Spurs are allowed to control the ball with their arm don't you know?

1) Keane for their second at WHL last season.

2) Blatant control with the forearm took the ball away from Bellamy in the 82nd minute at WHL last season. No penalty.

3) Mido at Ewood this season. No penalty.

That's five points deducted from Rovers by the officials against Spuds in two games.

[MCMC1875]

Well if yer luck's out, yer luck's out. Bring back George Courtney! Can't wait for Bryan's comments on this one.

[Mike Graham]

Toogs was awesome

Gray was fantastic

Pederson was his usual bag of s***e. Hughes when are you going to do something about the donkey.

Fantastic goal from Toogs; it was definately a penalty to them but no sending off.

The subsequent "penalty" call was no penalty, I was in line with the incident from the JW and it hit his boobies.

Crap support from the Rovers, only any noise at all when booing the shrek in green near the end; the 2K from Spuds were louder and I was close to the BBE.

We are in deep cackie with poor football and with a rapidly depleting fan base.

HELP

[Alan75]

Plus, I've just seen the Mido handball incident. There was NO chest involved, as Andy Gray said, he controlled the ball with his arm.

It was a blatent hand ball, how the linesman didnt see it is beyond belief. The ref and linesman bottled it.

In fact if the ref had done his job properly, Mido wouldnt have been on the pitch after twice performing acts of GBA on Henchoz in the first half.

Yet Tugay gets sent off for an aledged trip, where is the consistency.

[Wolverine]

There should have been only one red card in that game, for Mido's elbow antics. The ref quite plainly lost the plot by the end with two pointless reds against spurs for no good reason. Totally ruined the game. No wonder attndances are in decline...

[G Somerset Rover]

I can only repeat what others have said. Awful officiating-absoloutely awful. I do think however that a penalty was probably fair (we would've gone crazy if we'd not been given it) but not in a million years should Tugs have been sent off....It reminded me of Henning Bergs dismissal against Utd all those years ago. So 1-1 (which was probbaly fair) and then Mido goes and hand balls it and we get jack all-where as two weeks ago it wasn't even remotely a pen and Ooijer is adjudged to have handled. I would like to think that refs would give us the benefit of the next 50-50 but I'm not going to hold my breath.

As for the game it was pretty poor football from both sides and we only really came alive after Tugs got sent off which is rather strange. What is now certain is that the Fulham match on the 2nd of December becomes a must win-no excuses. They say if your creating chances but not putting them away then you don't have much to worry about (Arsenal)...we're unfortunately doing neither this season which is why we are where we are in the table.

Edited November 19, 2006 by Somerset Rover!

[Alan75]

Pederson was his usual bag of s***e. Hughes when are you going to do something about the donkey.

I'm starting to wonder whether Rovers have struck a deal with Norwegian TV, which states that Formaly Known As has to start and cant be subbed.

Peter for Bentley, amazing, twice now.

[Shevchenko]

God forbid that ever happens!

It won't but it should.

And I won't hear any of the old excuses, that "controversy belongs in football" or "it would slow the game down" or "stop the flow of the game"...rubbish. All the play faking and cheating is ruining the game already. All the players falling about the place and getting back up again, like Zokora did today.

Controversy does NOT belong in football today. If we are to preach fair play then we can not allow stuff like this to happen. Questionable penalties, red card situations, questionable goalline incidents and disallowed goals should be reviewable.

Referee's have proved to us all to many times that they are not capable of doing their jobs in anything near a satisfactory manner. We need to bring in the video option now and help these idiots out. They obviously need any help they can get.

[MCMC1875]

Good points EiT, I was thinking back to why and how we improved (apart from having our dander up because of the officials) and I think you've come up with a very valid suggestion.

Great shame Nonda's early strike didn't count- he took it very cooly and would have done his confidence the power of good. He was offside (marginally but off) but the Bellamy break in the 2nd half which got pulled back by the linesman who missed the Mido penalty incident was not offside.

Incidentally, I know the crowd gave him a deserving reception and he missed some sitters but Mido would have been a folk hero by now if he'd come to Ewood. Strong, quick, takes players on and a good old fashioned baddy in the Speedie mould whom the opposition love to hate.

I thought Mr Gray was poor and careless in posession, in a strong Rovers first half performance. Mind you, I also thought Tugay was class and the ref & one linesman were below par.

[RevidgeBlue]

Plus, I've just seen the Mido handball incident. There was NO chest involved, as Andy Gray said, he controlled the ball with his arm.

Have to disagree Den, I'm not normally one to defend referees but I thought the ref got both big decisions basically right with the exception that the red card for Tugay was exceedingly harsh.

I thought at the time it was a penalty and slow motion replays confirmed my initial instincts. Tugay caught the Spurs player with his trailing leg, Definite penalty but it was inadvertent as he was going one way and the Spurs player the other so to send him off was extremely harsh. I actually got the impression that the ref wasn't going to send Tugay off initially but our players persuaded him to consult with the linesman in the vain hope of getting him to change his decision. Unfortunately it appeared the linesman indicated in his view Tugay was the last man earning him a belated red!

Similarly two minutes later I wasn't up in my seat screaming for the Mido handball and I was wondering if I'd missed something. Again on slow motion Mido clearly controlled the ball on his chest and it might just have brushed his arm slightly on the way down. I wouldn't have given it and would be livid if the same thing was awarded against us.

Other than those bits of controversy it was a very poor game with precious little quality on offer from either side - Tugay excepted. By far his best game of the season -we all know about his silky skills but his work rate today put most of his younger colleagues to shame.

Henchoz played really well and looked far more assured than Ooijer but where were they for the penalty incident?

Bert didn't seem on his game today.

Gray was back to last season's excellent form - see ya Lucas don't let the door hit you on your arse on the way out.

Savage wasn't quite up to full speed but still did a decent job of stopping Spuds from playing, especially after we went down to ten men.

Bentley had an off day - quite rare for him recently.

What was MGP even doing on the pitch? - He has a cracked rib hasn't he - and it showed. A virtual passenger throughout. What does that say to Peter and Gallagher and any other youngster hoping to be given their chance?

Sorry, thought the front two were really disappointing once again. When the ball comes into the area neither of them seem prepared to attack it, they seem to want the ball right on their head or to their feet or they ain't interested.

On the plus side the sending off seemed to fire us up a bit and as others have said I thought we played a lot better with ten men than eleven. A point was better than I was expecting before the game and hopefully that and a decent result on Thursday night can kickstart the season again.

[bluebruce]

I can only repeat what others have said. Awful officiating-absoloutely awful. I do think however that a penalty was probably fair (we would've gone crazy if we'd not been given it) but not in a million years should Tugs have been sent off....It reminded me of Henning Bergs dismissal against Utd all those years ago.

Er, except that in that case, Berg was FOULED?

[philipl]

Four things just been clarified in reports on Sky and official sites:

- Martin Jol was not sent off. Dowd asked him to step away from the situation and didn't give him the red card. No disciplinary action.

- Mido has told Mark Hughes it was handball so I guess that settles it. Preston blue and revidge go to the same opticians as the linesman!

- Rovers are going to appeal Tugay's red card. As the spud had cut back across Toogs, Ooijer was in position to put a challenge on him. Had he gone the other way, there was another Rover who would have challenged. I think there is a more than fair case to say he wasn't last man even though the challenge itself was one on one with "only" Friedel to beat. The irony is that Ooijer persuaded Dowd to go to talk to the linesman in the hope the penalty decision would be reversed. In the event, it got Toogs sent off!!!

- Martin Jol has said that MGP was a handful. To be honest he did have good moments. But that "shot" which went for a throw in near the halfway line (took it off the toes of Sav who was shaping to shoot as well) and a couple of particularly lamentable passes unfortunately linger in the memory...

Edited November 19, 2006 by philipl

[Mike Graham]

Have to disagree Den, I'm not normally one to defend referees but I thought the ref got both big decisions basically right with the exception that the red card for Tugay was exceedingly harsh.

I thought at the time it was a penalty and slow motion replays confirmed my initial instincts. Tugay caught the Spurs player with his trailing leg, Definite penalty but it was inadvertent as he was going one way and the Spurs player the other so to send him off was extremely harsh. I actually got the impression that the ref wasn't going to send Tugay off initially but our players persuaded him to consult with the linesman in the vain hope of getting him to change his decision. Unfortunately it appeared the linesman indicated in his view Tugay was the last man earning him a belated red!

Similarly two minutes later I wasn't up in my seat screaming for the Mido handball and I was wondering if I'd missed something. Again on slow motion Mido clearly controlled the ball on his chest and it might just have brushed his arm slightly on the way down. I wouldn't have given it and would be livid if the same thing was awarded against us.

Other than those bits of controversy it was a very poor game with precious little quality on offer from either side - Tugay excepted. By far his best game of the season -we all know about his silky skills but his work rate today put most of his younger colleagues to shame.

Henchoz played really well and looked far more assured than Ooijer but where were they for the penalty incident?

Bert didn't seem on his game today.

Gray was back to last season's excellent form - see ya Lucas don't let the door hit you on your arse on the way out.

Savage wasn't quite up to full speed but still did a decent job of stopping Spuds from playing, especially after we went down to ten men.

Bentley had an off day - quite rare for him recently.

What was MGP even doing on the pitch? - He has a cracked rib hasn't he - and it showed. A virtual passenger throughout. What does that say to Peter and Gallagher and any other youngster hoping to be given their chance?

Sorry, thought the front two were really disappointing once again. When the ball comes into the area neither of them seem prepared to attack it, they seem to want the ball right on their head or to their feet or they ain't interested.

On the plus side the sending off seemed to fire us up a bit and as others have said I thought we played a lot better with ten men than eleven. A point was better than I was expecting before the game and hopefully that and a decent result on Thursday night can kickstart the season again.

Spot on report RB, sounds like you went to the same game I did and did not get carried away with the "lets blame every one else brigade". Hughes, the Team and the Board have a lot of hard thinking over the next few days.

[grizfoot]

I'm starting to wonder whether Rovers have struck a deal with Norwegian TV, which states that Formaly Known As has to start and cant be subbed.

Peter for Bentley, amazing, twice now.

To be fair I think we kept Pedersen on because we were lofting the ball down his side of the pitch for him to try and win headers. Which he did on numerous occasions to great effect.

What can i say????

Major decisions seem to be going against us nearly ever game this season.

[den]

Spot on report RB, sounds like you went to the same game I did and did not get carried away with the "lets blame every one else brigade". Hughes, the Team and the Board have a lot of hard thinking over the next few days.

PB get your specs on and have another look. Andy Gray got it spot on.

Gray was back to last season's excellent form - see ya Lucas don't let the door hit you on your arse on the way

You 'avin' a larf Rev?

[pleasure]

- Martin Jol has said that MGP was a handful. To be honest he did have good moments. But that "shot" which went for a throw in near the halfway line (took it off the toes of Sav who was shaping to shoot as well) and a couple of particularly lamentable passes unfortunately linger in the memory...

i think it's a blatant attempt to seduce him, so that he'll sign for spuds in january. lets face it, they're always on the look-out for midfielders.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I think Rev must be having some kind of mid life crisis.