[Archived] World Cup Qualifiers 2010

[T4E]

So your reaction would be?

Like any rational football fan, I'd be annoyed if we didnt get it, and annoyed if it had been given against us. Doesn't really say much though, does it?

As a neutral, I'd say 9 times out of 10 I'd expect to see it given. Kinda come full circle here now, havent we?

[stuwilky]

Was it not the one where 4 minutes displayed on the board magically changed to 5 after a word from Fergie?

Yes, and they scored in the 6th minute.

Like any rational football fan, I'd be annoyed if we didnt get it, and annoyed if it had been given against us. Doesn't really say much though, does it?

As a neutral, I'd say 9 times out of 10 I'd expect to see it given. Kinda come full circle here now, havent we?

Even to the point of me saying we disagreed, and wouldn't changed each other's mind

[Tom]

One thing that may come of this, we may see more of these goal line assistants ala the Everton Europa cup game

[T4E]

Even to the point of me saying we disagreed, and wouldn't changed each other's mind

I agree

[Mr. E]

What a load of horsedung are France. Disgraceful. Hope they get embarrassed again at the WC.

[Hasta]

did you moan when wilcox did it?

If you mean the Wilcox one at Portsmouth in the cup (I think) or even Gally at Newcastle in that instance it was a clear handball but it was more a case of the player attacking the ball misjudging it and the ball it their arm. Henrys was a deliberate decision to control it with his hand. Even if the first touch could have been instinctive, the second one was ridiculous.

However I seem to remember MGP bundling one over deliberately at St James Park to practically get Souey the sack and I didn't seem to bother about it either at the game or around theToon that night.

[Rovermatt]

Cowardly no good for anything Nation

Hardly.

Tonight's actions are beyond the pale though. What is most disturbing about all this is that a place at the World Cup - the largest single event on the planet - has been decided and granted on the basis of a mistake, on the basis of a piece of deception. There is no redress, no appeal. Once again a huge football match has hinged on the referee's inability to police the game properly (not to mention one player's shrewdness in conning the ref) and FIFA's unwillingness to use technology to stop this kind of thing from happening.

The Irish still wouldn't have gone through on penalties.

[daren]

For those saying it was a penalty - you clearly didn't watch the replay from the back side. Given made himself big, didn't dive in, and pulled back before there was even a chance at contact. Anelka should have been booked.

As for the french goal, it was particularly harsh that there was a player offside who interefered with play (Squillachi), and he prevented Dunne from jumping by pulling on him as he fell, then Henri fairly caught the ball in a hand. The wide angle shows that the linesman should really have seen the handball (and the offside).

On a positive note (difficult because I'm feeling sick) Ireland were brilliant and very unlucky not to win. It wasn't until extra time that the French superiority in players showed at all, up until then they had nothing. Keith had the best game I've ever seen him play, some really good attacking passes and brilliant breaking up the french all night. Even though they were the better team in the second half last saturday, bear in mind that they won 2-1 on aggregate with the first being one of the poxiest goals I've seen, and the second so clearly handballed that Henri barely celebrated at the end of the game. Rub of the "green" it's called? Bah!

As for those claiming England would have beaten either of the teams on show, your qualifying campaign doesn't really support that. You (rather like the Spanish were for years) should do better than you actually do, particularly at big tournaments. I do hope you lot get the French in SA and stuff them so hard they'll be finding breadcrumbs for years, though!

[Hasta]

As for those claiming England would have beaten either of the teams on show, your qualifying campaign doesn't really support that.

Err, we qualified with an 100% record until the final game when it didn't matter any more. How exactly can that not support the fact that we would probably have beaten both of them sides. What more could we have done apart from actually winning the dead rubber game at the end?

That aside, I agree with your assessment of the France/Ireland game and am gutted for you.

[stuwilky]

As for those claiming England would have beaten either of the teams on show, your qualifying campaign doesn't really support that.

Played 10. Won 9. Scored 34, Against 6.

Yeah, I see your point daren.

[broadsword]

Never a penalty (although very well staged) and Henry should be ashamed to every step on a pitch again.

I hope France get a right doing at the World Cup.

[Grabbi Graeme]

Not seen the penalty decision so I cant comment on it although the majority on here seem to think it wasn't, I have seen the handball though and it is cheating on the Maradonna scale, if I was an Irish fan I would be livid.

Henry for me has been a great player but now he will go down in history as a cheat, I hope that France get a decision like that against them in the finals, like it to be us as well, Rooney handball to knock them out.

[grizfoot]

Did the handball remind anyone else of Louis Saha at Ewood 3-4 years ago?

Yeah it reminded me of that, I think it was Saha who knocked it, clearly with his hand, into the path for Smith to score deep into injury time.

But got to feel for the Irish who put in a superb performance. If you look at the teams you'd say France have a far superior squad of players but the Irish team seemed to want it more.

Don't blame the referee for the decision because it wasn't possible for him to see it. Thought the ref had done a terrific job at being strong and fair throughout the game definitley one of the best referring displays I've seen this year. Shame this one incidient will over-shadow all of that. Henry is always pitched as a sporting sort of player but in my opinion he knew very well what he was doing and it was sign of desperate France where. But if for example it was England and Rooney was the culprit in a similiar situation I'm sure we'd all be saying it's upto the officals to spot the handball, the players just play to the whistle.

It would have been the ultimate sporting gesture for Henry to go upto the referee and say I handled the ball it shouldn't be a goal, instead he goes on and celebrates a goal after he knew very well he had cheated to assist it, that in my opinion is something he should be ashamed of.

[daren]

Played 10. Won 9. Scored 34, Against 6.

Yeah, I see your point daren.

Bloomin' 'eck! That's what I get for getting my England national team news from the Sun I was under the distinct impression from reading (English) newspapers that you lot weren't particularly convincing in qualification! You'll have to forgive my un-informed comment, should probably have checked first!

Don't blame the referee for the decision because it wasn't possible for him to see it. Thought the ref had done a terrific job at being strong and fair throughout the game definitley one of the best referring displays I've seen this year.

I totally agree - in fact the refs for both legs were outstanding. For me the linesman needs a flogging. Or at least glasses...

[Bobby G]

Actually I think it was a penalty.

Look at the replay from behind Given, his right hand clearly pulls back Anelka's ankle as Anelka gets away from him.

[Hughesy]

Anelka should of been booked for diving and Henry should of admitted it there and then...but he didnt. France cheatered their way through and you have to feel for the Irish who did very well.

Hopefully France get absolutely d!cked at the world cup because they do not deserve to be there.

Suprised Russia didnt make it either!

[G Somerset Rover]

I've never liked Henry. Great player, but he comes across as so arrogant on the pitch. Last night just summed him up for me, the way he ran off celebrating like he had nothing wrong. Fair enough he's not going to run up the the ref ala Robbie Fowler and say it isn't a goal, but don't dribble the ball with your hand and then run around like a prat. I felt gutted for the Irish.

Here's hoping that England get the French in the World Cup and give them a pasting. Seeing Henry and Diarra crying would just about make my year. Perhaps when France go out (they will as they're crap) someone can walk over to Henry and have a little sit next to him?

[Exiled_Rover]

BBC Report

Henry added: "I will be honest it was a handball but I'm not the referee."

What a cowardly excuse. He should have owned up to the ref immediately that he had handled the ball. Still that's 'professionalism' these days isn't it, cheating is ok as long as you get away with it.

[G Somerset Rover]

BBC Report

Henry added: "I will be honest it was a handball but I'm not the referee."

What a cowardly excuse. He should have owned up to the ref immediately that he had handled the ball. Still that's 'professionalism' these days isn't it, cheating is ok as long as you get away with it.

That is a very cowardly excuse. However as I said above, I'm not going to have too much of a go at him for not running to the ref and saying 'it isn't a goal', because I'd imagine very few players would actually do this. I can only think of Fowler and Di Canio who showed honesty in recent years. What he shouldn't then do is run around like a lunatic, knowing full well what he's done and the consequences of his actions.

[LeChuck]

Deliberate handballs occur all the time, the reaction against Henry in the press is laughable. Why not this level of outrage when other players deliberately handle it, or when someone commits a deliberate foul? Or is it acceptable when less is at stake?

He shouldn't have done it, but then that's why it's a bookable offence. The outrage is that two officials managed to miss such a blatant handball. If this doesn't result in video refereeing being introduced at the highest level then I don't know what will.

[Hughesy]

I think its the fact that a place in the World Cup would of been worth millions of Euros to the Irish and now that wont happen thanks to some dodgy goal.

[LeChuck]

I think its the fact that a place in the World Cup would of been worth millions of Euros to the Irish and now that wont happen thanks to some dodgy goal.

Yeah I get that bit, but I don't like how the perceived level of cheating somehow equates to the importance of the game. Deliberate handballs happen every week. If he'd drugged himself up, hidden Valium in the Irish players' pre-match meal or something then fair enough...but he did something that happens a lot.

The press can't just make a big deal of it when something happens they don't like - if deliberate handball was so atrocious they should have made their stand a long time ago.

I think it's just the "this form of cheating is fine until it adversely effects a game we care about" mentality that really annoys me.

[MeanGreenMachine]

Deliberate handballs occur all the time, the reaction against Henry in the press is laughable. Why not this level of outrage when other players deliberately handle it, or when someone commits a deliberate foul? Or is it acceptable when less is at stake?

He shouldn't have done it, but then that's why it's a bookable offence. The outrage is that two officials managed to miss such a blatant handball. If this doesn't result in video refereeing being introduced at the highest level then I don't know what will.

Well said...

It makes me giggle, if boot was on the other foot the Irish would be jumping for joy. You know what, tough luck. Dont blame Henry, blame the refs and the irish defenders who rather than marking preferred waving their arms around, on and keane and duff who fluffed their chances.

[T4E]

The most laughable thing is those calling Henry every name under the sun. It was his job to ensure his team got to the World Cup finals. He did that. It was the referee and his assistants job to ensure that the final result of the game was achieved fairly and without injustice. They didn't do that.

No footballer in the World would have turned around as the ball hit the net in extra time of the second leg of a World Cup play off, having seen their country take the lead with 17 minutes to go, and admitted they handled it in the build up and ask for the goal to be chalked off. It just would not happen. It's got nothing to do with him being French, or a cheat, or any of the other criticisms levelled at him. He had a job to do and he did it. The officials are to blame here - the players shouldn't have to be self policing. If FIFA would stop being so bloody precious and embrace a bit of change in the game then these things would not happen. Football is stuck in the dark ages because it takes itself way too seriously.

[Hughesy]

I think it's just the "this form of cheating is fine until it adversely effects a game we care about" mentality that really annoys me.

That bit couldnt be any more relevant.

Handball against Blackburn - "Oh well" - 2 replays of it on a saturday night

Handball against United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs - "Outrage" all over sky sports for the entire week.