[Archived] Other PL happenings 2010-2011

[1864roverite]

Shocking bit of play by Brad Friedel as Villa score a last minute winner !!

[BuckyRover]

Heskey would have been a brilliant signing for us

[cn174]

I don't know if anyone caught the build up to the Wolves game, but they did a short feature on Jody Craddock who as well as being a footballer is also an artist. Had a look on his website and he's done some very good stuff - Craddock Art

[1864roverite]

Stoke have just equalised at the home of the biggest club in the world, BARCODE UNITED. Unfortunately they have also lost Fuller with what appears to be a bad shoulder injury.

Stoke are very much in the face of the barcodes and will no doubt go at Rovers with some gusto next weekend.

I dread to think what aor traffic control will be like over the potteries next weekend

[Montfort]

Whilst it was an appalling decision by the referee to allow the first goal at Liverpool, it was appalling behaviour by Torres to play the ball when it was being passed to goal keeper to take the free kick. Steve Bruce would be better served criticising the Liverpool players involved.

[Mr. E]

If Liverpool are so much in debt, why have they not been forced to sell their top players? A few have gone, but they still have Johnson, Gerrard, Torres, Reina, I mean c'mon. Sell everything like we have, and then they'll have my sympathies.

Not to mention that they still bought more than 10 million worth of players this summer. I mean what the hell?

[DanLad]

Whilst it was an appalling decision by the referee to allow the first goal at Liverpool, it was appalling behaviour by Torres to play the ball when it was being passed to goal keeper to take the free kick. Steve Bruce would be better served criticising the Liverpool players involved.

The ref's in charge, though.

If one player reacts thinking the ball is live and the ref doesn't blow then it's game on?

[brian_gallagher85]

If Liverpool are so much in debt, why have they not been forced to sell their top players? A few have gone, but they still have Johnson, Gerrard, Torres, Reina, I mean c'mon.

Have you seen him play this season? He's easily been their worst player by an absolute mile!

[Mr. E]

Have you seen him play this season? He's easily been their worst player by an absolute mile!

Top players in terms of money. Didn't they buy him for close to 20 million? They can still sell him for a decent sum.

Though yeah, he was also b@lls for England at the WC too.

[RevidgeBlue]

Whilst it was an appalling decision by the referee to allow the first goal at Liverpool, it was appalling behaviour by Torres to play the ball when it was being passed to goal keeper to take the free kick. Steve Bruce would be better served criticising the Liverpool players involved.

I've just seen that for the first time tonight and I can't for the life of me understand what all the fuss is about.

Definite goal, no question about it or anything iffy about it at all for me. The referee indicated where the free kick should be taken from and that's where it was taken.

God knows what the defender was thinking, he's just made a right rick by not passing the ball back hard enough. There's no way that Torres or anyone else should be expected to stand aside or not take advantage.

What next, pass the ball back to the opposition keeper if he drops it in the penalty area?

[brian_gallagher85]

Top players in terms of money. Didn't they buy him for close to 20 million? They can still sell him for a decent sum.

Though yeah, he was also b@lls for England at the WC too.

They wouldn't get a third of what they paid on current form.

[S15]

I've just seen that for the first time tonight and I can't for the life of me understand what all the fuss is about.

Definite goal, no question about it or anything iffy about it at all for me. The referee indicated where the free kick should be taken from and that's where it was taken.

God knows what the defender was thinking, he's just made a right rick by not passing the ball back hard enough. There's no way that Torres or anyone else should be expected to stand aside or not take advantage.

What next, pass the ball back to the opposition keeper if he drops it in the penalty area?

I'm sorry but you're completely and utterly wrong. It was blatantly obvious what was going on, do you really think he did a flimsy back heel with no power trying to pass it forty yards back to his keeper? Do me a favour.

Every single pundit/player and manager who has commented on it has said how ridiculous it was and how it should never have stood, but you have the confidence to state it was a 'definite goal.'

Really?

[Guest bluerovers]

I'm sorry but you're completely and utterly wrong. It was blatantly obvious what was going on, do you really think he did a flimsy back heel with no power trying to pass it forty yards back to his keeper? Do me a favour.

Every single pundit/player and manager who has commented on it has said how ridiculous it was and how it should never have stood, but you have the confidence to state it was a 'definite goal.'

Really?

Unfortunately pundits/players don't ref football matches, referees do and the organisation that represents them said the decision was correct

"the correct decisions were made. The ball was in play as soon as it is kicked by a Sunderland player."

Source

[S15]

Unfortunately pundits/players don't ref football matches, referees do and the organisation that represents them said the decision was correct

Source

Oh really, they've come out and defended their employee?!

This isn't the first time the Referees association have come out using some stupid technicality to cover a particular referees lack of common sense. That kind of incident happens literally over ten times a game. The referee made the most critical mistake, which was turning his back whilst running away, and later guessing as he had no offing idea what had happened.

[Iceman]

c'mon Shillito, the goal was a legitimate one. There are 2 ways the ref could restart play, well 3. 1st, blowing on his whistle, 2nd hand gesture, and 3rd a drop ball.

The ref, indicated to Turner that he could play the ball, Turner pushed the ball back, and Torres took advantage of it as the ball was rolling and in play.

Turner should have picked the ball up, and then kicked or throwed it back to his keeper. The only question is one of sportsmanship, should they have stopped knowing what the intentions were of the defender?

[S15]

c'mon Shillito, the goal was a legitimate one. There are 2 ways the ref could restart play, well 3. 1st, blowing on his whistle, 2nd hand gesture, and 3rd a drop ball.

The ref, indicated to Turner that he could play the ball, Turner pushed the ball back, and Torres took advantage of it as the ball was rolling and in play.

Turner should have picked the ball up, and then kicked or throwed it back to his keeper. The only question is one of sportsmanship, should they have stopped knowing what the intentions were of the defender?

If the ref had indicated such a thing why did he run off with his back turned.

[Iceman]

If the ref had indicated such a thing why did he run off with his back turned.

i am a referee, and that is normal. the ref will blow on his whistle, and then take up a position in the centre of midfield, if the ball is deep in opposition territory. He will point, and then ensure that he is in a good position, to judge what is happening once the kick is taken.

What you have indicated is correct though, and this is where the problem may lie. He indicated, turned his back, and didnt spot the intentions of the defender. The ball however was in play, and Torres was rightly allowed to continue. I know it sounds like im contradicting myself, but you cannot blame the referee for allowing the goal to stand.

[S15]

i am a referee, and that is normal. the ref will blow on his whistle, and then take up a position in the centre of midfield, if the ball is deep in opposition territory. He will point, and then ensure that he is in a good position, to judge what is happening once the kick is taken.

What you have indicated is correct though, and this is where the problem may lie. He indicated, turned his back, and didnt spot the intentions of the defender. The ball however was in play, and Torres was rightly allowed to continue. I know it sounds like im contradicting myself, but you cannot blame the referee for allowing the goal to stand.

If he didn't turn his back it wouldn't have happened.

Run backwards, most refs have the ability to do this.

[darwenblueswearehere]

If the ref had indicated such a thing why did he run off with his back turned.

Only one person to 'blame' here - the idiot Sunderland defender. Mind you, if it had happened at the other end (or at the same end in the second half) I'm not sure the ref would have allowed play to continue.

It was, quite literally, a schoolboy error that should have been ironed out at youth level.

[Montfort]

The ref's in charge, though.

If one player reacts thinking the ball is live and the ref doesn't blow then it's game on?

You are correct, the ref is in charge. However, the balance of blame has been disproportionately allocated. Most people feel that the intention of the Sunderland team was clear, and the ref should have dissallowed the goal. The ref has been justly criticsed.

But what about the responsibility of Torres? He was aware of the intention of the Sunderland team as well. Does he not deserve some censure?

Steve Bruce was quick to criticse the ref who cannot defend himself or answer back. A suitable answer from the ref would have been " I did not see it and got it wrong. However that Steve Bruce is a bit of a numpty if he allows his defenders to be as casual as that."

Bruce said nothing about Torres who was a major contributor to the incident. There is no point complaining about poor decisions by the ref and the injustice of a situation if we have an atmosphere which tolerates players being allowed to get away with everything they can. Managers could and should put pressure on players to behave better.

I get fed up of managers getting on their high horse - but only when it suits them.

[Guest bluerovers]

If he didn't turn his back it wouldn't have happened.

Run backwards, most refs have the ability to do this.

There was far more chance of another foul being commtted in front of him than a minor technical glitch with the free kick being taken so why would he run backward?

Think of a free kick/corner further up the pitch, you would never as a referee watch the kick being taken as you would miss foul after foul in the box as players jostle in the box (or wherever the target of the free kick is going). It is normal and necessary that refs don't watch the free kick being taken but watch the players/area looking to receive the free kick.

[Iceman]

You are correct, the ref is in charge. However, the balance of blame has been disproportionately allocated. Most people feel that the intention of the Sunderland team was clear, and the ref should have dissallowed the goal. The ref has been justly criticsed.

But what about the responsibility of Torres? He was aware of the intention of the Sunderland team as well. Does he not deserve some censure?

Steve Bruce was quick to criticse the ref who cannot defend himself or answer back. A suitable answer from the ref would have been " I did not see it and got it wrong. However that Steve Bruce is a bit of a numpty if he allows his defenders to be as casual as that."

Bruce said nothing about Torres who was a major contributor to the incident. There is no point complaining about poor decisions by the ref and the injustice of a situation if we have an atmosphere which tolerates players being allowed to get away with everything they can. Managers could and should put pressure on players to behave better.

I get fed up of managers getting on their high horse - but only when it suits them.

How can you blame Torres? He took a chance, looked at the ref, and played on. Would you stop, pick the ball up and say "sorry ref, he wanted to let the keeper take it" The defender should have picked the ball up, not casually try and kick it back to his keeper.

[Guest bluerovers]

You are correct, the ref is in charge. However, the balance of blame has been disproportionately allocated. Most people feel that the intention of the Sunderland team was clear, and the ref should have dissallowed the goal. The ref has been justly criticsed.

But what about the responsibility of Torres? He was aware of the intention of the Sunderland team as well. Does he not deserve some censure?

Steve Bruce was quick to criticse the ref who cannot defend himself or answer back. A suitable answer from the ref would have been " I did not see it and got it wrong. However that Steve Bruce is a bit of a numpty if he allows his defenders to be as casual as that."

Bruce said nothing about Torres who was a major contributor to the incident. There is no point complaining about poor decisions by the ref and the injustice of a situation if we have an atmosphere which tolerates players being allowed to get away with everything they can. Managers could and should put pressure on players to behave better.

I get fed up of managers getting on their high horse - but only when it suits them.

Spot on, this shouldn't be a question of bad refereeing but bad sportmanship. This reminds me of when we scored against Arsenal back in the 90s after a Sutton throw in that by rights we should have thrown back to them (I think we did but pressured them straight away, got the ball and scored). It was a breach of bad sportsmanship not bad refereeing and I'd put this incident in the same bracket.

[nicko]

Only one person to 'blame' here - the idiot Sunderland defender. Mind you, if it had happened at the other end (or at the same end in the second half) I'm not sure the ref would have allowed play to continue.

It was, quite literally, a schoolboy error that should have been ironed out at youth level.

Spot on.

Turner kicked the ball from the spot where the free-kick was to be taken from...that's a fact.

Steve Bruce talking garbage to say it was 25 yards away!

The give-away is when you watch the replays. Look at Bramble thworing his arm up towards Turner when he did it, but best of all look at the keeper pulling Turner after the inquest and putting his arms out to say 'why did you do that?'

There was NO signal to the keeper to come and take it. Turner did not look at him, the keeper was not coming out.

Just one massive brainstorm.

[Commondore]

What does our resident journalist think of this?:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/473881-beware-sensationalist-football-stories-by-the-daily-star