[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[RevidgeBlue]

Getting back to the Premier League in general it's shaping up in insane fashion this year.

The top 9 have performed very well then the rest have performed like potential relegation candidates. There's a seven point gap to Hull in tenth with 23 points from 21 games and only 6 points separating eleven Clubs down to the bottom.

Any of those Clubs could go down really and I'd have to say I don't really see a decent side amongst them apart from maybe Swansea who are however finding this season that possession doesn't necessarily constitute 9/10 of the law.

[had.e.nuff]

As we've seen over the years cutting out all the technicalities, the offside rule can be neatly summarised thus:

"In the event of a debatable offside decision needing to be given and a bigger Club is playing a smaller Club - if the goal is scored by the smaller Club the decision to be given shall be offside and if the goal is scored by the bigger Club the goal shall stand."

As Pellegrini said it was offside because Joe Hart was obstructed ,Funny what was Lescott doing standing in front of Robinson for citys goal at ewood.

[Stuart]

As Pellegrini said it was offside because Joe Hart was obstructed ,Funny what was Lescott doing standing in front of Robinson for citys goal at ewood.

Joe Hart wasn't obstructed though, and in any case, there have been countless examples of goals which have stood where the keeper has been obstructed.

Definitely a goal. Newcastle were cheated.

But don't take my word for it.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/cheick-tiotes-disallowed-goal-against-3015438

[thenodrog]

As Pellegrini said it was offside because Joe Hart was obstructed ,Funny what was Lescott doing standing in front of Robinson for citys goal at ewood.

What goes around comes around ..... unless you have mega rich owners it seems. I'm surprised no one appears to have commented much on that either on here or in the media.

[had.e.nuff]

What goes around comes around ..... unless you have mega rich owners it seems. I'm surprised no one appears to have commented much on that either on here or in the media.

It will even its self out over a season. Everbody will get a bad desision against City in a season.

[RevidgeBlue]

I think we saw over the seasons that decisions against the "big 4" (or 5) etc certainly don't even themselves out, how many dodgy decisions have we had against Man Ure for example compared to them against us?

If you're talking against the "other" 15 or 16 Clubs I'd agree with you.

[thenodrog]

Moyes hasn't quite grasped quite how to influence referees yet has he? As a 'Sorcerers apprentice' he has some way to go to match his predecessor. Fergys utterances were well thought out and intended to plant seeds in the minds of the referees and their association, whilst Moyes whining about the refs treatment of MU just came across as a pitiable whine. Must say it was well funny though.

Better still he prowls the touchline with eyes and veins bulging desperately trying to emulate the fear factor that the old RFW exhuded (which in actuallity he rarely did at Everton) and it's quite obvious that it's a desperate put on. It's not what he wants to do it's what he thinks he should do and as the pressure mounts he does it even more. It reminds me of a little girl wearing her Mothers hat and shoes and scolding the cat!

[DE.]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2539085/Thought-Manchester-United-got-decisions-Think-Liverpool-awarded-Premier-League-penalties.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

[Salgado Is A Hero]

The argument is they get more penalties that they shouldn't. Which they obviously do.

[Stuart]

Very surprised to see Rovers 9th in that penalties list. Must have been mainly during the first 7 years!

[Mike E]

What makes it more shocking is that we had a whole season of no penalties given under Souness! We'd be higher in theory haha.

[Rovermatt]

Finding the goings-on at United fascinating.

I blogged about it:

http://abbandandoscounter.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/moyes-deserves-criticism-and-patience.html

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I think there was a similar incident last night. A 'City player in an offside position pressured a Rovers player to put the ball out for a corner. Because he didn't touch the ball he wasn't flagged off-side. If 'City whole have scored from the resulting corner they would have gained an advantage ( and scored a goal ) through their player being offside.

[Audax]

Crystal Palace is going to leapfrog over 4 clubs with their win today.20th to 16th...

[RevidgeBlue]

Normal service resumed at West Ham with a 1-3 home defeat against Newcastle.

That's why you should never chuck Cup or difficult looking games imo. It has little or no positive effect on the season as a whole. But you might have won the other game if you'd taken it seriously.

[Josh]

Villa 2-0 up at Anfield. Always fun to watch Villa away, the pace at which they can counter attack is frightening

[Tom]

2-2

Once a cheat always a cheat

[Stuart]

Once a cheat always a cheat

They were on a break!

[RevidgeBlue]

Good suggestion from Dion Dublin tonight on Talksport.

If a player is shown to have dived then a penalty to be awarded to the other side. Only proviso being the ref has to get it right and is allowed to see a video replay.

That would change the emphasis in the dressing room from players slapping the diver on the back for buying a penalty to not talking to him for giving one away. Would stop it overnight.

Drastic but I like it.

[RevidgeBlue]

QPR fan calling into Talksport tonight mentioned Mark Hughes' most recent Premiership away record is something like P28 W1 D4 L23.(Can't remember the exact figure)

No idea if this is true or not but it would confirm my view that Hughes has lost his managerial mojo somewhat and that the Premiership has left the likes of Hughes Allardyce behind.

[Audax]

QPR fan calling into Talksport tonight mentioned Mark Hughes' most recent Premiership away record is something like P28 W1 D4 L23.(Can't remember the exact figure)

No idea if this is true or not but it would confirm my view that Hughes has lost his managerial mojo somewhat and that the Premiership has left the likes of Hughes Allardyce behind.

Allardyce has been with West Ham 3 or 4 years? And he had a short tenure at Newcastle.

I think maybe Sam has run his stint at West Ham and I don't think West Ham was ever the best place for him, at least in the Barclay's Premier League.

West Ham is a real yo-yo club and often in the relegation struggle so I don't necessarily see this as a reflection on Allardyce.

11 on down on the table have had similar problems, in fact, #10, Aston Villa had problems last year and they are a fairly solid big club.

Look at Pulis, Palace is doing relatively well now, may stay up and if they do, may have a similar situation next year but come 3 or 4 years, it wouldn't surprise me to see Pulis on borrowed time just as he had at Stoke. Pulis like Sam seems to be an often reviled manager by fans but one can't argue with the results Pulis is currently obtaining.

Let's not forget, Newcastle went into Saturday's match with 3 straight losses as well, Man City, West Brom and Arsenal. Newcastle's squad actually looks fairly strong so they had to break that losing streak and their 3rd goal was in AET. Except for Southampton, the top 10 are well-established Premier League clubs so there is a gap to the 2nd 10.

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Aside from this, it really looks like Man City with a slow start can win the league this year in the long run, they should usurp Arsenal I'd say. Chelsea defeats MUFC today, they stay in the mix as well.

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In hindsight, I'd think Mark Hughes' best performance as manager was with Fulham.

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But I can't argue, West Ham is pulling a real Dog performance, similar to what they did with Zola and better than with Grant.

22 matches, 18 points.......17 matches remaining, February is usually when people start to figure out what a club needs to stay up, 22 matches and 18 points isn't good but there has certainly been worse. Tight race.

http://int.soccerway.com/national/england/premier-league/20132014/regular-season/r21322/?ICID=HP_POP_01

3 clubs with 18 points, it's a real crowd, those 3 clubs definitely need to shape up.

22 matches, 18 points, 17 matches and 22 points to 40 but I'm not sure about that threshold the way the league is sizing up.

I'm really writing a long post, apologies, next Hammers have Chelsea but then Swansea, Villa and Norwich. So we will see.

[thenodrog]

Fulham!? Getaway!....... Mark Hughes best managerial performance was with us by a mile! European football, big clubs nervous of playing us and even more nervous at ewood, strength and skill and he made the club an absolute fortune!

[Stuart]

His best record on the field was with City (well, it should be really) with 46%.

Rovers win record 43%, Fulham 32%.

When you add in his transfer success, including sales, it's Rovers every time. Just to rub salt in the wound, he did his best bit of transfer business for Rovers when he was at City!

We can even credit him with the significant profits we made on Bentley and Samba - also after he had left!

[Gav]

Fulham!? Getaway!....... Mark Hughes best managerial performance was with us by a mile! European football, big clubs nervous of playing us and even more nervous at ewood, strength and skill and he made the club an absolute fortune!

It was a purple patch thats for sure, it was great watching Bellamy in his pomp and the big sides never getting an easy ride.

[John]

There was even talk in the media of us challenging for top 4 under Sparky - we had some class acts playing for us at that time.