[Archived] Premier League Happenings

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Where I live I'm surrounded by @#/? head Red Rats. Most of them only watch one team, they couldn't tell you the first thing about the opposition. It does them good to be on the receiving end of a decision now and again. 9 times out of 10 they get the benefit. Have we all forgotten that Yakubu was sent off for Rovers not that long ago for a tackle just like Nani's. To Jim and Co, like it or not ( and I personally don't ) the game has changed massively over the last 20 years and you just can't go in with your foot that high anymore.

The English referee in the Spain v Holland World Cup Final was slated from every angle

for allowing DeJong of Holland to commit a similar foul and stay on the pitch. Last nights guy obviously knew all about that.

[jim mk2]

Where I live I'm surrounded by kean head Red Rats. Most of them only

watch one team, they couldn't tell you the first thing about the

opposition. It does them good to be on the receiving end of a decision

now and again

To Jim and Co, like it or not ( and I personally don't ) the game has

changed massively over the last 20 years and you just can't go in with

your foot that high anymore.

The English referee in the Spain v Holland World Cup Final was slated from every angle

for allowing DeJong of Holland to commit a similar foul and stay on the pitch. Last nights guy obviously knew all about that.

I ain't doubting that United fans have had this coming - I've no sympathy with them. My point is a great game of football was spoilt by the referee applying the letter of the law. If the law says he should be sent off the law needs to be changed.

[Mike E]

I ain't doubting that United fans have had this coming - I've no sympathy with them. My point is a great game of football was spoilt by the referee applying the letter of the law. If the law says he should be sent off the law needs to be changed.

To be fair, you could've just said that rather than disputing the referee's perfectly fine application of it.

[jim mk2]

Still the wrong decision. That referee has now made a name for himself so I hope he's very pleased. The best refs are the ones you don't notice.

[Mike E]

Stop being so blinkered. By letter of the law it was a MINIMUM yellow card. If the ref felt it warranted a red, he was well within his rights to do so.

For what it's worth, I think it was 'just' a yellow. But given that all the ref saw was Nani's leg in the air and going into another player's hip/waist, I can absolutely understand why he gave a red.

If Arbeloa had been a Rovers player we'd have been calling for a red, but would likely have accepted a yellow. Utd just got unlucky. 99/100 refs will give a yellow. One gave a red. That's about the a to z of the incident.

[JAL]

I've no sympathy with them. My point is a great game of football was spoilt by the referee applying the letter of the law. If the law says he should be sent off the law needs to be changed.

If the authorities allowed that kind of behaviour on a football pitch then the number of games abandoned will go through the roof.

Its football... Jim, not kung foo or karate.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

How many times have you seen a game spoiled by a sending off ? I've seen plenty. The game's you're playing at home and the opposition are having a go, then they get a man sent off and all of a sudden they have ten men behind the ball and an end to end game becomes a slog.

Like the Villa v Rovers game in the cup a while ago. It was a great game until Samba gave away a pen and got sent off or the game v the Red Rats when Berg also gave away a pen and got sent off.

I'd been watching Rovers for about 3 seasons before I even saw a sending off ( Mike England at Burnley ) now you see them every week on match of the day.

A while ago the Sunday Observer had a " Where are they now " photo article on the Notts Forest team of the early 1970's. it named one player, Sammy Chapman, as having been sent off earlier that season. It also said that made him the first Forest player to be sent off since the 2nd World War ! This season alone they'll have several no doubt.

[thenodrog]

Stop being so blinkered. By letter of the law it was a MINIMUM yellow card. If the ref felt it warranted a red, he was well within his rights to do so.

For what it's worth, I think it was 'just' a yellow. But given that all the ref saw was Nani's leg in the air and going into another player's hip/waist, I can absolutely understand why he gave a red.

If Arbeloa had been a Rovers player we'd have been calling for a red, but would likely have accepted a yellow. Utd just got unlucky. 99/100 refs will give a yellow. One gave a red. That's about the a to z of the incident.

OK so lets forget the rights and wrongs of the incident. The point is that the referee ruined a finely balanced and keenly anticipated match for millions of viewers. As Mourhino said 'the world will be watching'. Well the world has been a. cheated and b. disappointed big style and I've a strong feeling that the assorted sponsors, advertisers, moneymen and the media will be very disapproving. Sooner or later the powers that be will be forced to realise that football is a spectator sport, a football ground is not a courtroom and that the customer is indeed King.

[JAL]

OK so lets forget the rights and wrongs of the incident. The point is that the referee ruined a finely balanced and keenly anticipated match for millions of viewers. As Mourhino said 'the world will be watching'. Well the world has been a. cheated and b. disappointed big style and I've a strong feeling that the assorted sponsors, moneymen and the media will be very disapproving. Sooner or later the powers that be will be forced to realise that football is a spectator sport, a football ground is not a courtroom and that the customer is indeed King.

Nani spoilt a good game not the referee!

Would have thought the Madrid side of Spain and any anti ManU would have thought it was an excellent game.

[thenodrog]

Nani spoilt a good game not the referee!

Would have thought the Madrid side of Spain would have thought it was an excellent game.

How so? He was watching the ball the whole time. It was not a foul it was a collision.

[Amo]

OK so lets forget the rights and wrongs of the incident. The point is that the referee ruined a finely balanced and keenly anticipated match for millions of viewers. As Mourhino said 'the world will be watching'. Well the world has been a. cheated and b. disappointed big style and I've a strong feeling that the assorted sponsors, advertisers, moneymen and the media will be very disapproving. Sooner or later the powers that be will be forced to realise that football is a spectator sport, a football ground is not a courtroom and that the customer is indeed King.

Oh, I wouldn't say that. Millions of us were delighted to see United go crashing out.

[JAL]

How so? He was watching the ball the whole time. It was not a foul it was a collision.

If he was watching it, then he should have collected it in a safe manner and not injured an opponent in doing so. Once his feet left the ground Nani had no control and became a risk to others. Let that one go, then what else are you going to let go before war breaks out on a football pitch or someone gets seriously hurt.

[DE.]

Rubbish! The European Cup as it was called in those days was a straight knock out competition in which only Champions could compete. By the same rules now MU would not even have qualified for the competition as they would not have done when they won it in Barcelona! So how you can say beggars belief! Todays flaky version begins as a league format simply to give the richer clubs the best chance of reaching the latter stages.

Do you think it was harder to win the European Cup in the 70's as a British club, then?

[jim mk2]

If the authorities allowed that kind of behaviour on a football pitch then the number of games abandoned will go through the roof.

Its football... Jim, not kung foo or karate.

Don't be daft.

The ref's decision means a player can never raise a foot in a football match ! That means all overhead kicked goals (studs showing !) - one of the most difficult skills in the game - would not only be disallowed but the player sent off.

What about that great showpony Ibrahimovic's goal against England (the greatest goal of all time according to some) ? Why wasn't he sent off ?

[Stuart]

Stop being so blinkered. By letter of the law it was a MINIMUM yellow card. If the ref felt it warranted a red, he was well within his rights to do so.

Good grief, Mike.

If the letter of the law was applied at all times in football, there be a stoppage every minute and most games abandoned due to games ending up 7-a- side!

There is so much room for interpretation. Why do you think I bumped the match fixing thread. It was THAT kind of game changing decision. As soon as it happened you knew United were out,

That in itself isn't a bad thing but it should have been a fair fight that United lost, not another controversy - and excuse - and a football match ruined as a spectacle.

[thenodrog]

Y

Do you think it was harder to win the European Cup in the 70's as a British club, then?

Yes

[jim mk2]

Do you think it was harder to win the European Cup in the 70's as a British club, then?

Yes.

[JAL]

Don't be daft.

The ref's decision means a player can never raise a foot in a football match ! That means all overhead kicked goals (studs showing !) - one of the most difficult skills in the game - would not only be disallowed but the player sent off.

What about that great showpony Ibrahimovic's goal against England (the greatest goal of all time according to some) ? Why wasn't he sent off ?

No, you can kick a ball off the ground so long as you dont make contact with an opponent jim. You cant have players crashing into other players as it would be mayhem on the pitch.

[jim mk2]

No, you can kick a ball off the ground so long as you dont make contact with an opponent jim. You cant have players crashing into other players as it would be mayhem on the pitch.

Have you ever watched or played a game of football /

[Mike E]

Good grief, Mike.

If the letter of the law was applied at all times in football, there be a stoppage every minute and most games abandoned due to games ending up 7-a- side!

There is so much room for interpretation. Why do you think I bumped the match fixing thread. It was THAT kind of game changing decision. As soon as it happened you knew United were out,

That in itself isn't a bad thing but it should have been a fair fight that United lost, not another controversy - and excuse - and a football match ruined as a spectacle.

Another excuse there. Teams beat superior teams all the time with only 10 men. I agree that interpretation is important in the game. Some refs will be lenient and some refs will absolutely stick to the law. Neither method is wrong, although both can be frustrating.

It's been mentioned that Chelsea beat Barca with 10 men (for 85mins). If anything it's Nani's fault for giving the ref any reason to produce a card (of either colour) and Fergie/Utd's fault for not being able to reorganise.

I didn't know Utd were out soon as it happened. They had the 1-goal advantage and Fergie's teams are well-drilled. The fact they collapsed under pressure is no-one's fault but ManUtd's.

[gumboots]

Ferguson was so busy being angry that he didn't do anything to change the game until it was too late to do so. I don't think that was a red card by any means just as i couldn't see why Yakubu got one last year, but when it was, it was Ferguson's job to deal with it and this time he didn't.

[dazmaz]

It was dangerous play, that's why he was sent off, lets not forget that the referee gave himself plenty of time to think, most likely also had a word with his assistant too. Plus Nani has no need to have his studs showing, If he was to actually control the ball the way he tried it would of just bounced back at him and killed the counter, not something he should be trying to do.

that said, for all we know, rather than just giving a yellow for the challenge and a yellow for simulation (no need at all for Nani to roll around like he did, nothing wrong with him) the ref decided he would combine the two.

As for it ruining a good match, would anyone be doubting it if he was sent off vs Rovers for a identical challenge? no we wouldn't

[M-K]

Oh, I wouldn't say that. Millions of us were delighted to see United go crashing out.

My wife's a Man U fan, and so my life is considerably more pleasant when they win.

I hope they do the double, the treble, the Grand National, Wimbledon... the whole lot.

Better them than any other English club anyway.

[Mike E]

My wife's a Man U fan, and so my life is considerably more pleasant when they win.

I hope they do the double, the treble, the Grand National, Wimbledon... the whole lot.

Better them than any other English club anyway.

Even Rovers??? Traitor

[Amo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21699901

Very few top players survive from the chop from SAF - especially in their biggest game of the season. Does Man. City beckon for Shrek now? After all, 'once a Blue'...