Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:54 am  

Ridiculous decision to disallow Drenthe's goal against Arsenal. It was a quality goal as well, lovely move. He was also in my fantasy football team.

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 11:25 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Ridiculous decision to disallow Drenthe's goal against Arsenal. It was a quality goal as well, lovely move. He was also in my fantasy football team.

they gave that lino a right kicking on 5 live at half time regarding that decision another one he pinged Drenthe for.

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:29 pm  

QPR 3 Liverpool 2. Finally we win another game !!!!

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:33 pm  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

The first quote was half an hour after the infamous incident.....time for everyone to calm down....and they have......oh, and by the way, that quote was from 27th of September, when City were in SECOND (on goal difference, mind you)...so that's hardly a "healthy lead" as you so eloquently put it, is it????????????????????????

How long does it take to calm down? It seems he still hadn't calmed down over 3 months later as at the start of January Mancini was saying he was hoping Tevez would be sold in the transfer window. As you well know, between 27th September and 23rd October city had opened up a 5 point lead over MUFC. Amazingly 3 days after a 1-0 defeat to Everton which was the culmination in Utd clawing back citys lead at the top, Tevez was re-named in citys 25 man premier league squad, and Mancini says he could play again if he proves his fitness, along with the gem of a quote: "There is only one thing on my mind, the Barclays Premier League."

And thats without me even going into the contrasting reaction of the fans between then and now.

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:16 pm  

John_D wrote:

Small squad. The style of play demands a hell of a lot from the players and they're running out of steam.
Bear in mind, though, that this is year one of the Bielsa era. A total change of ethos takes time to implement. Still, new contracts for Bielsa, Martinez and Llorente are all good news.

Yet they managed to play out of their skins against United between abject (non) performances in La Liga.

John_D wrote:

Cazorla > Senna. But that's more about Cazorla's being amazing than Senna's being average. I thought Casillas was slightly out of position, but Senna still had to spot the gap and then find it.

What was amazing were the antics of the Madrid players and bench after the goal. Even Marca questioned the reaction in today's edition.

[John_D]

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:35 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Yet they managed to play out of their skins against United between abject (non) performances in La Liga.

An inability to back up those performances Thursday-Sunday was how I read it, but I'm probably looking at it through rose-tinted bins.


Oh, and the reaction to the goal last night at El Madrigal was probably something to do with the fact that it wasn't even a foul. Or at least I didn't think it was on first viewing. Even after a couple of replays, you'd have to say the lad went down with little persuasion.

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:49 pm  

John_D wrote:

An inability to back up those performances Thursday-Sunday was how I read it, but I'm probably looking at it through rose-tinted bins.

Oh, and the reaction to the goal last night at El Madrigal was probably something to do with the fact that it wasn't even a foul. Or at least I didn't think it was on first viewing. Even after a couple of replays, you'd have to say the lad went down with little persuasion.

Which is so strange in modern-day football...
They had an ex-referee (no me jodas, Rafa!) on Spanish tv who said that it was definitely a foul. He argued that making contact with the ball first doesn't matter if you then go on to take the player out.

[John_D]

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:54 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

Which is so strange in modern-day football...
They had an ex-referee (no me jodas, Rafa!) on Spanish tv who said that it was definitely a foul. He argued that making contact with the ball first doesn't matter if you then go on to take the player out.

Well that's right of course. There's no provision in the rules to say it's not a foul just because you got the ball. On first look at real time though, it just didn't look a foul.

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:56 pm  

It's not like Madrid are the beneficiaries of any decisions, though, is it? I can't remember who they played a few weeks/months back, when a player scored against them but was flagged for being five yards onside in his own half.

[John_D]

Re: The Football Chat (cont) : Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:44 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

It's not like Madrid are the beneficiaries of any decisions, though, is it? I can't remember who they played a few weeks/months back, when a player scored against them but was flagged for being five yards onside in his own half.

Two shouts for Villarreal penalties waved away last night too, one iffy, one barely even debatable.
But the amount of scrutiny over marginal calls in games featuring El Real and Barcelona is utterly ludicrous and so blown up by hyperbole that it's never a mistake or never understandable given where the ref was stood. It's always a CONSPIRACY and anti-your club bias by the authorities. It's rare to have a reasoned debate about it.