: Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:58 pm  

Just looking at the league table now, I never realized 'Boro were doing so poor, I actually think they'll go down which is quite a shame, because done really well with their academy over recent years, it'd be a shame if they were to go down after so much good work.

I think 'Boro, West Brom and Stoke could go down. Although Mowbray's attitude has been refreshing, they've been awful and they're far too spineless to stay up. 'Boro can be a really competitive team on their day, but they lack so much consistency and I think that will cost them. As for Stoke, I think they lack a lot in attack but their physical football could just keep them up against the tired teams towards the back end of the year, however, it will be a massive ask and I think them and Hull City will scrap it out to stay up.

I just wish we had a bitter whinger like Warnock in the mix, his rants are class.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:08 pm  

ash4hullfc wrote:

Clearly attempting to? I don't think it was that clear and would have been hard to send him off based on that. If he had made contact with his head, it would have been a red, no doubt.

So WTF was he attempting to do?

IMO it was a clear attempt to smack Ronaldo. IMO he was attempting to give Ronaldo a smack in the face. Just because he only smacked Ronaldo in the neck it doesn't mean it is less of a sending off offence.

And the fact that 1/2 a second after he tried to hit Ronaldo he chopped down another United player after the ball was clear it shows what his state of mind was. He'd lost it.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:16 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

So WTF was he attempting to do?

IMO it was a clear attempt to smack Ronaldo. IMO he was attempting to give Ronaldo a smack in the face. Just because he only smacked Ronaldo in the neck it doesn't mean it is less of a sending off offence.

And the fact that 1/2 a second after he tried to hit Ronaldo he chopped down another United player after the ball was clear it shows what his state of mind was. He'd lost it.

Taylor does daft things at times, better off asking him than me.

In my opinion, the tackle on Carrick was worse than what he did to Ronaldo.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:16 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

The decision Cole received last night was disgraceful and for Zola to speak the way he did after the match speaks volumes for the man.

I think it says more about football. I would expect any man to be able to behave with dignity in such matters.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:20 pm  

McClennan wrote:

I think it says more about football. I would expect any man to be able to behave with dignity in such matters.

I think the trouble is, there is so much pressure in the modern game due to money and managerial job security that some managers overreact to situations like that. The big club managers have a tendency to overprotect cheats and not see what is right there and the small club managers all seem quite paranoid about a big FA conspiracy. Its all pressure.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:43 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

Zola is to be applauded for his attitude towards referee's. The decision Cole received last night was disgraceful and for Zola to speak the way he did after the match speaks volumes for the man.

If he reacts the same when it happens in an important match and they go on to lose then it will speak volumes about him. Last night was a meaningless, pressure free game that they won. It's easy to accept bad decisions under those circumstances.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:10 pm  

PAUL M wrote:

Gerrard made a two footed challenge in the Chelsea game and never got a red, however people don't bring it up all the time.

Ronaldo has got away with 2/3 instances and I don't deny it. He also should have had penalties which have not been given.

He should also have been booked far more often for diving .

I can understand decisions not being given in a match situation such as red cards for fouls, penalties given or not given, no yellow cards for diving etc. The referees have to make the decision on the spot, looking at it from ground level, and maybe having a player or two in the way, and don't have the benefit of numerous slow motion replays like us watching and the idiots in the commentary box who seem oblivious of that fact as they rail against them, they will make mistakes.

However the FA set a precedent when they hauled Wright Phillips up for kicking out and giving him a 3 match ban. Every player caught doing it should now get the same treatment, how can they justify banning Wright Phillips and then not Ronaldo for doing the exact same thing just weeks after they'd made that initial decision? It stinks.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:25 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

...how can they justify banning Wright Phillips and then not Ronaldo for doing the exact same thing just weeks after they'd made that initial decision? It stinks.

I agree that it stinks. But you know the reason the FA could act over SWP and not Ronaldo. In SWP's case the referee said that he hadn't seen the incident, and that if he had then he'd have sent him off. That gave the FA the permission to punish him afterwards. The referee in the Ronaldo incident either saw the incident and deemed it unworthy of further punishment, or said that he'd have only booked him for it. In that case the FA's own rules don't allow him to be charged.

IMO it's all down to the farkwitted rules that the FA have tied themselves behind. The rules should be cleaned up and nonsense like this shouldn't happen, but the FA are farkwits anyway so they'd probably just mess it up more.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:35 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

It stinks.

it does, but I think it works against him as often as it does for him, he does get lumps kicked out of him (as does SWP and other players), he has benefited from some shocking decisions, but by the same token, some shockers have gone against him.

: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:50 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

He should also have been booked far more often for diving .

I can understand decisions not being given in a match situation such as red cards for fouls, penalties given or not given, no yellow cards for diving etc. The referees have to make the decision on the spot, looking at it from ground level, and maybe having a player or two in the way, and don't have the benefit of numerous slow motion replays like us watching and the idiots in the commentary box who seem oblivious of that fact as they rail against them, they will make mistakes.

However the FA set a precedent when they hauled Wright Phillips up for kicking out and giving him a 3 match ban. Every player caught doing it should now get the same treatment, how can they justify banning Wright Phillips and then not Ronaldo for doing the exact same thing just weeks after they'd made that initial decision? It stinks.

Sorry, when you're talking about diving, are you talking about Ronaldo or Gerrard? Can't tell, both great examples of big divers.