*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[GIMH]

Liverpool have shown form that is no different to that they have shown at this stage in previous years.

Not strictly true, this is now officially their best ever start to a Prem season. They did start off similarly last time out, but I think they hadn't lost yet but had drawn 4 or 5.

 

[sledger]

Interesting one for you lot.

Today, Steve Jennings (despicable character though he is, wears a white shirt) had been booked. He then went flying on one one of the Southend players, for a surefire second booking. However, the ball ran to one of their players, advantage was played, they had a crack, we won the ball back, went upfield...basically it was a while before it went out of play. As we attacked, Jenno was running forwards. I was dying for him to get on the end of one.

If he had scored, you'd have had a situation where he'd have been sent off straight after (as he was when the ball went out for a goal-kick) for an offence he committed prior to scoring. Would be a little, um, strange, and perhaps wrong.

Has it ever actually happened before?

Would be very interesting actually....not sure if the rules have anything in black and white about this sort of situation....

Reminds me of the infamous Graham Poll red card during the Croatia/Australia match at the last world cup....if (can't remember his name at the mo) player X had scored a goal or heavily influenced the match in some other way after receiving 2 yellow cards and remaining on the field....what would have happened?

 

[sledger]

Not strictly true, this is now officially their best ever start to a Prem season. They did start off similarly last time out, but I think they hadn't lost yet but had drawn 4 or 5.

Hmm indeed, but it's hardly a striking improvement.

 

[GIMH]

Would be very interesting actually....not sure if the rules have anything in black and white about this sort of situation....

Reminds me of the infamous Graham Poll red card during the Croatia/Australia match at the last world cup....if (can't remember his name at the mo) player X had scored a goal or heavily influenced the match in some other way after receiving 2 yellow cards and remaining on the field....what would have happened?

Graham Poll would have cried in a few more interviews than he did anyway, IMO

 

[Matteh]

Would be very interesting actually....not sure if the rules have anything in black and white about this sort of situation....

Reminds me of the infamous Graham Poll red card during the Croatia/Australia match at the last world cup....if (can't remember his name at the mo) player X had scored a goal or heavily influenced the match in some other way after receiving 2 yellow cards and remaining on the field....what would have happened?

That'll be Josip Simunic.

 

[roseboy64]

I don't think your rant about Arsenal contains any real relevance to which happened today, but the performance was poor I gather.

My point really was that Arsenal are soft and needed some strengthening but Wenger's too proud to go out and get some experience in. Pointed out that they'd likely not win any of the big trophies. Against Utd they were uncharacteristically determined and that's a once in a blue moon performance from them since Wenger got rid of the Invincibles.

 

[roseboy64]

Repeat of the game's on now so will see.

 

[sledger]

IIRC your rant didn't actually raise those issues directly so to speak, but I really cbf to go back and check, so if i'm wrong then fair play to you.

 

[cpr]

Interesting one for you lot.

Today, Steve Jennings (despicable character though he is, wears a white shirt) had been booked. He then went flying on one one of the Southend players, for a surefire second booking. However, the ball ran to one of their players, advantage was played, they had a crack, we won the ball back, went upfield...basically it was a while before it went out of play. As we attacked, Jenno was running forwards. I was dying for him to get on the end of one.

If he had scored, you'd have had a situation where he'd have been sent off straight after (as he was when the ball went out for a goal-kick) for an offence he committed prior to scoring. Would be a little, um, strange, and perhaps wrong.

Has it ever actually happened before?

Pretty sure the ref cant play advantage then go back and send someone off - Cannot play on if such a hugely influential decision needs to be made.... If he's done that then i'd be worried, should've stopped play as soon as the advantage ended and sent him off then.

 

[roseboy64]

Didn't raise all of those issues but a fair portion IIRC.

 

[GIMH]

Pretty sure the ref cant play advantage then go back and send someone off - Cannot play on if such a hugely influential decision needs to be made.... If he's done that then i'd be worried, should've stopped play as soon as the advantage ended and sent him off then.

Well, play on he did, and send him off he did, though it was for a second yellow. And he did speak to the linesman about it.

 

[Matteh]

My point really was that Arsenal are soft and needed some strengthening but Wenger's too proud to go out and get some experience in. Pointed out that they'd likely not win any of the big trophies. Against Utd they were uncharacteristically determined and that's a once in a blue moon performance from them since Wenger got rid of the Invincibles.

Doesn't need to go out and get experience. Needs time to move on 2-4 years so Arsenal can dominate for the next 5-10 years.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Struggling to see their current side dominating anything, however much experience they gain. There's the potential there to work with, but Wenger seems far too idealistic atm, they need a couple of ball winners in there before they can even think about dominating anything, however many years pass and experience gained in those years.

Even if they do sort these problems out, they'll only be a consistent force, they're never going to dominate because the other sides all have too much money to be dominated over a period of 5-10 years - that's not to say that Arsenal can't win the league, just they won't monopolise it like United in the 90s.

 

[duffer]

Watching them against Manyoo, Arsenal worked their bollocks off front to back fought for eveyrything and were just plain switched on from get to go. Against Hull, Stoke, Villa, Fulham etc they looked like a team who felt they could just turn up, knock it around and wait for the other team to capitulate.

They have just as many problems mentally on top of their need for a ball winner and an aerial presence at the back and at set pieces.

 

[roseboy64]

Needs to keep hold of his players as well. Haven't replaced Flamini and Adebayor could just decide he wants to go tomorrow given how much of a flip-flopper he is.

 

[roseboy64]

After watching just the first 30 mins against Villa it seems Arsenal are lucky it was only 2 goals.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Flamini the big difference between last year and this year IMO.

 

[sledger]

Flamini the big difference between last year and this year IMO.

Yes, that much is clear. The thing is though, he wasn't a particularly great player by any means, just a standard ball winner who had a high work rate, which is why it irks me so much that he wasn't properly replaced.

 

[roseboy64]

Interesting England squad that. Lot of pace.

 

[sledger]

Indeed, and not much physical presence, esspecially up front.