*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[Craig]

Indeed. Scored the only goal when we beat Wolves in the 98 FA semi.

Great back flip too.

I remembered talking about him with sledger last year, I assume it was as good as it got for him?

 

[BoyBrumby]

I remembered talking about him with sledger last year, I assume it was as good as it got for him?

Pretty much; we signed Sukur and, more crucially, Henry in the close season and that was pretty much it for him at Highbury. Think he went to Brum after us, but then I dunno.

 

[Craig]

Pretty much; we signed Sukur and, more crucially, Henry in the close season and that was pretty much it for him at Highbury. Think he went to Brum after us, but then I dunno.

According to wiki, he has had spells in Holland, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and now in Indonesia.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Wahey, quite pleased with that, with it being our first for 40 years and all.

Changing subject, **** me the Kop is full of ****wits, OK so they weren't very good but who boos their team off when they've just gone top ffs?

Brilliant weekend for us, win our game in hand against Fulham and we're within three. With the fixtures as they are in the second half of the season, we're beginning to look like favourites again.

 

[Matteh]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1710/ma...lames-manchester-citys-richards-for-derby-dis

Riduculous excuse.

Congrats to him for winning Ballon d'Or though, he deserves it.

That German keeper (Adler?) in the EngvGer friendly made a better attempt to catch the ball.

 

[cpr]

Grapevine rumour around Carrington is that after watching Van Der Saar flap at every corner, Ronaldo is our new goalkeeper coach

 

[Tom Halsey]

Frankly don't see how Ronaldo's second yellow was merited under the laws of the game. If you really really want to send him off, give him a second yellow for his dissent when he was booked.

 

[Loony BoB]

Blackburn/United and Spurs the only Prem sides to make the semis of the Carling Cup, it looks like. Not sure how well Watford are doing but can't see them beating Tottenham.

 

[GIMH]

Frankly don't see how Ronaldo's second yellow was merited under the laws of the game. If you really really want to send him off, give him a second yellow for his dissent when he was booked.

He hit the ball with both hands, how is that not a yellow?

 

[sledger]

Shame about the Arsenal youngsters tonight, glad Wenger stuck with them though, this little run will have done them all a world of good, and shown that there is some real talent emerging.

 

[Uppercut]

He hit the ball with both hands, how is that not a yellow?

Because it wasn't unsporting. Not IMO anyway, since he:

a) Gained no advantage from handling the ball- on the contrary, the ball was dropping into a crowded opposition penalty area, and
b) It obviously wasn't pre-meditated.

There's an argument for sending him off too, but nothing grinds my footballing gears as much as someone saying "oh, it was a deliberate handball, that's a yellow card!" Even Alan ****ing Shearer has displayed this ridiculous ignorance on several occasions on Match of the Day. How people can watch a sport without knowing the ****ing rules is beyond me.

Should've walked for the sarcastic applause anyway.

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following four offences:
- tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball
- holds an opponent
- spits at an opponent
- handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

...
CAUTIONABLE OFFENCES

A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offences:
1. is guilty of unsporting behaviour
2. shows dissent by word or action
3. persistently infringes the Laws of the Game
4. delays the restart of play
5. fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick
6. enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission
7. deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee's permission

 

[sledger]

Fairly certain that handling the ball as he did could be construed as "unsporting behaviour" if we really want to get anal about it.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yeah, my feelings are as Uppercut said, the only possible way under the laws of the game he could be booked for the handball is if it is construed as unsporting, which, like Uppercut, I don't see how it can be. Ronaldo handling the ball was actually to his own disadvantage, given he had a very good headed chance. Whatever the case, it certainly wasn't to his advantage.

 

[Uppercut]

Fairly certain that handling the ball as he did could be construed as "unsporting behaviour" if we really want to get anal about it.

Could be, yeah, there's a case for it, but i think it was harsh. It's certainly not the open-and-shut case that some are presenting it as. I wouldn't criticise Howard Webb, it's what every referee would've done and it's fair enough. It's the interpretation of the rule that i don't 100% agree with.

Just as infuriating- the FA have dropped the linesman from the Arsenal-Chelsea game for a match. Shocking decision. Firstly, while Van Persie was offside by some distance, within a split-second of the ball being played, he and Bosingwa switched places with respect to the goal line. Noone can look in two places at once. In the time taken from the linesman seeing the pass being played to looking across the line, VP was in an on-side position. Wrong decision, but a difficult one.

Secondly, if he'd flagged someone off when they were on, he'd still be working this week. So much for encouraging giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, my feelings are as Uppercut said, the only possible way under the laws of the game he could be booked for the handball is if it is construed as unsporting, which, like Uppercut, I don't see how it can be. Ronaldo handling the ball was actually to his own disadvantage, given he had a very good headed chance. Whatever the case, it certainly wasn't to his advantage.

It may not have been to his advantage, but it's still a pretty blatant and deliberate attempt to handle the ball, which interupted the flow of the game and infringed on the rules, so I personally can fully understand why he was sent off. I'm not overly bothered by the entire incident tbh, as Uppercut has said the amount of people whinging about it is totally disproportionate to the event itself...however, Ferguson coming out and trying to claim that he was trying to protect himself is equally annoying in my eyes.

 

[Uppercut]

Certainly overdone. As a United fan i'm not bothered, we won the match anyway and he's missing a Carling Cup game he wouldn't played anyway. It has just brought one of my pet hates, people bleating about refereeing decisions when they don't even know the rules, to the fore.

 

[grecian]

Could be, yeah, there's a case for it, but i think it was harsh. It's certainly not the open-and-shut case that some are presenting it as. I wouldn't criticise Howard Webb, it's what every referee would've done and it's fair enough. It's the interpretation of the rule that i don't 100% agree with.

Just as infuriating- the FA have dropped the linesman from the Arsenal-Chelsea game for a match. Shocking decision. Firstly, while Van Persie was offside by some distance, within a split-second of the ball being played, he and Bosingwa switched places with respect to the goal line. Noone can look in two places at once. In the time taken from the linesman seeing the pass being played to looking across the line, VP was in an on-side position. Wrong decision, but a difficult one.

Secondly, if he'd flagged someone off when they were on, he'd still be working this week. So much for encouraging giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team.

Agree with this bolded bit SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much. All they have to say is it's a good decision because the benefit of the doubt was given. Now we'll get 1000s of linesmen given offside every time it's even remotely close, particularly in the lower divs, where it's bad enough all ready, just because one of the monied clubs manager whined. Makes me so ****ing angry, more offside traps being used and more nil-nillers, oh joy

 

[luffy]

Damn Arsenal last night.

There goes my dads money.

 

[analyst]

On a plus point, if United are playing Burnley at Turf Moor, the tickets will be available for anyone who lives up north as no one in Burnley goes to Cup matches regardless of who turns up, I have a feeling if its United, they might just do.

 

[Tom Halsey]

It may not have been to his advantage, but it's still a pretty blatant and deliberate attempt to handle the ball, which interupted the flow of the game and infringed on the rules, so I personally can fully understand why he was sent off. I'm not overly bothered by the entire incident tbh, as Uppercut has said the amount of people whinging about it is totally disproportionate to the event itself...however, Ferguson coming out and trying to claim that he was trying to protect himself is equally annoying in my eyes.

I can understand it as well, I just feel it was wrong. Had he been sent off for the dissent when he was booked, I wouldn't have been too bothered (although the original booking was a poor decision IMO). Also as Uppercut has said, I'm not bothered with it, we won the game anyway and the suspension is for a Mickey Mouse Cup game, I just think people have been a bit quick to stick the knife in because they don't like Ronaldo.