*Official* English Football Season 2005-06

[Tom Halsey]

Can we replay the 1972 European Cup semi-final please? The referee was bribed and I'm convinced that Derby would have become the second English side to win the competition.

Except this has nothing to do with referees.

 

[Tom Halsey]

They may have been unlucky, but frankly so what? All teams have players unavailable for one reason or another at some stage of the season & aren't given the opportunity to replay their games when the result goes against them.

Yes, but they don't have 10 unavailable players who in the end had pretty much no choice but to play did they?

 

[marc71178]

Arsenal only came 4th because of the last game

No, Arsenal came 4th because over the 38 games they gained more points.

That's 38 games, not 1.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yes, but they don't have 10 unavailable players who in the end had pretty much no choice but to play did they?

Apart from the unaffected players they omited of their own volition, of course.

 

[Craig]

Anyway who are people tipping for the UEFA Cup Final held at Philips Stadion? I would like Middlesborough to get it but purely as they are underdogs but they have got to the final so they clearly deserve to be there.

But I reckon Sevilla wil lget.

 

[Great Birtannia]

You have to feel that after their run an anti climax is coming up for Boro. I hope not for Schwarzer and Viduka's sake.

It's worth remembering with the fuss over Arsenal/Tottenham and the CL decided on the last day, Middlesbrough wouldn't have even made the UEFA cup had Mark Schwarzer not saved a penalty on the final day of last season v. City. It's a fine line.

Anyway, Viduka to score with Schwarzer the hero in the penalty shootout

 

[Craig]

Isn't Brad Jones another Australian in goal at the moment?

Having a good season Jones - well in terms of game time he is.

 

[GIMH]

Arsenal only came 4th because of the last game - so similarly you cannot say they conclusively deserved it.

The second sentence I agree with, but IMO it isn't completely fair.

Arsenal got 67 points, Tottenham got 65, as far as I'm aware beating Wigan doesn't get you 67 points, so your statement is a little silly really

Tottenham were miles ahead of the Gooners not so long back and while I do feel sorry for them, they have themselves to blame for not securing 4th place earlier, when a race like that goes down to the wire it's nearly always the chasing team who wins it

Anyway, if I were a Tottenham fan, I'd rather miss out on the CL the way they have done rather than waiting ten days for Arsenal to beat Barca!!!

 

[sledger]

Arsenal only came 4th because of the last game - so similarly you cannot say they conclusively deserved it.

so the other 37 games count for nothing?

 

[GIMH]

And another thing, all the injuries Newcastle have had this season, they should ask for the first 23 games to be replayed, if you convert the points from the remaining games of the season across the whole season they finish 4th, so it's only fair

And weren't Arsenal without Henry at the beginning of the season? He's worth 10 Tottenham players anyhow, so replay all them games

Replaying a league match would set a dangerous precedent, I'm sorry but Tottenham don't have a leg to stand on, if they did they would have refused to play the game anyway, but they knew they could be docked points and end up missing out on the UEFA Cup - that would have been ironic

 

[Loony BoB]

Oh, the memories.

 

[shaka]

Roeder to become the fulltime manager, yay!

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Just what that club needs in my view, enough of the Billy big ********, good luck to him.

 

[luckyeddie]

Except this has nothing to do with referees.

No, I agree. There was a case to be made when a side was robbed by a corrupt referee.

There isn't when they are robbed by a corrupt lasagne.

 

[Loony BoB]

corrupt lasagne.

And I bet they enjoyed it, too! Defeat never tasted so good.

 

[GIMH]

And I bet they enjoyed it, too! Defeat never tasted so good.

In case you don't get the message, that made me laugh

 

[Matteh]

I'd avoid it at all costs

 

[Barney Rubble]

I'd avoid it at all costs

 

[Tom Halsey]

so the other 37 games count for nothing?

Oh I agree, that sentence was trying to show how silly Marc's previous one was - something like "if Tottenham are relying on the last game, you can't conclusively say they deserved it" - except Arsenal relied on the last game too...

 

[Tom Halsey]

No, Arsenal came 4th because over the 38 games they gained more points.

That's 38 games, not 1.

And if there hadn't been this food poisoning, arguably Tottenham would have gained more points (and I'm far from convinced that there's no foul play here).

Your exact quote - "If 1 game is enough to make a difference over the 38 you can hardly say that they conclusively deserved it."

The same can easily be said of Arsenal - the last game made all the difference.