*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[GIMH]

I have to admit, alien to my nature as it is, I do have some sympathy for Cardiff. The Welsh teams in the English pyramid used to be able to enter the Welsh Cup (in fact, if memory serves, Man Utd beat Wrexham in the 2nd round of their victorious 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup campaign) before the Taff FA set their own league up. Obviously it's their own prerogative to do so, but given Newport chose to play in the Conference South (& are one of the better supported teams as it goes, but that's by-the-by) rather than the Welsh league, one can assume it's not of a very high standard.

If the English FA sees fit to allow them to enter into our leagues, I don't see how it's fair that if they qualify for Europe that can't compete.

Yeah, the article cpr linked to says that there are six Welsh teams playing in the English pyramid, so there must be two more aside from Newport that choose to play in the English league. I have no idea who mind.

 

[Matteh]

Merthr Tydfil are certainly one.

 

[Matteh]

http://www.welsh-premier.com/exiles.php

Colwyn Bay are the other team.

 

[roseboy64]

Cesc Fabregas has reopened the row over Martin Taylor's foul on stricken Arsenal striker Eduardo, insisting the Birmingham defender should take the blame for the incident.

Eduardo suffered a sickening leg break after Taylor's two-footed tackle but while the Blues camp has rallied around Taylor, who was sent off for the challenge, Fabregas believes the defender is culpable.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger initially suggested Taylor should face a life ban for the foul but swiftly retracted his comments.

'Of course I blame him,' said Fabregas.

'He did it and he knows why he did it. Of course he is not going to say he did it on purpose, he will never say that.

'But a very good player is injured for a year and the player who committed the tackle is suspended for three little games. It is very, very unfair.'

Tsk tsk.

Itstl
Dive

 

[Matteh]

Those two by Fabregas are far worse than Taylor's tackle. Mainly because of there's spitting (dire) and intent to cheat (dire), whereas i still firmly believe Taylor was going for the ball not the player.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Tsk tsk.

Itstl
Dive

I'm not condoning either, spitting on someone is particularly low, but Taylor's tackle was awful. People who've rallied to his defence either say "He's not that kind of player" or "Worse tackles go unpunished", neither of which are really germane to the incident. He went over the top of the ball with his studs raised. Now he may be unlucky it did the damage it did (Eduardo obviously far unluckier), but it was a terrible tackle & 3 games doesn't seem enough.

 

[Matteh]

Wasn't two footed though and it wasn't an intent to hurt. For me it was a regular tackle that he's ****ed up and unfortuanately someone's come off very badly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuxKrnTP-k Something like this is far worse, Haaland leg didn't nearly fall off so noone fussed about it as much as this has been.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wasn't two footed though and it wasn't an intent to hurt. For me it was a regular tackle that he's ****ed up and unfortuanately someone's come off very badly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuxKrnTP-k Something like this is far worse, Haaland leg didn't nearly fall off so noone fussed about it as much as this has been.

Quite a lot of fuss was made, actually, & all the more so after Keane admitted that he done it deliberately to hurt Håland is his autobiography a few years later. Keane got a (IIRC) 5 game ban for it, longer than Taylor copped. It's patently a worse tackle, no doubt, but that doesn't excuse Taylor & personally I think any player who leads with their studs does so in the knowledge they can hurt the bloke they're tackling. 9/10 nothing happens, but that doesn't mean the one bloke is unlucky, it means the other nine are equally culpable.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Quite a lot of fuss was made, actually, & all the more so after Keane admitted that he done it deliberately to hurt Håland is his autobiography a few years later.

Kudos.

As it's pretty much impossible to prove intent (well, Keane on Håland was pretty obvious - was nowhere near the ball - Taylor, at least, was in ball height), you really can't ban people for, say, a year. You'll never get calls for it unless there's a broken leg anyway.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Quite a lot of fuss was made, actually, & all the more so after Keane admitted that he done it deliberately to hurt Håland is his autobiography a few years later. Keane got a (IIRC) 5 game ban for it, longer than Taylor copped. It's patently a worse tackle, no doubt, but that doesn't excuse Taylor & personally I think any player who leads with their studs does so in the knowledge they can hurt the bloke they're tackling. 9/10 nothing happens, but that doesn't mean the one bloke is unlucky, it means the other nine are equally culpable.

DWTA, not as much fuss was made about the Keane one as there was about this one, which is shokcing given IMO Keane's tackle was infinitely worse, and clearly intentional.

 

[BoyBrumby]

DWTA, not as much fuss was made about the Keane one as there was about this one, which is shokcing given IMO Keane's tackle was infinitely worse, and clearly intentional.

I have to be honest & say I can't recall precisely how much fuss it generated 7 (I think) years ago, but if my memory serves it certainly didn't pass without comment, especially given the previous between the two players.

Anyway, my point is really that studs-raised tackles are quite liable to cause damage, far more so than tackles from behind for me & obviously they've been stamped right down on by the authorities. I'd be happy to see them as a straight red offence.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I have to be honest & say I can't recall precisely how much fuss it generated 7 (I think) years ago, but if my memory serves it certainly didn't pass without comment, especially given the previous between the two players.

IIRC, the main fuss over the Keane challenge was really when the autobiography came out, obviously there was the usual "shocking challenge" post match analysis and what have you, but I don't remember a massive debate rumbling on weeks later.

WRT studs-up, I agree that there's a big risk of injury there, but don't see what you can do to prevent it, given essentially it's impossible to tackle completely studs down.

 

[roseboy64]

The thing about Fabregas' statements that's riling is that he's saying Taylor did it with intent.

 

[PhoenixFire]

You guys reckon Newcastle will go down this season? It is looking increasingly likely.

 

[Tom Halsey]

No IMO, their record under the Messiah is dire, but they've been playing better than the media will have you believe, just wastefully, they should on chances have won a few games.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

****ing Sky showing the ****ing Man Utd ****ing game while there's a ****ing 7 goal thriller at WH ****ing L.

 

[roseboy64]

Would agree that the Chelsea-Spurs game seems more exciting.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Ronaldo

 

[Tom Halsey]

****ing Sky showing the ****ing Man Utd ****ing game while there's a ****ing 7 goal thriller at WH ****ing L.

Well done to the Spuds, have done us a decent service tonight in the end, it must be said.

 

[headhunter]

Would agree that the Chelsea-Spurs game seems more exciting.

Looked a cracker, brilliant result for us and all.