Football

[richw]

Seen some highlights from Chelsea game, and Torres looked confident. He even grabbed the ball for a penalty, which he normally runs the other way from. His first goal was excellent, and he struck the post which rebounded straight to Mata for the third Chelsea goal.
Chelsea fans, Rafa looks the right appointment, his direct style suits the majority of the team especially Torres.
Also believe Torres has scored more goals in his first 5 games under Rafa at Chelsea, than he scored in his first 5 under Rafa at Liverpool.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Conference Premiership

Hyde 2...AFC Telford United 1

I wonder how the members of the forum Prediction League have reacted to this result, which sees Hyde now in a more stable league position ?

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Typically high profile/derby games are goal fests or very dull (and 0-0)

Meanwhile the ref at the Emirates may as well come out in a red shirt for the rest of the game. He's made his allegiance quite clear

No, that should have happened at Preston vs Crewe today. (Crewe wear red away). Bloody outrageous, what's up with the League 1 refs!?

 

[Ivo]

Conference Premiership

Hyde 2...AFC Telford United 1

I wonder how the members of the forum Prediction League have reacted to this result, which sees Hyde now in a more stable league position ?

Very well considering it nets me a perfect five points for the fixture, en route to one of the competition's best ever rounds (If Fulham win 2-1 I beat the all-time record for highest score; even one point would be enough to secure the second highest.)

...sorry to TPL players for now having to see me gloat in two separate threads

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Typically high profile/derby games are goal fests or very dull (and 0-0)

Meanwhile the ref at the Emirates may as well come out in a red shirt for the rest of the game. He's made his allegiance quite clear

I've heard the first Arsenal penalty rather resembled something to make Tom Daley proud.

I don't think Tom Daley's career is in jeopardy (though comments like that were made before the Olympics, in relation to Ashley Young, IIRC). It wasn't a penalty and I don't think it painted Cazorla in a good light at all (though he still isn't as bad as Young). The problem is in danger of becoming the norm though. The referee didn't have a great view of it from the accounts I saw and really shouldn't have given it, but when the 'pundits' and managers are coming out with statements like "if there was contact [the player] is entitled to go down", it is clear the problem will get worse, with players 'anticipating the challenge' and still claiming a foul when it doesn't happen.

 

[CC 72100]

So 3-2 win for United at City... happy days

On a side-note, never nice to see the scenes as Rooney was pelted with crap before taking a corner and then Rio hit with a coin whilst celebrating a goal - whether you like them or not, whoever you support it doesn't matter - these guys aren't football fans, they're thugs.

 

[JoeH]

Ugly scenes in the Manchester Derby with Rio Ferdinand bleeding from the head after an incident with a fan.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....then Rio hit with a coin whilst celebrating a goal....

Was he was celebrating in front of the City fans?

 

[Phil6219]

Was he was celebrating in front of the City fans?

Yep, of course. It will be us that get punished though (rightly so) but he should be punished for that.

If I'd have been there it wouldn't have been a coin heading in his direction though...

Sickening, I knew that would happen. I wan't to swing for something right now, or stand on top of Everest and scream in anger. Fergie time strikes again, still it's a marathon not a sprint.

Phil

 

[CC 72100]

Was he was celebrating in front of the City fans?

Didn't see exactly where, but he's still on the pitch where it should be safe.
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Fergie time strikes again, still it's a marathon not a sprint.

Phil

You say Fergie time strikes again, I'm not sure what you're referring to, as the goal was well within the 90+4 indicated. BBC live text feed (which I know is not the most reliable) gave the goal at 91:43.

If it's decisions we're talking about, we were incorrectly denied 3-0 up, as Ashley Young was onside.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Was he was celebrating in front of the City fans?

United have quite a history of that don't they? Gary Neville did his badge kissing nonsense v Liverpool years ago, and Evra celebrated in front of 'Pool fans again last year.

 

[Oswyntail]

... these guys aren't football fans, they're thugs.

Sorry, but these guys ARE football fans - and thugs. It is ridiculous how much people deny this - "It's a small minority". The whole atmosphere of the "beautiful game" is designed to raise the sort of passions that result in incidents like that.

 

[JoeH]

Sickening, I knew that would happen. I wan't to swing for something right now, or stand on top of Everest and scream in anger. Fergie time strikes again, still it's a marathon not a sprint.

Phil

United had a goal wrongly disallowed, probably should have got a penalty, were pelted with missiles throughout the match (Rio with blood pouring from his head), and then score the winner in the second minute of four minutes of injury time and you think it's "sickening" and an example of "Fergie Time"?

United have quite a history of that don't they? Gary Neville did his badge kissing nonsense v Liverpool years ago, and Evra celebrated in front of 'Pool fans again last year.

City fans were throwing missiles any chance they had, including when United went to take corners. This is simply an excuse for violence.

 

[CC 72100]

Sorry, but these guys ARE football fans - and thugs. It is ridiculous how much people deny this - "It's a small minority". The whole atmosphere of the "beautiful game" is designed to raise the sort of passions that result in incidents like that.

Well I was just trying to avoid anyone saying that I was being particulalry harsh given that they were city fans. I'm struggling to follow your second point though - are you saying that football is richer for this type of stuff, or that people take it too far and it leads to such incidents? We can all have passion, I certainly do, but there is always a minority who take it too far. This is such a case.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

City fans were throwing missiles any chance they had, including when United went to take corners. This is simply an excuse for violence.

And surely Rio acting like he did provoked them further? I wasn't trying to say what you implied anyway, I was just adding to what HHF had said.

(I seem to recall Gary's efforts years ago were unprovoked...)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

It's no excuse for throwing stuff, but it's more likely to incite that sort of reaction than going to your own fans and celebrating.

 

[JoeH]

If we saw scenes like this in daily life or in a different sport our first thought wouldn't be to blame the victim or bring up unrelated incidents of 'incitement' from others in the past.

 

[CC 72100]

Was this the guy who then threw the coins? Fergie in his press conference said that someone ran on and threw coins - if so could this be it? Sky only showed the aftermath, not where Rio was when the coins were thrown. Someone also arrested for racist chanting apparently,

 

[balne-wonderer]

At first I thought Ferdinand had poked himself in the eye! What he was doing celebrating in front of the Man City fans I don't know. That is just going to wind people up, Rooney ran to the Man City fans after both his goals as well. I really don't get why Man Utd players feel the need to constantly do that.

The bigger issue though is that it shouldn't be allowed to happen. It will now overshadow what was a very entertaining game with a referee that had the strength not to be bullied by the players. Man City also have Kompany and Yaya Toure injured and Balotetti completley hopeless again.

Also Man Utd fans need to be very careful in their reaction to today's sad incidents....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQWRlJ7RjWE

This was swept under the carpet.
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Was this the guy who then threw the coins? Fergie in his press conference said that someone ran on and threw coins - if so could this be it? Sky only showed the aftermath, not where Rio was when the coins were thrown. Someone also arrested for racist chanting apparently,

I noticed several players running back towards that end of the pitch but the Sky cameras stayed on the centre circle. Obviously something had gone on that we didn't see. There has apparently been bother after the game as well, i've not heard about the racist chanting arrest but I gather the same thing happened in the Swansea-Norwich game. Strange days in football at the moment

 

[CC 72100]

At first I thought Ferdinand had poked himself in the eye! What he was doing celebrating in front of the Man City fans I don't know. That is just going to wind people up, Rooney ran to the Man City fans after both his goals as well. I really don't get why Man Utd players feel the need to constantly do that.

Also Man Utd fans need to be very careful in their reaction to today's sad incidents....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQWRlJ7RjWE

This was swept under the carpet.

But Man Utd players aren't the only ones to do that, are they?

It was a real shame that these events happened, as it had been an entertaining game played in the right spirit.

As for the Bellamy incident - I deplore those actions no matter who they're from, hence my reluctance to make lay on these 'awful City fans' in my original post when referring to the incident.
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At first I thought Ferdinand had poked himself in the eye! What he was doing celebrating in front of the Man City fans I don't know. That is just going to wind people up, Rooney ran to the Man City fans after both his goals as well. I really don't get why Man Utd players feel the need to constantly do that.

The bigger issue though is that it shouldn't be allowed to happen. It will now overshadow what was a very entertaining game with a referee that had the strength not to be bullied by the players. Man City also have Kompany and Yaya Toure injured and Balotetti completley hopeless again.

Also Man Utd fans need to be very careful in their reaction to today's sad incidents....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQWRlJ7RjWE

This was swept under the carpet.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I noticed several players running back towards that end of the pitch but the Sky cameras stayed on the centre circle. Obviously something had gone on that we didn't see. There has apparently been bother after the game as well, i've not heard about the racist chanting arrest but I gather the same thing happened in the Swansea-Norwich game. Strange days in football at the moment

Probably for the best really don't give the thugs who do this sort of stuff the attention. As long as those relevant authorities who needed to see it have, that's all that matters, don't give the idiots the aritime.

Hammers just gone 2-1 up against Liverpool.

 

[balne-wonderer]

But Man Utd players aren't the only ones to do that, are they?

It was a real shame that these events happened, as it had been an entertaining game played in the right spirit.

As for the Bellamy incident - I deplore those actions no matter who they're from, hence my reluctance to make lay on these 'awful City fans' in my original post when referring to the incident.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Probably for the best really don't give the thugs who do this sort of stuff the attention. As long as those relevant authorities who needed to see it have, that's all that matters, don't give the idiots the aritime.

Hammers just gone 2-1 up against Liverpool.

Mancini has to take some of the responsibility for the result because for 51 minutes City played with 10 men, that's how awful Balotelli was. Both teams could have had a penalty, the shirt pulling from every Man City corner and the foul by the Man City defender in the 2nd half ......Man Utd should have had another goal from Young who was not offside although maybe that was some bad karma on his part for his mistermeanors in the past. Should have been a goal though, no doubt about it.

The key now is how do City react to this, they'll get a lot of bad press because of the fans behaviour and they are six points behind Man Utd. It's also worth pointing out that none of the City goals game from their strikers whearas Van Persie scored again and Rooney is back on form, just as we approach the busy Christmas period and the champions league gap. Could be crucial these next few weeks.

 

[CC 72100]

Mancini has to take some of the responsibility for the result because for 51 minutes City played with 10 men, that's how awful Balotelli was. Both teams could have had a penalty, the shirt pulling from every Man City corner and the foul by the Man City defender in the 2nd half ......Man Utd should have had another goal from Young who was not offside although maybe that was some bad karma on his part for his mistermeanors in the past. Should have been a goal though, no doubt about it.

The key now is how do City react to this, they'll get a lot of bad press because of the fans behaviour and they are six points behind Man Utd. It's also worth pointing out that none of the City goals game from their strikers whearas Van Persie scored again and Rooney is back on form, just as we approach the busy Christmas period and the champions league gap. Could be crucial these next few weeks.

Can't argue with that. Agree 100% Balotelli actually looked like he could do something for the first 15 minutes mind, but I'd have to be pretty desperate before i'd welcome Balotelli into my team.

 

[balne-wonderer]

What I will add, and this is no dig against either Manchester team but at the media.

When the idiot ran onto the pitch in the Sheff Wed v Leeds game, Sky could not wait to stick the boot in to us and kick and kick and kick us. Slow motion replays, other people in the crowd getting their face splashed on the tv who had done nothing wrong. Leeds as a football club condemned, the coverage was unbelievable.

They haven't showed the City fan confronting Ferdinand at all, loads of pictures have now appeared of the incident. It looks like Hart was ready to floor the lad, Ferdinand clearly has blood on his face. Incredible double standards from Sky. It's barely been mentioned on the news channel and still they won't show the footage.

 

[Ivo]

Two late goals resulted in a good win against Spurs today to get us back into the Top 4. I might have to gloat at my aunt

According to the Beeb, if games finished at 80 minutes instead of 90 then Spurs would be top of the League!

Mancini has to take some of the responsibility for the result because for 51 minutes City played with 10 men, that's how awful Balotelli was. Both teams could have had a penalty, the shirt pulling from every Man City corner and the foul by the Man City defender in the 2nd half ......Man Utd should have had another goal from Young who was not offside although maybe that was some bad karma on his part for his mistermeanors in the past. Should have been a goal though, no doubt about it.

Wait, what? You admitting United had a goal wrongly disallowed? Has the world gone crazy?

No, seriously, having not seen the game I can't comment. The only evidence I have is the BBC Live Text feed calling it "very marginal", which usually translates as "incorrect"; would the same have happened at OT? Probably not.

As for Balotelli, the man is massively over-rated and is has a rotten attitude, not too dissimilar to that shown by Tevez previously. Mancini can praise him all he wants, but deep down he knows - as do the fans - that he has to change his ways. And fast.

 

[SS4]

What I will add, and this is no dig against either Manchester team but at the media.

When the idiot ran onto the pitch in the Sheff Wed v Leeds game, Sky could not wait to stick the boot in to us and kick and kick and kick us. Slow motion replays, other people in the crowd getting their face splashed on the tv who had done nothing wrong. Leeds as a football club condemned, the coverage was unbelievable.

They haven't showed the City fan confronting Ferdinand at all, loads of pictures have now appeared of the incident. It looks like Hart was ready to floor the lad, Ferdinand clearly has blood on his face. Incredible double standards from Sky. It's barely been mentioned on the news channel and still they won't show the footage.

You sound surprised, this has been media policy for decades
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Two late goals resulted in a good win against Spurs today to get us back into the Top 4. I might have to gloat at my aunt

What about the game from Upton Park? Do you hate West Ham or Liverpool more

 

[Ivo]

What about the game from Upton Park? Do you hate West Ham or Liverpool more

Traditionally West Sham, but Liverpool are edging closer, as are Chelsea. The problem is that I haven't had any real reason to "hate" West Ham of late, with the exception of sacking Zola, whereas Liverpool always blame everyone but themselves when things go wrong (which is often) and Chelsea are currently the country's #1 enemy as far as football is concerned.

Until recently I never really disliked Liverpool; I just enjoyed teasing them. Latterly though, things have changed, and they and Chelsea are probably #2 and #3 - a short distance from the idiots in claret-and-blue (note that your team aren't idiots ). Essentially, if we had a repeat of the 2006 FA Cup Final, I would run away.

 

[balne-wonderer]

Anyone watching BBC3? Hilarious...!

To Ivo's point about Balotelli, we've seen the good side of him and we've seen what a player he can be but he's not reliable. He is excatly the opposite of what Fergie would demand from his players.

Mancini got it wrong today, what he needs to get right in January is sending Balotelli back to Italy.

 

[SS4]

Anyone watching BBC3? Hilarious...!

Is that question rhetorical? Or would it be more accurately titled Manchester United's best moments?

 

[balne-wonderer]

Is that question rhetorical? Or would it be more accurately titled Manchester United's best moments?

To be fair it's like a review of the many dodgy decisions in their favour over the years. It's going on about Fergie time now.

Surely Tony Yeboah's goal has to be on this.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Just as a diversion from today's matches, I note that Lionel Messi of Barcelona, with his two match-winning goals against Real Betis, has now broken the record set by Gerd Muller of 85 goals in a calendar year.