Football

[MidnightFlyer]

FA Cup Semi-Final draw:
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers / Millwall
Chelsea / Man Utd v Man City

Ties to be played 13 / 14 April.

 

[balne-wonderer]

wonder if fergie has had a tantrum again.

 

[JoeH]

apart from keane itv were up in arms about the nani red card so not sure what your point is about the replays. that picture shows nothing to be honest. odd how you didnt mention the ferdinand assault.

The picture shows a boot at almost head level which could quite easily have made contact with another player's face. It may even have done, but ITV didn't bother showing a replay so we could find out.

Perhaps you didn't see the pre match coverage where ITV showed the midweek incident from multiple angles and after finding a particularly incriminating looking one Adrian Chiles (I think) said that from that angle it looked like it should have been a red and Southgate (I think) said that the angle suggested Nani must have seen the Madrid player.

I'll not address the Rio comment because I consider it a ploy to start an argument.

 

[balne-wonderer]

The picture shows a boot at almost head level which could quite easily have made contact with another player's face. It may even have done, but ITV didn't bother showing a replay so we could find out.

Perhaps you didn't see the pre match coverage where ITV showed the midweek incident from multiple angles and after finding a particularly incriminating looking one Adrian Chiles (I think) said that from that angle it looked like it should have been a red and Southgate (I think) said that the angle suggested Nani must have seen the Madrid player.

I'll not address the Rio comment because I consider it a ploy to start an argument.

So your basing on argument on something we haven't even seen on tv? yet you wont comment on something we all did see because it involves a man utd player at fault.

erm......oooookay.

 

[Ferret]

wonder if fergie has had a tantrum again.

I hope so! I did think I was going to be fortunate enough to see the Scummers knocked out of 2 cups in a week at one point there, but now I hope they beat Chelski - a Manchester derby would be a good one to watch!

 

[JoeH]

Did the far worse than both incident from last weekend even get mentioned in this thread? The one where Crouch seemed to knock a West Ham player out cold with a foot at head level. There are numerous clips and gifs of it online but I won't post them in this thread because they are quite large.

 

[familyguy99]

FA Cup Semi-Final draw:
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers / Millwall
Chelsea / Man Utd v Man City

Ties to be played 13 / 14 April.

^^ So Chelsea or Manchester club will win FA Cup this season.

Also what a great chance for Blackburn/Millwall or Wigan to get to final now and whoever make final would be in Europa League next season too.

 

[balne-wonderer]

I hope so! I did think I was going to be fortunate enough to see the Scummers knocked out of 2 cups in a week at one point there, but now I hope they beat Chelski - a Manchester derby would be a good one to watch!

no doubt someone else will be to blame for todays collapse.

there was a phone in last week on the radio on whether fergies conduct this season should see his knighthood removed.

 

[JoeH]

So your basing on argument on something we haven't even seen on tv? yet you wont comment on something we all did see because it involves a man utd player at fault.

erm......oooookay.

It is actually possible to discuss one subject without having to discuss every other subject, even the ones that you might considered more important.

For example if I was to follow the argumentative tactic you seem to use over and over I could enquire as to why you are posting about a relatively minor incident in a match when there are far more important things going on in the world..... like the recent football related violence in Egypt. Using your logic the fact you don't really speak out against it suggests an implicit support of the bloodshed.

If people weren't allowed to post about other subjects in this thread without first directly addressing every attack you aim at Manchester United then there wouldn't be much discussion in this thread.

 

[richw]

^^ So Chelsea or Manchester club will win FA Cup this season.

Also what a great chance for Blackburn/Millwall or Wigan to get to final now and whoever make final would be in Europa League next season too.

If Wigan make the Europa League we will almost certainly see them relegated next season as they dont have enough depth in their squad, and I dont see them coping with that.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Relegated next season? Never mind that, there's a very real chance they'll go down this year.

 

[Ferret]

Should McTaggart ever have had his Knighthood in the first place? Let's face it, he's a bloody bad example to set, with his berating of referees all the time etc etc.

Ok, he has been a very successful manager over a long period of time, but he's just doing his (well paid) job very well. How many others get a knighthood for doing their job very well? Maybe I'll write to the Queen nominating Wayne off the platforms at BRI for a knighthood for his efforts with Customer Service and see how far that gets......

 

[balne-wonderer]

It is actually possible to discuss one subject without having to discuss every other subject, even the ones that you might considered more important.

For example if I was to follow the argumentative tactic you seem to use over and over I could enquire as to why you are posting about a relatively minor incident in a match when there are far more important things going on in the world..... like the recent football related violence in Egypt. Using your logic the fact you don't really speak out against it suggests an implicit support of the bloodshed.

If people weren't allowed to post about other subjects in this thread without first directly addressing every attack you aim at Manchester United then there wouldn't be much discussion in this thread.

not me thats posting blurry pics and claiming itv conspiracy joe.

 

[richw]

Relegated next season? Never mind that, there's a very real chance they'll go down this year.

I dont think they will be, I believe it will be between Sunderland, Southampton, Villa, Reading and QPR. I am pretty certain Wigan will pull away as is the normal for them, this time last year they were adrift at the bottom!

15 Sunderland 29 -9 30
16 Southampton 29 -12 28
17 Aston Villa 29 -26 27
18 Wigan 28 -22 24
19 Reading 29 -21 23
20 QPR 29 -21 23

 

[JoeH]

not me thats posting blurry pics and claiming itv conspiracy joe.

I posted the clearest image possible. People can make their own minds up about why ITV didn't even bother showing a close up replay of the incident.

There are pages and pages of posts in this thread about the Nani red card in a week where there are two other high boot incidents that don't seem to get even a mention. There's no doubt that the Crouch one was worse and I would say that the Hazard one also looked it, from what ITV bothered showing.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Honestly.

Unlike many others here I couldn't use the word conspiracy when it comes to football with a straight face. I have absolutely no reason to think there's any sort of conspiracy. Obviously there is an incredible level of corruption at FIFA level but this about money and power and not actually about changing the results of games.

What I would say is that the TV producers take decisions to focus on specific things to match the story they are trying to tell with the game. The hyper analysis of the Nani incident fits in perfectly with the story of a game where United looked fairly comfortable and then lost a player and conceded two goals to get knocked out. Fuelling that sense of injustice for the decision and then having a pundit go against the grain (as you can be certain Keane will) makes it even better.

The story ITV Sport will have loved to tell with this match is United taking the early lead and then Chelsea getting two back and very nearly snatching the tie in the final minutes. It leads up perfectly to the replay which I presume they are showing. Giving much attention to the Hazard foot both detracts from the story of this match, the story of the replay AND the story of the match midweek.

 

[YorkshireBear]

If Chelsea go through in Europa on Thursday i would love to see when Man Utd Chelsea Replay will be played.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If Chelsea go through in Europa on Thursday i would love to see when Man Utd Chelsea Replay will be played.

An interesting point. What match is seen by the English FA as the more important....FA Cup replay or Europa League ?

 

[12CSVT]

Highlight of the weekend

Rangers 1 Annan Athletic 2

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I doubt the English FA would have any say, it'd be entirely Uefa's discretion at a guess. May perhaps require for Chelsea a Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday fixturecard.

 

[andrew bell]

The reason why there was no card or foul given (didn't see that part of game so didn't know what happemed until I saw pic JoeH posted) is the English FA would of overturned the decision if it was a red as they would of said it was a 'fair' challenge, but UEFA/FIFA have a much harsher line over 'foul' play like Nani's red card on Tuesday.

Graham Poll said on Wednesday night on 5live that he WOULD of sent Nani off if it was a european competition but in the premier league/FA cup, yellow at most. The laws are different in every country and european competitions, and I personally believe we need to progress up to the same level of officiating as happens in Europe. If we do then after a while 'challenges' like Hazard and Nani's would not happen, and if they do it will be a red card.

 

[richw]

An interesting point. What match is seen by the English FA as the more important....FA Cup replay or Europa League ?

I am assuming Chelsea will be expected to play league Saturday, FA cup Monday and Europa Thursday. In lower level amateur matches teams can be expected to to play on a saturday and sunday, so why cant professionals do this?

 

[andrew bell]

An interesting point. What match is seen by the English FA as the more important....FA Cup replay or Europa League ?

AFAIK European competitions overule everything domestically, then it is cup competitions, followed by league in conjunction to fixture planning. If there is no clear date for the replay to take place on in a midweek then it will happen on a league weekend, so if Chelsea do beat Steaua 2-0 on Thursday and progress through to next round then I can only see March 30/31 as date where match can be played

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Thanks for those forum members who have kindly clarified the UEFA position for me.

 

[SS4]

Should McTaggart ever have had his Knighthood in the first place? Let's face it, he's a bloody bad example to set, with his berating of referees all the time etc etc.

Ok, he has been a very successful manager over a long period of time, but he's just doing his (well paid) job very well. How many others get a knighthood for doing their job very well? Maybe I'll write to the Queen nominating Wayne off the platforms at BRI for a knighthood for his efforts with Customer Service and see how far that gets......

Especially when you've been provided with fantastic tools. I wonder how successful he'd have been had he been managing (for example) City (Coventry that is )? Does Wayne on the platform have a number of people working for him that do all the hard work

 

[JoeH]

How many others get a knighthood for doing their job very well?

Almost all people who get knighthoods?

 

[SS4]

The story ITV Sport will have loved to tell with this match is United taking the early lead and then Chelsea getting two back and very nearly snatching the tie in the final minutes. It leads up perfectly to the replay which I presume they are showing. Giving much attention to the Hazard foot both detracts from the story of this match, the story of the replay AND the story of the match midweek.

IMO ITV would be better served focussing on controversial incidents and doing them to death (as usual), it gets people talking and it encourages more people to watch the highlights. Discussion is cheap, it's people talking and arguments always make good TV if you're an ITV executive. Additionally it is less time to show graphics, footage (of which a highlights show is short of by necessity).

FWIW: That quote could be considered a conspiracy without too much lateral thinking.

 

[CC 72100]

IMO ITV would be better served focussing on controversial incidents and doing them to death (as usual), it gets people talking and it encourages more people to watch the highlights. Discussion is cheap, it's people talking and arguments always make good TV if you're an ITV executive. Additionally it is less time to show graphics, footage (of which a highlights show is short of by necessity).

FWIW: That quote could be considered a conspiracy without too much lateral thinking.

I did enjoy the way Adrian Chiles (not a true football presenter in my view) said something along the lines of "Let's move on and look forward to today's game".... which was followed by a 5 minute discussion on the Nani incident! :roll:

ITVs football coverage is poor, no other word for it!

 

[SS4]

I did enjoy the way Adrian Chiles (not a true football presenter in my view) said something along the lines of "Let's move on and look forward to today's game".... which was followed by a 5 minute discussion on the Nani incident! :roll:

ITVs football coverage is poor, no other word for it!

You'll get no argument from me on that count! The BBC isn't much better though, especially if Alan Green is involved. Thankfully living in the BBC WM area usually means someone will be on the radio

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There was a phone in last week on the radio on whether fergies conduct this season should see his knighthood removed.

Of all those in this phone-in, how many would have had the intelligence to know the correct word for the formal term for the removal of a knighthood or any other bestowed honour is Debasement.

I shall show below three cases where this happened to still-living people:-

Sir Roger Casement had his knighthood removed for treason during the First World War.

Sir Anthony Blunt had his knighthood removed for his long-concealed treason as the fifth man in the Burgess and Maclean affair in 1979.

Sir Fred Goodwin, the former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland had his knighthood removed for his financial overseeing of the financial near-collapse of that major British bank in 2008.

Let us consider how these offences were deemed to be of the severity to lead to that ultimate sanction, then ask ourselves how a person at a football club could ever be considered to have any transgressions that would be remotely comparable to those stated in the three cases shown above.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Of all those in this phone-in, how many would have had the intelligence to know the correct word for the formal term for the removal of a knighthood or any other bestowed honour is Debasement.

...

I also wonder how many would have known which of those three had a railway station named after them? The answer is of course Roger Casement, and the station is Tralee in the Republic of Ireland. Such occurred as a result of the somewhat bizarre 50th anniversary celebrations of the 1916 Easter Rising, which also saw every major station in the South renamed after one of the executed leaders.