The Football.....

[LarryDuff]

I dont see what there was to think about our pony left winger got sent off (shame as for once he was actually having a half decent game) They then immediately started to sit back instead of attacking. It was a good shout from Mourhino to put Modric on but that was about it. Sir Alex's only tactical error was to start Welbeck ahead of Rooney imo.

United's plan A was working well but when plan B was needed it was too late by the time the boss had calmed and thought about what to do.

 

[mark st1]

No, but he might retire

lol he will die on that touchline.

 

[mark st1]

United's plan A was working well but when plan B was needed it was too late by the time the boss had calmed and thought about what to do.

Thats a fair point mate. For me bad starting line up didnt help Giggs Welbeck Nani on the bench Rooney Valencia Young should have started. Never mind though the double is still a goer.

 

[jai]

Just reading a summary of the response in the Spanish Press in one of the English papers.

Not surprisingly they don't go overboard about the sending off - but most think it was harsh.

A good point was made by Jesus Aquilera in El Mundo Deportivo who pointed out that even with Nani off, UTD were 1-0 up with half an hour to go and seemed to crumble.

As he put it

"The shock was so great that United acted as if missing three players rather than one."

I think this is a fair point - Mourinho reacted instantly to the sending off - sending on Modric and changing tactics.

Ferguson seemed too angry to think clearly for a while, then tried to urge the crowd to make more noise. A bit more clear tactical thinking in the seconds after the red card may have helped. The time to get angry and emotional is at the end.

When Terry was sent off against Barcelona last year in the semi final they were already 1-0 down with 70 minutes to go and went on to win the tie 1-2.

By the end Di Matteo was playing 1-6-3

agree - fergie needed to think in the moment instead of having a panic attack...his Carragher moment, last european game?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Football needs to wake-up and follow Rugby's lead:
Use of TV footage and remote refs for cases of arbitration. Would also reduce diving and play-acting.
Get rid of Yellow card and use sin-binning instead.

Let's face it, we and the pundits all have the benifit of multiple replays from different angles. The ref doesn't, he see's it once from his vantage point and calls it as he sees it. It's unfair on Ref's and it's unfair on teams and the game to week-in week-out have this kind of discussions on 'big' games and difficult calls.

But then football seems incapable of improving itself, it just wants the money.

 

[green1]

Football needs to wake-up and follow Rugby's lead:
Use of TV footage and remote refs for cases of arbitration. Would also reduce diving and play-acting.
Get rid of Yellow card and use sin-binning instead.

Let's face it, we and the pundits all have the benifit of multiple replays from different angles. The ref doesn't, he see's it once from his vantage point and calls it as he sees it. It's unfair on Ref's and it's unfair on teams and the game to week-in week-out have this kind of discussions on 'big' games and difficult calls.

But then football seems incapable of improving itself, it just wants the money.

Rugby doesn't use the TMO for disciplinary issues though, just for scoring decisions. They have citings but then the FA can already charge players after the game if it's been missed by the ref, so in reality it isn't that different.

 

[brodiej]

Football needs to wake-up and follow Rugby's lead:
Use of TV footage and remote refs for cases of arbitration. Would also reduce diving and play-acting.
Get rid of Yellow card and use sin-binning instead.

Let's face it, we and the pundits all have the benifit of multiple replays from different angles. The ref doesn't, he see's it once from his vantage point and calls it as he sees it. It's unfair on Ref's and it's unfair on teams and the game to week-in week-out have this kind of discussions on 'big' games and difficult calls.

But then football seems incapable of improving itself, it just wants the money.

I think they are moving towards technology for line decisions but I don't think it would have helped here.

Generally even after all the replays people have differing views about what constitutes a red card unless it was a handball the ref couldn't see.

I think the number of these big calls by refs isn't that huge - the problem is the managers and players being allowed to whinge and blow them out of proportion.

Football could definitely learn from rugby there - stop players and managers hassling the refs and the fun of debating the decisions would remain as it does in every sport without the refs being put under undue pressure

 

[Fab Foodie]

Rugby doesn't use the TMO for disciplinary issues though, just for scoring decisions. They have citings but then the FA can already charge players after the game if it's been missed by the ref, so in reality it isn't that different.

Fair opoint (I should check my facts some-times ), however, it would seem smart to use the advantage of TV to enforce the rules or enhance the game.

 

[Dayvo]

I stopped playing rugby in the mid 90s, so things may have changed since then: in club rugby, if a referee made a decision against a team, only the captain of the offending team could ask the ref. for an explanation. If another player argued/criticised the ref, then the ref would march 10 yards back towards the offending team's goal line for the penalty to be taken there.

I played in one game when some mouthy centre wouldn't stop slagging off the ref who had marched the teams back 30 yards until one of my forward colleagues decked the centre and told him to shut it.

If the same applied in football, i.e. that only the captain could talk to the referee and not the rest of the team; and instead of moving back 10 yards (which is of no use in football) an offending player should be sin-binned for 10 minutes. That'll soon learn 'em!

 

[MarkF]

Let's face it, we and the pundits all have the benifit of multiple replays from different angles. The ref doesn't, he see's it once from his vantage point and calls it as he sees it. It's unfair on Ref's and it's unfair on teams and the game to week-in week-out have this kind of discussions on 'big' games and difficult calls.

I disagree. I don't want any "technology" that reduces the amount of controversial incidents. Surely those incidents are what we like? Not really caring who won, I greatly enjoyed Nani being sent off and the only thing that could have topped the night, would have been ManU having a winning goal disallowed after a really bad decision.

Neither do I want to watch 22 nice, sensible and earnest Gareth Barry's running about, good grief, I want entertaining and I like football as it is. That includes pantomime villains with plenty of fouls, shirt pulling, ref conning, spitting and lots of rolling around.

 

[green1]

I disagree. I don't want any "technology" that reduces the amount of controversial incidents. Surely those incidents are what we like? Not really caring who won, I greatly enjoyed Nani being sent off and the only thing that could have topped the night, would have been ManU having a winning goal disallowed after a really bad decision.

Neither do I want to watch 22 nice, sensible and earnest Gareth Barry's running about, good grief, I want entertaining and I like football as it is. That includes pantomime villains with plenty of fouls, shirt pulling, ref conning, spitting and lots of rolling around.

Sport with out mistakes from players/officials would be very dull indeed, especially football as very few goals are scored without someone making a mistake.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Pitiful CFC absolutely pitiful. Thank god for Aunt Bessies Cherry Pie and custard - saved the evening.

 

[User482]

Great start by Spurs...

 

[potsy]

Great start by Spurs...

Bale diving again though, getting a reputation

 

[Dayvo]

Bale diving again though, getting a reputation

Which means he'll miss the away leg.