Football

[Romig1]

Great result for Town tonight. Boro were as bad a team as Ipswich, and I can't understand how they beat Cardiff at the weekend.
A much better 1st half display, but we failed to make our possession and decent play count. 2nd half was a poorer affair, and we went behind to a sucker punch, after some neat work by Sami Amiobi on the wing. I was just about to leave on 86 mins when we clawed one back from a corner, and celebrated the winning goal (in injury time) from the car en-route home.
Hopefully we can follow that up with a good result on Saturday (home vs Charlton).

[stocktonmackem]

Great result for Town tonight. Boro were as bad a team as Ipswich, and I can't understand how they beat Cardiff at the weekend.
A much better 1st half display, but we failed to make our possession and decent play count. 2nd half was a poorer affair, and we went behind to a sucker punch, after some neat work by Sami Amiobi on the wing. I was just about to leave on 86 mins when we clawed one back from a corner, and celebrated the winning goal (in injury time) from the car en-route home.
Hopefully we can follow that up with a good result on Saturday (home vs Charlton).

You should never leave before the end of the game, you never know what u might miss.

[stocktonmackem]

Well done to Crystal Palace tonight, we taught Kevin Phillips everything he does well.

[Romig1]

Great result for Town tonight. Boro were as bad a team as Ipswich, and I can't understand how they beat Cardiff at the weekend.
A much better 1st half display, but we failed to make our possession and decent play count. 2nd half was a poorer affair, and we went behind to a sucker punch, after some neat work by Sami Amiobi on the wing. I was just about to leave on 86 mins when we clawed one back from a corner, and celebrated the winning goal (in injury time) from the car en-route home.
Hopefully we can follow that up with a good result on Saturday (home vs Charlton).

You should never leave before the end of the game, you never know what u might miss.

We ALWAYS leave before the end...and know exactly what we're likely to miss! Oh well, at least we missed a winner for once, and not one to lose the game.

[Manoverboard]

.... and back into 2nd spot

Well done the Udds, Palace and a big whew for Foxy's equaliser at 90+4

[oldbluefox]

Good wins for your lot, especially Watford coming from behind. We huffed and puffed all night and were lucky to get a point. Even with Huddersfield doing a good job we couldn't take much of an advantage. The rate we are going we'll be lucky to make the playoffs.

Not to worry - there's still 11 more games to go, 33 more points so plenty can happen in that time.

[gfwgfw]

Turkish referee not a delight

[Manoverboard]

Re the Nani sending off ...

I did wonder at the time if the ref had intended to issue only a yellow card but that he then took a dim view of Nani trying to gain sympathy instead of getting up, holding up his hands and appologising .... so added a second yellow for simulation ?

[gfwgfw]

Good thinking MOB

You could be spot on

Do hope all is well with you


Graham

[oldbluefox]

Foot up, made contact, sending off. I have seen players sent off for far more innocuous fouls. If you view the incident from the referee's viewpoint it doesn't look good at all so I can understand why he flashed the red card.
Considering the melee around the ref I was surprised a few more didn't go into the book.

[gfwgfw]

It certainly caused a turn around for the Spanish team - 'til then they looked second best

[Manoverboard]

Or foot up with Nani looking in the opposite direction but given that the Real Madrid player was running towards Nani then why not send him off for not stopping and crashing into Nani ....

I would say that in such a match a yellow would have been a far better decision and one that I, as a Mod, would have made

ps ... agreed, second best but the game could have gone either way until that point I thought.

[towny44]

Our centre forward was nearly decpapitated in the penalty area and the ref waved play on.

[oldbluefox]

I must admit I was biased. It was worth it though just to see Sir Alex almost tumbling down those steps to protest. Best laugh I had all night!!

[gfwgfw]

I must admit I was biased. It was worth it though just to see Sir Alex almost tumbling down those steps to protest. Best laugh I had all night!!

Like him or hate him he probably has achieved more than most in the fantastic world of Football

[oldbluefox]

You are right gfw. Even I have to agree on that one.

[Quizzical Bob]

I can't see what the fuss is about. That was very dangerous play and deserved a red. As a ref myself, if I had let that go on my local park on a Sunday morning there'd have been a riot. Just because it was at Old Trafford doesn't mean that there are special football laws for Man Utd.

[paultheeagle]

Can anyone explain why it is that Sir Alex always sees those refering decisions that he perceves as going against United but never sees any refereeing decision that goes in their favour.

From the referee's position it looks as if Nani has tried to kick his opponent in the chest, Kung Fu style, aka. a Cantona......You cannot tackle like that anywhere but especially in Europe...It does not matter one iota if Nani made contact or not it is still dangerous play and deserves a red card...The moment you make a challenge like that you are asking for trouble...Was there intent, only one person can answer that question......Nani.

I would also have given a red card to Nani if I was the referee, without hesitation.

Did the referee make the right decision.....After studying the challenge many times and looking at it from umpteen number of different angles the answer is probably no but seeing it for the first time, at real speed then I can only say yes...I winced when I saw the tackle first time.

Maybe the referee did get it wrong but that does not give Sir Alex the right to abuse the referee and other officials in the way that he did and has done over many years on many occasions...I hope EUFA throw the book at him and charge him and his players with improper conduct or something like that...I hope this is the last time we see Sir Alex throw his toys out of his pram...But this is Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson we are talking about so he will more than likely get away with it.

Did this incident cost United the match...no, I think the Real Madrid goalkeeper did that.....he had a blinder.

Anyway, to far more important things...Palace were simply awesome last night.

[gfwgfw]

Mr Bob

Methinks that the Spanish Player ran into the raised "slipper" rather than the dismissed players ill intentions

I do have a great admiration for Referees in modern day football

It is a lose lose situation - but I believe the remuneration is healthy for FA refs

BTW Many years since I played semi pro Football

Rarely if ever - were players asked to leave the field of play

Kindly

Graham

[Quizzical Bob]

Indeed Graham, it used to be a 'man's game' whatever that means. I remember leather balls and those boots that had studs made of leather discs. I think Graham Poll had a point in the Mail this morning, that wouldn't normally have been a red in the Premier League but probably would in Europe.

[gfwgfw]

Yep Bob

Halcyon days indeed

[paultheeagle]

Some of you want to go back to the days of Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Ron 'Chopper' Harris and Harry Cripps....Surely not.....Football is a very different game today and for the better.

[oldbluefox]

I remember with fondness football as it was in the 60's - shoulder charges, slide tackles, bone crunching tackles, barging the goalkeeper. In those days nobody argued with the referee and once tackled you got up and got on with the game - no rolling around on the ground, no spitting, no shirt pulling, no feigning injury. It was indeed unusual for anybody to be sent off.
Of course when it rained the cotton shirts and shorts got heavier (and colder) and the ball doubled in weight, not good news if you were a centre forward or centre half. It wasn't much fun watching 2lbs of wet leather descending from on high.
Today's game is much more sanitised, the play faster and the players fitter. I am not so sure it is any more enjoyable either as a player or spectator than those full blooded days.
And, of course, everybody played on a Saturday afternoon.

[Sealion]

Dangerous play - straight red in my humble opinion but only Roy Keane seemed to agree.
It was worth it just to see the anger on SAF's face. Just amazed that he has not had a heart attack by now. He looks as though he may have high blood pressure.
I'll come clean and admit I was not bereft that that are out.

[oldbluefox]

It has become almost synonymous in football that whenever United lose there has to be an inquest and somebody has to be blamed - not enough injury time, too much injury time, poor refereeing decision, even away shirts the wrong colour!! (Remember that?)
I wonder what would Sir AF's reaction have been had it been a Real Madrid players boot that was high.......... and the player had or had not been sent off. I think his attitude would have been very different.