Football 2011-2012

[The Nal]

People who don't like Xavi baffle me. Sublime. Reads a game like few others and dictates the pace. When Xavi retires Barca have a big job on their hands filling his boots. Him and iniesta in tandem is a thing of beauty.

On the second point Suarez did get touched, even if he looked for it a hell of a lot. Not saying its right but its been talked about a lot because its him, even Szezznznzy didn't seem too bothered by it when the two of them were getting on well after. Was certainly no worse than that Rafael attempt v Ajax or whoever it was the other week, proper Klinsmann that. Or even when Adam Johnson and Wellbeck kicking out a leg on someone to get pens v Fulham and Chelsea on the same weekend.

Edited March 5, 2012 by The Nal

[strummer77]

It doesn't make me angry or anything, its very South American behaviour. I just find it funny that a player can be tapped very lightly on the shin pad and go down like hes been hit by a train, taking his shin pad off, close to tears, rolling about with his hand in the air calling for a stretcher etc and then get up and play on as if nothing happened. Not a hint of shame.

It amuses me.

Edited March 5, 2012 by strummer77

[eFestivals]

Dont like Suarez though. Hes worse than Klinsmann. I was in tears laughing at his antics for the pen at the weekend.

You and Shearer both need eye tests.

He might have dived, I don't deny it. He might have decided that he was going to get clunked and set himself to fall, I don't deny it.

But that bollocks about a feather's touch? Get some frigging glasses. The first touch to his foot might have been light but there's few players who'd have stayed on their feet with the second much harder bang to his shin, and I can't see how he could have avoided that bang on his shin.

As ralph would have said if it were a Man Utd player? He was touched, he's entitled to go down.

As I say only from the angle of saying what I've seen? I doubt Suarez or anyone else could have stayed on their feet even if they'd wanted to.

[The Nal]

Oh agree on that. It's a very latin thing and I don't get it. It's too fake to be true. It'd be much easier just to fall over...

Edited March 5, 2012 by The Nal

[strummer77]

Yeah I dont know if they do it to get players sent off or just to strengthen their case?

Edited March 5, 2012 by strummer77

[kaosmark2]

At the moment?

They've played in a more exciting way at times during fergie's tenure but that 'dull to watch' is pretty much a constant during all his years.

[eFestivals]

Although I dont know where you're getting the "much harder bang to his shin" bit from. It was a brush stroke. On the shin pad.

it must have been on MotD - cos that's the only place i've seen the game - that they showed a much closer slo-mo, which clearly showed that bang on his shin push his leg backwards, which makes it more than just a brush.

That vid you've found is yet another case of fans selecting the footage that shows what they want to show rather than what gets the best view of what happened.

Just to make it clear: Suarez defo made the most of it, and I'm pretty sure he was on his way down before there was any contact (and I'm pretty sure there were two contacts in that incident) .... but the closer slow mo I saw defo shows it as more of a knock that the vid you've linked to, and probably enough of a knock to bring down any player who was chasing a ball down in the way Suarez was at the time. It was more than a light brush.

[The Nal]

Dunno Neil, think that is the MOTD footage, the footage I saw anyway but thats not the point. Enough to bring him down sure - but enough to have him rolling about the place and screaming in agony?

Nah.

[eFestivals]

Dunno Neil, think that is the MOTD footage, the footage I saw anyway but thats not the point. Enough to bring him down sure - but enough to have him rolling about the place and screaming in agony?

Nah.

I wasn't saying you'd deliberately chosen dodgy footage btw - but someone did, to suggest it was something it wasn't.

I've seen this now so many times when a fan of wants to do down another team's player. There's better footage which gives a clearer view, but they chose the footage that suggests what they want to suggest.

It's probably wise to ignore just about all vids labelled "look at this dive...." or similar, so many of them are the result of a selective choice of footage.

There was defo a closer view than that given on MotD, or, just perhaps, a news programme. I've seen better and clearer footage of that incident.

[kaosmark2]

Sven's declared his interest in the Chelski job.

[strummer77]

Now I don't think Rooney should have been banned for swearing. I don't think Suarez should have been banned for a hand gesture. Both were though. So what's going to happen to RVP? Nothing's my bet.

Friendly gesture in Holland though

Oh and worst tackle of the season? Got an 8 game ban for this is Germany. He's appealing though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ucHC5Se9-A

Edited March 6, 2012 by strummer77

[strummer77]

I think the hand gesture was a bit less obvious than the other incidents... I had to watch it twice to notice it.

[Steve P]

Well going to watch us at The Emirates tonight, just hope we put in a decent performance. That said if rumours are true we might be going into the game with Song as our only fit midfielder which will make our formation interesting!

[strummer77]

Well going to watch us at The Emirates tonight, just hope we put in a decent performance. That said if rumours are true we might be going into the game with Song as our only fit midfielder which will make our formation interesting!

[kaosmark2]

Could be a seminal moment in football... the dawn of the 4-1-5

[Benj]

I wasn't saying you'd deliberately chosen dodgy footage btw - but someone did, to suggest it was something it wasn't.

I've seen this now so many times when a fan of wants to do down another team's player. There's better footage which gives a clearer view, but they chose the footage that suggests what they want to suggest.

It's probably wise to ignore just about all vids labelled "look at this dive...." or similar, so many of them are the result of a selective choice of footage.

There was defo a closer view than that given on MotD, or, just perhaps, a news programme. I've seen better and clearer footage of that incident.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Benj

[eFestivals]

I knew you'd try and defend him!

I said I thought he probably dived, and was probably diving before there was any contact. That's hardly defending him.

All I did was stated that I've seen footage that clearly shows an impact on his shin - contrary to what Shearer was claiming (as well as Nal here). I commented only because Shearer's comments had wound me up, with his 'almost no touch' or whatever it was.

I went on from that to say that the footage that Nal presented is not that clearest-view footage, and that there's a common theme with videos labelled "... diving..." where they don't use the best bit of footage, and by their selective choice get to present a false version of what happened.

I'm sure he made the most of it all too (not that I remember that part, but it's Suarez so it's a given) - but this is the first time I've commented on that side of the incident.

If he didn't play for Liverpool you'd be going ballistic, as you did against 'skippy'

did I do that every single time skippy went down without a touch, or when Young does it in most matches he's played this season? If I did we'd still be arguing skippy now.

Just as I mostly did with skippy and have done almost exclusively with young, I've let it go with Suarez on this occasion (but have commented on it in the past). There's not the difference you're imagining.

(for the record- On that Super slo mo, where you can see his leg go back on the contact, I'd say it was just about a pen, it never for one single split second ever slightly hurt)

I'm glad someone agrees with the only point I was wanting to make, that there's a fair amount of contact and not the lightest brush that Shearer said (& Nal).

I'm not even sure I'd give it a pen after seeing that slow-mo even tho I think very few players could have stayed on their feet in identical circumstances, but I can understand why that ref did.

As for whether it hurt or not, I've not commented on that. But I doubt it did.

[strummer77]

If he didn't play for Liverpool you'd be going ballistic, as you did against 'skippy', there is no difference whatsoever, except that Ronaldo seemed slightly more likeable as a persona.

[The Nal]

Forza Milan!! Lets go Ibra...

[Kyelo]

I actually can't believe my eyes, Milan what are you playing at?

[The Nal]

What a half!! Milan are just terrible but well done Arsenal! Not sure if the break is a good thing for the Gooners now though. They may lose momentum.

Neville going on about how its "bingo time" on the right wing is funny. And true.

[kaosmark2]

Ox for Chamakh.... I reckon that means Milan through.

[The Nal]

Not much going on in the 2nd half apart from the RVP miss but it has to be considered a great save as opposed to a bad miss. Abbiati was too close to him to blast it on the deck and read it well to save.

Unlucky Arsenal. Good effort. Still missing that killer edge though. Should have finished them off.

[The Nal]

They had nothing of use on the bench did they... No options when players tired...

[eFestivals]

can't believe they couldn't get a fourth after such a great first half.

I've gotta say the crowd were shit tho and really didn't help. The place was rocking in the first half (I found a stream after seeing they'd quickly gone one-up) but was dead in the second. What happened to a crowd roaring their team to victory?

Last night was the first time I'd heard a Neville commentary - I've gotta say I was very impressed. Completely different to the c**t I'd thought he was a player.

And the stream I had was "plus 3" - what's that then? It had Linekar as the half-time anchor, is that what Sky gets too?