Football 2011-2012

[thetime]

Now thats a travesty.

such a good player and always came over well in interviews and probably one of the most liked players from other clubs.

but if the reports are true that it was suicide, such a terrible waste. depression is so mis understood in this country.(although im getting ahead of myself here)

Edited November 27, 2011 by thetime

[kaosmark2]

RIP.

I'll wait until there's more reports to confirm suicide before commenting on that.

[lost]

he was on football focus yesterday.. gutted.

[rexclark]

Tragic news, he had so much to live for but depression can effect everyone.

[pink_triangle]

I have never felt so upset about the death of a person I have never met, not ashamed to say I have been a bit tearful today.

He is my favorite ever Wales and premiership player. His commitment was amazing, so many players these days moan if played out of position, speed played left back and sweeper for Wales and gave 100% each time, never using the position as an excuse for a bad game. I also remember us playing a friendly on the other side of the world, he was injured but still made the visit.

He is one of the few players who I have never heard anyone say a bad thing about, a true Welsh legend andva great man

[big joe]

RIP Gary Speed. Good grief, that came out of nowhere. Thoughts are with his family. Excellent player.

[eFestivals]

Legend.

[The Nal]

Just terrible, thought he was in great form on football focus.

[pink_triangle]

A few of my favourtie gary speed quotes from the last 24 hours.

"When I was a ball boy at newcastle, he was the only player who said thankyou to me" - bbc website

"Gary Speed saw my son playing football in a wrexham top and told me how happy he was to see a young lad following a team outside the premiership" wrexham website

"I met Gary in WH Smiths and we spent 5 minutes chatting about football as if we had known each other for years" 606

"I bought Gary a drink one day in chester, the next time I saw him in leeds he remembered my name and always rememberd me whenever we bumped into each other again, Im in my 40s but he made me feel I wanted to play for him"

To me while speed was underrated as a player, its not his playing that touched me. It was the amazing commitment he showed for any club team and wales, we could be playing in asia, eastern europe, timbuktoo and he would never come up with an imaginary injury. However more than that its what he was like as a person. in an era where footballers often are horrified with having to mingle with the common fan, he always had time for everyone and made everyone he met feel important. I never met him but he had a huge impact on me.

I just pray (but dont hold out any hope) that the media can let the family be and not to put a story ahead of the feelings of the family.

[the_hedge]

So, what was behind it then? Depression, or was something about to come out in the press?

[eFestivals]

Back to the weekend's footie....

It was good to see Man Utd get to feel the same as so many other teams at OT; that a penalty has been unfairly awarded against them.

I enjoyed yesterday's Liverpool/City game, but was rather amazed to read reviews in a couple of places (BBC & Guardian I think) that said City bossed the game by a margin. I'd have said - tho only slightly - that if anyone came out on top it was the other way around, even before the sending off.

There was some great goalkeeping over the weekend too - Hart, De Gea, and Kruul. But best of all was Schmichael Jr for Leicester.

[eFestivals]

So, what was behind it then? Depression, or was something about to come out in the press?

Until any details come out we can only guess that it one or other of those.

[thetime]

Back to the weekend's footie....

It was good to see Man Utd get to feel the same as so many other teams at OT; that a penalty has been unfairly awarded against them.

[eFestivals]

name the last dodgy descision in man utds favour?

talking to a few liverpool fans yesterday and they say the same as you(amongst others), and couldnt think of one in recent times.

I can't say I can name one off the top of my head.

(Oh actually, one I can remember - tho quite a while ago now [as made clear by the player involved] - Valencia falling over as he entered the box, several strides after any contact with Mascherano. But there's defo been others since then).

But my lack of memory doesn't mean they don't happen, cos they defo do. They get endless penalties at OT (and elsewhere, come to that) which wouldn't necessarily get given for other teams (tho other 'top' teams also benefit from similar, tho perhaps not as much).

If fergie's regular public bollockings of the refs didn't work in Utd's favour he's stop doing them. Talking of which, I nearly wet myself at the weekend with his "I never talk to refs" comment.

Edited November 28, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

name the last dodgy descision in man utds favour?

if we're talking dodgy decisions in general: the sending off of Gutiarez (sp?) on Saturday.

I can understand why he got those cards cos at full speed the tackles he got carded for looked bad. But at low speed so you can actually see what happened they were both about as mild a foul as you get.

So even in the match where the ref made a huge error in giving the penalty against Utd, he also managed a similar sized error in their favour, and via which they very nearly won the game.

[thetime]

But my lack of memory doesn't mean they don't happen, cos they defo do. They get endless penalties at OT (and elsewhere, come to that) which wouldn't necessarily get given for other teams (tho other 'top' teams also benefit from similar, tho perhaps not as much).

Edited November 28, 2011 by thetime

[thetime]

if we're talking dodgy decisions in general: the sending off of Gutiarez (sp?) on Saturday.

I can understand why he got those cards cos at full speed the tackles he got carded for looked bad. But at low speed so you can actually see what happened they were both about as mild a foul as you get.

So even in the match where the ref made a huge error in giving the penalty against Utd, he also managed a similar sized error in their favour, and via which they very nearly won the game.

[thetime]

if we're talking dodgy decisions in general: the sending off of Gutiarez (sp?) on Saturday.

I can understand why he got those cards cos at full speed the tackles he got carded for looked bad. But at low speed so you can actually see what happened they were both about as mild a foul as you get.

So even in the match where the ref made a huge error in giving the penalty against Utd, he also managed a similar sized error in their favour, and via which they very nearly won the game.

Edited November 28, 2011 by thetime

[The Nal]

old trafford

we have had one pen in league so far this season(not scored)

2 in the league last season.

I think its a total myth that we get more descisions than any other team, just hightlighted more.

people still go on about the spurs over the line no goal, that was around the 2004 time.

[eFestivals]

I think its a total myth that we get more descisions than any other team, just hightlighted more.

yeah, if you ignore the sending off that shouldn't have happened yesterday, and so many other things that fall in Utd's favour.

[thetime]

There was one against Bolton I think in 06ish that Ronaldo was tackled fairly for and wasn't a pen but was given.

Its a total myth yeah.

[The Nal]

06 blimey 5 years!

Edited November 28, 2011 by The Nal

[the_hedge]

if we're talking dodgy decisions in general: the sending off of Gutiarez (sp?) on Saturday.

I can understand why he got those cards cos at full speed the tackles he got carded for looked bad. But at low speed so you can actually see what happened they were both about as mild a foul as you get.

So even in the match where the ref made a huge error in giving the penalty against Utd, he also managed a similar sized error in their favour, and via which they very nearly won the game.

[eFestivals]

thats grasping at straws a little, struggling are we?

theres been sendings of like that for and against united, balotelli shouldnt of got a second yellow yesterday either.

You asked me to highlight decisions that have gone in Utd's favour that shouldn't have done.

So I've given you a very good example from Saturday's game.

And your response is to grasp at your own straws in the absence of any intelligent response to show that what I've said is wrong.

[thetime]

yeah, if you ignore the sending off that shouldn't have happened yesterday, and so many other things that fall in Utd's favour.