English Football Thread 2012/2013

[JBlues08]

Indeed. Once again, we get screwed by Chelski.

1. John Terry blocks the ball with his arm in the area. No penalty.

2. Luiz with a blatant foul on Rooney: should've been second yellow and off. Referee doesn't even award freekick. Yes, yes - Rooney shouldn't have been playing, but we're talking about decisions awarded in Chelski games - so that definitely gets added to the list.

3. The Chelski player was looking for that penalty - the referee should've told him to get up and given him a yellow card. I didn't see any contact - all I saw was a blue shirt swan diving over Smalling's leg.

No complaints about the Vidic red card - pulling the guy's shirt so soon after being booked was not sensible. Now we lose him for Anfield.

Still, we're used to it - we had at least four title deciding decisions against them last season - and of course, we've still got to play them again at Old Trafford, where no doubt something else will happen. Well, I suppose they have to have their fun - after all, trying to stop us winning the league is going to be the highlight of their season.

What goes around, comes around.

But on serious side of things, where were you guys in the second half? You played well and created chances in the first half but in the second half...?

Decisions will go against you in big games or not. It's how you react to it. The fact that you gone missing in the second half should be more of a concern to you. Furthermore, are we even trying to catch you at the top of the table? Despite what Terry and co have been saying, our main target is the Top 4. Get real!

On the game, I thought you were the better side in the first half but we completely dominated the second. Great strike by Luiz and he was absolutely immense and brilliant all night. Overall, this was a great victory and a refreshing performance in the second half especially.

From the neutral perspective, this was an entertaining game from start to finish. A great advert for the Premier League.

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Sod Utd. How do we manage to lose to Reading having got past Chelsea in the cup? Gutted.

It's a strange world, isn't it? They did knock out Liverpool last season after all anyway. So, they weren't exactly an easy opponent to play against.

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It's definitely going down to the wire now, but Arsenal are also more than capable of dropping points - especially after what happened against Birmingham.

Precisely. I wouldn't be nervous just yet. Arsenal will be probably the usual Arsenal again this season. And their game in hand is against Spurs at White Hart Lane after all. Definitely not an easy one.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

In the grand scheme of things, I don't think this loss will matter. In fact, I think it's a good thing. Don't have points to fall back on now, can't rest on our laurels. It is disappointing though that we lost that game despite playing so well in the first half. Just faded away. Don't think taking off Scholes was a good decision. Carrick-Scholes were bossing the midfield really well.

Chelsea can't really play Lampard-Essien together in a 2 man midfield. Both players are "finishers" if that makes sense. Neither are "means to the end" kind of players that they need with them. Way too many gaps were left, which Carrick and Scholes exploited very well. The Luiz-Terry partnership looks like it has quite a few problems as well. Terry looks shaky a lot of the time. Both players like to attack the ball, and neither cover for the other. Chelsea had great success with an attacker/cover duo of Terry and Carvalho, Man utd as well with Rio and Vidic. Terry lacks the pace to make up for it.

Luiz looks a fantastic player though. I love good ball-playing defenders.

I think a wrong decision was made playing Hernandez over Berbatov. Berbatov would've offered a better link between attack and midfield, making most of Man Utd bossing the midfield. He would've also dropped deep, forcing Terry/Luiz out and making gaps in the defence, as threatened at times by Rooney coming deep.

 

[m_vaughan]

First English league game I've seen in a while and I thought in the end Utd have only themselves to blame for the defeat. Yes the penalty was a bit harsh (although Smalling did get in the way) but Utd were poor in the second half.

I was also very impressed with David Luiz overall.

 

[Auwais]

Martin Atkinson's record with Chelsea:

Officiated 17:
Chelsea have won 16, drawn 1, goals for 40, goals against 3.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Martin Atkinson's record with Chelsea:

Officiated 17:
Chelsea have won 16, drawn 1, goals for 40, goals against 3.

Sir Alex said that when he found out who was refereeing the game, he feared the worst. He wasn't wrong. Now, we have to go to Anfield and win - if Arsenal ever get ahead of us, that will give them a huge boost. And needless to say, we need to get at least a draw at the Emirates.

Sunderland next for the Gunners - at the Emirates, but Sunderland are no longer the pushover they were.

 

[m_vaughan]

Martin Atkinson's record with Chelsea:

Officiated 17:
Chelsea have won 16, drawn 1, goals for 40, goals against 3.

How many of these were during Mourinho's invincible reign?

 

[ste_mc_efc]

Sod Utd. How do we manage to lose to Reading having got past Chelsea in the cup? Gutted.

because we're everton and that's what we do.

if we got into the champions league we'd beat barca in the nou camp, but lose at home to some team from israel. not even maccabi haifa. someone no-one has heard of.


" They're great people here, really friendly. To get clapped off not just by your own fans but by the Everton fans as well, was a great feeling i wont forget that. They are class, real class supporters here. You can tell a lot about a club when they lose, Everton are class."

I applauded them off too. they deserved it.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

@JBlues: 'What goes around comes around'. Really? As far as Man Utd v Chelsea is concerned over the past four or five matches, it's gone around, missed Chelsea and hit Utd square in the back of the head.

There's still a chance for a few stinkers at Old Trafford - against Chelsea this time hopefully. I just saw the 'foul' by Smalling again and I'd give that dive an Olympic Gold.

 

[Lee1981]

Chelsea may have got the rub of the green against man utd in recent times, but how often in a season do man utd get the rub of the green against everyone else? pretty much more than anyone else i would say, the recent rooney incident being one prime example. He should be banned for a few games easily.

Dont think utd would have missed rooney anyway being he is an over paid, over rated dirty c@nt

 

[JBlues08]

@JBlues: 'What goes around comes around'. Really? As far as Man Utd v Chelsea is concerned over the past four or five matches, it's gone around, missed Chelsea and hit Utd square in the back of the head.

Take a look at some of the key decisions below that have gone your way this season.

1. Gary Neville should have been sent off in the first half against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in October 2010. But it did not happen. Stoke were 1-0 down then. You then went on to win 2-1. If you went down to 10-man, the result might have been different.

2. Again, Gary Neville should have been sent off against West Bromwich at the Hawthorns earlier this year in January and West Brom should have gotten a penalty as well. But again, Gary Neville stayed on the pitch and no penalty was given. It was 1-1 at that time. If West Brom got the penalty and scored, they will be leading 2-1 and playing against 10-men. It did not happen and you went on to win 2-1.

3. Blackpool should have gotten a penalty when Rafael brought down Luke Varney in the penalty box in the second half. You were 2-0 down then. Blackpool could have gone on to lead 3-0 but no penalty was given and you went on to win 3-2.

4. Of course, who could forget what happened against Wigan last weekend with the Rooney elbow?

Just because those games against Stoke City, West Brom, Blackpool and Wigan are not classified as 'big games', it still does not hide the fact that you do get the rub of the green from referees.

All in all, in big games or not, decisions will go against you sometimes. It may happen in big games or even the smaller ones but they will eventually even itself out throughout the season. So, don't go complain about decisions going against you when you have gotten the benefit of poor decisions over the years.

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Martin Atkinson's record with Chelsea:

Officiated 17:
Chelsea have won 16, drawn 1, goals for 40, goals against 3.

Why don't you try breaking down the stats for each of those games and see how many decisions that actually gone our way?

People seem to be overshadowed by stats sometimes and forgetting that big teams usually win games. You do. We do. And same goes with the other big teams.

Don't tell me there is not one single referee with a similar record like the one above whenever they officiate a match involving Man United?!

 

[Haarithan]

Add a 4th , O'Shea should have seen red against Liverpool @ OT , Gerrard scored from the resulting Free Kick to level the scores at 2-2 , still United won the game 3-2 . The great Sir Alex then comes out and says : "Torres made an absolute meal out of it" .

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Don't tell me there is not one single referee with a similar record like the one above whenever they officiate a match involving Man United?!

Wait , i ll be back with Howard Webb's stats involving United in a jiffy

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This for now courtesy of Ryan Babel

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And more ...

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And finally this - arguably the best , courtesy once again of Babel :

 

[Haarithan]

Webb conceded to having made a mistake during a Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in 2009. The incident of note came when Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes challenged United's Michael Carrick for the ball; Webb judged that Gomes fouled Carrick although replays suggested the keeper played the ball. The official, who was over 30 yards away from the incident, awarded a penalty kick, which began United's comeback from 2-0 down to eventually win 5-2.

That was our season for the taking until this happened

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Chelsea may have got the rub of the green against man utd in recent times, but how often in a season do man utd get the rub of the green against everyone else? pretty much more than anyone else i would say, the recent rooney incident being one prime example. He should be banned for a few games easily.

Dont think utd would have missed rooney anyway being he is an over paid, over rated dirty c@nt

Mind the swear filter - read the Rules.

 

[Lee1981]

I apologise.

Not an excuse but rooney just makes my blood boil, typical top level pro footballer- dont realise how lucky they are.

And i cant forgive him and the england team for last years world cup. Absolute disgrace.

 

[Highlander999]

Chelsea may have got the rub of the green against man utd in recent times, but how often in a season do man utd get the rub of the green against everyone else? pretty much more than anyone else i would say, the recent rooney incident being one prime example. He should be banned for a few games easily.

Dont think utd would have missed rooney anyway being he is an over paid, over rated dirty c@nt

EXACTLY!!!! I've got a joke with a couple of mates who are Bolton fans that there are more chances of my mate (he is butt ugly) getting laid with a model then there are of our teams getting a penalty at Old Trafford. Man Utd fans are the biggest whingers and the biggest hypocrites going around and that is coming from a neutral fan in regards to the big teams.