Football : Season 2011/12

[Uncle Peter]

Unfortunately Spearing's challenge was a stonewall red card if you're playing by today's rules. You would have seen this week-in and week-out 20 years ago but you can't follow through with the studs even if you get the ball first even if it's due to momentum. He didn't need to make that challenge.

[thenry]

he got the ball but the follow through was dangerous which warrants a red

[denphone]

Originally Posted by thenry

he got the ball but the follow through was dangerous which warrants a red

Ah would you be saying that if it was a Arsenal player.

[thenry]

probably. I'm not calling for him to be on the gallows although I couldn't say the same about Suarez

Players should learn to tackle.

There are so few defenders who can cleanly win a ball by timing their tackle and doing so whilst maintaining control of their body. The reason Spearing's challenge so was bad was the same reason Shawcross' tackle on Ramsey was bad, neither were intended nor malicious, but were desperate lunges for the ball in which they throw themselves at the challenge and lose control. When they do this they are gambling on the tackle being successful and they are gambling on the the risk of injury to their fellow players. This is why these tackles are deserving of red cards.

Again it's a consequence of our approach to the game. It's the prioritisation of strength and speed over technical ability. We like defenders who use their strength to push players off the ball, ones who clatter a opposition player and win the ball. Even as we get over this bias in our midfield and attacking players, slowing trying to improve technical ability in these areas, we remain stuck with this 'big, hard man' view of a British centre back. Yet the best defenders are the ones who read the game and can intercept a pass, can funnel opposition players away from danger areas without touching them, and who only make a sliding tackle when they can dispossess a player with minimum contact. Timing and anticipation. This doesn't look as dramatic as completely clattering a player and emerging with blood on your fact like a true warrior.

There is a reason Association Football broke away to form a separate path from rugby.

[denphone]

Champions League results.

Apoel Nicosia 0-2 Shakhtar Donestck
Barcelona 4-0 BATE Borisov
Chelsea 3-0 Valencia
Dortmund 2-3 Marseille
Genk 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Olympiacos 3-1 Arsenal
Porto 0-0 Zenit St Petersburg
Viktoria Plzen 2-2 AC Milan

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/league/...league?cc=5739

[Shadow Demon UK]

Originally Posted by Uncle Peter

Then the FA need to review the guidance they are giving referees about centre-halves going through the back of strikers. You can take any given occasion that Suarez (and he is not alone in this) appears to go to ground easily and there could be three or four others where he's barged in the back or had the back of his legs kicked and received nothing. You may not see this on the tv screen but when you're a few yards away from it happening at the match there's no escaping from what goes on.

And the racism issue is irrelevant until he is actually found guilty of something. Yes he should perhaps have tempered his actions last night but isn't it odd how this is rather reminiscent of the Wayne Rooney witchunt. Seems that fine, upstanding, agenda driven establisment known as the British sports media has a new whipping boy.

The racism issue is relevant because he has been charged and is not being investigated now. He has a case to answer, if there was no evidence he wouldn't have been charged. The media reaction would have 10x what it has been if it was Rooney swearing at fans. I wonder if Suarez will get the two match ban? Theres always a reason why the media start picking on certain players and Suarez is giving the media a fair few reasons.

[thenry]

Wenger said... "I don't think we had the right tactical approach"

yup, same old. we should have gone 4-4-2 and not played Arshavin.. the guys a disgrace. Santos went off injuried, didn't even need to play.. I wanted the same team and formation set out to play City out tonight but it seems suffocation is needed not urgency in our game

anyway, still topped the group bring on the knock outs.

Marseille go through too in our group after a shocker in Germany but then again Dortmund have folded on more than one occasion in Europe. Stick that on your step Mr Gotze Senior!!

Chelsea win and go through, no major upset.

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:38 ----------

AVB post match LOL

[Uncle Peter]

Originally Posted by Shadow Demon UK

The racism issue is relevant because he has been charged and is not being investigated now. He has a case to answer, if there was no evidence he wouldn't have been charged. The media reaction would have 10x what it has been if it was Rooney swearing at fans. I wonder if Suarez will get the two match ban? Theres always a reason why the media start picking on certain players and Suarez is giving the media a fair few reasons.

Suarez is innocent until proven guilty and the evidence, whatever it may be, you refer to is known only to the parties involved. If he is found guilty then he will take his punishment until then it's a charge and nothing more. The FA are obliged to investigate the incident because a complaint was made and they cannot just dismiss the complaint out of hand as there is the danger that it may discourage individuals who have genuinely suffered racial abuse from coming forward.

The media pick on certain players because it's a cheap-shot story and the sports journalists who inhabit the lower tiers of the food chain base their careers on churning out lazy, ill-informed drivel: sound-bite journalism tailored to influence the thinking of the masses. No different to the crap you read on the front of the mail or any of the other gutter red-tops.

[denphone]

http://www.sportinglife.com/football...medium=twitter

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been charged with improper conduct following an alleged gesture he made towards Fulham fans on Monday night, the Football Association have announced.

[denphone]

A bleak night for both Manchester clubs with them both on the verge of going out in the group stages.

[thenry]

Originally Posted by denphone

A bleak night for both Manchester clubs with them both on the verge of going out in the group stages.

can't remember the last time matchday 6 was exciting. loads of movement. Lyon sneak into 2nd with goals galore and Ajax 2 down against Real Madrid. Only need Group B to wake up and it'll be a night to remember.. not that it isn't already

[danielf]

Originally Posted by thenry

can't remember the last time matchday 6 was exciting. loads of movement. Lyon sneak into 2nd with goals galore and Ajax 2 down against Real Madrid. Only need Group B to wake up and it'll be a night to remember.. not that it isn't already

Ajax had two perfectly good goals disallowed for off-side as well (ended up losing 3-0).

[denphone]

Champions League Scores


Ajax0-3Real Madrid



Benfica1-0Otelul Galati



Dinamo Zagreb1-7Lyon


FC Basel2-1Man Utd


Inter Milan1-2CSKA Moscow



Lille0-0Trabzonspor


Man City2-0Bayern Munich


Villarreal0-2Napoli




http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/

How on earth did United fail to qualify from that group!? Amazing