Yes, extremely bitter actually.  My emotional life is very much tied up with the fortunes of my favourite football team.

Leeds Utd's season does seem to be "doing a Wolves" at the moment.

I've lost interest a tad to be honest.  I was pleased to see Gary McAllister return, but I expect he'll succeed only in steering the team  to mid-table before being shown the door.

It looks like fourth place will be Liverpool’s after Everton’s loss to Fulham today. I suppose it was wishful thinking on my behalf to believe that Everton could actually upset the ‘ever increasing’ trend of the ‘big four’ topping the table.

What I find quite refreshing about Serie A is that the top four – come the end of the season – usually doesn’t consist of the same four teams.

True Van Basten, but Serie A is one big pile of turd at the moment. I can't deny I'm far more hooked on the Premier League, and that hasn't been the case for many years.

Why is Mascherano "stunned by sending off"? The guy ran 20 yards to confront the ref, being on a yellow already, he should have known better, just because someone who gets paid by Roman's millions can turn his back and act like a spolit child after a henious challenge can go unpunished doesn't mean they can all do it. Don't they know its one rule for one and one for another?

Anyway, totally disappointed at the Arsenal result yesterday, I thought just when they were getting written off as challengers, they would go and show the naysayers, alas its Manure's title to lose now, better them than Chelski though.
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Scotland 1 - 0 France 07/10/06
France 0 - 1 Scotland 12/09/07

Ah, you see, he'd watched the England captain get away with it on a weekly basis; seen Paul Scholes mouth a variety of two-word phrases ending in 'off' at the ref every time a decision went against him, observed Ashley Cole deliver a possible leg-breaking tackle and then behave like a spoilt 3-year old towards Mike Riley, and thought that he was perfectly safe in joining the club.

Some sources suggest that the FA are contemplating issuing him with a longer ban for showing disrespect to the referee, which would be entirely in keeping with the shut stable door after horse has defecated and departed approach they favour. If they want to make an example, Cole's petulant little display should be given a yellow card, making two reds, while the next time Paul Scholes mouths off at the ref and doesn't pick up a yellow card, the FA should impose one retrospectively.

There's more than enough TV evidence available to illustrate players swearing at referees, and retrospective punishment with a yellow card would soon make a change. However, since Sepp Blatter is likely to find this an unacceptable step in the right direction, it won't happen.

I wonder, by the by, if it had been Rooney or another Man Utd player  whether the second yellow would've been issued, or if the card would've been awarded had the game been at Anfield? I wish I could say 'of course it would've been', but...

Last edited by Dave on 25-03-08 21:33; edited 1 time in total

I hope Capello saw John Terry's antics yesterday - after Arsenal put the ball out just inside the Chelsea half because of an injury, Terry gave the ball back to Arsenal....by thumping the ball out for a throw-in deep into the Arsenal half, next to the corner flag, in fact. Prick.

To be fair, Michael, I think that the incident you describe was more a case of Terry failing miserably to pass it back to the goalkeeper, which does seem to be the norm these days when a side 'sportingly' (or stupidly, depending upon your point of view) puts the ball out in their opponent's half, only for the ball to come whizzing back to the goalie when it's returned.

However, it would appear that Don Fabio has been less than impressed with Terry's antics of late, since the widely expected appointment of 'JT' to the post for the France game hasn't gone quite as Terry seems to have anticipated...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7312855.stm

Dave wrote:

Ah, you see, he'd watched the England captain get away with it on a weekly basis; seen Paul Scholes mouth a variety of two-word phrases ending in 'off' at the ref every time a decision went against him, observed Ashley Cole deliver a possible leg-breaking tackle and then behave like a spoilt 3-year old towards Mike Riley, and thought that he was perfectly safe in joining the club. Some sources suggest that the FA are contemplating issuing him with a longer ban for showing disrespect to the referee, which would be entirely in keeping with the shut stable door after horse has defecated and departed approach they favour. If they want to make an example. Cole's petulant little display should be given a yellow card, making two reds, while the next time Paul Scholes mouths off at the ref and doesn't pick up a yellow card, the FA should impose one retrospectively. There's more than enough TV evidence available to illustrate players swearing at referees, and retrospective punishment with a yellow card would soon make a change. However, since Sepp Blatter is likely to find this an unacceptable step in the right direction, it won't happen. I wonder, by the by, if it had been Rooney or another Man Utd player  whether the second yellow would've been issued, or if the card would've been awarded had the game been at Anfield? I wish I could say 'of course it would've been', but...

Great post.  

The lack of respect shown to referees in football is nothing short of disgaceful.  IMO lack of respect for referees = lack of respect for the game.    

To be honest I'm also tired of hearing the "we need to respect the officials like they do in Rugby" line.  They've been saying that ad nauseum for like 10 years.  

NBA has a better system, when a player backchats a referee it results in a technical foul (free throw and possession).  2 technicals = ejection.
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Mexico86 wrote:

To be honest I'm also tired of hearing the "we need to respect the officials like they do in Rugby" line.  They've been saying that ad nauseum for like 10 years.

You might be tired of hearing it, but it's true.  In rugby, any backchat leads to the penalty/free kick being moved forward 10m - they tried this in football then dropped it, I never could see why.  Had they extended this whereby, had that 10m taken the ball into the penalty area then it became a penalty, it would have been even better.

It's getting worse in football and all credit to Bennett for having the courage to show the red card to Mascherano, as he'd been maoning ever since his first yellow card.  If other refs were to clamp down on this then it wouldn't be such a problem.

There also needs to be consistency across all levels of football - I remember playing in a local league match where one of our players was sent off for swearing (at his team, not the ref) and was subsequently banned for 28 days, not one match or three matches - why should the Premier League prima-donnas be any different when they should be setting the example?

Curva Fiesole wrote:

Mexico86 wrote: To be honest I'm also tired of hearing the "we need to respect the officials like they do in Rugby" line.  They've been saying that ad nauseum for like 10 years. You might be tired of hearing it, but it's true.  In rugby, any backchat leads to the penalty/free kick being moved forward 10m - they tried this in football then dropped it, I never could see why.  Had they extended this whereby, had that 10m taken the ball into the penalty area then it became a penalty, it would have been even better. It's getting worse in football and all credit to Bennett for having the courage to show the red card to Mascherano, as he'd been maoning ever since his first yellow card.  If other refs were to clamp down on this then it wouldn't be such a problem. There also needs to be consistency across all levels of football - I remember playing in a local league match where one of our players was sent off for swearing (at his team, not the ref) and was subsequently banned for 28 days, not one match or three matches - why should the Premier League prima-donnas be any different when they should be setting the example?

Good post and agreed.  

My point re- the Rugby thing was more that they've been saying this for YEARS but NEVER seem to be doing anything about it that is lastable and sustainable.  

The 10m is slightly more valuable in Rugby due to the fact that every yard in Rugby is hard earned, but still I agree why did'nt they maintain that law.  
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Last edited by Mexico86 on 25-03-08 19:27; edited 1 time in total

Dave wrote:

To be fair, Michael, I think that the incident you describe was more a case of Terry failing miserably to pass it back to the goalkeeper, which does seem to be the norm these days when a side 'sportingly' (or stupidly, depending upon your point of view) puts the ball out in their opponent's half, only for the ball to come whizzing back to the goalie when it's returned.

I did consider that Dave, especially with Terry's woeful passing ability, but even then Chelsea boxed Arsenal in to the corner, rather implying that it was intentional...

Oh well.

Michael La Viola wrote:

Dave wrote: To be fair, Michael, I think that the incident you describe was more a case of Terry failing miserably to pass it back to the goalkeeper, which does seem to be the norm these days when a side 'sportingly' (or stupidly, depending upon your point of view) puts the ball out in their opponent's half, only for the ball to come whizzing back to the goalie when it's returned. I did consider that Dave, especially with Terry's woeful passing ability, but even then Chelsea boxed Arsenal in to the corner, rather implying that it was intentional... Oh well.

Yeah it wasnt cricket, Joe Cole was down in the penalty box, well away from the play with one of those "magic sponge" type injuries and Arsenal had the ball in the final third on the attack.

However I seem to remember a certain Arsenal/Sheff Utd FA Cup game a few years ago where Arsenal's usually impeccable sportsmanship [snigger] temporarily betrayed them.
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Ya rio thumped the ball away after the ref had the audacity to give a free kick against them (after the mascherano and torres yellows); mind you he plays for england so you can imagine how the ref dealt with him...

Mexico86 wrote:

Michael La Viola wrote: Dave wrote: To be fair, Michael, I think that the incident you describe was more a case of Terry failing miserably to pass it back to the goalkeeper, which does seem to be the norm these days when a side 'sportingly' (or stupidly, depending upon your point of view) puts the ball out in their opponent's half, only for the ball to come whizzing back to the goalie when it's returned. I did consider that Dave, especially with Terry's woeful passing ability, but even then Chelsea boxed Arsenal in to the corner, rather implying that it was intentional... Oh well. Yeah it wasnt cricket, Joe Cole was down in the penalty box, well away from the play with one of those "magic sponge" type injuries and Arsenal had the ball in the final third on the attack. However I seem to remember a certain Arsenal/Sheff Utd FA Cup game a few years ago where Arsenal's usually impeccable sportsmanship [snigger] temporarily betrayed them.

True, although Kanu was making his debut and was apparently unaware of the system.

And, to be fair, we offered to replay the game, which Sheff United accepted.