Premier League 2013-2014

[PeteC]

It's amazing, to me at least. I support Newcastle, they crash and burn. I support Liverpool...ditto. I support Fulham and look what's happening. If this jinx syndrome were known in wider circles, I may have a contract put on my head. Perhaps I can sell my services....what team does everyone want to do badly next season? Pete

Have you been secretly supporting the Green Army for the last 6 seasons?

One of these days I'll post a photo of the voodoo altar I have set up here.

[moe]

Re officiating with regard to fouls and cheating:

The most frustrating thing in general about this is that the FA doesn't use the opportunity they now have, since the advent of post-match video reviews, to stamp out cheating / diving.

I mean, they already do a review to look at situations where it is suspected the referee missed a bad foul, why not at the same time also check for situations of blatant diving? If they did that, an immediate and lasting solution to the problem would be very, very simple:

Give the cheater(s) a 3 match ban, and you'd have that disgusting crap weeded out within a season -- no team is good enough that they could stand missing their first choice attacking players for 3 matches repeatedly.

As it is, the current situation is very unbalanced: the reward for a successful dive in the box is way higher than the punishment for getting caught. That, along with off-the-ball fouls, needs to be fixed if we want to see more fair play and less cheating. (The most sad aspect of the current situation, imo, is that I clearly see the behavior of the pros trickle down to childrens' games aswell. I'm regularly watching boys at the age of my son play, and it's become ridiculous how they are taking after their heroes with regard to this.)

[redzonerocker]

I'm absolutely amazed that the FA did not rescind the red card after review, but just read that his 3 match ban has been confirmed.

You & the vast majority of real football fans.

In this particular case, I don't blame the ref too much as in normal play it looked as though he could have elbowed him (Chico Flores), but on the replay you could see quite clearly there was minimal contact and nothing to justify the play acting by Flores

In the first instance I don't either, but he gets the first say on the review & stuck with his original decision.
He had a chance to put things right but didn't, therefore he has to be accountable.

Maybe also an explanation from the dinosaurs at the FA as to why they support the decision instead of all the secrecy & confidentiality behind the appeals process.

There is far to much inconsistency where the officials are concerned & things won't change anytime soon.
It's not just the FA that needs overhauling, UEFA & FIFA are just as inept.

[arcadianagain]

Football is a fast moving game and stopping play for a video review would break up play, by all means use post-match reviews but how could you rescind a wrongly given penalty goal? Rugby and cricket use this technology but only when there is a natural break in play. Do we really want the stop-start game that is American football?

[caller]

Oh well, someone has to disagree with the majority. I know there was play acting after Carroll swung his arm, but he did that with intent - just look at his face - and caught the player and that's a red card. He wasn't swinging his arm like that for balance and even if he hadn't connected, a red would be justified. Don't forget the 3-man review committee is independent of the FA and has overturned numerous reds this season, including the Spud's Danny Rose's one against City.

[blue05]

Oh well, someone has to disagree with the majority. I know there was play acting after Carroll swung his arm, but he did that with intent - just look at his face - and caught the player and that's a red card. He wasn't swinging his arm like that for balance and even if he hadn't connected, a red would be justified. Don't forget the 3-man review committee is independent of the FA and has overturned numerous reds this season, including the Spud's Danny Rose's one against City.

Rose was rescinded because it was a perfectly good tackle, Carrol made contact with the bobble of hair on top of his head and the guy goes down clutching his face- quite obvious cheating

[GLCQuantum]

Re officiating with regard to fouls and cheating:

The most frustrating thing in general about this is that the FA doesn't use the opportunity they now have, since the advent of post-match video reviews, to stamp out cheating / diving.

I mean, they already do a review to look at situations where it is suspected the referee missed a bad foul, why not at the same time also check for situations of blatant diving? If they did that, an immediate and lasting solution to the problem would be very, very simple:

Give the cheater(s) a 3 match ban, and you'd have that disgusting crap weeded out within a season -- no team is good enough that they could stand missing their first choice attacking players for 3 matches repeatedly.

As it is, the current situation is very unbalanced: the reward for a successful dive in the box is way higher than the punishment for getting caught. That, along with off-the-ball fouls, needs to be fixed if we want to see more fair play and less cheating. (The most sad aspect of the current situation, imo, is that I clearly see the behavior of the pros trickle down to childrens' games aswell. I'm regularly watching boys at the age of my son play, and it's become ridiculous how they are taking after their heroes with regard to this.)

Cheating 'n Diving - It all came to the game when those pesky foreigners came.

[arcadianagain]

]. .

Cheating 'n Diving - It all came to the game when those pesky foreigners came.[/quote]

Yeah, all foreigners should go back to their own country, oh hang on a minute

[caller]

Rose was rescinded because it was a perfectly good tackle, Carrol made contact with the bobble of hair on top of his head and the guy goes down clutching his face- quite obvious cheating

Quite agree it was cheating, but Carroll struck out and you can't do that. He did actually catch the top of the guy's head. That's violent conduct and a red card.

The point about my mentioning Rose, or any other rescinded card would do, is just that. A fair % are overturned on appeal, this one, rightly in my opinion, wasn't.

What's puzzling is why Allardyce isn't slagging Carroll off for being such a muppet for doing what he did?

[Zidane]

.......Man Utd v Fulham should be a classic at the weekend......two in form teams !

It's amazing, to me at least. I support Newcastle, they crash and burn. I support Liverpool...ditto. I support Fulham and look what's happening. If this jinx syndrome were known in wider circles, I may have a contract put on my head. Perhaps I can sell my services....what team does everyone want to do badly next season? Pete

I know you now support Fulham but are you sure you havent adopted Manchester United as your second team ??
Next season you must make a big effort to be Manchester City's no.1 supporter......a move that I am sure would go down well with everyone on this forum !

[PeteC]

West Ham seek legal route over red card

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26039222

[redzonerocker]

West Ham seek legal route over red card

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26039222

Which has led to . . . . . .http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26081791

[dtaai-maai]

I've just watched this incident for the first time. I have to say that looking at it 'love' on TV, my initial reaction was to wonder what all the fuss was about - a clear red card. Looking a the replay, it is obviously clear that Flores is playacting and that there was no elbow involved, more of a reverse roundhouse swing of the arm.

Having said that, and leaving the Flores nonsense to one side, the ref has obviously seen intent in Carroll's action, and I'm inclined to agree. And I think that alone is why the FA, and now this 'independent panel', have upheld the decision.

It's just a crying shame they can't give Flores a 3-match ban for a disgraceful drama-queen display to get another player sent off.

[Dannie Boy]

I've watched the replay about half a dozen times, and the more I look at it, the more I am convinced there was no intention by Carroll - he has his back to Flores and he is pivoting around and his momentum takes his arm with him. There is no sudden impact and clearly no contact with the face of Flores, as he was trying to make out. Having said all of that, two separate panels (although I'm not sure they were necessarily completely independent of each other) have come to a different conclusion.

In real time action, I can see why the ref showed the red card, I just wonder what would have happened if Flores had reacted proportionally with the contact...........I suspect it might have only been a yellow card!!

I'm looking forward to the next West Ham vs Swansea game, I can't imagine it will finish with 22 players on the pitch.

[caller]

Thought there was a match on this afternoon, but only one team have bothered turning up.

Still, it could be worse, it could easily be double the 4-0 Liverpool are winning by at half time.

Atrocious defending, poor possession, giving the ball away cheaply, no cover anywhere, it's just been a stroll for the scousers. Wasn't Wenger aware that Liverpool usually start with all guns blazing? They have brushed Arsenal aside and it's all been very easy for them!

I predict Arsenal will draw the 2nd half.