Watch this defending from West Ham: And this from Liverpool, coupled with Ayew's misses. Watch their whole team pause as Ayew takes a swing at it, then Sturridge panic and lunge whilst Lovren faffs around and Matip stands with his arm in the air.
I don't. I'm not that petty. I don't know the bloke. He doesn't affect my life one jot. I said I could, but only for buggering off. But that would be being petty.
This may have already been mentioned, but, dependant on the results of mid-week fixtures, there may be almost nothing to decide on the last day of the Premier League season. How are Sky going to big this up?
Well, we'll be fighting for a finish of 8th to 12th, so that's enough excitement for me! (and I don't care much for stoke)
Occasionally I take a look at Pat Nevin's analysis videos on BBC Football. They are sometimes boring, sometimes not. This one, on the unfairness of uncorrected bad decisions by officials in football, hits the nail so squarely on the head, he couldn't have made it more damning. There is no cliché, there is no bullshit. It is, pure and simply, correct. Watch it, if only because his very first example of a bad decision in the 2016-17 season is Manolo Gabbiadini's disallowed goal in the League Cup Final: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39895968
Can't believe the above post hasn't produced comment yet. Are we all healed over about the League Cup Final.?
Wasn't sure where to post this, and it has probably been asked and answered already, but if Saints finish 8th, which I would say is at least 50:50, do we qualify for the Europa League Qualifying rounds if United win the Europa League? My understanding is that we would, but I must confess, my 60 something year old brain finds rather difficult to keep up with all these permutations. Much obliged to anyone who can help with this.
There's already a thread on this called, "How far does Europe spread down this season". Look for it about halfway down. But in answer to your question, 8th won't be high enough. I was actually hoping someone might have watched the video on VARs and commented. post #5447
Sorry I was busy watching Mr. Corbyn and then had to go shopping! I for one still haven't got over the EFL final and will never stop giving any Man Utd fans I bump into grief about that goal and our undoubted superiority. I said a couple of weeks ago that just as the outcry over Frank Lampard's disallowed goal in South Africa hastened the introduction of goal line technology, Gabbiadini's effort at Wembley could be the last straw before VAR's are brought in. It's only when these things happen in big, televised games that any notice is taken of the need to help referees out. It's not anti-referee to say they need help, they are only human and mistakes happen, but it's getting beyond a joke now.
If it was Utd having that goal disallowed, the VARs would have been hurried ready for next season ...
Thanks for replying, Chilco. I assume you watched Pat Nevin's analysis video. It was very critical of this season's competitions, showing lots of examples. If you remember, my opinion on the Champions League match between PSG and Barcelona was that I thought the game was fixed. Well, whilst Pat Nevin didn't say fixed, he did say that the wrong team went through to the next round. And he showed why.
Absolutely. I watched the closing stages of that Barcelona match on someone's phone in the pub, so I didn't see Suarez's clear dive until afterwards. No doubt at all now that PSG were robbed blind.
Thing is, Pat summed up the 'cheat' element in each scenario very well. When a cheat gets away with something in sport, he cheats everyone. He talked about footballers, working from a very young age and dreaming of League Cups, FA Cups, Champions League, League titles, etc..., being denied their achievements by a simple mistake by officials and a sport, as yet, too arrogant to use the video help. He talked about supporters who go to games their whole lives, paying their tickets and watching their heroes, and getting a rare chance to win silverware [don't we know it] and then having it denied by a simple error, cleared up in a moment. And what about clubs whose fortunes can go up or down, just by an incorrect judged goal scored here or there, or not, or a foul or sending off here or there, or not given. With very tight matches, outcomes can be at the mercy of a couple of pairs of eyes who are having a bad day. Pat Nevin surprised his fellow professionals months ago when asked about video technology aids. He said he's been wanting this stuff since the 1980s when he was playing. All he wants is fairness. Surprised me too, because I've been wanting it that long and that's exactly what I want too.
