Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao - Match day thread

So it wasn't handball? And it wasn't offside for their second? And it WAS a free kick for their third?

Paranoid, dickheaded Arsenal fan.

But then we're all used to that by now.



LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLLOLO

 

De Gea was easily our best player.

 

By a mile.

 

Bilbao retained te ball excellently for 70 minutes but got a little ragged for a while. United were more dangerous up front but didn't make it count, rooney's passing was papered over by the goals, a tap in and a pen, barely compensation for a pretty dour showing by him because anyone would have got those two.

De Gea made some competent saves but his positionming at times is a comical sight. luck made it 3. united were nowhere near the bilbao players in midfield, they could pick up the ball and turn all game and that essentially handed them the game

not bad for 5th in Spain, that

 

Really? some mediocre finishing I thought that if they went in he'd have been slated. He was caught backing off for the 3rd as he was well out of position, Again as with the lob and second goal where again Again he was on his heels and watched it go in. Terrible positioning, did well on the 1 v 1 though

 

^ Watchout your comments bro

 

Actually I'm wrong about the free kick.

A quick look at the laws:

Law 4 - Players Equipment:
Basic equipment

The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following separate items:
•a jersey or shirt with sleeves - if undergarments are worn, the colour of the sleeve must be the same main colour as the sleeve of the jersey or shirt
•shorts - if undershorts or tights are worn, they must be of the same main colour as the shorts
•stockings
•shinguards
•footwear

In the event of any infringement of this Law:
•play need not be stopped
•the player at fault is instructed by the referee to leave the field of play to correct his equipment
•the player leaves the field of play when the ball next ceases to be in play, unless he has already corrected his equipment
•any player required to leave the field of play to correct his equipment must not re-enter without the referee's permission
•the referee checks that the player's equipment is correct before allowing him to re-enter the field of play
•the player is only allowed to re-enter the field of play when the ball is out of play
•A player who has been required to leave the field of play because of an infringement of this Law and who re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission must be cautioned.

Interpretation Guidelines for Law 4:
If a player loses his footwear accidentally and immediately plays the ball and/or
scores a goal, there is no infringement and the goal is awarded because he lost
his footwear by accident.


Anyway - it's irrelevant - Bilbao were the better team and deserve their lead. Without De Gea it could have been much worse.

 

Ok, will do.

I consider myself warned.

 

He didn't immediately play the ball though, he took his time, noone can hardly challenge him with one boot on

 

That's the interpretation - the law clearly states that the ref doesn't need to stop the game. If there was anyone close enough to make a challenge then I can see it but there wasn't.

 

It saddens me to say this but I feel we've no chance of winning by two goals out there. They look too good for us to do that.

Considering we were CL finalists last season that is a rapid decline in our european standing. Pityful really.

Domestically though I'd stil put money on us to win the league so what does that say?

 

it was all a bit strange alright I'll say that but Evra should have had te ref stop the game and go put his boot on, a drop ball I thought was going to happen though not a free

 

That you like losing money.

 

Yeah? Bookmark this and come back in May.

 

I think it is just a case now of playing teams that can keep the ball in the middle like that lot that gives ye trouble though standing off them 10 yards didn't help your cause. They were allowed to have acres in your search for goals

 

You are indeed correct Whiteside and the ref did not need to stop play. If Evra was involved in a tackle then arguably a drop ball could be given so that no one gets injured, but clearly that wasn't necessary here.

 

Yup, I'm looking at the reasons that a free kick can be given and there's nothing about player equipment there either.
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/lawsofthegame/index.html

I think the ref basically got this one wrong.
If he felt he needed to stop the game for Evra's safety then a drop ball would be the correct restart. Strange one.

 

The CM partnership of Giggs and Jones was a sitting duck to a team that capable. Like I said earlier, who the **** scouted Bilbao? Surely they would have got that a young centre half and an old winger playing in a 4-4-2 with invisble wingers couldn't cope with them!

 

Well, I got the scoreline right............

 

Zero humour, zero personality