Morning Fran. Gazza has good feet so playing the ball back is a good tactic. From what I saw and have read we were again denied a win. Our luck will tun soon!
I was fearful before the game, but found myself enjoying it. If we weren't in such a dire position, I'd have enjoyed it more. We made plenty of chances (stats bear that out) but have lost our shooting boots (perhaps because of our lowly position). In the end, we played a mid-table team and competed well and outplayed them at time. Shows us that we can get points...more hopeful and at least could watch MOTD. Special mention to Dyer who said some very nice things and wished us well.
Swansea manager said he would have settled for a 2 1 loss if it had happened and was grateful for the point. Also sympathetic towards us, sadly sympathy won't get us any points. Have watched it several times now and it was clear that we had no breaks at all and Swansea defenders performed heroics to block a number of shots. Lessons learned again move on and use the experience to enhance.
During the game, I was looking at the Swansea defence and thinking how we could have done with that during some of our recent games. Then realised that our defence had also stepped up their game. This match gave me hope.
I haven't read all of the posts, but was it fate that the Officials for the match were changed, we originally had Phil Dowd allotted and he was giving Penalties for fun in the Arsenal game, I presume the shuffle was down to the Clattenburg saga and may have made the difference.
Marriner was just swapped with Dowd for some reason. Possibly because Marriner will be down for Arsenal v Spurs next week. But that was a dodgy decision from Phil D.
Unfortunately, Adam Lallana has built a little bit of a reputation for diving. I was at the game yesterday, Gastón was amazing.
Honestly, I can think of one time that Lallana properly dived, and he definitely didn't dive yesterday. I'm with Gary Neville on this: often players do go down easily, but it tends to be that they're running at a high speed and losing their balance or trying to avoid being clattered by a defender. I think that players are taught to "ride" challenges in this way in order to avoid injury, and that's why their falls seem over-dramatic at times.
Echoes what I said on the Lalana Penalty thread i.e. "I have mixed thoughts on this, with my rose tinted glasses on, I saw three fouls, but as they weren't given, I must have been wrong, haven't seen any replays, however Lala didn't seem to deliberately dive. Unlike players like Clyne or Puncheon with low centre of gravity they seem to be able to recover and stay on their feet, Lala has a higher centre of gravity and when travelling at pace will always tumble with any form of contact, not necessarily a foul, but just physical contact is enough, inertia takes over. It is then down to the referee to decide whether the contact was fair or foul, but if a player is known to cry wolf, he is less likely to get a decision". I have seen replays and heard the analysis from the pundits, the third was a nailed on penalty, the others were not simulation, but probably not penalties either, but there was another incident highlighted in the first half when Clyne was fouled on the corner of the Penalty area, but didn't go down, as he was able to keep his balance, he tried to play on and no foul was awarded.
A couple of weeks ago i said that Gazza would **** up and cost us a game. And lo and behold it happened. Gazza out on loan is needed now to get experience and Boruc should be no 1. Gazza is just not experienced enough for PL. What he did yesterday was naive and idiotic.
Is Gazza the only goalkeeper to muck up and cost a team points? No keeper is perfect and he will only get better.
BTW the stream I was watching yesterday said the reason for the ref change was that Marriner was doing some coaching last week with Fulham. They said he was suppose to ref the Fulham game but they switched him with Dowd due the coaching last week. I have never heard of such a thing. Seems like a bad idea to have a ref coaching a team in the same league. Conflict of interest to me. You can imagine him reffing a game which affects Fulham's position. Even if he does everything correct it could still raise questions.
Refs being involved with clubs is a new initiative aimed at improving relationships between refs and players. Mixed views on that myself.
Yeah I heard he'd been training at Motspur Park and so do remove any chance of bias he was taken off of the Arsenal v Fulham game.
Shame as Phil Dowd gave two penalties in the match he refereed this weekend. Can't help but feel things might have been different!
