Rob Harris: Phelan says Fergie in "no fit state" to speak to referee - he's also not doing press conference
What tactical brilliance by Mourinho to take advantage of the extra man though. Modric on and switch to an attacking formation, 10 minutes later, job done, Pepe on and switch back to a flat back 4.
The other week, Papa Cisse scored a goal against Saints which everyone knew was offside. The goal was given, and those pundits who mentioned that it was offside said it would have been a shame had it been given offside, by the laws of the game. When I heard them say it, I wondered what was fair and what wasn't. They were literally saying that because the goal was so spectacular, it should be allowed to stand, and perhaps change the outcome of a game, and furthermore, possibly affect the survival chances of a club in a particular division. By these careless mistakes and overlooks are clubs casually judged, unless they are box-office, i.e. ManU, Chelsea, etc... Unfortunately, instead of redressing the balance of power, so that four clubs in a division don't dominate and the rest are cannon fodder, Saints have to join that elite, simply because it is probably easier to do so, because we don't need signed cooperation to try.
I have to accept full responsibilty for instead of my usual couple of snifters of scotch I opened a bottle of Rioja while watching the match. While I may accept full responsibility I have no intention of apologising whatsoever.
To be honest, United started to get back into the game after Pepe came on. You don't defend a lead against United, you keep attacking.
I remember a brilliant goal scored by Kevin Keegan at the Dell which was disallowed because David Armstrong was offside. On the basis of this argument that goal should have stood.
Just saw the highlights. Never a red card, but can't understand fury of United fans. Do they think Nani's defensive capabilities would have seen them through? They'd have lost anyway surely?
The game changed so much straight afterwards. Real were pretty quiet until that incident and United were by far the better team in my opinion, and then suddenly everything changes. Credit to Mourinho for taking advantage of the situation, but it clearly helped him a lot.
I wouldnt go as far to call it tactical brilliance, did you see who his options on the bench were? I imagine the only tactics involved were him and his assistant playing rock, paper,scissors to decide who to bring on.
I remember it too. In those days, the laws of offside were significantly simpler. However yes, given the judgement placed on the Cisse goal, it would have stood. It's not the argument I'm making. I'm illustrating what happens when a so-called glamour club gets the short stick, as opposed to one of the cannon fodder of the PL, when they do instead. What I am trying to stress here, is that there should be no special rules or stink kicked up about ManU exiting a competition due to the rules of the game being applied. As a club, they should be no more special than any other in the CL, the PL, the UK, or indeed any other club in the World. And yet, more song and dance has been played over a correct decision that went against them, than an incorrect decision that went against another club, a couple of weeks ago.
All I'm saying is when he wanted to attack he made a change, and they scored. When he wanted to defend he made a change, and they didn't concede. I know these aren't the only things to take into account, but they were both successful substitutions if you look at the time they happened.
I hear what you're saying, and I tend to agree. However, I don't think the slope is as slippery as you say. If someone were to do an overhead kick with no one within two yards of them, that's not dangerous but if there is a player within a foot it is. And I expect professional players to know who is around them and be able to understand that situation. The proximity of players speaks to the degree of recklessness. I also expect professional referees to be capable of making this determination. Besides the rules of soccer are vague, sort of by necessity. A "dangerous play" is really just a penalty people don't know how to describe any other way. It really wouldn't work if it were like the NFL and they tried to define a penalty called "stud to chest" where X number of studs have to hit the player within Y inches of his head/neck but Z inches above the midsection. It's really no different than tripping a player. If you make contact with a player but he trips because he is clumsy, it's not a penalty. If you stick a leg out to hinder a player but he manages to dodge it but loses control of the ball it is a penalty. So really every penalty other than maybe handball comes down to assessing the intent and/or recklessness of the player. Now, if two players do the exact same overhead kick in the same situation but one makes contact and the other does not, then both kicks were the same degree of reckless and both should be penalized. The recklessness and danger involved in the kick was the same, one player simply got lucky (or unlucky). The tricky part comes in whether to give the red card, yellow, or maybe merely a free kick. And while I don't think it is the way things SHOULD optimally be done, I don't have a problem with the referee looking at contact and what happened to the players as a guide in determining severity of penalty. He doesn't have the benefit of slow-motion replay and different camera angles so he has to rely on what he can see and if a player gets knocked down then that is evidence. Not definitive evidence admittedly, but it's what he or she has to go on. And from a sporting standpoint, if you take a team's player out of the game it does seem kind of more fair to even it up by assessing a red or yellow to handicap the other team to a similar degree.
I would have thought that Taggart would have applauded the ref clamping down on dangerous play. Remember RVP was nearly "killed" by a ball at Swansea LOL.
Losing a player is a blow, but as we know over the years it isn't always a killer blow. United were leading at the time and Nani wasn't a defender...they still lost the game...it wasn't stolen from them.
I have been a football manager in the Premier league for 28 years and my team is in the Champions League last 16 and are 1-0 up and dam i have player sent off. What should my years of experience tell me to do 1. Jump up and down and run around like a headless chicken shouting obscenities at any official i can find or see, which all my players on the pitch can see and feel even more aggrieved and unsettled about the sending off. OR 2. Act like a real manager and reorganise my team straight away, which includes tactical and professional movement of players, encouragement and possible substitutions. I believe if anyone wants to blame anyone then Fergie is at fault.
The sending off wasn't particularly controversial. It was a bit harsh, but most people can see why the ref produced a red card.
