I would not have wanted to be Gary O'Neill for those 30mins. Watch the FA video Beth posted and The Guardian comments from Gaz about kicking the case in and then throwing up. Watch his reaction on that video when we scored. Redemption! He might be consigned to history as a player didn't appreciate had more in his heart than a fat wage.
I think there is a distinct difference between Uber's diving and professional foul idiom and that is the penalisation of the occurrence. If you do the latter it is usually a red card offence. Diving is merely awarded a yellow. What Gary O'Neil did yesterday was an act of instinct, in much the same way as if he had handled the ball on the line. You just do it, and realise the consequences afterwards. Diving is pre-meditated and is blatant cheating but warrants a lesser punishment. I think most of us would've done what O'Neil did. Diving on the other hand posseses a distinct different mindset. I say .....Saint
Saint O'Neil, of the parish of the most Sacred Sheperds Bush, Took one for the other 10 Diciples of the blue and white faith to aid their release from the championship of evil & propel them to their rightful place in the promised land........................ And so it came to pass that 37,000+ followers of the blue and white religion said "Well done St O'Neil for you did make a righteous decision in your slaying of the errant Ram and you are forgiven" And so endeth the sermon and remember brethren of the Blue & White cloth, Maybe because of Brother O'Neil's unselfish act of slaying the errant Ram who did trespass into our field and drawing the wrath of the demon Mason and falling upon his RED sword of dismissal we the parisioners of the Sacred Parish of Sheperds Bush can say ......................... "we are queens park rangers, and we are premier league" Now all rise to sing hymn number 25, "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BOBBY ZAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORA"
He was no worse than the little peroxide tw@t diving after no contact with Dunne earlier in the game. Never even got booked.
but if you tried to play the ball and fouled your oppenent surly thats diffrent trying to con the Ref by diving
As we won, he will be hailed as a hero, if we lost he would have been vilified. Given what happened happened, great decision! That said, I couldn't help but see the utter despair on the faces of the Derby fans and wonder, if the shoe was on the other foot, how mad would I feel about what o'neil did? Guess we will never know!
I bet most wish Terry Fenwick had done a similar thing against Maradona in 1986. Similarly I heard Roy Keane lament why Arsenal failed to commit a similar foul on Ryan Giggs - as Keane put it, they should have 'smelt the danger' and someone should have taken a card for the good of the team. Imagine a 'sliding doors' alternative scenario where Nedum Onouaha would have regretted his loose pass in the same way as the Derby skipper does now. On these split second decisions, the very future of the club and individuals is defined.
Percentage wise he probably did the wrong thing, its was only a mid quality chance. its not like suarez saving a certain goal but it worked so I dont really care. The best thing about is saints fans really hate us and Oneil is ex pompey, so that just rubs salt into the wounds.
I was watching programme with collina (ref) and he said by the letter of the law that type foul outside box is red card because it is prevent a goalscoing chance and a free kick inside is a penalty but only a yellow because the goal scoring chance has not been taken away.
Handball on the line? Its a read every time, loads of times players get a red and penalty for normal fouls too. What he said is simply not true, at least in this country. I dont believe the law mentions anything about inside or outside the box or even the last man, it just mentions its a red for denying a clear goalscoring chance.
In the split second he made the decision, he was trying to play the ball....he probably knew it was very slightly beyond him, but was desperate to try. I do not think he thought....... 1 I need to get the ball 2. It is beyond me 3. Is Clint quick enough to get it 4. No 5. I shall therefore take the player 6. I might get sent off, but if I leave it any longer it is a penalty Gary just thought he had to stop the shot...it was a foul, he knew what he was doing, he is a professional, but evil-y premeditated no! Red card, unfortunately yes...but he would have been pilloried if he hadn't. As Joey said, he took one for the team, and luckily it came off 10 men teams are hard to beat...we know that...and on Saturday we were a TEAM
I think he knew what he was doing but he thought it was a better chance than it was. He was yards away from the ball and had no chance of winning it. Oh and Beth, no offence but I'm glad I didn't see you at the game!
Gary admitted he knew what he was doing and knew it was a red card, as said earlier he took one for the team...
