Not sure I agree about the ban, although they showed it twice, I still could not see what happened! I think if the officials view was no clearer than that, the ref has brandished the red for what he THOUGHT had happened!
There is no way you can tell what happened from these highlights. I was there about three rows from the front and couldn't see it clearly. You cannot give a decision for what you think or believe happened. Unless there is better evidence than I have seen out there you cannot give a decision like that or agree that it was the correct decision...and you certainly cannot condemn either player. In summary It is hard for me to condemn a player whatever shirt he wears on that evidence. It was a big big call and essentially ended the game as a contest in the second minute.
Just a thought - the opening seconds of these video highlights shows the referee leading the teams out. Why does this happen now? The spectators hadn't some to see the referee perform even though he may think that they had. It must add to the misguided sense of importance that referees seem to have these days. The teams should come out, then the coaching staffs, then the referee and linesmen. He is not the star........
I have watched the highlights and I do not think Norwich would have had the second goal if the ball had not been deflected to a higher path. Also I think the player that Joel Ekstrand had the bad luck to run beside knew he would lose out and dived. When he is down holding his face I suspect he has picked his nose to make it bleed. In Joels defence I know footballers are not thought to be the cleverest but even they would not expose themselfs to the chance of expulsion so early in a match.
Sorry Ak but I think that's a bit harsh in the opposite direction! It was a definite hit on the nose type of injury!
Impossible to tell from the highlights but if it was an elbow in the face it's a deserved red. I'm not arguing the case with Ekstrand but there are examples of shirt-pulling and instinctive attempts to shrug them off which lead to undeserved cards.
I still maintain that the ref gave the red for what he thought had happened, he could well be right, but if he didn't actually see it, the card should not have been shown!
I agree that it seems it was given because the ref thought it happened rather than actually knowing. If Ekstrand did swing an elbow, then thoroughly deserves the card. To me it looks like 2 players grappling for position, and possibly what happened was Ekstrand tried to shrug the player off, and caught him with an arm, rather than an actual elbow. You seem them given, but more often than not, it isn't. Fellaini probably did a lot worse in Man Utd's game, but got away with it
This is slightly worrying; http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sp...Norwich_took_advantage_of_Gomes__positioning/ If it's been picked up on already, will we see more goals like this? Glad Grabban has come out and said it though - will have to be something they work on!
interestingly i also saw him quoted as saying that because they knew Gomes was often to be found off his line, they'd been practising chips all week. i wonder which is the truth! First time i've come to this thread and i won't linger or read back, it was horrid, that's all! lol Thankfully they weren't really that great so we have a good chance of getting our own back at the Vic, as long as they don't improve. It's just a shame the match was ruined so early on by inept officials, as it would have been a good test. Ah well, Rotherham, here we come, and a run out for Hoban i hope!
