Poor ref or not YV, we were still second best in every department today regardless. But still, it would be nice to have consistency from the officials.
That was utterly dire! Depressingly so. I'll give Poch his chance. Let's see if: (a) he's learned anything from that shocking display, and (b) he has the ability to do anything about it before the next game. The only consolation I can take out of today's fiasco is that 'Pool and the Mouser-loving media will think that their win today is a sign that 'Pool is back in "top 4" contention, when the reality is that all they did was beat a team that will get relegated if it continues to play like it did.
There was another penalty claim on Adebayor about five minutes earlier when he appeared to be pulled back and the crowd behind the goal called for it. No replay. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't at least as much contact as the Allen one. The Welshman was replaced by Can ironically, as he should've been sent off for diving against City. I'd love to hear someone defend that one.
Apologies it was Young, not Welbeck. The level of contact is almost identical though and the reaction was that everyone rightly called it a dive. please log in to view this image Embarrassing decisions and the reason diving has become the norm.
Yes he was. You are allowed to touch another player on the chest in football. You seem to be repeatedly overlooking this key fact. You seem to be over-complicating what diving is but it's simple: Imagine you're playing football. Imagine someone on either your team or the other gets touched on the chest like that and falls to the ground. Do you think that guy is a massive plum or not? You know how if I met you on the street and we were standing and talking and I, for some reason, lightly touched your arm or chest you would not fall to the ground? Do you know why that is? It's because you are, at that time, not playing professional football and therefore being a cheating ****.
Still a work in progress as far as dealing in MF with the PL top 4. Pochettino is lucky this is game 3 and not game 16.
Dier shouldn't have reached for Allen in the box. Light pen. But would be given as a foul 10/10 times by refs if on the field of play and not in the box,
Dowd allowed far more contact in other areas of the pitch. Dier shouldn't have given Allen the opportunity to cheat though, I agree.
I agree, we weren't good enough. Kaboul gave the opposition the ball more times than I can count and we didn't create enough going forward. That doesn't change the fact that we were still in the game at 1-0 and especially if Allen had been sent off like you'd expect for someone diving on a booking. I hope Pochettino starts getting ouir players practicing throwing themselves to the floor in the international break as that's clearly the way the game is going, there's no point us missing out on points by taking a moral stand whilst everyone else is diving.
"I hope Pochettino starts getting ouir players practicing throwing themselves to the floor in the international break as that's clearly the way the game is going, there's no point us missing out on points by taking a moral stand whilst everyone else is diving." NEVER (actual or in jest) .
It probably would but that's because there's less pressure to get the decision right elsewhere. There would be a penalty given from every corner if a light touch on someone was enough to warrant a foul, it was a ridiculous decision and there's simply no defending it.
Seriously, though, we were utter kak, today. Your drubbing against £ity, last week, presents a clearer picture to where 'Pool current stand, post-Goofy, not today's result. If we keep playing like that, we are going to be in deep trouble, and no where near top 4. £ity, on the other hand, are clearly going to finish top 4 and represent the level that any top 4 side will have to maintain. It's clearly the case that, whilst 'Pool will certainly finish higher than Spurs, you are no where near top 4, yourselves.
I wouldn't expect that to happen. Refs seem to go out of their way to avoid doing just that, actually. See Can v City or Costa v Everton for recent examples. Has anyone been sent off in the Premier League for a dive? There's probably a really obvious example that I'm forgetting.
Yes, it was a dive for the penalty. But Dier was naive to touch him needlessly. As YV says, maybe we should practice diving, instead? Having said all that, two simple facts remain. If you don't defend properly ( mostly Kaboul & Rose ) and you don't take your chances ( Ade, Chadli) you going to lose!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26411295 If Pochettino feels the need to do the same, he will get no complaints from me.
Lloris 5 Rose 5 Vertonghen 4 Kaboul 3 Dier 4 Bentaleb 6 Capoue 5 Chadli. 5.5 Eriksen 6.5 Lamela 4.5 Adebayore 6 Townsend 4 Dembele 5
