I watched the match on Sky pal. I don't think Hughes had any right to be pissed off, Shawcross was spoiling goal scoring opportunities time after time, highlighted after every match, he was a persistent offender. I think ref's are using their discretion and they're making sure that unless they're 100% convinced, they wont' give it. They give players the benefit of the doubt, because if they start giving fouls for every single one of those, where do you draw the line? Some will be softer than others and you'll start getting divers chucking themselves about to fake it. Shawcross was highlighted enough times on TV and outed, as was Skrtel, difference being Rodgers had Skrtel stop doing it when he was put under the microscope and Hughes didn't have that common sense, he just let Shawcross carry on.
Technically there should be half a dozen clear cut penalties for each team for fouls every game. TV doesn't show the whole picture, though what it does show looks bad enough, I'm behind the goal every single home game and every single corner at one end, both with Sunderland and the operation there's at least one attacking player being fouled in the box. That's every corner mate, sometimes there's three or 4 attackers being dragged about. Not sure how many live games you get to fella but it's a really bizarre sight to behold. The problem is the referee's discretion imo, their leniency(through fear of getting it wrong) has led to widespread offending they can no longer police. The solution is make the decision easier for referees to make. I'd do that by scrapping penalties for the offence all together and instead issue bookings(either for fouling or faking) and retake the set play. That way the ref can keep control with lesser repercussions should they make the wrong decision. It's either that or give a dozen penalties a game which would f** the game right up. Anything in between just lacks consistency as a foul is a foul, it's non-quantifiable, it's to the letter of the law what constitutes a foul. Allowing discretion has led to the problem in the first place as it's being used by refs to protect themselves rather than uphold the law of the game. There's no reason physicality can't be preserved and sort this out. Football was played and corners have been defended for a century before this 'craze' came in and if anything it was more physical. Defenders back then just didn't feel the need to anchor an attacker to gain an unfair advantage. Is it to much to ask for defenders to defend properly? But at the moment as it stands, there's too much discretion which varies from official to official, no consistency and it's being exploited on a massive scale. It's a mess and singling out clubs when it's so rife will only add to the mess imo. Either give them all, don't give any, carry on as we are or tweak the laws to wipe out the whole culture. I'd go for the last one as the other three are daft.
****ing good idea that mind, I'd go for that I get to most United home games mate, the odd away game when the Mrs is otherwise occupied, very few away to be honest. Only home games I miss is when I give my two ST's to a couple of vets (old timers who fought in some war back in the 40's as opposed to the animal doctor kind) who can't afford to get to games. Piss taking old cranks always ask for them for the Liverpool or Arsenal matches, when I offered I mean the bloody Burnley or the Palace type fixtures!
Haha. Yeah my mistake I didn't really read the lads post properly, just saw yours saying there was no evidence of any penalty appeal. Photos are always hard to tell from but since you were asking for a photo I provided, was all over twitter that one. I find that photo hilarious to be honest, I'm sure a video of the incident would show it was 6 and two 3's (or maybe not). Don't know why people get so obsessed over referee decisions tbh, Chelsea played poorly and Sunderland did their job, 0-0 bang on. Why people can't just talk about the game instead of picking one tiny moment to whinge about I don't know.
Bang on there. Don't think it needs to go to the extremes of everyone standing still, the ref's just need to be clear - you can be touch tight to your opponent if you wish but the moment you grab a shirt or put an arm around to impede, it's a foul. And they need to do it across the board. It's a minor issue anyway for me by comparison to the diving and cheating in the game. Barkley and Tomkins in the game last week made me sick, and even more sickening was the character-less managers coming out and defending them. Diving and feigning injury needs a 3 match ban and it would stop there and then.
That's a fair point. Derby a couple of years ago the ref was an utter disgrace, gave the first tug from a free kick/corner on Bendtner I think and yous got a penalty, then ignored the hundreds of others throughout the rest of the game!
I'd love to mate, depends what date etc. I might still make it this season for the Wear Tyne derby or the other one at SJP. Matey has said I've got to go to one with him in the toon end it will be a laugh it's been ages since I was arrested last!
Thats rich a Mag moaning about soft penalties and cheating in the penalty area. I give you STEVEN TAYLOR the perfect example of gentility.
The daily express team of the week had 3 of our players in it; JOS, pantyhose and cats, though why pantyhose is in it I don't know, he didn't have that much to do.
What's your point? I never claimed we have never benefited from it (see Tiote in the derby), I just said it's a scourge of the game. Glad I could set you straight on that
Disagree totally - the fact that he gave that for the first foul in the box (and it was a foul) meant that it didn't happen again for the entire game. If a ref gives a foul for it, it makes the players think "Oh ****... Better not do that at our end" and it also stopped it from happening at yours. The Stoke game where he gave it was exactly the same. It didn;t happen again in the game.
Hope you make it to the SOL soon fella. Or me make it down to Old Trafford. Love to buy you a drink and shake your hand fella. You're a Don.
The drinks are on me amigo, hey I've told him he won't get me in a Newcastle shirt no matter what. I took him to United v West Ham I think it was, last season when he come down here on one of his knock-off hauls from Manchester's underground shops! He just sat there saying how great St James' Park was the entire match, so I'm gonna sit there telling him how great Di Maria is for 90 minutes, see how that c**t likes it!
