Newcastle United v Stoke - Official Build Up / Matchday Thread

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I must have been watching a different game on MotD because Whelan was walking before the ref even got the card out? Ok the first yellow was a bit soft but both pens + reds were obvious. The game was handed to you but that's Stoke's fault not the refs. Anyway good luck as official top 6 botherers.


Oh yeah I forgot, the ball was clearly still in play from the cross.

 

I think any honest neutral, such as my good self, would say that the first booking then the sending off were a disgrace. the second sending off and resulting penalty was for a foul that was first committed outside of the box with a number of Stoke players in the immediate vicinity: another shocker by the ref. Your first goal resulted from a blatant handball which the ref clearly saw but chose to ignore: what was the ref thinking of. Your second goal resulted from a cross when the ball was clearly out of play. Put all of these incidents together and it is clear to all neutrals that Stoke were robbed yesterday, and this ref once again deserves to be investigated.

 

Whitey.. he's not a mag

 

I guess our board would die if it wasn't for your good self.

Ahem.

 

Whitey apparently doesn't know that WE play in black and white stripes.

 

absolutely spot on

 

I do my best to try and bring back some meaningful debate to this once thriving board..

 

Its disappointing to see so many taking Whitey's rather lame baiting. Looks like our fans are as hungry as our team at present

 

I never turn my back on a free meal

 

Was that a bite?

 

Or so your just an idiot then .

 

You come out with nonsensical atrocious grammar such as this and then have the audacity to call me an idiot!

 

Oh were taking grammar seriously, amazed for someone with such stupid opinions as yours.

 

Now come on Whitey, that is more desperate than a mackem lass at the back of the dinner queue

 

The Stoke Beel continues.... it's becoming normal now for a team, once they lose a game to give it the big 'conspiracy' lark..
Over more than a century it's been proven that decisions even themselves out over a season.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...omplain-FA-Newcastle-referee-performance.html

Stoke chairman Peter Coates plans to make an official complaint regarding the performance of referee Martin Atkinson in their 5-1 loss to Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Atkinson sent off both Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson, as well as Stoke boss Mark Hughes, in the space of five first-half minutes as Stoke surrendered an early 1-0 lead to suffer a heavy defeat.
Stoke's complaints extend beyond the dismissals as there was an apparent handball in the build-up to Loic Remy's equaliser while Hatem Ben Arfa appeared to carry the ball out of play before pulling it back for Yoan Gouffran to score.

 

I think Atkinson got it right on all counts and Stoke were lucky not to lose a third man.

 

First booking for Whelan was harsh, handball could have gone either way.

 

That should raise a chuckle at FA HQ. Maybe Riley should write back detailing all Mark Hughes's tactical errors. Ok maybe there's a reason I'm not in charge . Obvious blame deflection though, unfortunately.

 

The great thing about these decisions is that it really shows up the bias of each set of fans. Decisions are rarely clear cut and so your bias will sway your interpretation of what happened. For me though, every decision the ref made was justifiable, even if one or two could have potentially gone the other way. Main decisions were:

First booking for Whelan: I think he actually got booked for his reaction where he squared up to all the Newcastle players (not shown on MOTD!), but it could have been for kicking the ball away - either way there were a few things the ref could have booked him for. I think Cabaye was lucky to avoid a booking though.

Second booking: Harsh? Maybe - but did he kick Cabaye? Yes, Did he get the ball first? No. Is it a foul? Yes. Is it a booking? Up to the refs interpretation! How can Stoke complain about it?! It WAS a foul, it WAS cynical so it's up to the ref to make a decision. It's not as if he didn't touch him!

Second Red card: No brainer for me, how anyone can argue otherwise is complete bias.

Willo Handball: Ref waved play on and indicated it was unintentional. That was his interpretation, obviously you could have interpreted it differently, but you can see why he didn't give it.

2nd half penalty decisions: Ref was obviously being lenient so how any Stoke fan can complain is bizarre. The foul on Haidara was especially dodgy - could have been given a straight red for it alone as he flew in at such pace and clattered him. Not given though. Refs interpretation/leniency.

I would understand if Stoke were complaining about something like Wes Brown's tackle against them as he did actually get the ball and didn't touch the player so it was simply a terrible decision, but ALL of the decisions in the Newcastle game can be justified so it's bizarre to kick up such a fuss.

What they should look at is how the indiscipline of their own players lost them the game. Victims of their own stupidity - which was a shame as they were playing well up until them.