No I agree fans HOPE they win every game. We're not talking about HOPE, we're talking about what they THINK. Completely different things as I already explained to you in the last post! You may think my comments about refs irrelevant (although personally I believe you're being deliberately obtuse) but that is where the logic of YOUR argument leads (that impartiality is impossible). Football could not exist without at least referees being impartial. The very game we all love would have struggle to ever get off the ground if everyone agreed with you. And what on Earth makes you think I'm losing ground?! Certainly no argument you've presented, that's for sure. Or is this something else you're trying to convince yourself of while flying in the face of logic and evidence? Towards the end of the season, clubs fighting for their lives, especially teams too good to go down like Sunderland, do pick points up against big clubs (Bradford winning on Anfield on the last day of the season to survive in the Prem immediately springs to mind). But again, the example you give is not really relevant, because I would imagine not even the most optimistic Sunderland fans though they'd get points from both Chelsea and Man City (elsewhere yes, I always fancied them to survive with Norwich dropping like a stone). If they had a poll on this issue on their site, I'm sure it would show that. And your Norwich supporting friend was right. until they were mathematically down, they had a chance. This is called showing HOPE. Please don't let me have to explain the difference between what people HOPE and what people THINK again. I brought it up because the irony was too sweet to ignore. You're whole argument is that what a fan THINKS is influenced by what he HOPES. I have tried repeated (this is the last time) to point out that you can have HOPES and OPINIONS without one influencing the other and I used you as an example. You HOPED we'll do well under Pearson (or at least I assume you did) but you THOUGHT we wouldn't (at least, this was the nature of your comments). You see the difference now? Yes, we were all pissed off after that dry spell. But it's a big leap to go from that to calling for the manager's head. God knows where we'd be if that had happened. And you wonder why I asked if you were Queenie...
I PREDICT that this thread may run and run. I HOPE that we can still respect each others opinions, and realise that more than one OPINION may be correct. To some extent, I agree that refs are impartial - certainly for a team, but do have pre conceived ideas about individual players eg Ashley Young and Suarez diving. I hope that they wont think anything about Vardy cos he has won so many penalties - cos just about every one has been justified.
Yes refs may have opinions on certainly players, but I dare say they are professional to stop this affecting their judgment on the whole. Otherwise players like Cattermole and Barton would hardly ever see a football pitch. This same tempering of opinions is also possible to us fans when making predictions (although FF says otherwise). I'd like to think most refs will be very aware that Vardy is a very fast player, and fast payers win penos. I don't believe he has a reputation as of yet, except among the jealous types (Forest and QPR fans etc). As regards this thread (or more accurately, the issue of predictions), I've said all there is to say. So long as FF keeps his Queenie-inspired insults to himself, it's at an end. I'm aware others don't want to trawl through rubbish like that.
No worries Barwell ... I hadn't mentioned refs ... that was one of Gangsta's "you'll be saying next" missives ... the only point I actually have been trying to make, is that all (genuine) football fans have an inbuilt bias towards their own teams, be it prospects or towards individual players... it's what makes us fans ... it's why I followed Frank McLintock's abysmal Leicester team home and away during my youth ... it's why even now I will never bet on Leicester, because logic goes out the window ... if we feature on the Ladbroke Millionaire coupon I just can't get myself to mark us to lose ... at best I would have to do an extra line with a draw as a concession to footballing logic so I steer clear ... ... indeed the only footballing 'certainty' I know is that if I post a 'view' or 'opinion' on here Gangsta will undoubtedly take a contradictory one ... wish I could get odds
Please go back and find the first reference to 'Queenie' ... it was you suggesting I might be him (or her) ... and I don't think it was meant as a compliment ... t'was after I pointed out that your 'prediction' that I would next post about the impartiality of refs was a ridiculous construct from your imagination ... although admittedly my prediction of you in the banana suit was even less likely (and also even less relevant) ... but if you can't take it, don't dish it ... it certainly doesn't wind me up ... but I will reserve the right to a retort ... have a good weekend Gangsta ... there are never any hard feelings on my part I can assure you.
The thing is FF, you seem to be a fairly intelligent poster with views on most things. A stubborn, unbending view, yes, but I usually enjoy debating things with you... until the point where stop making sense and start getting insulting. I'm not going to explain the ref thing again, I think I've done so very clearly above, sorry if you fail to understand. I in turn am not sure what bananas, oranges and vikings have to do with anything. Perhaps we're both failing to make ourselves understood and better leave it there. Until the next time... P.S. I wonder what Queenie will make of you saying it was an insult to be compared to him?
