Match Day Thread WATFORD v BRIGHTON and HOVE ALBION

Not that I think it would have affected the result but compared to the handball cancelling out Wolves "goal" it was pretty much blatant !!

 

I’m still livid about it. The BBC said it wasn’t given “because of the new handball rules”. Those say that it would’ve been given if Murray’s hand had been above his head. But otherwise it will be given if the player has increased his width using his arm. Is that not what Murray did? And is no coincidence it was Murray; a canny old campaigner who must’ve seen the change in rules and decided he wouldn’t raise his hand above his head but an arm raised just as he did would test the cajones of the referees. If you watch it again, look at the arms of the other players who make an identical jump to Murray. None of them raise their arms as he did. It was unnaturally increasing his width. It was a penalty. But if the VAR doesn’t have big enough cajones to call it, then what is their purpose?

 

We had a side with an average age of almost 30 so no wonder we looked slow and sluggish!

Not sure that fits the Pozzo model of having a young side with potential!

 

I would agree about them looking slow and sluggish Mark, I'd also add disorientated to that list, however I don't think this is necessarily to do with age. So often we say about this, or that, player that `''he doesn't have the legs any more''after turning 30-32. Yet really class players often improve at that age. Ronaldo is still improving his game at 34, and there is more to come. Man. Utd did not hesitate to grab Henrik Larsson on loan at 35, and also had Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing for them at 36 - not to mention Ryan Giggs. Klaas Jan Huntelaar is still a very prolific, and clinical, striker at 36 with Ajax. I would have grabbed any one of those greats on their way down - what is lacking at the club is a general on the field. Unfortunately Deeney is not improving at the 'advanced' age of 31 - rather going backwards.

 

True - guess Deeney doesn't have the skill or pace to keep going - relies on his power and physical presence.

Teddy Sheringham kept going because he had the mind and movement to compensate for a lack of pace.

 

Dead right, Mark. I would add an experience I had watching Luther play when he was in his early 50s. How come the ball always came to him in the box? Why didn’t he have to find it? It wasn’t by chance!

 

Was at the beach at Elafonisi on the west coast. Staying near Hania.

 

Wonderful beach that and we like Western Crete a lot. Hope you are having/had a great holiday.

 

Thanks Scullion. All good out here, back for West Ham next week.