Football Focus

[BoD]

Sunderland beat Arsenal 1-0

<Max Boyce voice> I'll say that again coz it's my favourite line. </Max Boyce voice>

[BoD]

....and Sunderland Ladies have beaten perennial champions Arsenal Ladies. No meant feat that.

 

Have just watched Spurs on MoTD2. It could have been more.

[dseagull]

Should have been about 15 for Spurs really! - Kirkland kept them in it!

[Steve K]

Should have been about 15 for Spurs really! - Kirkland kept them in it!

People always say that after a high score - "we could have had 12", but it's true of any match.

 

Of course the goalkeeper keeps the score down - that's why he's there!

[S.A.C Martin]

Just heard that the wigan players have refunded the away supporters out of their own wages - I think thats to be applauded, frankly - would any other football team do so after a result like that?

[Del]

Just heard that the wigan players have refunded the away supporters out of their own wages - I think thats to be applauded, frankly - would any other football team do so after a result like that?

I bet they wouldn't if had been at home. Refund for 20,000-odd?

[highpeak]

How many??????!!!!!!!

"LATICS IN 10 GOAL THRILLER!"

[dseagull]

Just heard that the wigan players have refunded the away supporters out of their own wages - I think thats to be applauded, frankly - would any other football team do so after a result like that?

 

Been done before several times, including at International and Non League level.

[dseagull]

How about this for a really pedantic ref?

 

 

Goalkeeper Ivan Banovic was booked after rescuing a pitch-invading cat during a top-flight match in Croatia.

 

Medjimurje Cakovec's Banovic picked up the wandering feline after it strayed on to the pitch 20 minutes into his team's match at Sibenik.

 

He placed it safely near a scoreboard but was then booked by the referee for leaving the pitch without permission.

 

Media reports said the official's actions annoyed fans, who barracked him for punishing Banovic's kind deed.

 

If the moggy was a home fan, it would been left purring as Sibenik won 1-0 to go second in the table.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8374495.stm

 

[Del]

I've heard worse.

There is a story of a lad playing Sunday League, who only had one arm. He was in his own penalty area, when the ball hit the cuff of his empty sleeve. The ref gave a penalty, on the basis that it would have been handball,if he'd had an arm!.

And it was a short-sleeved shirt!

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I'm not the only one to have made the wry observation that 7 of those Tottenham goals were scored by players who were at Portsmouth this time last season . Well done to Spurs says he through gritted teeth, however Wigan do not seem to have learned; after all we put 4 past them the other week. I had Wigan down as one of this season's casualties and although they have had some excellent results - Villa, Chelsea - they have also had some stinkers - maddenly inconsistent with some very average players. If they do stay up Martinez would have performed an excellent job.

 

Incidently that last time 10 goals were scored in a Premiership match?

 

Pompey vs. Reading, which finished 7-3. There's something about 'arry!

[dseagull]

I've heard worse.

There is a story of a lad playing Sunday League, who only had one arm. He was in his own penalty area, when the ball hit the cuff of his empty sleeve. The ref gave a penalty, on the basis that it would have been handball,if he'd had an arm!.

And it was a short-sleeved shirt!

 

That is very harsh!

 

Worst Ref I've seen this season was the night we beat Crowborough 5-2 at home. Missed plenty, but his most bizzare decision involved allowing play to continue when the ball had gone out of play, and a Crowborough player had leapt to try and catch it! - Subs from both teams were warming up near us, and nobody could quite believe it. To make matters worse - he ignored his linesman who had tried to draw his attention to it. Most have been quite good, to be fair.

[Lambton58]

Sunderland 1 - 0 Arsenal

<Max Boyce voice> I'll say that again coz it's my favourite line. </Max Boyce voice>

:icon_clap: :icon_clap:

Couldn't believe that when I saw the result. Brilliant!! Of the so called big 4, only Chelsea have beaten Sunderland so far this season. Best to enjoy the moment as I think they might come down to earth with a bump next weekend when they meet... Wigan!

Ralph

Lambton58

[highpeak]

That is very harsh!

 

Worst Ref I've seen this season was the night we beat Crowborough 5-2 at home. Missed plenty, but his most bizzare decision involved allowing play to continue when the ball had gone out of play, and a Crowborough player had leapt to try and catch it! - Subs from both teams were warming up near us, and nobody could quite believe it. To make matters worse - he ignored his linesman who had tried to draw his attention to it. Most have been quite good, to be fair.

Um, I'm not sure how on earth you do that, especially if you have an AR to help you out on ball out of play decisions. I've reffed on plenty of fields where the lines were somewhat sketchy, my instructions to the AR are to sight down the line to the corner flag and make the call on whether or not the ball has left the field. It can be hard enough depending on the angle of the sun to make that decision when the lines are fairly distinct.

 

The league I ref in turned away a protest recently where there were no corner flags. The AR and the CR both indicated the restart would be a throw-in, the team in possession took a CK and scored, the CR then allowed the goal. The league decided not to hear the protest because they have a rule that if you are going to protest a match based on field conditions, you have to do it in writing before the kick-off. I felt that the lack of a corner flag had nothing much to do with the protest, it was a case of an incorrect restart that could have happened whether corner flags were in place or not.

 

I have to say what some refs do beggars belief, I really hope I'm not that bad. Just in case, I take my personal assessor with me for feedback

[Steve K]

Incidently that last time 10 goals were scored in a Premiership match?

 

Pompey vs. Reading, which finished 7-3. There's something about 'arry!

I think Pompey-Reading was actually 7-4, which is even madder! There can't be many matches (not in the top flight, anyway) where the losing team has scored 4 goals.

 

As far as the Wigan Players' gesture to the fans goes, the BBC are reporting that the total amount refunded to the fans will be about ??15,000. So that's about ??1000 per player which, while being a nice thought, is a drop in the ocean when you consider their wages. Far better would be for the Wigan squad to donate ??15,000 each (I'd maybe exempt Chris Kirkland - he's suffered enough!) to a charity of the club's choosing - that might actually have some meaning to the players, whereas ??15,000 between them is loose change.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

You??™d think I would have remembered that score properly??¦

 

Anyways, now Paul Hart has parted company with Pompey with the usual guff from the board ??“ results not good enough etc. - demonstrating the usual failure to acknowledge that the only real incompetence in this whole affair is how the club has been chronically mismanaged at a much higher level than Hart. It has been a total joke this season, but in reality this issue started long ago when Gaydamark was splashing the cash for Harry. Hart was left with the bare bones of a squad in terms of quality and had 72 hours to hastily replace that likes of Glenn Johnson, Peter Crouch and Niko Krancjar.

 

That said we were not helped by performances such as against Hull, Blackburn and Stoke ??“ matches we need to win to survive.

 

So who next? Avram Grant seems to be the favourite, however last I heard he was still awaiting his work permit; surely we cannot appoint him until this is sorted out? Other names that have been mentioned include Steve Coppell (I??™d be quite happy with that appointment), Alan Curbishley (likewise) and Darren Ferguson. Not too sure about that last one??¦ Sure he is one of the brightest young managers in the game, however when he left Peterborough they were not exactly flying in the CCC.

 

That said, if the board are indeed resigned to the inevitable, and Ferguson does not mind a relegation in his first season, then he could provide ideal long-term stability??¦

[station cat]

I feel rather sorry for Paul Hart, he seems to have been sacked for a situation outside his control. Admittedly results have been poor but given the chaotic state of the club what do people expect? I personally would be agianst appointing Avram Grant, he didn't do too well with motivating players at Chelsea and they were a club going strongly in the right direction. Darren Ferguson would be interesting long term but short term you'd have to question his experience and whether the players would respect him (bit like Paul Ince at Blackburn).

 

If I was a Pompey fan i'd be hoping for somebody with a tarck record of avoiding relegation on a limited budget, Curbishley would be a good choice. As a Norwich fan I just hope you keep your hands off Paul Lambert.

 

Ona different note, anyone else starting to suspect there's a lot of truth in the rumour that Benitez is still at Liverpool because they can't afford to sack him?

[Steve K]

I feel rather sorry for Paul Hart, he seems to have been sacked for a situation outside his control. Admittedly results have been poor but given the chaotic state of the club what do people expect? I personally would be agianst appointing Avram Grant, he didn't do too well with motivating players at Chelsea and they were a club going strongly in the right direction.

Ironically, if you look at Grant's win/lose/draw record, he was statistically a better Chelsea manager than Mourinho! I know you can prove anything you like with statistics, an "Mr Personaility" he wasn't, but Avram must have something about him to get those results.

[station cat]

True, but he wasn't manager for anything like as long and managers are generally quite successful at the start of their reigns. I'm not saying he's incompetent, he does know what hes doing. I'm just not sure he's the man for this job

[S.A.C Martin]

With regards Curbishley to Pompey - he'd take it on I think. He has just won a legal dispute over West Ham United over unpaid earnings, and constructive dismissal. Curbs wins court Case

 

I think he'd make the most of Pompey's current squad, but (I'm sad to say) that I'm not certain he could stop them getting relegated at this stage - while he managed it with WHU a few years back at the same stage, Pompey are in a worse position in terms of squad and confidence.

 

Which saddens me - I always enjoyed the Charlton - Pompey fixtures in the top flight. Not sure when that'll happen again, thats for certain...

[Calnefoxile]

I feel rather sorry for Paul Hart, he seems to have been sacked for a situation outside his control. Admittedly results have been poor but given the chaotic state of the club what do people expect?

 

I too feel sorry for Paul Hart, I can't see that he's done much wrong really. I mean when your old team boss comes calling waving millions of pounds under your players/boards noses for the best players at the club, the Manager can't do much about it, and then he is expected to work miracles with whats left and not to be given any of the spoils of those transfers, it smacks of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

Darren Ferguson would be interesting long term but short term you'd have to question his experience and whether the players would respect him (bit like Paul Ince at Blackburn).

 

You would have to suspect whether it would be "Right you're names Ferguson, you're Sir Alex's son, get on with it" a bit like Clough at Direby, ooopppsss sorry Derby . Darren Ferguson did get Peterborough promoted, but I'm not sure if he was given any cash to splash in the Championship.

 

If I was a Pompey fan i'd be hoping for somebody with a tarck record of avoiding relegation on a limited budget, Curbishley would be a good choice. As a Norwich fan I just hope you keep your hands off Paul Lambert.

 

As a Leicester Fan to any Pompey supporters read this carefully Pearson is going nowhere

 

Ona different note, anyone else starting to suspect there's a lot of truth in the rumour that Benitez is still at Liverpool because they can't afford to sack him?

 

I think this is common knowledge, I have heard this said many times recently on the TV that because of the financial crisis at Liverpool, they are stuck with Benitez. My problem with Benitez (and I'm no Liverpool fan) is that he can't handle losing, when things are going great then fine, but when it comes to them being overrun or losing, he just doesn't seem to know what to do to change things around. Also they do seem to be very much a 1 man team in Gerrard, now don't get me wrong to lose him is a massive blow, but for it to make that much difference to a side is unbelievable.

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[Steve K]

Am I the only one to notice the uncanny resemblance between Avram Grant and "prominent businessman" Fat Tony from The Simpsons?

[BoD]

but when it comes to them being overrun or losing, he (Benitez) just doesn't seem to know what to do to change things around.

....except for that final. I do hoever think that that was the exception rather than the rule.

 

He doesn't seem very good with the mind games either. Whilst such mind games shouldn't really have a place in football they do.

[Temeraire]

FA Cup again today my nerves are on edge! Away to Staines in front of the TV cameras just waiting for an upset to show later.

[S.A.C Martin]

Arsenal seem to have a lot of bad luck! Well done to Chelsea, a very blue bus parked in front of goal and three very decent goals (in fact one of Drogba's was pure class).