Beautiful Game 12/13 Thread (Major EPL slant)

[Macca00]

I appreciate your point Simo but EPL refs have been consistent in only one thing - their utter shittiness.

Look at this from last night;



That's not in slow motion and that's a leg breaker. Look in the background, even Lukaku knows Mulumbu is in trouble. The ref didn't even give a yellow card.

[GB_Simo]

Aye, that one was a horrible decision, Lavan, and I appreciate that it's not by any means isolated. You'll get absolutely no argument from me on that one.

Being a follower of a League One club, I attend matches refereed by those who aren't deemed good enough for a place on the elite list, so I can testify that it gets even worse yet. There are names - Carl Boyeson is a good example, Scott Mathieson another - that inspire real, genuine feelings of dread and terror inside me, while I still vividly recall the worst performance I ever saw live. Worryingly, given where he's ended up, it was Mark Clattenburg, pre-Premier League, against Tranmere in the League Cup about 10 years back...

I'm going to watch Sunderland vs Wigan on Saturday. I mention this because it's not too late for you all to do something about it.

[Macca00]

Being a follower of a League One club, I attend matches refereed by those who aren't deemed good enough for a place on the elite list, so I can testify that it gets even worse

I'm going to watch Sunderland vs Wigan on Saturday.

Long balls and Martin O'Neill jumping up and down like a monkey on the touchline.... don't do it, man!

[Macca00]

Prior to today's win, Jose was really feeling the strain;

[10spro]

Scary stuff watching how Puyol landed on his arm against Benfica as he was looking for a header. Ouch!

[Jimmydeicide]

Scary stuff watching how Puyol landed on his arm against Benfica as he was looking for a header. Ouch!

Horrible.

[Jimmydeicide]

Awesome example of The Champions league today with City and Dortmund.

Why was i looking for any old Bundesliga game to watch? Check out the Away Dortmund fans and you'll know why.
Great game of footy by Dortmund check it out .

[fsquid]

Hart was outstanding.

[fsquid]

Aye, that one was a horrible decision, Lavan, and I appreciate that it's not by any means isolated. You'll get absolutely no argument from me on that one.

Being a follower of a League One club, I attend matches refereed by those who aren't deemed good enough for a place on the elite list, so I can testify that it gets even worse yet. There are names - Carl Boyeson is a good example, Scott Mathieson another - that inspire real, genuine feelings of dread and terror inside me, while I still vividly recall the worst performance I ever saw live. Worryingly, given where he's ended up, it was Mark Clattenburg, pre-Premier League, against Tranmere in the League Cup about 10 years back...

I'm going to watch Sunderland vs Wigan on Saturday. I mention this because it's not too late for you all to do something about it.

Phil Crossley?

[GB_Simo]

You're late, squiddy...

You know something? I don't remember Crossley having a particularly bad game on the Sunday afternoon in question. Whether that's because he was generally decent or because he was rubbish all game and my memories of That Red Card have just overtaken everything else, I don't recall.

[pk500]

Scary stuff watching how Puyol landed on his arm against Benfica as he was looking for a header. Ouch!

Horrible.

Glad my dinner was digested when I saw that video on YouTube. NASTY.

[fsquid]

You're late, squiddy...

You know something? I don't remember Crossley having a particularly bad game on the Sunday afternoon in question. Whether that's because he was generally decent or because he was rubbish all game and my memories of That Red Card have just overtaken everything else, I don't recall.

always late! Red Card was very harsh

[RobVarak]

Why yes Mr. Pulis I think retroactive discipline is a fine idea




Stoke wouldn't be able to field a squad in any given week if their average game was reviewed for dangerous play.

[toonarmy]

Scary stuff watching how Puyol landed on his arm against Benfica as he was looking for a header. Ouch!

Thankfully he's only out 2 months with a dislocated elbow. I thought it would be a lot worse than that.

[Macca00]

Don't know what you're talking about Rob - Suarez is a dirty, diving, foreigner cheat - I'm surprised Huth's foot wasn't broken when Luis hit it with his chest.

As this continues to escalate I'm looking forward to opposition players bringing weapons onto the field to attack Suarez and getting away with it. What pisses me off almost as much is our dear captain not even bothering to complain to the ref when the captains/senior players of other teams are constantly in the ref's ear.

[RobVarak]

As this continues to escalate I'm looking forward to opposition players bringing weapons onto the field to attack Suarez and getting away with it. What pisses me off almost as much is our dear captain not even bothering to complain to the ref when the captains/senior players of other teams are constantly in the ref's ear.

He finally seemed to wake up and make an effort today a bit. He was all over Mason after one of the 30 or so hatchet jobs on Sterling and it was clear that he was making the broader point about the way that Stoke was (unsurprisingly) playing.

[10spro]

The best two players in the world just put on a show in the Spanish super clasico. Messi with a beautiful FK.

[fsquid]

No Altidore for these two qualifiers? Does Jurgen not know that he can watch AZ on ESPN3.com? Shea is included and I thought he was hurt.

[RobVarak]

No Altidore for these two qualifiers? Does Jurgen not know that he can watch AZ on ESPN3.com? Shea is included and I thought he was hurt.

Saw this on Twitter and am totally mystified. Has anyone done any reporting on this? Is there a personal beef between them? Makes absolutely zero sense to me. Granted, it's the defense-optional Eredivisie, but still...

[Macca00]

Stoke's Michael Kightly has said that divers like Suarez are ruining the game and the referees should stamp this out.

Why bother, Michael - Robert Huth can just stamp on Suarez literally (and get away with it).

What a team of utter shithouses Stoke are - and yet the media laps this up and runs with the same 'foreigners' diving narrative. And I love that Stoke think they're a bunch of hardmen - for bullshit late tackles. Get me a bloody time machine and Graeme Souness, that prick would break their legs and he could play too.

Macca
[seething]

[Naples39]

No Altidore for these two qualifiers? Does Jurgen not know that he can watch AZ on ESPN3.com? Shea is included and I thought he was hurt.

Saw this on Twitter and am totally mystified. Has anyone done any reporting on this? Is there a personal beef between them? Makes absolutely zero sense to me. Granted, it's the defense-optional Eredivisie, but still...

Kind of shocking given his scoring record in Holland and the quality of the other options, but I agree that his performances for USMNT have been very poor for a while.

"I communicated with Jozy that I was not happy about his latest performances with us, maybe over the last 14 months," Klinsmann said Monday. "Jozy can do much, much better. The reason why he's not coming in is mainly about his performances at Jamaica and at home, also in training, also certain things that went on through the May-June camp. So we decided to bring in Eddie Johnson and Alan Gordon and give them a chance to show they've improved. They're both doing really well in MLS now."

To be sure, Klinsmann's characterization of the AZ striker's form is accurate. Even before the Jamaica games, Altidore stated that Klinsmann had spoken to him not only about his lack of goal production -- his last U.S. goal came against Slovenia last November -- but also his overall play.

Yet Altidore struggled mightily to get touches in the away match against Jamaica on Sept. 7, and contributed little in a substitute's role in the home encounter four days later, with his decision-making on the ball especially suspect. Altidore himself admitted that his performance in the second match left much to be desired.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/nam ... 89?cc=5901

[10spro]

Ronaldinho still got the touch...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 1RmJ_pyrMY#!

[Feanor]

[Macca00]

LOL

[fsquid]

Shea and Donovan out and no replacements named. We aren't going to the Hex are we?