The Beautiful Game Thread, 11/12

[Macca00]

Still, if Benitez had run the game that way the back pages would've been awash in pathos about his negative football.

Word. They would even talk about his negative football when we scored more than a 100 goals a season - there I go defending my dad again....



On another note I'm genuinely amazed that Vincent Kompany lost his appeal for his tackle on Nani (you know the one where he got the ball, barely touched Nani and Nani didn't even fall down)...then again, it is the FA so I guess i shouldn't be. Worked out well for Liverpool today so I shouldn't complain too much.

[Jimmydeicide]

No Kidding Macca that tackle from Johnson was horrendous slowed down. Can he still be punished for that?

Dont understand 2 footed tackles its easier to win the ball sliding with one foot to me, dont think ive ever done a 2 footed tackle, besides its really cowardly.

How is your Dad anyways

[10spro]

It was a miracle that Johnson dd not break the opponents' ankle. Really. The FA should get their act together and provide the zebras some guidance before everyone starts with the new two footed slide tackle. Kompany's suspension is a bit harsh.

[RobVarak]

No doubt that was a terrible challenge by Johnson.

Interesting audio here. Apparently Gerrard confronted Mancini mid-interview about hypocritically criticizing Rooney for lobbying for Kompany's dismissal but then lobbying for Johnson to be sent off himself. Short but pretty funny.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16512668.stm

[RobVarak]

A semantic point. I'm not defending Johnson, but is a tackle really a tackle if there's no contact? If he'd slid with both feet to intercept a pass 10 yards from any attacker, it clearly wouldn't be a tackle at all.

[Macca00]

No doubt that was a terrible challenge by Johnson.

Interesting audio here. Apparently Gerrard confronted Mancini mid-interview about hypocritically criticizing Rooney for lobbying for Kompany's dismissal but then lobbying for Johnson to be sent off himself. Short but pretty funny.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16512668.stm

Ah beat me to it!

At 0:18 Mancini clearly yells 'frosties!'. What are the odds on Tony the Tiger being signed by City during the transfer window?


LOL

[10spro]

As the Milan representatives were landing in England to talk about the possibility of acquiring Tevez, Pato decided to stay and not go to Paris which means Carlitos is still without a club.

[fsquid]

Darlington FC going out of business this week. 129 year old club that I believe is a rival of Simo's Hartlepool side. I believe this is the club that also built a 25k seat stadium despite being in League Two.

[fsquid]

Admins giving Darlington three more games.

[toonarmy]

So f***in sick of Pepe. I hope to goodness they ban him for a significant number of matches for intentionally stomping his cleats onto a downed Messi's hand. His diving and thuggish antics are absolutely deplorable. What a complete POS.

[toonarmy]

Great win by Barca. Real played like a bunch of classless punks as usual.

[RobVarak]

So f***in sick of Pepe. I hope to goodness they ban him for a significant number of matches for intentionally stomping his cleats onto a downed Messi's hand. His diving and thuggish antics are absolutely deplorable. What a complete POS.

I thought Mourinho was going to pull him off the pitch after he took a smoke break on that corner that led to Puyol's header.

[Macca00]

Count me as another who absolutely cannot stand that gobsh!te Pepe - though my favourite Pepe memory is when Liverpool trashed Real 4-0 at Anfield and Torres (remember him?) absolutely destroyed him.

Ah....those days when we used to beat Real Madrid....now we can't beat Norwich.....


BTW, 'stamp' on Messi's hand? Really? No doubt Pepe stepped on his hand and meant it but it was hardly a stamp, I watched the video after reading about the incident and had to actually rewind it to see it. Still a gobshite, though.


Toon,
Very exciting signing by Pardew! Be interesting to see how Cisse and Ba do together - at the very least it'll probably make Ba more likely to stay come the summer since his mate is at the club.

[FifaInspected]

Great read

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/747 ... er-boredom

[GB_Simo]

Darlington FC going out of business this week. 129 year old club that I believe is a rival of Simo's Hartlepool side. I believe this is the club that also built a 25k seat stadium despite being in League Two.

Ah, George Reynolds. Convicted smuggler, burglar and safe cracker, took over Darlo in 1999 with a promise to turn them into a Premier League club within 5 years. Built them a 25000-seat stadium, named it after himself, then took the club into administration shortly afterwards. His grand vision was for a stadium which would host gigs, concerts and events, a noble idea which rather overlooks the fact that he built it in Darlington.

Pools played them at the new stadium once, 2007's 3-0 in which Eifion Williams scored the best goal I've ever seen from a Hartlepool United player. There were 10000 there, which is a very good crowd for a League Two game but still left the place a half-empty, soulless shell.

What worries me - and irrespective of my own loyalties, I don't want to see anyone losing their job - is that the folks who've earned Darlington that 3 match stay of execution have no plan in place at all for the future beyond those 3 matches.

[rhymes450]

Great read

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/747 ... er-boredom

Yeah, it is an interesting read and underlying the article seems to be that in the States, you guys have to explain why you like soccer. Where I come from, it's practically the opposite. You have to account for why you have no interest in it. Years ago, a friend from London who wasn't into the game confided that rather than go through the rigmarole of explaining why not, he simply trotted out a bit of stuff he'd memorised by heart just to keep the ball rolling when the conversation turned to soccer. Just for the record, I think his main gambits were:

1. Pity Bryan Robson has such brittle bones.
2. Isn't is strange that England don't do better at international level given the success of English club sides? (At a guess, he's probably still using that one!).

[Feanor]

[10spro]

Webb completely missed on Balotelli's viciousness. He should have been sent off. That was dirty.

[RobVarak]

I'm amazed at the number of people on twitter saying that the stomp wasn't intentional. Clearly, he meant to lash out. I don't think he knew Parker's head was there, probably figured he'd just kick someone's leg, but I don't see how that's relevant anyhow.

Well done, Webb. England's finest!

[davet010]

Totally accidental. Balotelli never looked down at Parker and thus had no idea where his head was as he spun round and attempted to regain his footing.

Nearly laughing myself hoarse watching Fingers Redknapp moaning away. Save your invective for the judge, you thieving tw*t. I enjoyed that more than a humdrum 2-0, by far.

Here's a proper Mario stamp for you to enjoy

[Feanor]

Totally accidental. Balotelli never looked down at Parker and thus had no idea where his head was as he spun round and attempted to regain his footing.

He knew Parker was behind him because his left leg made contact with Parker before he violently stamped his right leg backwards. You don't attempt to regain your footing by kicking your right leg out as far as you can behind you.

[fsquid]

screw Simo and the Pools. we needed those three points.

[RobVarak]

Totally accidental. Balotelli never looked down at Parker and thus had no idea where his head was as he spun round and attempted to regain his footing.

He knew Parker was behind him because his left leg made contact with Parker before he violently stamped his right leg backwards. You don't attempt to regain your footing by kicking your right leg out as far as you can behind you.

Agreed. I don't have a dog in this fight, but it looked quite obvious to me in real time and on the replays.

[Macca00]

I'm one of the few non-City fans who actually enjoys Super Mario but that was a deliberate stamp - I'm certain he didn't mean to stomp on his head but he was kicking out, not an uncommon thing (unfortunately) to see players do. This was much more of a stamp than Pepe's on Messi.

[Feanor]

I like him for the most part and thought his Why Always Me? shirt was hilarious. Violent conduct is different, though.

http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Team-news/20 ... rged-by-FA

Manchester City FC can confirm that the Football Association have charged Mario Balotelli with violent conduct.

The charge relates to an incident during the second half of Sunday’s 3-2 Barclays Premier League victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

Mario has until 6pm on Wednesday 25 January to respond to the charge.