Easter Weekend Premiership fixtures Part 1 (14th, 15th & 16th)

MrJoeSoap

Stekelly wrote:

If they had left the rules as they were years ago, it would'nt even be an issue, Ciisse would have bee flagged straight away, but when they go dicking with these things they are creating these situations.

But you take what you can get at the end of the day.

Exactly, when its left down to an "interpretation" of whether someone is interfering or not there will always be question marks. It has to be a clear cut ruling, FIFA need to get it sorted.

MrJoeSoap

If Blackburn were unlucky with the offside call, they were lucky there! Great play by Fowler and a good strike by Cisse.

Guy:Incognito

Who'd have thought Ciisse would smack the ball as hard as possible in the general direction of the goal when one on one with the keeper. :rolleyes:


Donkey

PHB

Exactly, when its left down to an "interpretation" of whether someone is interfering or not there will always be question marks. It has to be a clear cut ruling, FIFA need to get it sorted.

There is a clear cut ruling, the ref's are just being stupid.
Cisse went to play the ball, then stopped. He was active, if only briefly, therefore he is offside, full stop.
It's not the rule, it's stupid refs.

MrJoeSoap

PHB wrote:

There is a clear cut ruling, the ref's are just being stupid.
Cisse went to play the ball, then stopped. He was active, if only briefly, therefore he is offside, full stop.
It's not the rule, it's stupid refs.

I wasn't specifically referring to this incident but there are numerous instances when there is debate over whether people are interfering or not.

What does "interfering" actually mean? Cisse wasn't really blocking anyone or anyones view, and didn't touch the ball, he might as well have been at the other end of the pitch, but everyone knows he was interfering.

The linesman (although further away in this instance) has just as much responsibility in these situations.

I preferred it when it was clear-cut on-or-off to be honest.

PHB

What does "interfering" actually mean? Cisse wasn't really blocking anyone or anyones view, and didn't touch the ball, he might as well have been at the other end of the pitch, but everyone knows he was interfering.

active play by: interfering with play; interfering with an opponent; or gaining an advantage by being in that position.

He interferred with play. When he put his foot out initally, he made the attempt to play the ball. At which point he was active in that play. Even though he pulled out, he was still active the second he did that. If he had just not done anything and walked back, then he would have been inactive, but he didn't.

It was just a bad decesion.

I preferred it when it was clear-cut on-or-off to be honest.

It hasn't had the desired effect yet. The goal of this rule is to stop people playing the offside trap more reguarly, and let the game become more open. This will happen over time, not yet though.

Necronomicon

MrJoeSoap wrote:

What does "interfering" actually mean? Cisse wasn't really blocking anyone or anyones view, and didn't touch the ball, he might as well have been at the other end of the pitch, but everyone knows he was interfering.

If you even look at the ball while in an offside position now, you're active.

I agree with the points both you and PHB made though. Firstly, the offside rule has been modified so much that its definition has become far too ambiguous. But having said that, linesmen should know that making a movement towards the ball makes you active, which is clearly what Cisse did. I think there could only be one interpretation in that case.

MrJoeSoap

I think we're pretty much arguing the same point. If the new ruling is eventually understood and properly implemented by officials then it is no doubt better than the old one. Until then it will continue to confuse and cause controversy like today.

Last season I ran 100 yards to tell a certain eL official what I thought of their decision over something similar, only to get home and watch the replay to see that I was completely wrong.

Oh, and the "interfering" rule once cost me my hat-trick in an under-age game! It wasn't often I even scored, never mind a hat-trick!

astrofool

Really with a rule like that, video evidence is the only proper way of enforcing it.

zAbbo

1-0 and another clean sheet for the reds. 3 points behind 2nd place.

el rabitos

finishing 2nd or 3rd, its a marked improvement on last year, beating the likes of bolton and blackburn, 2 very tough teams is good progress, it looks like liverpool have overcome that inability to beat teams that rough them up and passed it onto arsenal.

its a pity united are playing spurs, they usually bend over for united every year

Playboy

el rabitos wrote:

its a pity united are playing spurs, they usually bend over for united every year

We are a very different side to one last year and we have already drawn with them at old trafford this season. Don't expect us to bend over when the CL spot is ours to lose.

mike65

Don't care how we won only that we did!

Should be plain sailing from here on.

Mike.

el rabitos

We are a very different side to one last year and we have already drawn with them at old trafford this season. Don't expect us to bend over when the CL spot is ours to lose.

well beating united at home would go along way to showing spurs are genuinely a contender for being in the top 4, rather than arsenal just taking the year off

Dr Galen

2nd place doesn't look too impossible does it now!
Go on GOD, the best Easter ever!

PHB

"Yes, Roman Abramovich has money and we all know that there will be more and more money," said Benitez

"But Chelsea can only buy so many players. They have many players now, yet the other teams are getting closer.

"Manchester United have proved this season that if you are very positive in the way you play, then you can get very close to Chelsea.

"Chelsea and United are much closer than they were last year and, next season, I think that Liverpool and Arsenal will also make it much more interesting.

"Then there are other teams like Tottenham and Blackburn who are developing.

"It is good to see that no one is scared of Chelsea now. Teams have learned to play against them and we are all working on ways to beat them.

"United are closest at the moment. The difference is now down to the results of one or two matches.

"It is good enough for Chelsea now, but it is not a gap that cannot be closed.

"Clubs and players no longer fear Chelsea. They know that they can be beaten now.

"We are seeing that - and it is only the start. Every year, it will become more and more difficult for them."

So it begins for next year already :P

Dr Galen

thats fighting talk if i ever heard it!

Roddy23

Jaysus that was some goal by Cahill, cheers for putting the link up for that one.

Royale with Cheese

Does anybody have brief highlights of the Arsenal game yesterday? I'd quite like to see Dennis Bergkamp's performance.

Lemlin

There goes Blackburn's fading hope of CL football

Bit pissed off with the decision but a point would of been useless to Rovers anyway. Didn't look like scoring and that's something that needs to be addressed. MGP is burnt out and Bellamy needs a good partner.

The important thing now is to cement sixth. After having a run of four straight victories, Rovers have only got 2 points from the last 9. A win against Birmingham on Wednesday night is vital. That's easier said than done though as they are at home and are going to be fighting for their lives.

WhiteWashMan

there is still european football to fight for lemlin. and i think blackburn deserve it too.
i think your loss today has pretty much made spurs certain of at least uefa cup football next season. i cant see us being taken by both blackburn and bolton at this stage.
so im pretty happy with the season.


if we can grab 3 points tomorrow, i'll be extra happy. after that, a draw with arsenal and i think we have it in the bag. just need them to lose in europe.
fingers and toes crossed.

Royale with Cheese

If spurs beat Man United tomorrow I think the race for 4th will be over. Bolton aren't going to take any points off them, they're fairly useless lately.

WhiteWashMan

never say never....

mike65

The race for 4th will be over but the race for second will be very much back on. Come on the Hotspurs!

Mike.

Shaque attack

PHB wrote:

"Yes, Roman Abramovich has money and we all know that there will be more and more money," said Benitez

"But Chelsea can only buy so many players. They have many players now, yet the other teams are getting closer.

"Manchester United have proved this season that if you are very positive in the way you play, then you can get very close to Chelsea.

"Chelsea and United are much closer than they were last year and, next season, I think that Liverpool and Arsenal will also make it much more interesting.

"Then there are other teams like Tottenham and Blackburn who are developing.

"It is good to see that no one is scared of Chelsea now. Teams have learned to play against them and we are all working on ways to beat them.

"United are closest at the moment. The difference is now down to the results of one or two matches.

"It is good enough for Chelsea now, but it is not a gap that cannot be closed.

"Clubs and players no longer fear Chelsea. They know that they can be beaten now.

"We are seeing that - and it is only the start. Every year, it will become more and more difficult for them."

if you ask me that could be an indirect attempt to wind up mourhinio before next saturday, and a good one at that

NotWormBoy

Royale with Cheese wrote:

If spurs beat Man United tomorrow I think the race for 4th will be over. Bolton aren't going to take any points off them, they're fairly useless lately.

If Spurs beat United tomorrow, Liverpool have a very decent chance of nicking second place. Because its now looking like the title will be wrapped up by the time Chelsea host United... so Chelsea will be playing with no pressure. And I think they'll beat United.

It should make it very interesting.

That said, Spurs will have to play very well to beat Man U. Here's hoping...

Lemlin

WhiteWashMan wrote:

there is still european football to fight for lemlin. and i think blackburn deserve it too.
i think your loss today has pretty much made spurs certain of at least uefa cup football next season. i cant see us being taken by both blackburn and bolton at this stage.
so im pretty happy with the season.

if we can grab 3 points tomorrow, i'll be extra happy. after that, a draw with arsenal and i think we have it in the bag. just need them to lose in europe.
fingers and toes crossed.

There's no doubting they deserve it. That's why I think a win against Birmingham on Wednesday is vital. The team can't afford to slip into a run of poor results like Bolton have. Bolton will be only three points behind if they win their game in hand too.

Sixth place would be a remarkable achievement for the club, considering that Hughes has only made a few signings - Bellamy being the only major outlay of cash at five million. The squad will certainly need strengthening for next year. A partner for Bellamy, a right winger and a left back are the main concerns.

mike65

Todays games

Charlton v Portsmouth, 15:00 Away
Chelsea v Everton, 15:00 Home
Middlesbrough v West Ham, 15:00 Draw
Sunderland v Newcastle, 15:00 Away
Tottenham v Man Utd, 12:45 Draw
West Brom v Bolton, 20:00 Draw

Mike.

Mossy Monk

Charlton v Portsmouth, 15:00 Away
Chelsea v Everton, 15:00 Home
Middlesbrough v West Ham, 15:00 Home
Sunderland v Newcastle, 15:00 Away
Tottenham v Man Utd, 12:45 Away
West Brom v Bolton, 20:00 Away

county

Charlton v Portsmouth, 15:00 Away
Chelsea v Everton, 15:00 Home
Middlesbrough v West Ham, 15:00 Draw
Sunderland v Newcastle, 15:00 Away
Tottenham v Man Utd, 12:45 away
West Brom v Bolton, 20:00 Draw

mr_angry

Its been a long time since I wanted to see United beat Spurs! Recently I've been hoping Spurs could do Arsenal a favour in various title chases, but this year, I'm very much hoping for a good performance from United. There's a lot riding on this game for Tottenham - a defeat would leave them 4 points ahead having played a game more, and with the north London showdown next weekend. Thats a big contrast to the way the table looks if they win today.

No King for Spurs today. Dawson and Davenport in the centre of defence.

mike65

Tottenham

---

P Robinson,
P Stalteri, M Dawson, C Davenport, Y Lee,
J Jenas, M Carrick, E Davids, A Lennon

---

R Keane, J Defoe

Subs: N Naybet, S Kelly, D Murphy, R Cerny, L Barnard

Man Utd

---

E Van der Sar
G Neville, R Ferdinand, N Vidic, M Silvestre
C Ronaldo J Park, J O'Shea, R Giggs,
---- W Rooney, R van Nistelrooy

Subs: T Howard, P Evra, G Heinze, W Brown, L Saha

Mike.

WhiteWashMan

ffs.
rooney. 8 minutes

The_B_Man

any streams for it?

homerjay2005

been an unreal first 10 minutes, could have been 3 or 4 goals already. good save from vds just before the goal

mr_angry

Incredible start to the game. Hi-octane stuff. Man Utd ahead against the run of play, probably.

Three great chances for Tottenham so far, only one on target. If this tempo keeps up, I can't see United keeping a clean sheet. Having said that, I'm not sure Spurs will go much further without conceding again!

ZENER

You really do need to question Sir Alecs loss of form in picking up good signings, I mean that Rooney fella . . . waste of money !!!:D

ZEN

MrJoeSoap

ZENER wrote:

You really do need to question Sir Alecs loss of form in picking up good signings, I mean that Rooney fella . . . waste of money !!!:D

ZEN

Yeah, what a find. :rolleyes:

mr_angry

Tbh, Rooney hasn't done much except toe in a cross from all of 2 feet out. Giggs, O'Shea, and Neville playing surprisingly well at the moment. Robbie Keane and Micharl Carrick playing well for Spurs.

MrJoeSoap

Dawson and Vidic... seperated at birth?

mr_angry

LOL @ Ian Darke...

"Van Nistelrooy... back in the harness again..."

Genius.

MrJoeSoap

Rooney again, 2-0

Royale with Cheese

Boo yeah, Arsenal back in the game.

WhiteWashMan

ffs

mike65

Gah! Spurs they're crap are'nt they?!

Mike.

Pepe LeFrits

Harsh on Spurs, it's amazing that they haven't scored at least one.

United's first goal was sublime though, great use of the outside of the boot from Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo.

Necronomicon

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Dawson and Vidic... seperated at birth?

Wow I can't believe I didn't notice the similarity until you just said that!

Excellent game so far, United really needed the second goal because even after going 1-0 it was still very open. Spurs don't really have a game-changing player on the bench, Murphy probably the only creative option they can bring on.

Jivin Turkey

mr_angry wrote:

Carrick playing well for Spurs.

Do you think? I havn't even noticed him, and I've been looking out for him intentionally. Does the lad ever make a tackle?

Necronomicon

Jivin Turkey wrote:

Do you think? I havn't even noticed him, and I've been looking out for him intentionally. Does the lad ever make a tackle?

He made one important interception when the ball was cut back for Giggs in the box.
Fair play to the Spurs fans, the first time Lee got the ball after the second goal there were a few sour grapes booing, then the rest of the crowd stepped up and applauded whenever he got the ball.

Guy:Incognito

Necromomicon wrote:

Wow I can't believe I didn't notice the similarity until you just said that!

Excellent game so far, United really needed the second goal because even after going 1-0 it was still very open. Spurs don't really have a game-changing player on the bench, Murphy probably the only creative option they can bring on.

Good job he's a proven match winner V Utd.:)


What the hell was the left full at for teh 2nd goal? asking for troble, he had 3 or 4 chances to hoof it. Donkey.