Saturday's Premier League Games

eirebhoy

I didn't see match of the day so missed out on all the discussion but what I want to ask is why it wasn't the Pires penalty retaken? He didn't touch the ball. Is it once you run up to it you have to hit it?

http://rapidshare.de/files/6615031/Pires-Total_Football_More_like_total_clown.avi.html

Cruyff '82

meepmeep

eirebhoy wrote:

I didn't see match of the day so missed out on all the discussion but what I want to ask is why it wasn't the Pires penalty retaken? He didn't touch the ball. Is it once you run up to it you have to hit it?

http://rapidshare.de/files/6615031/Pires-Total_Football_More_like_total_clown.avi.html

Cruyff '82

He did touch the ball. His studs scraped the top of it.

You just can't see it on the video you have because the angle's not very good. Replay on MOTD showed it quite clear....

PHB

Priceless it was indeed

It was a deserved result, but as for attacking Fergie, what else could he have done?
I was very impressed with him at the end when he went into a 3-5-2 to try and win the game. It didn't work this time, but it shows a great intent and i'm happy with that.

MrJoeSoap

eirebhoy wrote:

but what I want to ask is why it wasn't the Pires penalty retaken? He didn't touch the ball.

^As above he did touch, but just barely so the ball didnt even leave the spot. Not sure of the technicalities but Arsenal didn't deserve a goal for being so darn cheeky.

Whats wrong with just taking a penalty normally? I think the whole thing was very insulting to Man City, I wish they could have equalised to fry the egg on Pires' face.

Lemlin

MrJoeSoap wrote:

^As above he did touch, but just barely so the ball didnt even leave the spot. Not sure of the technicalities but Arsenal didn't deserve a goal for being so darn cheeky.

Whats wrong with just taking a penalty normally? I think the whole thing was very insulting to Man City, I wish they could have equalised to fry the egg on Pires' face.

Distin has come out this morning, according to Sky News, and said he found it very insulting.

Necronomicon

Arsenal can be over-elaborate with their play at times, but that was just ridiculous....

redspider

Well, what a disaster for Liverpool. For those fans that thought that the dropped points in the early games of the season didnt matter, when compared with last season, perhaps they will think again and adjust their stance. A good start to a campaign is an absolute necessity because it drives confidence and creates a positive cycle. Poor results set-up a negative cycle. Liverpool are in that negative cycle right now, and its hard to see how they will break out of it. Liverpool need to start winning and to start winning soon, although to me it doesnt look like they have the capability, and for me Liverpool have now only an outside chance of getting 4th.

Benitez played a 4-4-2 formation, so gone for the moment is the 4-2-3-1

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Reina

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Josemi - Carragher - Hyppia - Traore
Kewell -- Alonso -- Sissoko -- Riise
---- Morientes --- Cisse

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Gerrard was sorely missed in this match. Granted, claims could be made that the two Fulham goals were marginal offside, but the reality is that Fulham created several other scoring chances in the match. True, Liverpool created a few chances too, but overall, there are no quibbles with the result. Liverpool lost fair and square.

The faults that have been well subscribed to on this forum, came back to haunt Liverpool in this match. Hyypia being too slow, Garcia being too light, Cisse being direct but lacking in deft skill, Morientes lacking in energy and finishing, Kewell just being very poor, etc.

There were other notable mediocre performances as well. Traore, could have perhaps done better in stopping the first goal, although so could have a lot of players, Hyppia, Riise, Josemi. But in general, Traore didnt have one of his better games. Neither did Josemi, although he's never really had a good game. Kewell did ok at times funnily enough but wnet missing lot of the time and defensively is very poor. But overall, better perhaps than I would have expected from him, although stil not good enough. Sissoko was just a mediocre player again, and to me is looking more and more like a Traore in midfield.

The better players for Liverpool were Carragher, Alonso, who played very well I thought. Cisse did ok, but is just not skilfull enough.

Garcia came on, had one shot which was decent and well saved by ex-Liverpool player Warner, but missed some other chances. Crocuh came on, and well, he's Crouch, he did nothing of any quality.

So, Benitez was left scratching his head afterwards. Liverpool are just not good enough. Gerrard will be wondering what the hell is going on. This team are just lacking in quality in too many players at the moment, and the few good players we do have, there is no way they can carry the rest of the team.

Liverpool have a few homes games coming up and will need to get 6 pts to make it 16 pts from the 1st 10 games, which is poor but reasonable and would be a step in the right direction. But with the lack of quality players, there is a chance that Liverpool will end up in big trouble this season.

The ladder makes for uncomfortable viewing. I'll post a 10-game ladder when all the teams have played 10 games. Liverpool have just played 8.

redspider

Lex Luthor

I don't see what the big hoohah was about the 2nd Arsenal penalty being disrespectful. If it came off everybody would have been raving about it.

Henry was class in the after match interview when he joked about Pires's legs turning to jelly or something of that effect.

I was only gutted because Henry should have taken the 2 pens and I had him as capt on my fant footie team.

As for Liverpool, Benitez still hasn't got to grip with the prem league.

He needs to pick his best 11...Warnock at LB full stop. Riise best of a bad bunch for midfeld.
Finnan @ RB, but with him injured, its got to be Josemi although I'm not a fan. Finnan for me is too injury prone.
Apart from Alonso & carra, the rest can go jump.

redspider

The Arsenal penalty incident was one which could be joked afterwards, as Arsenal won, but if Man C would have got an equaliser, such as that dissallowed goal for offside, and very similar to the goals scored against Liverpool which were given, neither Henry nor Wenger would have been smiling. Pierce came out with the best response, respecting it as players trying to do something creative although happy that it didnt come off.

In terms of the move itself, the ref gave a very strange decision and needs to read the rule book again. It states basically that once Pires touched it, the ball would hav had to move a full circumference before another Arsenal player could touch it (except the taker of course). The ball didnt roll that distance, so at that point any Man C player could have touched it next. As the ball was stationary the goalie could have just walked over to it and picked it up.

Of course the "full circumference" rule is ignored nearly at every centre circle kick-off in every game across the planet on a daily basis. So much so that the players and refs are hardly aware of it - so much for rules!

redspider