Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

2009-10 Football Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm glad that Arsenal have been so dominant today, because it would be a shame if the Eduardo dive was rewarded as the only goal. By the text feed I'm following it sounds like Arsenal could have 5 if they'd converted their chances, even without the penalty.
 
Outstanding goal from Donati, shame it came at the death.

Clearly all that talk about the Arse finishing outside the top four was so much hot air.
 
Updated Champions League draw:

So the final qualifying rounds of the champions league are tonight, and the draw for the group stages are tomorrow. I thought I would look at the seedings to see if there are any potential "groups of death" that could be formed:

Pot 1:
1. Barcelona (Spain)
2. Chelsea (England)
2. Liverpool (England)
4. Manchester United (England)
5. AC Milan (Italy)
6. Arsenal (England)
7. Sevilla (Spain)
8. Bayern Munich (Germany)

Pot 2:
10. Lyon (France)
11. Inter Milan (Italy)
13. Real Madrid (Spain)
17. CSKA Moscow (Russia)
19. Porto (Portugal)
22. AZ (Holland)
24. Juventus (Italy)
28. Rangers (Scotland)

Pot 3:
34. Olympiacos (Greece)
39. Marseille (France)
41. Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
43. Stuttgart (Germany)
44. Fiorentina (Italy)
45. Athletico Madrid (Spain)
49. Bordeaux (France)
64. Besiktas (Turkey)

Pot 4:
97. Wolfsburg (Germany)
98. Standard Liege (Belgium)
106. Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
116. Zurich (Switzerland)
116. Rubin Kazan (Russia)
157. Unirea Urziceni (Romania)
190. Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus)
x. Debrecen (Hungary)


Rangers sneak into Pot 2 thanks to Fiorentina taking out Sporting tonight.
 
Some asked whether Arsene saw the dive...the answer is an example of verbal gymnastics:

Arsene "The Professor" Wenger said:
I do not want a penalty which is not a penalty, but I do not go as far to say Eduardo dived.

From outside I must say it looked a penalty, but having seen it again on television, it doesn't look to be a penalty...

<snip>

...He went down, for what reason I do not know. But I do not think he would have complained if the penalty was not given. Is it acceptable? I never asked in my life any guy to dive to win a penalty but sometimes the players go down because there is no other way to escape the tackling of the keeper. Sometimes they dive.
Click to expand...

:D

I'm not sure how that situation could be judged both not a penalty and not a dive....a moot point I suppose, Celtic were fairly beaten in the end, though I'm sure it hurts that three of the five aggregate goals were of the softer variety.
 
Arsenal was the better team and it showed in both games

With that said, the dive was an absolute joke. I mean, even I busted out laughing as I saw it. I am pretty used to them too.
 
Was at the other end when he dived so didn't see it, but it's pretty clear from the replays. It's annoying it's the key talking point though - we won 5-1, not 1-0.. they were well beaten without the penalty.
 
Jaffa Cake said:
Maybe there's something wrong with Old Wembley'sl telly, making Blackpool's tangerine shirts look red?
Click to expand...

Apparently he meant to post that from his HP Pavilion way back on Saturday, but it BSOD'ed on him so badly his post didn't register until today. :D
 
Silencio said:
Apparently he meant to post that from his HP Pavilion way back on Saturday, but it BSOD'ed on him so badly his post didn't register until today. :D
Click to expand...
:D

Listening to the news on the radio and people want Eduardo banned for the dive. If that happens, Real have just wasted £80m!!! ;)
I'm suprised so much is being made of it, while I don't like to see it happen, it's nothing new and is it relly that shocking?
 
As said the diving is nothing new, look at Drogba...built like a brick s**t house yet goes down so easily! Spoils the game IMO. I think Eduardo should of been sent off for that dive (I have seen others go for less desent) and i think it would of been a totally different game. As i think the Celtic player's head dropped.
 
Diving -> 6 match ban - though it may still be worth doing in a final/last game of the season.

Do FIFA/UEFA/FA have the will? 'Football Against Racism' and the 'Respect Campaign' - the follow through has been Gary Lineker rather than Norman 'Bites Your Legs Off' Hunter.

Cheers,
OW
 
While I see non reason to single Eduardo out for this (especially considering the diving exploits of the aforementioned Messrs. Drogba and Ronaldo), I think there should be a punishment for dives caught on camera. In my personal opinion, FIFA/UEFA/the FA should be more aggressive about issuing retrospective yellow and red cards or bans for serious fouls and dives that are caught on camera but not seen by the referees during the game.

swiftaw said:
There's absolutely no need for insults.
Click to expand...

Pay him no mind, he's just trying to forget what happened at Turf Moor. ;)
 
Although Eduardo may end up being the first to be punished for diving, eventually someone, somewhere was going to be used to make an example of; and make no mistake, Wenger will use this whole video tech argument to his advantage the next time an opposition's dive gets rewarded with a penalty, be it in UEFA or the EPL.

But i must admit, if Platini et al were really that serious in cracking down against diving, wouldn't theys have gathered in the pre-season and laid out some rules beforehand. All in all i suspect this is just he usual smoke blowing out of their bums..
 
Lord Blackadder said:
While I see non reason to single Eduardo out for this (especially considering the diving exploits of the aforementioned Messrs. Drogba and Ronaldo), I think there should be a punishment for dives caught on camera. In my personal opinion, FIFA/UEFA/the FA should be more aggressive about issuing retrospective yellow and red cards or bans for serious fouls and dives that are caught on camera but not seen by the referees during the game.
Click to expand...
I agree, something should be done, but would it be as clear cut as it seems? Often we see players dive over the challenge or go to ground easy to avoid contact. I'm sure many incidents would be clear cut (Morten Gamst Pederson's one last season springs to mind, bearing in mind now one was within 3 feet of him :p ) but many aren't.

It's also interesting that they're suggesting Eduardo get a 2 match ban for diving, yet if the Ref would have spotted it in game, all he would have got was a yellow card.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Pay him no mind, he's just trying to forget what happened at Turf Moor. ;)
Click to expand...

Utd are known to be slow starters...They will be at the top end of the season :cool:


I know players will always dive and I kinda expect it, but i feel that the dive effected the game. If it was in the middle of the pitch...there wouldnt of been a goal and Celtic still had a fighting chance. Totally demoralised them.
 
Fizzoid said:
I agree, something should be done, but would it be as clear cut as it seems? Often we see players dive over the challenge or go to ground easy to avoid contact. I'm sure many incidents would be clear cut (Morten Gamst Pederson's one last season springs to mind, bearing in mind now one was within 3 feet of him :p ) but many aren't.
Click to expand...

Well, if the incident isn't clear-cut, even after video evidence is reviewed, then the on-field ruling would have to stand. But a lot of dives and fouls that aren't called now would be punished if we used video replay. It's the best deterrent posibble when it comes to fouls and diving in particular. The technology has been around longer than I've been alive, the audience has been using it for decades and I simply don't understand Platini's stubborn unwillingness to use it through some misguided notion of purity of the game.

Fizzoid said:
It's also interesting that they're suggesting Eduardo get a 2 match ban for diving, yet if the Ref would have spotted it in game, all he would have got was a yellow card.
Click to expand...

It is sightly inconsistent. But I see the bans as a stronger deterrent. I wonder if they have the power to award retrospective yellow and red cards.

Joyus said:
Utd are known to be slow starters...They will be at the top end of the season :cool:

I wish I could contradict you there. You'd better keep a close eye on The Arse though. Lets see how that match turns out...
I know players will always dive and I kinda expect it, but i feel that the dive effected the game. If it was in the middle of the pitch...there wouldnt of been a goal and Celtic still had a fighting chance. Totally demoralised them.
Click to expand...

Looks like Everton have indeed gotten Sylvain Distin as a replacement for Lescott.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back