EPL Discussion Thread 2008/9

[Dogwatcher]

True - but at least we scored a point.

And...we didn't lose 5-1 (yet!)

[johntheclaret]

True - but at least we scored a point.

And...we didn't lose 5-1 (yet!)

Fair point, even if it did take youi 70 minutes to have your 1st shot on goal at Everton.

honeymoon is over for Sbragia (stange name for a Scot)

[Dogwatcher]

True - but at least we scored a point.

And...we didn't lose 5-1 (yet!)

Fair point, even if it did take youi 70 minutes to have your 1st shot on goal at Everton.

honeymoon is over for Sbragia (stange name for a Scot)

That's racial....

[johntheclaret]

True - but at least we scored a point.

And...we didn't lose 5-1 (yet!)

Fair point, even if it did take youi 70 minutes to have your 1st shot on goal at Everton.

honeymoon is over for Sbragia (stange name for a Scot)

That's racial....

Well it did take them 70 minutes

[johntheclaret]

I don't know if anyone picked on the story aboout Hull boss Brown, who made his players stay out on the filed at half time following a 4 - 0 1st half hammering by Man City.

Here is the follow up story thanks to The Sporting Life

BROWN HAS NO REGRETS

Hull boss Phil Brown insists he has no regrets about giving his players a very public dressing-down last week.

Brown has been criticised in some quarters for conducting part of his half-time team-talk on the pitch, in full view of the crowd, during Friday's 5-1 thrashing at Manchester City.

It has been claimed the unusual move could be counter-productive and that players will not have been impressed, but Brown is adamant any humiliation was deserved.

"It was the right thing to do, there is no doubt about it," said Brown, whose side were 4-0 down within 36 minutes. "I have got no regrets about it whatsoever.

"If it bruised one or two egos then so be it, although it wasn't intended to be that way"

[JK]

Good form IMHO

[RoosterMarty]

He seems to know what he's doing so there's no problem there. If the players feel embarrassed or whatever it's time to join a non-league outfit.

Also, thank god for Berbatov.

[JK]

Interesting last 7 minutes in the Hull/Villa game this morning, with the Villans winning off on own goal in the 88th minute.

Was actually a cruel cruel blow for Hull and in particular the defender who netted, as he simply had to go for the ball or else Agbonlahor was odds on to score.

Then in the final 30 seconds Hull had a massive appeal for a Handball penalty apparently given by the ref, but then rescinded after consultation with the linesman (which was the correct decision btw and well handled by the ref).

Johnny - I know this doesn't just happen in the UK, but when are the authorities going to act seriously to stamp out players surrounding the ref anytime a key decision or booking is made? Looks ugly and has the potential to get way out of hand IMHO.

[Wedgie]

I watched the last half of the Hull/Villa match too, Hull very unlucky. I had money on Hull to lose so I was happy but they were clearly the better side of the 2nd half.

[Dogmatic]

I watched the last half of the Hull/Villa match too, Hull very unlucky. I had money on Hull to lose so I was happy but they were clearly the better side of the 2nd half.

What an awful game it was.
I picked Villa in a tipping comp so I too was happy.

[Bully]

yes wasnt a very exciting game at all till the handball appeal at the end of match!

[The Jack]

It is a logjam down the bottom lads. Too hard to predict who will go down at this stage.

If there's such a thing as karma, the Hammers will be in the Championship next season. And poor old Lucas Neill will be left counting the squillions he took (poor fella!) instead of going to a decent club which has a chance of success (read LFC). Love the bloke when he's in a Socceroos shirt, but as far as his choice of club is concerned, money talks apparently. And last I heard he was hitting them up for MORE money!!! Coz they're going so well!! I'd probably want as much as possible to stay there too. But I'm not likely to have that problem anytime soon! Unfortunately.

[johntheclaret]

Interesting last 7 minutes in the Hull/Villa game this morning, with the Villans winning off on own goal in the 88th minute.

Was actually a cruel cruel blow for Hull and in particular the defender who netted, as he simply had to go for the ball or else Agbonlahor was odds on to score.

Then in the final 30 seconds Hull had a massive appeal for a Handball penalty apparently given by the ref, but then rescinded after consultation with the linesman (which was the correct decision btw and well handled by the ref).

Johnny - I know this doesn't just happen in the UK, but when are the authorities going to act seriously to stamp out players surrounding the ref anytime a key decision or booking is made? Looks ugly and has the potential to get way out of hand IMHO.

We have a campaign running now Connie, called RESPECT. It is designed to get the top players to show some respect to the officials.

They have already made some changes down at schoolboy level, where the parents are now "penned" in away from the touch line as the level of abuse towards officials has got that bad they are now finding it difficult to enrol new younger refs at grassroots level.

It's a real problem over here. I think there are a few reasons why we are in this situation now. firstly, the players earn so much and are projected to "celebrity" status, many of them think they are actually bigger than the game itself. Man U have been a good example of this and laterly many Chelski players now think they too are bigger than the game. (Ashley Coles' total disrespect to the ref when he simply turned his back on the ref when getting booked has really made some ripples).

Unfortunately so many youngsters see what is goinig on and think that it is acceptable. I watch more CCC and I can tell you the level of disrespect to the ref is far, far lees than in the EPL.

Another problem is the referees themselves. Some, particularly the so called top EPL ref's, also now believe they are bigger than the game and have lost the plot to some extent. In my opinion, a good ref is one that lets the game flow, and goes almost unnoticed throughout the game. Unfortunately Steve Bennett is not one of those refs.

As we have discussed many times on here, the game has changed and the idea of just one ref is now, in my opinion, outdated. The game moves too fast for one ref to keep up, which leads to mistakes and errors in judgement. This leads to a lack of respect from the players.

To be fair to the ref, his job is made that much more difficult, because of the persistent feigning of injury and diving that goes on in the EPL. It has become almost part of the game, particularly in and around the penalty box, and the ref has that split second to decide if it was a foul or not. Cheating, as that what is, has increased 10 fold since the influx of foreign players has soaked the EPL. That style of play has been acceptable for many years on the continent, but in the UK we used to play a more honest, harder style (which probably accounts for our lack of success in the England squad), and now that style has spread to the top UK players too.

Finally, the financial implications of winning or more importantly losing and relegation from the EPL are now disproprotionate to everything else. It has become a matter of win at all cost, so players cheat, clubs pay ridiculous salaries and managers use any psycobabble they can to influence the game / ref / officials / other managers / players / public, it is no wonder we have just about lost control on the field.

Personally, I blame Sky.

[devilsadvocate]

It is a logjam down the bottom lads. Too hard to predict who will go down at this stage.

If there's such a thing as karma, the Hammers will be in the Championship next season. And poor old Lucas Neill will be left counting the squillions he took (poor fella!) instead of going to a decent club which has a chance of success (read LFC). Love the bloke when he's in a Socceroos shirt, but as far as his choice of club is concerned, money talks apparently. And last I heard he was hitting them up for MORE money!!! Coz they're going so well!! I'd probably want as much as possible to stay there too. But I'm not likely to have that problem anytime soon! Unfortunately.

The majority of players have a relegation clause in their contracts which acts as an automatic release should their club go down. I'm not 100% sure how it works in terms of the club recouping part of their investment or whatever, but I'm 100% certain Lucas had this written into his contract when he signed for the spammers.

But in terms of Karma, the Blades will look on with a cheeky smile if the Irons do go down.

[devilsadvocate]

In my opinion, a good ref is one that lets the game flow, and goes almost unnoticed throughout the game.

A truer word has never been spoken. Couldn't agree more.

Personally, I blame Sky.

Me too. The players are a total disgrace, acting like celebrities or royalty. I guess some fans make this worse with the situations like Stevie G finds himself in whereby players can be singled out for taunting (not 100% sure what happened to Stevie G, but I understand there was a ruckus before the G nutted out and belted the DJ).

But Sky has totally f-d up the Premier League with the silly money flying about.

[devilsadvocate]

Also, thank god for Berbatov.

He still makes me feel sick.

[RoosterMarty]

In my opinion, a good ref is one that lets the game flow, and goes almost unnoticed throughout the game.

A truer word has never been spoken. Couldn't agree more.

Personally, I blame Sky.

Me too. The players are a total disgrace, acting like celebrities or royalty. I guess some fans make this worse with the situations like Stevie G finds himself in whereby players can be singled out for taunting (not 100% sure what happened to Stevie G, but I understand there was a ruckus before the G nutted out and belted the DJ).

But Sky has totally f-d up the Premier League with the silly money flying about.

Well the DJ didn't play the music Stevie Me wanted so he did the Scouser thing....

Also in regards to the relegation release clause, the players usually have a set fee that other clubs can pay if they want to purchase the player, and they are then released from the contract. The things you learn from Football Manager.

[johntheclaret]

I just had to post this headline. In the Times of all places.

Tony Mowbray bemoans lack of penetration

Stick to football Mowbray

[Bully]

' That ' team seems to have snuck to top spot today

[RoosterMarty]

Berbatov struck at the death when it looked like it would end in a 0-0 draw. Superb work by Tevez set it up for him. Top spot! Nice to have but it won't last very long as Liverpool should account for Everton.