Forum menu
Also, is Obstruction still in the rule book?
Yes, it was even clarified and expanded a few years ago. Mostly refs let it slide on the 'sheilding is playing the ball by not playing the ball, so not obstruction. Gets a bit thin when another player is playing the ball while the other is 'shielding' by putting his shoulder into someone's face. Not worth the effort of blowing the whistle apparently.
Refs seems to have totally given up on stopping goalies come off the line before a penalty kick is taken though. There were a few saves in the shootout that looked well dodgy to me.
See obstruction, above. The VAR were checking and ordering retakes for a bit but seems like the on filed refs aren't willing to take the abuse for actually calling it. It's alright for the guy sitting with his feet up, cup of tea in hand, 500miles away watching on a monitor.
But not even worth referring to VAR apparently
This is a misconception, I think. My understanding is that VAR automatically review everything within it's remit, so goals, penalties, offside leading to goals fouls leading to goals and cards issued/not issued.
They would have reviewed that the Kane yellow and decreed it wasn't an obvious error. No referral involved. I don't want to see going to ground effectively taken out of the game by given yellows and reds routinely. I do want to see petulant attacks from behind removed though.
grum
Full MemberLiverpool Leicester game is well worth a watch on the highlights btw – great comeback from Liverpool and some cracking goals including an absolute screamer from James Madison.
Refs seems to have totally given up on stopping goalies come off the line before a penalty kick is taken though. There were a few saves in the shootout that looked well dodgy to me.
I was stood immediately to the side of the goalpost (with the lino), it would also seem that the penalty-taker not stop / start stuttering their run-up is also perfectly fine.....
I think the goalies only have to be partially on the line, they seem to leave one foot on the line but take one step sideways/forwards towards the direction they're diving
rhinofive
Full Member
grum
Full MemberI was stood immediately to the side of the goalpost (with the lino), it would also seem that the penalty-taker not stop / start stuttering their run-up is also perfectly fine…..
God i wish they'd stop that stuttering runs and dancing around, they tweaked the rules and made it no better, i can't even understand if they've stopped or are hopping, the refs just don't care either, same with encroachment at a penalty.
Can't wait to see what rules they start reworking for next season, VAR is just another referee who's trying not to rock the boat unless it's a howler, so effectively making the actual referees decision for them in most instances, and the new rules are as lax as ever, that Man City penalty the other week where it hit the guys armpit, the new rules state that isn't handball, but penalty given and VAR agreed.
The stuttery run ups do my head in. TBF if that's allowed then goalies should be able to come off their line too.
Maybe it should be like a conversion in rugby where you can close down as soon as you start your run up, Pogba would definitely suffer in that scenario
I have no idea if the stats back this up but it seems to me that players are getting too good at scoring penalties. You seem to see more shootouts that go on for ages with no misses. Combine that with last season where they would give them out at the drop of a hat and it's pretty boring.
Therefore I'm in favour of stuff that makes them harder to score. As with most things in football though some consistency wouldn't go amiss.
GK doesn't have to remain 'on' the line
When the ball is kicked, the defending goalkeeper must have at least part of one foot touching, or in line with, the goal line.
Anyone banking on actually watching any footy on Boxing Day?
It’s not looking likely, is it?
No VAR in the Carabao cup so the goalies position would be checked by the ref and the assistant ref. I’d like goalies to be able to do what the hell they want, especially if the silly run ups are permitted. It’s a free shot from 12 yards!
The stuttery run ups do my head in
Same here. Let them be scored but they can only be worth half a goal. Jorginho/Fernández et al. should also be made to wear a fricking bell around their neck for that awful little skip.
Yes, teams are better at penalties but I don't think goalies are any worse. They are bigger and better than ever. How many long range screamers actually get scored these days? By the way, look up December 2006 Goal of the Month on YouTube. Wow!
I think there are less long-range screamers these days partly because everything is increasingly stats driven also. I believe most of the time the xG or whatever suggests that getting closer to goal before shooting is statistically significantly more likely to be successful.
Some amazing goals there - Essien's in particular.
Cheers grum - my son loves watching goals on YouTube so will show him this. Scholes volley is my favourite - so languid, sheer timing and technique. Have it!
Scholes' volley: no wasted energy, perfect timing and absolutely certainly that it would hit the target. Stockley Park would no doubt rule that out these days as it was just too filthy:)
They are bigger and better than ever.
The Great Dane says “Hi!”
I remember that Essien goal from way back when, the ball just seems to stay in the air for an extraordinary amount of time, even when hit from 30 yards.
Have to say I fear Newcastle are for the drop, even if they do bring all and sundry in the players will need a bit of time to gel, and you'd expect them all to have a buy out clause saying if they go down they leave = I'll try a bit but if the worst does happen hey-ho, got paid a few extra quid for the effort.
Some absolute peaches there @grum
Loved that Matty Taylor volley from near the half way line
Have you watched the Class of 92? You don’t have to be a United fan. It’s a fascinating insight into a bygone era. But it shows you Scholes practicing those sort of shots. The accuracy is bonkers!
Gary Neville said you could never turn your back on him because he’d use you for target practice. One day he was having a piss by the perimeter fence of the old Cliff training ground and Scholes hit him square on the arse with a ball from 65 yards 😂
I thought Trents screamer last week was Scholes-esque. Coming in from midfield and absolutely putting his laces through it. Superb!
I feel there aren't many players that can properly hit a ball these days, probably because you can get away with toe punting a modern ball so hitting the ball cleanly is less of an issue than with older, heavier balls.
The Essien strike was a beauty but the Drogba one was my favourite as he created the chance out of nothing. I'm sure he scored a similar one against Liverpool and it was just the type of play you couldn't defend against
As a spurs fan who was at the game I can agree Kane should have been dismissed. He wasn't because he's England captain, not normally a nasty player and the ref allowed the home crowd to influence him. From the park lane (home end) it looked a superb challenge and we were angry play stopped. Half the crowd were venting that anger. If it had been anfield, the kop and Salah going through dier at knee height the result wouldn't have been so surprising. I thought var was supposed to remove some of that inconsistency. It's nice to think whl and the home crowd can sway a game as old whl was never a particularly intimidating venue.
Have to say I fear Newcastle are for the drop
Me too! The squad is certainly championship standard with only really ASM, Wilson and maybe Willock any better. We've actually played games this season with 5 or 6 of the 2017 Championship winning team. Complete regression compared to anyone else in the division and the fact we got up and stayed up with that squad means Rafa will always be well thought of. Being polite, Bruce hasn't improved it really despite spending a few quid and it now needs totally rebuilding. In that context relegation may not be a bad thing long term. Its allows Howe time out of the wider glare of the EPL to implement his philosophy with his players, who'll be more hungry and committed that say Anthony Martial or any other late 20's player looking for the contract of his career. I can't see any deal being in done in January without relegation clauses though- especially for internationals, bearing in my it's a WC year.
Don't mean to pick on Martial but he's been linked with us. He's exactly the wrong kind of player for us right now, if ever!
I think you're bang on there. We'll be glad to be shut of him on recent form. He's great when he can be bothered, which seems increasingly rare. He was good when he arrived, then he just seems to have coasted for the last couple of seasons. Casually jogging about, doesn't track back, just doesn't seem arsed
I note all the press (via his agent) are saying he wants away as he doesn't get game time. Well how about trying a bit harder to earn a starting place then?
You need to watch yourselves that you don't get seen as a semi-retirement home (like Chris Sutton accused Arsenal of becoming, and Old Trafford now seriously resembles) where players can get a big payday for an easy time not really competing at the top level.
I've a mate who's a toon fan and he's worried, like you, that its already nailed on that they'll be the richest club in the championship next year
After the last 15 years, I'm not really worried about relegation though. It might be what's needed.
Read that there are issues with Martial moving on as no one wants to pay his wages. £240k a week! £240k! Most overrated player ever, can’t believe Utd paid near £60m for him, what 5 or 6 years ago?!
I think if Dan Ashworth does end up at Newcastle then I doubt very much you’ll become a retirement home for big players on big wages.
Just hoping that either Newcastle go for a bigger name as their technical director or Ashworth decides it’s not for him. It really would be a shame for us to lose him right now.
£240k a week! £240k! Most overrated player ever, can’t believe Utd paid near £60m for him, what 5 or 6 years ago?!
Welcome to the Ed Woodward school of transfer negotiations. Great, innit?
I suppose he was behind Phil Jones getting a new contract too.
And signing Alexis Sanchez on the thick end of half a mil a week
And Pogba
And, and, and…
I’m getting ready to add Lingard and Pogba both leaving on free transfers to his illustrious list of achievements
If Newcastle are to survive they need to become stronger through the spine, maybe look at getting a few in January who are out of contract, like Brozovic, Kessie, etc who can make them a bit harder to go through, up front, there's loads to choose from, wouldn't be going mad with them, if they could, Modric would be a great signing, still got the magic, get him in with a Brozovic/Kessie and it would make them a hell of a lot better in the middle, just a defender would give them a fighting chance of staying up.
In the end, i think they're 6 points from safety, (3 from Watford who have 2 in hand) they need to just aim to stay in that game, 20 games left where they need to stay in touch with Watford/Leeds, which i think is reasonable, especially if they get a few decent players in, but as always, you definitely don't want any prima donnas at this stage of the season!
A touching Christmas message from the King 😂
https://twitter.com/cantona_collars/status/1474288863959003137?s=21
Viagra all round at Manure!?!?
Yep, love Cantona - ex Leeds great.
Well we didn’t even deserve a point out of that! Played off the park for 90 minutes. Could have been 3 down by half time
Utter and complete shite! Truly dismal to watch.
Yup. Another disgraceful performance up there with those against PL titans Norwich and Watford.
We are so bad at doing the basics. Can’t pass. Can’t move. Can’t find space. Can’t pick up. Shocking.
Yep, but it’s going to take longer than a few weeks to turn things around. Give Ralf until the end of the season, he’ll get you into the Europa League, where the current squad belongs. Be interesting to see who they sign in January. Couple of midfielders surely.
DDG our saviour again. Could easily have been 3-1 and that wouldn’t have flattered Newcastle.
What's amazed me this season is the lack of silly yellow cards, leading up to a automatic ban for the matches over Xmas. I wonder how they've managed to get Xmas off this year.
As always it's after Xmas where it starts ramping up, ManU need to get something going, they're misfiring up top, still just a disjointed team with a load of the players not knowing how to play with, and more importantly, without the ball.
They're also starting to kill the confidence of the youngsters that will be the clubs future, Rashford, Greenwood and Sancho are just not looking happy just now when playing, too many sacrifices to fit Ronaldo in maybe?
Defo agree. I’d start Cavani as centre forward with two of Sancho/Greenwood/Rashford either side. Much more mobile - Cavani puts in a hell of a shift. Was City’s alleged interest in Ronaldo the best troll of all time? Be interesting to see if Rangnick leaves him out more often.
Ronaldo is a whiny, angry, petulant little child. I don't care how good he is - he's a scumbag. Should have been sent off again and needs shipping out for the good of the team.
Well I haven't watched a lot of football this season but I was forced to last night on account of my geordie family visiting for xmas. I see now what you lot have been whining about for so long as only one team looked like they were in a relegaton battle and it wasn't the toon. It would appear that the problem at Man U wasn't the previous manager. 😄
Was City’s alleged interest in Ronaldo the best troll of all time?
No. It's the second best. Their alleged interest in Alexis Sanchez was by far and away the best. Ronnie has at least scored a few goals while in the process of unsettling the rest of the squad, unlike Sanchez. Somebody did the maths and IIRC it worked out that he'd cost the club £6.5 million per goal
It would appear that the problem at Man U wasn’t the previous manager
I'm sure everyones bored of me repeating it, but the manager is always going to be up against it while the clubs clueless/parasitic ownership remains the same. The prime example being the way Martial is indulged, despite being hopeless and on an enormous salary, because apparently Joel Glazer really likes him, so he can do whatever he wants
Oh yes, Sanchez! Although scoring goals for Inter currently……
the manager is always going to be up against it while the clubs clueless/parasitic ownership remains the same.
Can that really fully explain why the players have such a bad attitude though?
It's a fair point. Players shouldnt play worse because of bad owners, good players should be good players.
Mostly though I see utd like a few Liverpool sides, just packed with players who at time stroll about thinking they own the place and not putting in 100%.
There's no surprise why some players go down in history at a club, because crime and time again you find them doing everything possible, running themselves to death for the team.
There's no excuse for poor effort