The guy doing the Roma/Liverpool game said the TAA incident was a definite penalty: If you go by the laws of the game, it clearly wasn’t.

Graham Poll.

While I agree that by the LAWS it wasn’t deliberate in the sense he didn’t specifically try to handle it – the TAA one fits the interpretation i gave earlier:

that by charging at a ball with arms up you are increasing your blocking area and then if the ball hits your hands above your head you deliberately put them there

There’s also a sort of interpretation that in blocking a shot going toward the goal you are having a more direct influence on the game, than for example charging down a cross that might lead to chance, but equally might lead to a clearance, or the ball sailing miles over the goal line.

That said, i can only assume the officials didn’t see the handball because in the light of the ones they gave where hands were in a ‘natural’ position, that was the clearest of the three!!

Well at least Wenger goes out at the level he’s brought us down to…..semi final of the EL FFS!

Want to step it up then you need to let a couple of hundred million go!!

Maybe!  However we do have some good young players and I think a new Manager might be able to get more out our seasoned players……who don’t get shown the door.  Clearly we need a new spine, but even young Mavrapanos showed on his debut at Man U that he could step in and do a very good job.

Whatever happens, it won’t be the same old, same old, we’ve had for years!  Last nights game was a perfect example of the Wenger years….plenty of possession, fragile defence and no goals!

When people think of Arsenal these days…..they think its a team of lightweights.  Something we need to change!

another example – the defensive wall at a free kick. If players were to hold their arms slightly aside from their bodies – you could probably make a wall the width of a 5 or 6 man wall with only three men.  So as long as they just stand there like that if the free kick is then stopped by an arm as opposed to smashing them in the guts – not deliberate?

Clearly not – you deliberately put your arms there to increase your area, hence it’s a ‘deliberate’ handball.

When throwing yourself at the ball the “natural” place for your arms to be is anywhere but at your sides.

Use long jumpers as an analogous example.  They use their arms as leverage and they are invariably in positions that football pundits call unnatural for defenders diving in.

None of them were penalties because none of them were either intentional or the arms placed intentionally to block the ball.

The fact that very rarely are handballs punished with yellow cards for being deliberate, when by definition every single one should be, tells us all we need to know about how they are incorrectly refereed.

Anyway, just seen Brighton’s line up vs United.

Hats off to Hughton for keeping that motley rabble in the Premier League.

Put a big screen and projector in the MalMaison hotel yesterday for Utd’s pre match briefing today. Judging by the first half none of the team were bothering to watch!

Interesting stuff.

Would love to have been a fly on the wall at half-time.  Jose had a right face on.

Goal line technology is fantastic.

If only they can get offsides down to a similar speed.  That’s the dream.

Steven Gerrard as the new Rangers boss, eh? That’s a big job, lots of pressure. Hope he does well. Celtic were there for the taking this year but Rangers fluffed it each time.

Question is, will be be a Souness or a Barnes.

@hugo

I see your point but the fact is that it is possible to jump without raising arms – you can’t jump as high, or as far but you can.  If you choose to use arms and as a result increase your body area, then you do so deliberately and take the risk if it hits your arm then it’s handball. Other players nowadays put their arms quite consciously behind their backs to avoid handballing it.  Take your choice?

The fact that very rarely are handballs punished with yellow cards for being deliberate, when by definition every single one should be, tells us all we need to know about how they are incorrectly refereed.

Sorry, but you’re wrong. I assume after what i said you did read the Laws and the IFAB advice relating to them? http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-12—fouls-and-misconduct

I’ll save you the bother:
Q3: Why has the wording for a caution (YC) for handball changed?

Some referees were interpreting every handball as ‘denying the opponents possession’ so every handball was punished with a caution (YC) – this was not the intention of the Law. Where a handball affects the opponents it should be judged like a foul – if it stops or interferes with a promising attack then it is a caution (YC).

So the law is being applied exactly as directed by the board that sets the laws. Yes, there does seem to be a discrepancy in the use and definition of deliberate but that’s why clarification is given. As I would frequently say to players as I refereed them – I didn’t write the laws, I just apply them as directed.

More than a bit pleased with that tonight. Chris Hughton deserves an immense amount of credit but the players have really stepped up from the championship

WBA…..if they stay up it will almost rank with Leicester winning the league!  Unbelievable run of results!

Hope they do stay up but still a long shot. Glad Stoke have gone, hopefully Southampton will follow.

Bad news regarding Fergie…..brain haemorrhage 🙁

Yeah just saw that….nasty!

Get well soon Fergie! I think it’s a measure of the man, the reception he gave Arsene last weekend. Hopefully we’ll be seeing him at OT for a good while yet

Agreed. Healing vibes to SAF from the blue side of the city. Be nice if he could get a big cheer from the etihad today.

Rockape – my Burnley supporting mates are down at your gaff today. They fancy their chances. And i’m sorry to inform you but Mrs Binners has stuck a fiver on a Burnley win, so you’re in trouble now! 😉

Reading stayed up. How can one man reduce a once great club to such humiliation. Yes, Jaap we’re looking at you.

Blimey, Bolton’s end to the season was, erm, intense!

Bad luck Mrs Binners….I did suggest we weren’t going to be bothered by Burnley, they went home with their tails between their legs! 😀

interesting times now for Arsenal…lots of work to do for the new Manager!

Reading stayed up. How can one man reduce a once great club to such humiliation. Yes, Jaap we’re looking at you.

Only because of the crapness of three (or four) other teams below us. We were awful. I also credit my Judas bet, placed around turn of the year. Which I increased when we won a couple of games and by the end if it came true would have netted me £400-odd.

a once great club

Tee-hee – you plastic 😉

Mrs Binners is a Bolton fan. To say that yesterday was traumatic would be something of an understatement! Talk about the skin of your teeth 😳

An interesting article (which requires a click-on to the actual story) about the making of a documentary about getting a forgotten football manager remembered. Bit of a strange story but interesting for those who like a bit of footie history…

An unmarked grave to hero status: the Irishman who saved Barcelona | Paul Doyle https://t.co/NmS4sqTo9R

— The Guardian (@guardian) May 7, 2018

Muggomagic,

Great to the the Seagulls secure there premier future – really chuffed.  Man City and Liverpool are going to be tough … but I reckon another 6 points are in the bag … 😎

the times are reporting the premier league are “fixing” the fixture list for the benefit of broadcasters (top 6 can’t meet on first or last day of the season)

I thought the Prem league fixtures were manipulated around Christmas, its no surprise they want to manipulate the rest of it.  Probably been happening for years.

So £100m game tonight, with the Swans against the Saints.  The last two fixtures on Sunday are Swans V Stoke and Man City V Southampton.  So its looking a bit shit for the Saints, but stranger things have happened!

I can’t really see any situation that would allow WBA to stay up, but they’ve certainly given it a go since dispensing with Pardew.  That should ensure no Prem League Club ever offers him employment again! 🙂

@caher – saw this today, quite a good read / interview

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/jenny-knew-i-was-hiding-the-truth-and-she-said-i-had-to-come-clean-kevin-doyle-sits-down-with-stephen-hunt-36464329.html

actually, quite a good read about footballers at the end of their career in general (no spoilers)

Whoop whoop whoop Saints! It’ll be a shame if Swansea go down though (no slight on Huddersfield intended, I’ve not seen them play this season) as they set the swashbuckling mid-table standard that we followed when we came up. It’s a crying shame that the prem turned us both into dogshit just-try-not-to-lose teams like the rest of the also rans.

As an aside – what in the name of Dion Dublin happened to popping down the local to watch the footy? I bollocked out the housework to get down for the second half and ended up walking a couple of miles around the neighbourhood as the first two locals were shut. And the one I found open is showing aussie rules and playing Phil Collins at full blast. **** you Coventry,  this is why no one likes you…

In other football news, I’m sure there can be absolutely no truth whatsoever in the further allegations of a racist culture at Chelsea

And on that note, we’ll see you all next year 😁🔵⚪️🔵⚪️

And on that note, we’ll see you all next year 

+1

(Staying) Up The Town. Our corner of the Bridge was nuts.

the times are reporting the premier league are “fixing” the fixture list for the benefit of broadcasters (top 6 can’t meet on first or last day of the season)

behind the pay wall I assume, whats their statistical analysis on that – there is a probability of the fixtures happening (I CBA to work it out here) but it’s not that important is it? In fact top 6 clashes would probably generate more TV revenue which is a good thing – Chelsea Vs Liverpool would be a cracker for Sunday, it assumes that you know the top 6, which games actually matter and what they implicate in a few weeks time – again does it actually matter? If you didn’t do enough in games 1-37?

Edit…

Given the top 6 include 3 london teams which will have police restrictions on games together, 2 manc teams where police will have an input the statistical comparison is certainly stretched there

I see Wayne Rooney popped in to see Fergie.

His speech is improving and he’s able to string a few words together…,,..said Ferguson!

Just typical, the clock ticks to 90 and I stop watching the game, then they pop up with a goal.

The other teams can take one consolation, city don’t quite purr when either D Silva or De Bruyne are not on the pitch, and Silva is getting to the end of his football career.

But a fantastic record breaking season, won in style.

IMO both city and Liverpool are creating something that players will want to be part of, they stand a good chance of keeping and attracting players that currently few other clubs can. Ok they will be competing with barca and madrid which still have the biggest pull, but I reckon they currently have more to offer in football terms than the traditional European giants (utd, juves and munich)

Wunundred!

🙂

See you next season!

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United

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on May 13, 2018 at 9:12am PDT

Fantastic last day up in Newcastle, Chelsea didn’t really turn up but Newcastle didn’t let them really.

Lol at rockape.get well soon Mr Ferguson.

motd tonite for Motty’s final commentary.

what happened at Chelsea ?

Looking forward to the transfer window….Heres hoping Man U buy Neymar & Jose extends his contract.  🙂

All round to my house on 26 May. 🙂

what happened at Chelsea ?

That may have been the problem, nobody told them the game was in Newcastle .. 😂

Now comes the interesting bit for the toon ..

I’ve seen reports that Fatman is going to give Rafa £80m to spend ….😁😂🤣😅😆 .

Well hush my mouth but haven’t we heard this all before ?

I fully expect Rafa to be there next season as there is a sizeable compensation clause which works both ways between himself and the club ..

Will he be there when his contract runs out in 12 months time ..not a chance unless Ashley fulfils the promises he has made in the past and stops blatantly lying to both his manager and the fans .

I’m not holding my breath ..I absolutely despise the man