Premiership 2015/2016

[Gingerfinch]

I don't see it as teams getting preferential treatment.

More than a few referees have stated since retiring in books that the pressure put on them by Ferguson at United, and by the greater public wanting United to win, really made a difference to what they decided on the pitch. One went as far to suggest that every decision that went wrong lead to a 3 hour phone call from Ferguson demanding to know answers, and that some referees would rather not give decisions against them and have to field the call (although it does suggest why refs didnt just hang up on him).

Well that seems ridiculous, and extreme. I doubt the refs are under that much pressure with Ranieri and Leicester, somehow.

[budgetmeansbudget]

It didn't just hit him though, he actually knocked the ball down.

Huth's was not so clear, as the ball hit him at close range, even if he did have his hand out.

His arm wasn't away from his body and the ball would have hit him in the chest if it hadn't hit his arm first. It was in a natural position for me, and definitely not a penalty.

I think we ought to leave it at that. I'm right and that's final!!

[Gingerfinch]

It didn't just hit him though, he actually knocked the ball down.

Huth's was not so clear, as the ball hit him at close range, even if he did have his hand out.

His arm wasn't away from his body and the ball would have hit him in the chest if it hadn't hit his arm first. It was in a natural position for me, and definitely not a penalty.

I think we ought to leave it at that. I'm right and that's final!!

You ought to be a ref, budget!!!

[sussexpob]

The Natural position argument is neither here nor there as its not part of the rules. One can be in a natural position with arms at their sides and still make a deliberate attempt to block the ball. The fact his chest was behind the arm also makes no difference. its easier to block a ball from the goal with an arm then trying to control it on the chest.

[sussexpob]

As for the reason why its deliberate, debating if someone meant something is a pointless exercise. No one can read minds, so the question in all legal spheres when assessing if something is deliberate is put simply, do the steps leading up to the act seem deliberate?

I mean lets say I hit someone in a nightclub over a girl. If I pick up the glass, walk over to the bloke, smash it round his head and then walk away, its pretty obvious that I meant to do it as all the actions taken leading to that moment are designed for the end game. It probably doesnt matter if I was actually going to shake his hand and buy him a drink, but then he threatened me when I went there. Similarly, if I killed him but only intended to give him a scare, I am still a murderer. I didnt mean to kill him but I meant to do the act that lead to his death.

So in footballing terms, what was Danny Simpson doing? Well its simple, he adopted a position to block the ball. He had done so deliberately and meaning to do so to block the ball to save a goal. He was successful, but in doing so used his hand.

If this isnt deliberate result of a deliberate action then what is?

[Gingerfinch]

Conte has been named as the new Chelsea manager. Know nothing about him, apart from he's been successful. I guess Chelsea will be back near the top next season.

[budgetmeansbudget]

By natural position I am saying that the instinctive position of his arms when the ball was hit at him was to protect the body/face. From memory I can't remember his arms moving that much so there was barely even an instinctive move let alone deliberate.

If I was to attempt to punch you in a nightclub Sussex I'm sure you're arms would be by your side!

I agree the rule says deliberate and only the player can ever know, but from what I saw he did not SEEM to make a deliberate move to block the ball.

No penalty every day of the week.

Sussex and Finchy, you are both wrong. But even if the referee thought it was deliberate he wouldn't have given a penalty because he knows the nation are pining for Leicester to win the title!

[budgetmeansbudget]

Conte has been named as the new Chelsea manager. Know nothing about him, apart from he's been successful. I guess Chelsea will be back near the top next season.

Shoot, he's Leicester's best player.

[mikesiva]

At least one Morgan had success today.

A goal for Wes, the Jamaica international and Leicester captain....

In a way, Leicester reminds me of the old Arsenal teams..."one-nil, one-nil, one-nil to the Arsenal."

While all the other teams are trying to play possession football, passing it out from the back, some trying pretty tiki-taki football, Leicester is old-school. They defend, and hit on the counter-attack, through quick players like Vardy and the Japanese youngster. But their defence is important, built around two old-time centre-backs, big burly fellows such as Morgan and Huth, and their full backs Simpson and Fuchs aren't bad either. Mahrez does his magic in midfield, but Drinkwater and Konte are pretty hard workers.

I wouldn't mind seeing Leicester win...I don't care if they play pretty football or not. Brazil played pretty football in 1982, and it was the boring teams of Italy and West Germany who made it to that year's World Cup final. It's not how pretty you play, but how many wins you notch up. Give me an ugly Shiv Chanderpaul batting style, if he scores runs, over a pretty Kieran Powell any day....

[The Professor]

Conte announced Chelsea manager.

Means he, Pep, Klopp and (possibly/probably) Mourinho all in the same league.

[Gingerfinch]

We may not have the best players, but we will have most of the top managers.

[budgetmeansbudget]

We may not have the best players, but we will have most of the top managers.

We might not have the best four of five but we consistently have the highest player representation in the world cup.

[Gingerfinch]

Strength in depth!

[Durhamfootman]

I've decided that Newcastle's players no longer deserve to wear the black and white stripes, so I'm going to insist that they play in white and black stripes for the rest of the season.

that'll teach them for being so sh1t

[budgetmeansbudget]

I've decided that Newcastle's players no longer deserve to wear the black and white stripes, so I'm going to insist that they play in white and black stripes for the rest of the season.

that'll teach them for being so sh1t

Apparently they weren't as bad on Saturday, and were unlucky to lose to a goal which did feature a handball in the build up! Probably were looking more likely winners at 2-2. Benitez may be starting to turn things around, could be too little too late?