Liverpool still won't win the premiership (2007/08 edition)

Nah, Garcia would have been booked for foot up and Cech would have had a free kick...

And if the pen wasn't given on Sunday, Drogs would have taken it on his second touch and rifled it into the top corner while Jose did a knee slide in front of the Kop.

LOL "big game", frankly this will be academic when Liverpool drop points by drawing 0-0 with Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Derby.

You don't hear us constantly whingeing about Pedro Mendes' goal in 2005

Dude, it never crossed the line

That's the only mitigating excuse.

As for 2005, as far as I recall the penalty had been given, though can't remember if it was the ref or the linesman.

In any case, the reason Liverpool fans are so outraged is cos it was a shockingly soft penalty. It was a far worse decision than any of these examples being given. Forget Liverpool, why not just list off the ten worst penalty decisions of all time, I'm struggling to think of any occasion when there was such comprehensive agreement on a bad decision (so much so that the ref even apologised afterwards)

x-post, excuse I meant to Pete, re Drogba

Dude, it never crossed the line

I assume you're trying to wind me up.

Of course it was a bad decision, the ref was demoted to the Championship as a result FFS.

I assume you're trying to wind me up
Obviously. One of the worst refereeing (or 'linesmaning' I suppose) decisions I can recall, along with Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, and Schumacher nearly killing Battiston.

In other news: FA Cup Winners to get Champions League place. A good thing, I think, if it makes the FA Cup a big deal again. Although it has to be said that exactly the same four clubs keep winning the FA Cup so maybe not much would change.

And if the winners are already in the top three, the extra place goes to the 4th-placed club? Boo. And if they're both in the top three? There can only be four Ch Lge places and the UEFA Cup allocation can't increase, so I guess the Cup Final has zero European impact that season.

I assume the UEFA Cup allocation will now only be league/league cup-based so if you're a mid-table (or Championship) side and lose to ManU in the Cup final, no European place at all?

I don't think Michel's thought it through. I better have a word.

champions league spot to go to the hardest-done team in the league in terms of official decisions each year. think aboubt it- do the fourth best team REALLY deserve it more?

Damnit, I was hoping that the runner up in the final would get into the Champions League, leading to the amusing prospect of someone like Millwall ending up in Europe's Premier Club Competition (TM).

worst refereeing this season is when sunderland got the equaliser vs birmingham when birminham's keeper was held on the ground with a crippler crossface by a striker while the ball was up in the air and then someone headed the ball into the net.

Why *do* the same four clubs keep dominating the FA Cup? Apart from Everton (beating Man Utd) in 95, it's been Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd (against Chelsea), Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool (against Arsenal), Arsenal (against Chelsea), Arsenal, Man Utd, Arsenal (against Man Utd), Liverpool, Chelsea (against Man Utd). That's a long time, and it's not like those clubs were the top four over that whole period. You'd have expected Blackburn or Newcastle or Leeds to have won it at some point.

Last season was the big one - shame it ended up as Man Utd v Chelsea because a plucky and committed and not utterly knackered Blackburn side could have won that. West Ham came pretty close as well.

the final tends to be really shit when it's two of the big 4 in it also.

whereas when it's semi finals they tend to be AMAZING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgHi3D7OjNs

Carling Cup finals between Big Four teams, otoh = r0x0r.

Everton are off.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2155564,00.html

they should TOTALLY share the stanley park stadium, this whole kirby thing is mental.

the premiershipship pullout thing that came with the observer / guardian thing one week singled out the old everton ground as a joy to visit, mostly because it was unspoiled by progress.

Did Jol really say "if anyone thinks there'll be a new manager at the club, then I'm a Dutchman"? Awesome.

how exactly do they justify demoting crap refs to the championship anyway?! cos it's not like there's any important matches going on there, noooo. gits.

yeah it's BS - I don't suppose they can fine them for gaping errors of judgement tho?

really moving one minute applause as opposed to one minute's silence at Goodison just now to mark the murder during the week.

Is a minute's applause really appropriate for a dead child? I can see for eg dead footballing legend but in this context it seems kind of weird.

I refuse to believe that Kasper Schmeichel is any older than 16.

That wasn't a penalty. It hit Brown on the chest.

Kasper Schmeichel for England, anyone?

Personally I think England should stick with Robinson or James.

in the long-term, I mean.

Short-term solution is Scotty Carson. Duh.

Yakubu is second only to Thierry Henry in the Premier League goals over the last four years.

waht

well ok i suppose so but still

For the life of me I have no idea how we lost that game - in a lot of ways that seemed our best performance of the season and United seemed to get away with things by the skin of their teeth on several occasions. Certainly didn't seem like the performance of a club in turmoil and I hope Jol isn't judged too harshly on it. Also yay Gareth Bale on the left!

Spurs deserved a draw, but it was another tedious game and it was never a penalty.

It was pretty terrible. But yeah, Gareth Bale looks great.

I don't think it was a penalty because even if it did hit his arm I don't think Wes Brown is actually clever enough to make such a deliberate yet subtle intervention.

Is a minute's applause really appropriate for a dead child? I can see for eg dead footballing legend but in this context it seems kind of weird.

Family's request, apparently. They were there yesterday, on the touchline with Moyes prior to k/o. We could have at least won for them, for chrissakes. (Bad year for kids in Everton tops; I should track down that pic of me inexpertly heading a ball against our yard wall, summer '79 [Umbro logo trim, proper badge stitched on by Mum], and burn it).

man i wish dawson and kaboul and king would get healthy because it's painful watching rocha and gardner. actually gardner wasn't awful today... but rocha. wow. he was mediocre at both ends. and keane? where was he?

That wasn't a penalty. It hit Brown on the chest.

Hi dere get one (1) eyeball. Definite arm stopped a definite goal. Penalty + red card if ref had any (1 or more) balls.

Does anyone think Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown are better defenders than anyone two divisions below them? I don't see it.

I would suggest they could perhaps get a place in Saints' starting eleven at present.

Penalty + red card if ref had any (1 or more) balls.

Having seen it again I withdraw that, he couldn't possibly see it. Linesman should have given it.

Diouf looking rather stylish in that clip on MOTD2 just now.

i'm talking about his attire, not display on pitch obv.

wraparound shades a definite plus point

Hi dere get one (1) eyeball. Definite arm stopped a definite goal. Penalty + red card if ref had any (1 or more) balls.

Lol. Every replay from every angle showed it hit him on the stomach/chest.

Every replay from every angle was inconclusive imo. The angle the ball deflected at as his arm came up makes it look like hand ball to me. My beer goggles when I watched it live said it was a stone waller and I trust my beer goggles with my life.

At absolute worst it hit his stomach AND arm, or possibly stomach then arm. In neither case would the ball have gone in the net had the arm not been there, and there's no question there was no intention to handball. So I reckon the ref and lino got it spot on (NB I don't like Man U at all so there's no bias here).

I thought it was stick on as it happened, then said ball to hand the first time I saw the replay. The more angles I saw it from, the one from behind the goal is the only one that appears to show an arm, which the officials couldn't have seen. As my mate said when we were watching it - "Wes Brown just isn't a good enough footballer to do it deliberately and make it look accidental."

I actually thought the Ferdinand(?) obstruction on Berbatov a minute or so before, when he got back up and chipped Van der Sar was a better shout.

Plush we should definitely have had a penalty - Brown hash ushed hish arm and shpread himshelf to block the shhot like a keeper and you can't do that.

Sean Connery Martin Jol agrees with drunk onimo :)

Ryan Giggs is going to bite Nani's ear off!
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44080000/jpg/_44080389_nani270.jpg

Jesus that photo is scary. Haven't seen anything like it since those 18th century Hogarth Panini sticker albums.

I dunno if this will work but i love this pic... http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/76333963.jpg

tom's all MOVE BITCH GET OUT THE WAY