2010/2011 Season Thread

[Paranoid Android]

A match that was embarrassing at times, showing the worst side of football was just about saved by the man I'm becoming more and more comfortable describing as simply the best player ever.

The bad taste of what went before isn't fully removed though. Awful behaviour from both teams.

I usually love it when two teams hate each other and really go for it but the bitterness and tension between these two teams has become too much that the games are really suffering. It's a shame the idiots who think non-english football is always like this have got some ammunition. This match would be an extreme example whether you are talking about barca and mardrid or la liga or the premiership or the champions league.

Judging by the centre of Barcelona right now you would think the tie is all over. With the second leg at camp nou I'd say it might as well be.

[Shaki]

When did play acting and diving become part and parcel of the game? Is it too late to stamp it out? Why are players not embarrassed?

[Paranoid Android]

To be honest I think it's been around as long as I can remember watching football. So at least 15 or so years.

Tonight was a horribly extreme example though.

[Soda Jerk]

It's good that David Villa and Lionel Messi tend to not get involved in the ref surrounding and scuffling. Good men. Even sterling gents like Pique and Xavi stick their oar in and get a bit pissy, which is a shame.

Dani Alves might be the most insufferable man in football. He's only overtaken Mascherano because he rarely ever plays anymore so I don't have to see him being a little shit as much as I used to.

I hope Real still go through, but it looks highly unlikely. Theres no fluency in their final third against a team who press like Barca.

[keeno]

It's good that David Villa and Lionel Messi tend to not get involved in the ref surrounding and scuffling. Good men. Even sterling gents like Pique and Xavi stick their oar in and get a bit pissy, which is a shame.

Dani Alves might be the most insufferable man in football. He's only overtaken Mascherano because he rarely ever plays anymore so I don't have to see him being a little shit as much as I used to.

I hope Real still go through, but it looks highly unlikely. Theres no fluency in their final third against a team who press like Barca.

Add Pedro to the list as well. He was nearly as bad as Dani Alves.

Ref killed the game, Pepe's tackle was definitely a booking but never a red. Ironically Adebayor got away with the opposite. He should have used his second yellow to go slapping a few more Barca players around. Take one for the team and amuse the crowd!

[Paranoid Android]

Villa was a bit annoying last night too I thought. He can be quite bad for the pain expressions ash he falls down easily.

Messi usually behaves very very well although in the big games he can quite often have a petulant little kick at someone.

I didn't notice xavi getting involved too much last night. Puyol, Keita, Mascherano and Pique stood out for me on the Barca side as the worst for crowding the ref.

I used to really look forward to the Classicos now I'm quite happy that after Tuesday I wont have to see one for about 6 months.

I don't like how nasty Pep and Mou are getting either. Jose's not as playful in his attacks as he used to be. He needs to get back to England.

[Soda Jerk]

I forgot about Pedro. I have no idea how he keeps getting in the team. His decision making is just awful. Affelay is just better and offers something the other don't - He doesn't constantly cut inside. Marcelo had the front three sussed because all of them cut inside and he was just poking the ball away. The first time Affelay ran across him to the byline, they scored.

Pedro is an annoying little shit as well, but also just not that good. And I'm also a bit gay for Affelay.

[Paranoid Android]

Pedro was playing unbelievably well before christmas. He was possibly the best non-messi player. He rightfully established himself as a first team player on the level as the rest of the team.

And then he started playing shit.

[Shaki]

Play acting should be punishable retrospectively. If you go down clutching your face when you haven't been touched or spend ages lying on the deck when there is clearly nothing wrong with you then you should have to explain your actions in front of a panel. Your parents should get a letter too. Also, a maximum of three rolls on the ground is more than is physically required without you hamming it up.

[Shaki]

Messi usually behaves very very well although in the big games he can quite often have a petulant little kick at someone.

.

You have to cut him some slack considering he is hoofed all over the park every game. Still, let the fitba dee the talking Lionel.

[Guest Gladstone]

Play acting should be punishable retrospectively. If you go down clutching your face when you haven't been touched or spend ages lying on the deck when there is clearly nothing wrong with you then you should have to explain your actions in front of a panel. Your parents should get a letter too. Also, a maximum of three rolls on the ground is more than is physically required without you hamming it up.

We're fighting a losing battle against play-acting in football because we seem to be one of the last countries that is totally against it.

I played in a tournament in Spain when I was 14, which is a whole 15 years ago (fucking hell!). We played against German, Russian and Spanish teams. Even at that age the Germans and Spanish kids were flailing about, diving all over the place, conning the referees etc. It must be part of their football education.

It's becoming more readily acceptable in England to throw yourself about - probably down to the massive influx of foreign players and managers, as well as the mentality that if other teams will do it to you, you might as well stop moaning about it and do it back. And more players in Scotland are doing it now as well. There's always plenty of outrage when an opposition player does it, but people turn a blind eye to their own players doing it. Martin O'Neill used to regularly refer to Petrov's blatant diving as "cute" play. There's nothing cute about cheating Martin. I fucking hate it when Celtic players dive - I just find it embarrassing.

BUT, it's sometimes difficult because of the mentality of some referees - whether it's intentional or not, some referees won't see a foul if the player stays on their feet, probably because 9 out of 10 times when there's contact, the player will go down instead of trying to stay on his feet.

Coolstorybro moment - a few years ago, we were playing in a Buchan League match - New Deer vs New Pitsligo. My older brother was a bit of a Messi of amateur football, in that he could skip past folk as if they weren't there and he used to get fouled a lot. We had probably the worst referee ever to grace the amateur game that day - my brother had taken the ball into feet from a throw-in, and sidestepped the defender who absolutely blootered him in the shin. The way the kick came in at him, it didn't knock him off balance or anything like that, but he was in a crowd of players with the ball at his feet, but just taken a massive blooter to the shin, so couldn't even walk. The referee's reasoning for no free kick? "You didna go doon ma loon"

Same game - I won a penalty after taking my one and only dive of my life. There was contact, but I could easily have stayed up and been one on one with the keeper, but at a hoor of an angle. I was "cute". I'm not proud of it (other than the fact, I single-handedly won that game against our bitter rivals. We won 3-2 after I scored the opener, "won" the penalty to make it 2-0, handballed the ball on the line as it was going into the top corner, before only receiving a yellow card (!), and they missed the penalty). I was only about 19 at the time, and I felt like a hero. I'm ashamed of myself now though...

[Paranoid Android]

I don't really have a problem with players who go down easily when they are fouled. I've got used to it and understand it really. Total dives when there is no contact incidents live the famous Rivaldo ball to hip/face incident piss me off though.

[Soda Jerk]

I don't agree with players going down easily, because contact doesn't instantly equate to a foul. It means tackles inside the penalty area simply can't happen and the ball carrier becomes almost invincible. I think all incidents of diving/play-acting should be reviewed by the governing bodies at the next and closest opportunity. Any incident deemed as a dive should be slapped with a massive ban, no exceptions. It wouldn't appease the team who fell victim to a penalty achieved from a dive, but I think it would eventually stamp it out. Even if the dive gained no advantage, and the referee yellow carded the diver, it should still be reviewed. Boom. 10 match ban. You wouldn't dive again, would you? It's probably deemed as harsh, but so is losing to a penalty that shouldn't have been, or going down to 10 men. Diving is obviously a massive problem. The only way to remedy it is to be harsh as fuck about it. I should be in charge. Blatter's not got the fortitude to make any radical changes where change is needed. Pussy.

[Guest Gladstone]

I don't agree with players going down easily, because contact doesn't instantly equate to a foul. It means tackles inside the penalty area simply can't happen and the ball carrier becomes almost invincible. I think all incidents of diving/play-acting should be reviewed by the governing bodies at the next and closest opportunity. Any incident deemed as a dive should be slapped with a massive ban, no exceptions. It wouldn't appease the team who fell victim to a penalty achieved from a dive, but I think it would eventually stamp it out. Even if the dive gained no advantage, and the referee yellow carded the diver, it should still be reviewed. Boom. 10 match ban. You wouldn't dive again, would you? It's probably deemed as harsh, but so is losing to a penalty that shouldn't have been, or going down to 10 men. Diving is obviously a massive problem. The only way to remedy it is to be harsh as fuck about it. I should be in charge. Blatter's not got the fortitude to make any radical changes where change is needed. Pussy.

I'm 100% with you. Can I be your assistant? Been saying for long enough that the way to stamp this out is to hit players with retrospective bans. Same goes for any manner of foul play, off the ball incidents or whatever.

I'm not really an advocate of technology being used during the match, because I like the controversy the human error element of refereeing etc can add to the excitement of a match, but that doesn't mean that outright cheating is acceptable so long as you get away with it. You may give your team an advantage in that game, but you'll definitely not do it again if you get hit with a 10 match ban. And if you do, you're a fucking idiot, and the punishment should be for the 11 men on the team you cheated against get one toe-punt each at your balls.

[Paranoid Android]

There are also fouls which go unnoticed if the player doesn't go down and fouls which can be more dangerous if a player doesn't jump (leading to a fall) out the way.

Dangerous tackling is a bigger problem needing solved than diving in modern football.

But by far the biggest problem is the lack of tv technology to solve tough calls and specifically goal line decisions.

[Soda Jerk]

The biggest problem in football is the fact that Florent Malouda still hasn't decided on a hair style yet. Just pick one! If you go from faux-hawk to pineapple braids again, then you're banned for 10 matches.

[Guest Gladstone]

Disagree. The biggest problem in football is John Terry. No exceptions.

[Paranoid Android]

Someone better rep Soda's post because I can't.

[Kieran_imray]

I forgot about Pedro. I have no idea how he keeps getting in the team.

QFT, they should just sign Juan "The absolute boy because he is a hero for me in FIFA" Mata and be done with it.

EDIT: and because he does this to Raul Albiol

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Someone better rep Soda's post because I can't.

Done.

888

[soundian]

I'm all for retrospective banning for play-acting, but only where it can be conclusively proven there was no contact.

If it is conclusively proven, the player should be hit with a massive ban (10 games sounds good) and the game should be awarded to the opposition 3-0. Not only will that deter individual players, it'll also deter managers from encouraging it or simply turning a blind eye.

The video evidence showing there was no contact with whatever body part the budding actor is holding should also be released to the press, just so we can all see that the proof is irrefutable.

[MattJimF]

Rangers still bleating on about how it wasn't them - BBC Sport - Uefa fines Rangers and bans fans for one away game

[Scorge]

Rangers still bleating on about how it wasn't them - BBC Sport - Uefa fines Rangers and bans fans for one away game

They got off lightly. Scum.

Saw some of the Real/Barca prawn sarnie special on Tuesday but had to switch it off because the amount of play-acting and theatrics was just unbearable. I don't give a flying toss how good Lionel Messi is, that wasn't a game of football, it was a load of fucking bollocks....

[Spoonie]

Saw some of the Real/Barca prawn sarnie special on Tuesday but had to switch it off because the amount of play-acting and theatrics was just unbearable. I don't give a flying toss how good Lionel Messi is, that wasn't a game of football, it was a load of fucking bollocks....

I wouldn't go quite that far but having watched three Clasico's in a row, I'm tired of all the cheating. Those games are full of skill and fire but it really does ruin it for me.

[Paranoid Android]

Tuesday's match was far from typical. These past three matches have been a bad bunch though. After a few years of generally good to great matches between the two sides.