I have no ostensible proof as to whether the way that we played yesterday was a decision made by Mourinho or the players completely disregarding his instructions and trying to shut up shop, when having been told to take the game to them. Of course, Mourinho would have us all believe that it's someone else's fault but personally, I doubt that and it's strange that it keeps on happening against anyone who isn't in the bottom half of the table. Is there anyone who actually believes a single word that this bloke says? However, the one thing that I'm pretty sure about, is that it really doesn't matter, either. If the players are ignoring his instructions to that level, then he's done. If he picked those players and chose to play that low block **** against that Arsenal team, then he's done. After the game, he called out our better players for hiding. I'm not sure what good that was meant to achieve, when he's flogged them to death and it can only be a matter of time before Kane pulls up lame again and we waste 2 or 3 of the best attacking players in the world. He's done and this ridiculous episode needs to end as soon as possible. However, Levy's going to give him enough rope to hang all of us...and he should have football decisions removed from him for that. P.s. Operation went fine...but I've got to spend the next 10 days with my arm up in the air...like I'm constantly asking for permission to go to the toilet.
Wouldn't disagree with most of that, although identifying the worst of the bunch yesterday is a tough call. One of 4 or 5 equally awful. As for Kanes challenge? Late, deliberate and a definite card. Yellow rather than red under the rules.
His downturn in form over the last two or so months has been worrying. I think it's definitely down to fatigue but maybe the new signing momentum has also worn off and perhaps he's just not as good as we initially thought he was after his first few months? We'll probably need another season to really assess, as well as better management of him but right now he's gone from being a potential signing of the season contender to slowly but surely becoming just another in the line of poor additions we've made in recent years. He's played every minute in the league, unnecessarily brought on or used in multiple Europa games, played 120 minutes against Everton either side of two league games and so I definitely think that he's likely running on empty, just as Son was (and Kane is). However, his inability to tackle of late and his erratic positioning can't just be down to fatigue in my opinion, he's currently looking like the Danish Winks which for me especially, is probably my worst nightmare. Thankfully we'll have Skipp next season, who I now believe goes straight into our XI, whether that be alongside or even for Hojbjerg and so with having two options like that, we may see Hojbjerg used more effectively and not ran into the ground which in turn hopefully gives us more of his form from the first three or so months of this season and not the most recent two or so months.
Football used to allow contact because it is a contact sport. Now contact has been outlawed in so many situations. Technology has allowed the slightly mistimed tackle to be punished when it wouldn’t have been in the past. A 50/50 ball, the defender makes contact with the opponent a fraction before getting the ball and he is penalised. As you say, the game is played at speed. What are the odds on a 50/50 tackle being clean? No better than 50/50. So these issues arise time and time again. Slo-mo replays don’t help because they create a false impression that the defender has time. The same kind of problems apply to handball and marginal offside decisions. So many games are being decided to some greater or lesser degree by how officials interpret these margins and that is always going to be unsatisfactory.
Can you imagine Chopper Harris,Nobby Stiles and Tommy Smith (to mention just three) playing today????
Those who make the rules and apply them have lost track of what the laws of the game are for. They're there to stop cheating and dangerous play. If they're not applied to give effect to those principles, the meaning is lost and decision making has no proper basis...and there's your problem. We're getting the wrong results because those in charge of making and applying the rules, are asking the wrong questions.
Thanks, Smithy...and I can report that we won...that match and the league, that year. To be fair, I was 23 or so and very fit then...and he would have been nearly 20 years older and suffering the effects of being a pro for most of his adult life, so catching me would have been the issue. I can't say I wasn't a bit worried before kick off, though.
P.s. Operation went fine...but I've got to spend the next 10 days with my arm up in the air...like I'm constantly asking for permission to go to the toilet.[/QUOTE] Glad to hear the op went well, hope you were discharged with a big bottle of pills from the "locked cabinet "
My mates son played against a young lad who was on Watfords books at the time , Warroll Sterling , this was an under 13 5 aside tournament , Sterling was about 5"5' with a full beard , don't think he grew much taller but he had a kick like a mule , he shot at goal and luckily my mates son who was in goal never got near it as it hit the bar and nearly flipped the goal over backwards
In Hojbjerg's defence I think poor decision making is a classic manifestation of tiredness and his game is all about positioning. His passing which was a feature of his game when he first joined us has also gone to pot. He just needs a rest and it's another poor decision from Jose who has taken advantage of his willingness to play every minute to the point of exhaustion.
Bale was poor as I was expecting so much more from him but he didn’t seem to be up for the game, nor did many others tbf. I wasn’t saying Red for Kane but defo a yellow and he needs to stop stupid fouls like this and the one where he waits for a player to jump and then makes contact coz besides being very dangerous, I think come the Euros I can see a sending off.