You could clearly hear Fergie shouting " Where the f[iu[/ick did you get that from?" whilst spitting all over the 4th official after the board was put up on MOTD last night

So you think that football should turn into a 120 minute game so that 90 minutes of actual play takes place?



What if Gerrard and Torres are out injured. It'd take you about 5 days to come up with 90 minutes of "football".



It's a minor issue. Only brought about because of the failure of sides to do what they should have done anyway. But Fergie isn't going to slag off Rooney for passing to the keeper when Berbatov was free in front of goal. He isn't going to slag off Berbatov for not having the ability to volley from 7 yards out. He's just going to have a go at the ref for not giving the correct amount of added time.

It works in rugby so I don't see why it wouldn't work in football.

Like I said yesterday, we could've played all year and wouldn't have scored. IMO Fergie ballsed up by not starting with two strikers.

You have to love Fergie...

.....He's like your pi$$ed up grandad, who's just been told that a bunch of ethnics are moving in next door...



I'm just awaiting the day when the doddery old fool inevitably drops dead on the touchline whilst berating another piece of 'incompetent' refereeing....

Great goal by Arshavin

Aye I hate him

And what do we do when the 4th official says there's three minutes added time and Fergie thinks he's wrong?

What happens when the 4th offical deems 3 minutes and there's extra stoppages in those added minutes. Do we trust the ref to add the extra time for those stoppages, or do we need the 4th offical to make another judgement?

As I said, it's a minor issue, only brought out because United lost. It'd make precious little difference to the game if we did start using official timekeepers, but it's a hell of a lot of extra work and another way of undermining refs and making out they aren't up to the job.

If they stopped the clock for things like goal kicks, free kicks, corners etc., that take up a minute or so at a time, then there would be no arguments about extra time because it wouldn't be needed, like it isn't in rugby.

I think Gerrard is a diving cheat. But today was a good example of a clear penalty not been given when it was right in front of the ref. No matter how many pens Gerrard cons, he still won't get as many given as he deserves. What did Gallas need to do to give away the pen, break his leg?

Nice to see Wenger seeing the offside when Liverpool scored. Bleat about an offside rather than accept your keeper dropped a clanger.

There's no need for arguments now. It's just a convenient excuse wheeled out when a manager wants to deflect attention from their players.

ATM you know pretty much how long a game is lasting. 90 mins + 15 min half time + between 5 and 10 minutes added time depending on injuries. If you start stopping the clock for corners, free kicks etc then a 90 minute game will start lasting 120 minutes. There's no point. Football has always been pretty much the same with the amount of breaks in play. It works fine. The system in RL works well for RL, but it's not really needed for football.

I don't like it to be honest and I don't feel the extra time system is particularly fair or effective.


Shocking result from us today yet again. We give up the lead, we defend woefully then we give up. All too often.

And I'd add that coaches don't bitch about it in RL because it's recognised as not being that important. But there will be plenty of occasions when refs forget to tell the timekeeper to stop the clock. RL coaches don't bother to notice these things.

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger will be noticing these things (when they're losing). So instead of Fergie bitching about only 3 minutes of added time, he'll be bitching about the time when the player was down injured for 2 minutes and the clock didn't stop.

If you think having a new timekeeping system is going to stop arguments, you've clearly not seen much of Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez or Mourinho. FFS they bitch about anything and everything that doesn't go their way.

Do you feel it is fair when RL players rush to form a fake scrum, just to get the clock stopped? It's a nonsense. They only do it when they are behind and the game is coming to a close. During the rest of a game a scrum takes as long as it takes and there's no issue. But when the game is tight forwards have to rush like idiots to get into place, then the clock is stopped and everyone takes a bit of a breather until the opposition dawdle into place and the game is restarted.

RL players have a couple of minutes break after every try. Football players don't. RL is 80 mins, football 90 minutes reflecting the difference between an impact and minimal impact sport.

There's no problem wth the present system. No matter how much whining managers come out with.

Clattenburg made two major howlers (at least) in that game. And on the basis of what I've seen, was overheard, in the tunnel at the break, saying how much he disliked Bellamy. If that's not asking for trouble ...

Not necessarily forwards ... and that's the bit I really dislike about it. Any 6 bodies will do but then we have a break and let the 6 forwards form a scrum. The rule should be that the 6 who form the initial scrum and therefore stop the clock should be the 6 in the actual scrum.

The same will come to Rooney soon if he carries on like he is doing.

I thought he was excellent.

Clattenburg making howlers? I don't believe you.



TBF to Clattenburg here, who doesn't dislike Bellamy? Although going round saying that is very stupid when you're a match official.

TBH I haven't seen any of the incidents, so don't know whether Hughes was right in slagging off the ref.

But the fact is that even if the ref did have a poor game, a 3-3 draw with Bolton is a poor result. But it's easier for Hughes to bitch about the ref than acknowlege his expensively acquired defence can't keep the might of Bolton Wanderers out.

Fergie, Benitez and Mourinho don't usually bitch over absolutely nothing (they leave that to Wenger and his mysterious eyesight). They usually have a reason for complaining. Hughes is just doing exactly what the bigger managers do. Blaming refs to hide the failing of the team.

Nah flower, he went to Madrid.

I wouldnt want to see game times significantly extended to allow for every stoppage. I'm happy to restrict added time to long injury breaks, prolonged goal celebrations, substitutions and deliberate time wasting. I'd love to see them also add on time for the practice of deliberately taking the ball up to the corner flag, but that's not going to happen.

I still think that the RL timekeeping system could apply just as well in soccer. In fact the sight of the ref stopping time by holding his hands in the air might actually end up marginally shortening matches, as teams would see that they are not benefiting from time wasting eg by making otherwise pointless substitutions.

And I also believe that the sight of the stadium clock counting down adds greatly to the excitement. Much as I hate to raise the subject, the excitement of "Wide to West" was greatly enhanced by everyone knowing it was the last play.

Wenger never fails to make me laugh.

[url=http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Arsenal-to-launch-Essien-protest-which-could-see-Chelsea-docked-points/4080Now he's considering reporting Chelsea to FIFA.[/url

Just had this text

LFC end of season dinner

[size=150MENU[/size
Starter : Sour Grapes
Main Course : Plaice (probably fith possibly sixth)
Pudding : A selection from Kuyt, Ngog, Lucas, Dossena or Degan

Drinks will be available but theres strictly no doubles or treblesand definatly no Carling Premier. There will be a selection of wines available served by some fat spanish bloke with a dodgy beard.

Please note that dress code is strictly "late 80's".

All drinks will be served in plastic glasses as cups are not on the agenda again this season

Enter tainment on the night will be provided by Rafa Benitez who will be doing his party trick of making £200m disappear in to thin air with nothing to show for it

RE Carling Cup Semi:

Good news for FCUM fans - tickets for United fans have gone on general sale, even though City are taking 9,000 supporters.

Thatll probably be because we have a "carling cup opt out" when he renew our season tickets and I'm guessing that with all the hassle last year alot of people probably opted out.