Angry Fans
Today, and every Tuesday, he will be acting as referee on your opinions on the Premiership. Let him know what you think and he’ll argue the toss with you. We’ll be offering a free sports prize to the star contribution each week. This week — a bit rich United fans complaining about Fabregas; Eamon Dolan’s claims about Doyle; Everton’s great result at Chelsea; Red Devil gets red card; Officials in the spotlight; Why Barton should be banned; the pragmatism of Roy; Ronaldinho for Chelsea; Mourinho’s acuity.
LIAM, I find it a bit rich to hear a Man. Utd fan complaining about Fabregas moaning to the referee during the Arsenal/United game. Refereeing officials have been subjected to a tirade of abuse from Ferguson on a regular basis when things don't go his way. A very black kettle and pot spring to mind.
Quite. And these are the guys who are always demanding consistency from referees.
WAS very interested to read the story in this morning’s Champions about how Eamonn Dolan alerted Reading to the fact that Kevin Doyle was available after his brother Pat — who is now Doyle’s agent — was sacked by Cork City. Talk about keeping it in the family. To throw Shane Long into the mix as well really was the steal of the century. How Cork could have done with a little bit more than €€115,000. Still there’s always Longford Town to look forward to. What’s your call on that one Liam?
KEVIN Doyle would have gone at some stage and it was good for Ireland that he went to a club like Reading where he would get regular play rather than run the risk of being a bench warmer at places like Arsenal or Chelsea. Cork City’s loss was Ireland’s gain.
The point is that it could still have been Ireland's gain without Cork having to bite the financial bullet as well. As for Longford v Cork in the Cup final: the Leesiders to do it once everybody comes to their senses over the money wrangle.
WHAT A difference Tim Cahill makes to Everton, and what a good result that was at Stamford Bridge after the midweek exertions in Europe. The team was missing their best creative outlet with Arteta injured but in Victor Anichebe they’ve got someone who could be one of the best centre-forwards of the next generation. Well done David Moyes for taking off Phil Neville and going on the attack once Carvalho was injured. You deserve your new contract.
Damn. I had him in mind for a certain other sticky management job.
IS anybody keeping count of the number of penalties Liverpool are getting this season? If so, they’re going to need a super computer to keep up. When the referees’ supremo Keith Hackett rang up Anfield to apologise after the Chelsea game . . . did he also put a blank cheque in the post to Benitez?
Red card and three letter ban for bringing the column into disrepute.
LAST week referees were heaping praise on the officials of the United v Arsenal match for their decision on Gallas' goal. Dermot Gallagher's comments were in the Examiner last week and, yes, it was a correct decision and a decent decision, but why the need to highlight it again and again? Referees come in for a lot of criticism but so do players . It is the best players who answer them on the pitch and it is the refs who go generally unnoticed who are the ones performing at their best. What are the odds that we'll see a similar decision next week judged incorrectly? The officials will wish they never had been in the spotlight!
The officials will always be in the spotlight. And, just as often in the dark, until football introduces video technology.
IS THERE some genetic defect that Manchester City build into the midfielders they produce? After that ridiculous shorts dropping celebration by Stephen Ireland against Sunderland we’ve now had the latest in a series of X-rated incidents involving ex-City player Joey Barton. That was a terrible tackle against Sunderland, at least as bad as the one that the Benfica player did in the Celtic game in midweek. There should be a six-match ban for it at the very least.
MUST BE hard for Roy Keane to get hot under the collar about dangerous tackles. Let’s look at his quote: “That’s life and that’s football. Players have got to expect it against Barton — he’s a tough lad.If you wound the clock back eight seasons, and substituted the name Keane for Barton . . . you could almost be talking about Roy.
What's that phrase? Close but no cigar.
GREETNGS from a (wet) Catalunya, from a 20 year term Barça member — from Wexford. Two questions/comments. 1. I believe that 'our' Ronaldinho will go to Chelsea soon, especially if Chelsea don’t make it very far in the Champions. He’s ready to be sold & Barça are ready to sell him, as we have a ready made home-grown replacement in Giovanni dos Santos. Any comments?
2. G14, steadily growing. The rights to use your own players. Barça president la Porta has started making noises about doing something, and when he says something like that in public, you can bet it has been discussed at length in private. There seems to me to be a prima facie case for Strasbourg to intervene re the unfair use or abuse of FIFA powers and the unfair competition angle as well. After all, the internationals (at free cost to UEFA & FIFA) are chasing the same TV, sponsorship and entrance money as the clubs that actually pay for the players. Love the column!
And we love Barça! Have our Letter of the Week prize for reminding us there's more to football life than the Premiership.
WATCHING Chelsea play Everton yesterday I was reminded just how astute Mourinho was about two of his most profligate players. Shaun Wright-Phillips has some qualities (although not as many as his father claims) but one of them is not the delivery of a telling final ball. Mourinho never really trusted him to relentlessly put the opposition to the sword and that is why he was so frequently substituted or brought on to change a game.
But it is Joe Cole who is the greatest worry. Far from being “liberated” by the new regime, his game has gone backwards. He has lost all the discipline that Mourinho inculcated into him and has been a peripheral figure. His show-pony tricks are not appropriate for a tough Premiership and he has got the slowest step-over in the business. Away from Mourinho’s scowl he is a shadow of the player he was two seasons ago.
Mourinho: gone but not forgotten. Cork Blue: forgotten but not gone. Red card: how could we forget?
I'M a relatively new follower of the Irish team. I've been to every Ireland soccer game in Croker, but before that had only attended Landsdowne a handful of times.
It has struck me that the standard of the chants chanted by the Irish fans show no imagination whatsoever.
There's "Clap clap clapclapclap clapclapclap IRELAND!"
The annoying, "Stand up for the boys in green!" which forces all patriots onto their feet. (This was sung 6 times one night!)And if you're lucky, a round of OLEs starts up.
The anthem is sung with gusto every time, especially the last line, but that's about all that happens.
Admittedly, we fans have had precious little to sing about in the last few years, but we're reputed to be a land of witty scholars and bards!
Maybe the fact that we're struggling to make the European Championship finals AND the Eurovision final means our footie and our music are inextricably linked.
Goodness, what a thought (makes note to self to ask Sports Editor for paid sabbatical at UCD to write thesis on the subject)
