Angry Fans
He casts his eye over your comments and gives his own critical analysis of the
goings on throughout the world of football. You may agrewith him or then again
you may not. This week Mike Dean incident; European referees and preferential
treatment; Fergie not happy with TV games; Blaming zonal marking; Liverpool and
three goals they need; Difficult to break the mould in Top Four; City fans turn
on Hughes after another defeat; Award for the most improve player; Media unfair
on Rooney; Rafa rants about Fegie are mononic; Boycott of Aviva Stadium.
The Letter of the Week goes to Shane. Get in touch with your postal address and
our magnificent prize will be winging its way to you before you know it.
Most
of us who are passionate about the game of football will now and again slate the
referee and the officials but what happened to Mike Dean in Cardiff was nothing
short of a disgrace. Whoever threw that coin has no place in football. Why should
Mike put his safety at risk, trying to do the job that is arguably the worst in
the world of sport, so idiots like those claiming to be Cardiff City supporters
can throw objects at him? I think it happened at Villa Park last season as well
so I hope the FA clamp down on it straight away this time. Mike could have easily
lost his eyesight. I think that says it all. Other than that, we've had great
entertainment lately like the Luton v Scunthorpe game at Wembley and the
late dramatics at Old Trafford. Let's hope for more of the same for the next few
weeks rather than attacks on referees.
Shane, by email
Can't disagree with this but can't help noting either that this may
be the first letter ever written to Angry Fans which is sensitive on the subject
of a referee's eyesight. So have our Letter of the Week prize for breaking the
mould. But, hang on, normal service is about to be resumed....
When are
European referees going to sort the rules about freekicks? Cesc Fabregas was booked
by the Norwegian ref for taking a quick freekick and scoring against Villarreal,
yet when Ryan Giggs scored from a similar situation against Lille two years ago
the goal was allowed to stand. Have the rules changed, or is it that Man Utd get
preferential treatment from European officials just as they do in England?
Liam Mulkearn, Mallow, by email
Always nice to hear
from Arsene.
Is it right that there is a Spanish referee for the
Chelsea-Liverpool game this week? Does UEFA believe that's fair? You couldn't
see it happening if Jose Mourinho was still at the club.
Paul, Chelsea fan,
Dublin
lOUR SHOUT: Come back to us after the ref has awarded three jammy goals
to the visitors.
I can't believe Fergie was happy about playing
a big league match on Sunday and a Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday,
even if both matches were at Old Trafford. Against Villa, the boys came good at
the end, but you could tell it took it out of them from the sluggish way they
started against Porto, and that late goal they conceded was obviously down to
fatigue. The Portuguese at least had the chance of playing on Saturday night.
So did Villarreal. Why wasn't that an option for United?
Ciaran, Cork
United did have the option of playing on the Saturday but Ferguson
chose the extra day to allow his players who were on international duty more time
to recover. Not that you could really tell.
I just heard Paul Walsh
on Sky again blaming zonal marking for the defeat against Chelsea. But the stuff
about Liverpool's zonal marking being a weakness is a lot of hot air. We've conceded
21 league goals this season and four of them have been from corners. Of those,
two were own goals against Spurs and Middlesbrough, one was against Newcastle
in the 5-1 win, and the other against Blackburn was also irrelevant. So the two
that cost us where when we put the ball in our own net. Only one indirect freekick
has cost us points all season against Everton at Anfield. Against Chelsea
last Wednesday, Alonso and Gerrard were both man-marking Ivanovic and failed to
stop him. It wasn't zonal; it was individual mistakes that cost us. Blaming zonal
marking is an excuse for those who just don't know anything.
Paul McCarthy,
Limerick
If only your defenders were as in the zone
as you, Paul.
So Liverpool fans are saying that because Bolton scored
three at Stamford Bridge it means that they can do the same. They don't seem to
have noticed we were 4-0 up at the time or that Lampard, Essien and Drogba
weren't playing. Think again Reds. Enough of your history. It's our turn to play
a final in Rome.
Michael, Cork Blue
I didn't
know the semi-final was in Rome? Have a red card for hubris.
Martin
O'Neill and David Moyes both accepted their battle for a Champions League spot
is over after Sunday's draw. Villa seemed set to break the mould, but they've
shown how difficult it is to compete if you don't have the strength in depth to
rest players. Does anyone believe there will be a serious challenge to the Big
Four next season?
Colm O'Shea, Fermoy
Yes!
Man City! Or, then again, maybe not. Read on...
I see City fans
are turning on Mark Hughes now, which is no surprise. But he's done football a
service in proving that you need more than money to bring success. Stephen Ireland
has been their outstanding player all season, and he's proved again in the last
two games that he deserves to be playing for a better side.
Sean O'Donovan,
Cork
Like, er, Ireland?
If there was
an award for Most Improved Player it ought to go to Marouane Fellaini. He seems
able to play anywhere, and he's been great since David Moyes moved him into the
attack. He always gives 100% unlike more famous imports such as Robinho and Deco.
Shame about the hair though!
Toffeegirl, West Cork
Perfect for those cushioned headers, though.
Why isn't Wayne Rooney
given more credit for his performances this season? The media harp on about his
indiscipline, and some United fans criticise him, yet he's been our best player
recently, and the only one near anything like his best form, bar perhaps Fletcher.
Against Porto, Rooney has on nigh single-handedly kept us in the game. Great first
goal who else would anticipate a back pass like that? - and a superb touch
back to Tevez for the second. If we get through this week it will be down to Rooney,
and our hopes this season may rest on this lad's shoulders.
Eamonn
Buckley, Cork
Ah, come on, I don't think Rooney's contribution
has been underestimated at all. But you're right, it's immense.
Liverpool fans make me laugh. The league is fixed, We're unlucky.
The way they talk you'd think Alex Ferguson had every official in his pocket,
yet it's Liverpool who've benefited from having seven (or is eight?) opponents
sent off this season.
The most recent trophies they won have all been
on penalties, and that famous Champions League win was achieved thanks to a goal
that wasn't and dive from Gerrard (nothing new there then).
Now we've got
Rafa Benitez saying things about Fergie that are so moronic they must even embarrass
Scouse fans. Someone should tell him you need to engage your brain before playing
mind games.
Connor, Limerick
(Deep sigh).
Give us all a rest and just sort it out on the pitch, will ya?
HI
LIAM, A group of determined gentlemen and myself are starting a boycott of the
name 'AVIVA Stadium'. Having realized that AVIVA is the same backwards as it is
forwards, we've decided to begin calling it 'The Palindrome'. We hope this will
spread through the ranks of supporters and become the unofficial title. If we
could get the Examiner's chief sports writer on board we'd be well on our way
to saving Irish football from certain destruction.
Join our group on
facebook - "Aviva la Revulsion!" and/or tell your friends!
Joe, Dublin, by email
"The Palindrome".
Love it. I'll pass the word on to the "Examiner's Chief Sports Writer."
