Football Focus

[SCSB79]

Villa 2 - 1 Norwich

Arsenal 3 - 0 QPR

Reading 1 - 1 Fulham

Stoke 1 - 2 Sunderland

Wigan 0 - 0 West Ham

Man City 5 - 0 Swansea

Everton 3 - 2 Liverpool

Newcastle 2 - 1 West Brom

Southampton 0 - 2 Tottenham

Chelsea 1 - 1 Man United

[Alan Medic]

Villa 2 - 0 Norwich

Arsenal 2 - 1 QPR

Reading 1 - 1 Fulham

Stoke 1 - 0 Sunderland

Wigan 2 - 1 West Ham

Man City 3 - 1 Swansea

Everton 2 - 0 Liverpool

Newcastle 3 - 0 West Brom

Southampton 1 - 1 Tottenham

Chelsea 1 - 3 Man United

[Alan Medic]

Mick won't like this.......

FORMER Barcelona star Bernd Schuster has criticised Celtic for their tactics in the 2-1 Champions League defeat at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night and claimed the Hoops do not deserve to be in the competition.

The former West Germany midfielder, who also played for and managed Real Madrid , accused Neil Lennon's men of being too negative in their Group G clash with the Catalan giants which ended in defeat when Jordi Alba scored an injury-time goal for the home side.

Celtic were widely praised for their display but Schuster was quoted in the Scottish Sun as saying: "I'm fed up of seeing these type of matches.

"There should not be teams like Celtic in the Champions League.

"We saw it last year with Chelsea. It was a very bad example for football and it is regrettable that they became European champions.

"You see Celtic defending with 10 men and almost snatching a point - that is not fair.

"I believe the coach of Celtic viewed many times the video of Chelsea last season against Barcelona.

"He decided to repeat the system, but the ultra-defensive system is not football.

"Chelsea have now generated a school for teams like Celtic to study. It would have been unjust if a team that defended with 10 men had taken one point in the home of the best club in the world.

"UEFA needs to change this phase of the competition if they want to breathe life into the Champions League.

"Celtic do not merit their place if they are going to play in this style."

[Otta]

So forget tactics, just know your place and let the best teams run all over you?

Moron.

[????]

Anu predictions from DaveR?

[red devil]

And not too late to join in the fun EP :)

[SCSB79]

So the Hearts.. Turns out they were looking at signing an ex player who was a free agent and now can't because of the embargo. The player has just signed for Dundee United.

Who was part of the decision making team on the embargo for Hearts??.... The Dundee United chairman!!!

Conflict???

[Mick Mac]

Celtic losing 2-0 to Kilmarnock. Easy Jet lag maybe.

As for Schuster...

"It's just the ramblings of someone who has failed as a coach," Lennon raged on BBC Sport. "I don't take too much notice of Bernd Schuster.

"I am more into the thoughts of Gordon Strachan, Martin O'Neill and the Alex Ferguson's of this world, who I would take advice from before anyone else. I am disappointed that the media here wanted to emphasise his thoughts on the game."

Schuster was similarly critical of Chelsea's tactics in their Champions League final win in May, but Lennon insists he did not set out to appear so defensive.

"I was sitting there 60 minutes into the game thinking 'God, what is Bernd Schuster thinking of our performance here, I better change it'," Lennon added sarcastically.

"I did go with two strikers and I did bring on James Forrest and Kris Commons.

"I didn't set out to be defensive, but sometimes Barcelona can get a grip of the opposition and not let go."

[Alan Medic]

Good retort from Mr.Lennon.

[Parkdrive]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Good retort from Mr.Lennon.

Schuster obviously touched a nerve.

[Mick Mac]

Please PD. What touched a nerve was that the Scottish media (being principally the Scottish Sun) made a huge headline of the comment. That's what Lennon was asked to respond to. And he did so very well.

['bout now]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ???? Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > ...as an aside, happy that I am there's a fair

> few

> > of us on here, I'm still a bit surprised that

> the

> > EDF Football Focus has more Irons regulars (EP,

> > Maxxi, Rhinestone, 'bout now and me) than any

> > others (Arsenal gets a bit close)...we must

> like

> > it down here in bandit country :)

>

> Glory hunters...

Now that IS funny!

[????]

No MOTD for me last night :(

['bout now]

Or me and no Sunday paper either.

[red devil]

I know you lost to Wigan, but it's not that bad...

[????]

Mark Clattenburg in making it all about him shocker.....absolute joke

[StraferJack]

I can't abide clattenburg

But I was happy to see the bookings for diving today (as I was gervinio booked for arsenal for same)

More of that please. Yes there was some contact with Torres. Yes the rules says as long as there is some contact it's not a simulation

But it was. So book em. All of em

[????]

You idealist you, can't agree. You'd have to change the rules and then that change would make it absolutely impossible for referres, contact=not a dive IS clear. Some terrible offside decisions this weekend benefitting Arseanal, Man U and Everton. At least the Hammers were taken apart fair and square!

[StraferJack]

Offside is a different argument tho ( and I agree with your weekend conclusion)

But not idealist

1) clamp down in game

2) retrospective video decisions

Everyone knows a dive when they see it. Everyone hates it. Relatively easy problem to solve. It really really is

[????]

If you get contact and go down that has to be *fair* although maybe not ideal, seriously in many cases how do you differentiate between a contact drive and going down involuntary? Can of worms, worse than now. I WOULD retrospectively have players banned for clear non contact dives I agree.

Clattenburg has 24% of the Red Cards in the Premiership this season, the man is a joke.

[StraferJack]

As I said I can't stand the man (clattenburg)

But that's not to say the main point is wrong

[El Pibe]

I'm the worlds worst football predictor RD.

After all it was me predicted a tight game in the Euros final....oh wait a minute.

[Otta]

" Everyone knows a dive when they see it."

I dunno about this. I have seen players go down and be accused of diving after replays show only minimal contact. What they never seem to mention is the pace of the man who goes down whilst running at full tilt. I think sometimes nominal contact is enough to throw off a player at full pace.

[StraferJack]

"" Everyone knows a dive when they see it." "

fair enough - sligtly too broad a brush there, but the thrust remains the same. your point about the pace of modern footballers is valid but too many players are aware of this and use it as a smokescreen

At the top level I really can't see any argument against technology for these big decisions

In the meantime, if enough doubt is introduced into cheaters minds by a sustained wave of cards then the net result should be broadly positive

(Torres should have gone anyway for his first yellow IMO - and even with the second and the "slight" touch he clearly put on a show.)

[????]

You can't have technology live in the game for this , that'd would inevitably lead to every near or in the box tackle going to the third referee/technology and would kill the flow of a game. What you CAN do, easily, is retrospectively punish players for clear dives, say with a 3v match ban that would quickly cut it out. Contact is contact, Torres was fouled.