Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:29 pm 0

KevG wrote:
Dio wrote:- but there was no way Cisse should have stayed on the pitch either after the second crowd taunt, and Riley's only consistency was his inconsistency. I just wish the game would have been played on a level field.

To be honest, I was almost surprised there wasn't a pitch invasion at Newcastle. Fortunately the fans have more sense, but I've never, ever felt an uglier atmosphere in the stadium than today.

What did he do, mate? Didn't see the game at all. I've only just seen the goals on the box, now. Cisse put the penalty away and appeared to reveal something written on a t-shirt under his kit? What was all that about. He was a bit smug, yeah. The telly hasn't (yet) shown anything else? What was going on???

He's had a new kid (hence the daft 'C' marking on his head - name is Cassius). So, he's obviously all aglow with fecundity and lifted his shirt to show a message to his kids.

The Newcastle fans then taunted him, and he did a sort of 'C'mon, then!' spaz-face gesture - more silly than threatening.

The bit that confused me was, why they were taunting him in the first place. Unless he actively celebrated in front of them, it just looked like a dead cert - and nicely converted - penalty. What was the problem?

I'm a bit surprised at St James' Park, actually. Dunno what you mean by ugly atmosphere, Dio, but on telly it was like a fucking library. Liverpool fans being booed for singing, but not much passionate vocal support from the Newcastle fans for their own team...

PaulEMoz · Post by **PaulEMoz** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:23 pm 0

Sickboy wrote:I'm a bit surprised at St James' Park, actually. Dunno what you mean by ugly atmosphere, Dio, but on telly it was like a fucking library. Liverpool fans being booed for singing, but not much passionate vocal support from the Newcastle fans for their own team...

Not actually being in the stadium, I couldn't be sure, but I get the feeling everyone is just sick to death of false dawns and are venting their frustration on whatever happens to be convenient at the time. Not an excuse, though. I didn't think he did that much wrong, the "taunting" looked like a bit of gentle winding-up, and Cisse seemed to be enjoying the whole thing.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:36 pm 0

Cisse did two different things. First of all, after scoring the penalty he jumped over the boards and pulled his shirt over his head (at the Gallowgate end - the Liverpool supporters are 100m away). For that he got booked, but Riley looked like he wasn't going to do it, and it's only after severe barracking by the fans that he suddenly changed his mind from waiting by the centre spot and ran towards Cisse, pulling a card out quickly. So the crowd were upset with Cisse but really it was Riley's fault - if he'd done his job and booked him immediately I doubt there would have been much feeling (although in the atmos of that game being a tosspot enough to celebrate gloriously in front of the Gallowgate was probably not the best plan).

So a few minutes later after a Liverpool attack at the same end that resulted in a goal kick, as everyone else walked away he ran towards the goal-line and did a two-fists-up "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" gesture. It wasn't just a quick thing, it was like ten seconds right in front of the fans on the edge of the six-yard box. The crowd went absolutely wild and after yet another long pause, Riley came over - we thought to book him again for deliberately goading the crowd, but he just got a talking to.

If you want context, it's very similar to what Gary Neville did. Very, very similar.

I'll agree that the crowd weren't as behind the team as they can be - although it wasn't exactly a quiet match, I've seen far worse in the depths of this Christmas - but by hell they had a go at Mike Riley on a constant basis from start to finish, even before the goal. After the second Cisse incident 50,000 fans sang "Who's the Scouser in the green". And I mean 50,000. It's the loudest I've heard our fans since the FA Semi-final last year. They were also very vocal in the last ten minutes, although that's after the Liverpool fans started "You'll never walk alone" which goaded the rest of the crowd into action. And there were a lot of unfortunate chants at Cisse's expense which, personally, I thought were an embarassment to our fans, but fortunately none of them racist.

Cisse picked an unfortunate time to play the enemy. The crowd would have had nothing against Liverpool - after all, they felt they were being beaten by the ref - but he then chose to make it personal by being a tosser in front of the 'home end'.

Riley's never been a Newcastle kind of ref, because he's always been stop-start, blow for the tiniest thing, but by god today it was even worse, he also showed no kind of consistency at all.

As soon as I saw him I thought it was bad news, and I hate to have been proved right by my main argument against the Uriah Rennie haters a few weeks ago which was "He's not as bad as Mike Riley."

Loada · Post by **Loada** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:14 pm 0

He's a truly shit ref. Is there anyone he DIDN'T book in that game!?

Uriah Renney (whilst we're on the subject) had an ok game at the weekend and made a very good "play-the-advantage" decision that ended up in a goal. Yep, despite his previous history, he's definitely not as bad as Mike "Have I booked YOU yet?!" Reilly.

edited for spelling.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:34 pm 0

Yeah, I like Rennie's attitude to the game - old fashioned English football - although I don't think his decisions are as sharp as they should be.

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:38 pm 0

Ah. Thanks for that, Dio. Helpful context. The edit on Sky just made it look like he'd celebrated near the home fans and was being goaded for the yellow card.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:52 pm 0

I'm about to see the MOTD2 version of events...

<edit>

Yeah, from a football point of view that was a balanced version of events - Liverpool had the better of the play, their goals were fair (apart from the Shearer foul but the goal itself was just fine) but Newcastle really didn't get to play (I would say because of the ref). It clearly showed the incidents that infuriated the crowd.

And for a highlight show it alluded quite significantly to Riley's affect on the overall spectacle.

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:20 am 0

Dio wrote: If you want context, it's very similar to what Gary Neville did. Very, very similar.

Fair point, it was like that.
But on the whole i thought we played very well, can't fault anyone.Although i was a bit unsure when Cisse stepped up for the Pen, i thought here we go nice pass to the keeper.But took a good pen.
Wish he'd looked up when we had a chance to make it four when HK was clear on goal. Thought kewell had bags of space in the match.
Well the Brum's next, hopefully we'll keep it going

Also nice to see Chelsea get beat, specially after we did fulham over in the week, and then they lose to them

Didn't see after match report, but I can imagine Mourinho came out with his usual "Best team lost" bollox again

Rev. Stuart Campbell · Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:28 am 0

mac monkey wrote: Didn't see after match report, but I can imagine Mourinho came out with his usual "Best team lost" bollox again

Nope, he was very gracious, and accepted that the handball goal should have been disallowed, though he queried - as everyone did - how the ref or linesman could possibly have seen what happened.

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:36 am 0

Rev. Stuart Campbell wrote:
mac monkey wrote: Didn't see after match report, but I can imagine Mourinho came out with his usual "Best team lost" bollox again
Nope, he was very gracious, and accepted that the handball goal should have been disallowed, though he queried - as everyone did - how the ref or linesman could possibly have seen what happened.

Gracious through his clenched, gleaming, Portuguese gnashers. He couldn't resist a bleat about how the Fulham players influenced the referee. Good! They changed what would have been a wrong decision into a right one.

Rev. Stuart Campbell · Mon Mar 20, 2006 11:39 am 0

Yeah, but he had a fair point. All the commentators had said the same thing. Basically, the officials guessed, and happened to guess right. Which is better than guessing wrong, but it still raises some legitimate questions.

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:53 pm 0

Rev. Stuart Campbell wrote:Yeah, but he had a fair point. All the commentators had said the same thing. Basically, the officials guessed, and happened to guess right. Which is better than guessing wrong, but it still raises some legitimate questions.

Maybe the ref should have the power to convene an on-the-spot huddle of players and officials for a Twelve Angry Men-style thrash-out of contentious decisions.

Might break up the game a bit, mind.

Ely · Post by **Ely** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:15 pm 0

Sickboy wrote: Twelve Angry Men

Quality Film that is

biggestjim · Post by **biggestjim** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:22 pm 0

Ely wrote:
Sickboy wrote: Twelve Angry Men
Quality Film that is

Off topic but: seconded!

Btw, I heard there was a remake done?

Ely · Post by **Ely** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:56 pm 0

biggestjim wrote: Btw, I heard there was a remake done?

Yup. Directed by William 'The French Connection & Exocist' Friedkin no less.