Aphrodite

If I was a ref, before the game I would speak to both managers and captains warning them that if any player gobs off, they will get booked straight away for dissent. No messing. Do it again, and they're off. Only the captains could speak to me. Players are c***s and need treating as such. Problem is, top level refs have no leadership. I'll remind you of that next time a Newcastle player gets booked for dissent Not enough players get booked for dissent IMO. It should be like Ice Hockey where there is a blanket ban on non-captains speaking to the officials. It really boils my p*ss when players surround the ref. No need whatsoever. If at work, my blokes did that to me when I made an unpopular decision, I'd charge the c***s. (Obviously they wouldn't do that, because they are far, far more proffessional than footballers, so it's a bit of a moot point.) Very much agree with you actually- sadly I don't think there's the will at the top of the game though to enforce it.

If I was a ref, before the game I would speak to both managers and captains warning them that if any player gobs off, they will get booked straight away for dissent. No messing. Do it again, and they're off. Only the captains could speak to me. Players are c***s and need treating as such. Problem is, top level refs have no leadership. I'll remind you of that next time a Newcastle player gets booked for dissent

I think every manager should have to do a few games as a ref- you realise how difficult it is, how fit you need to be and how annoying most players are!!

Why not give it a go then? Sort me out with a fixture to ref, and I'll do it. If I knew where you lived, I genuinely would. I reckon your opinion would change almost immediately. It's fucking hard work!

Why not give it a go then?

Keepers shouldn't wear white- it's just wrong.

I'm getting the same message- makes the forum basically inaccessible. Would be a shame if it was something deliberate.

We're going to lose on pens- I can feel it.

You can only have two teams from the same country in the same 'half' of the draw. Arsenal and Chelsea were in E and F so Man City had to be in A, B, C or D. And it's just always the way it's been, it's a European competition I guess.

You can only have two teams from the same country in the same 'half' of the draw. Arsenal and Chelsea were in E and F so Man City had to be in A, B, C or D. And it's just always the way it's been, it's a European competition I guess.

All this makes Jim Rosenthal stood in a room with one camera look a bit shit really

Don't even understand that from Puyol- the draw is taking place in Switzerland so it's not like he's just come off the training ground. Mental.

Kasper Schmeichel WTF was that

It's on straight afterwards, calm down ya dafty

Running order 1.Ars v Liv, 2. Ev v QPR 3. NE derby 4. Chels v WBA 5. AV v B'burn 6 Swans v Wigan.

Wenger is going mental

Kasper Schmeicel picks up two yellow cards in a minute

Did they surround the referee though? The melee was going on for about ten seconds before the referee even noticed it was happening. I assume that'll be Newcastle's defence. The fine is usually £10,000 though, it's nothing to get worried about.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/football/09/27/chelsea.charges/index.html 'Referee Mike Dean reported the club after at least four players surrounded him when he sent off Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi in the first half'

From memory, it's a charge that is automatically triggered whenever a certain number of players surround the referee (think it's four). It's usually only punished with a small fine.

That's what disappoints me the most, as I said yesterday all the attention is on joey, yet of the three players invol ed in unsavoury activiy yesterday, he was the one least in the wrong. A player who intentionally and cowardly stamped on another achielles, something that could easy have result in a seasn or career ending injury and a person who tried to cheat and raised his hands to the face of another player are forgotten about because joey grab the said cheater's shirt too vigorously and made the most of of slap. Sad that some of the most vocal profess to support this club. You seem to be unaware that human beings are capable of condemning some actions whilst also condemning others. He feigned injury, simple as, I hate it when other players do it and I hate it when Barton does it. It's called being objective.

Seriously though, this is part of the reason why shit like this carries on in the game. People will scream blue murder if something is done by a player from another team but will try and justify it if it's done by one of their own as it's 'part of the game'.

Assist him to get off the ground

sigh What? As I said, if it was a player from the other team people would have gone off it. Sick of him posturing as a moral benchmark on Twitter when he dives and stubs out cigars in peoples eyes. tbf, Jonas could smack the ball clear as day out of play and people at SJP would go off it when the ref gives the opposition a throw in I remember someone (think it was Kaz) arguing that Pedersen was feigning injury after he got basically GBHd by Barton

Brilliant.