Wullie

How's that not a booking for Jones?

Hell's bells. Big blow for them.

So are mine this season. Gone for these.

Ref in Italy at the same time averages 5+, and I expect the mackems and Boro to be pretty feisty. Will have some double-trixies.

I was thinking whilst watching MOTD the other night, there's got to be quite a few pissed off players at Forest. Not just the ones who brought them up who will soon be out of the team, you expect that, but also players they bought early like O'Brien and Toffolo. They've been bought and then replaced within the same transfer window.

Nobody should be under any illusions that it's all a perfect dream elsewhere btw. Lazio are absolutely livid about the penalty they didn't get for a pretty clear elbow against Napoli on Saturday. The handball law is used very differently in Italy as well, very pedantic about it with VAR. I wasn't surprised to see Conte aggrieved at the Cresswell handball being overturned last week. In Italy that's given as a penalty 100% of the time.

What brand are they protecting by disallowing a Newcastle goal vs Crystal Palace? Does ruling out the MacAllister goal yesterday protect the brand? "Come and watch our league, when a stunning goal is scored, we'll look for a pedantic way to disallow it" (presumably to protect Leicester City, then award a penalty against them five minutes later). That makes no sense whatsoever as an argument. I can't believe I'm defending the officials but the principle of Hanlon's Razor applies here.

Which bookie? I've got a fiver on Betfair, I'm torn between Crooks at 13/5 and Jones at 5/1. Crooks is more reliable but 5/1 is a really big price for another regular in the book, including the last 3 games. Boro bookings, I would say the players to look at are Crooks, Jones, McGree, Howson, McNair, Lenihan (they have a great collection of players who love a card). They've just signed Mowatt as well to add to it. I'm also thinking of including Stewart 2 SOT at 16/5. He's had 3 in both the last 2 games.

Love the idea that refs are "told to give a certain amount of throw ins" Halsey towards the end of a game just desperately awarding throws at random when the ball is blasted over the bar.

I'd love to know what the intention of this supposed corruption is. If it's all about getting one over on NUFC, do they just not invite Michael Oliver to the meetings? Leave him off the email distribution list, like they're having a whip round for his birthday? Maybe that's why he stuck with his decision on Saturday, because he's missed all the secret gatherings.

I can't let any mention of Dermot Gallagher pass without posting his real accent.

Yes but it's very modern, goes back only about 4 or 5 years (article below from 2020). It's a great rivalry because they don't hate each other just because they're supposed to, because they're in the same city or whatever, the players themselves seem to have built up a genuine disdain for each other. Valencia also pinched Getafe's manager last summer (has since been sacked), which cranked it up again, and his first game last season was vs Getafe, it was absolutely brutal. https://www.football-espana.net/2020/11/02/la-liga-weekly-roundup-valencia-against-getafe-is-spains-newest-must-see-rivalry

Not even Spain's most lenient ref or a 5-0 scoreline can stop Valencia and Getafe kicking lumps out of each other.

I actually had a tackle less for Arsenal than I thought so I think I've won, if the count doesn't change. Have to say I thought it was on 13 and I didn't see a definite tackle towards the end. Really hope it holds as I've had a piss poor weekend, mainly thanks to VAR.

I don't think we'd think that Eriksen foul was worth a penalty. Very very soft.

Ken Early was on about this last week on Second Captains when there was a similar decision, a goal ruled out for a soft foul in the build up. Basically they seem to be taking a stance of let the game flow and don't give soft ones, unless that soft one leads to a goal, in which case disallow it afterwards.

2 cards each BTTS 8 Man United goal kicks 15 tackles each 18/1

Ward gave him almost the whole net to aim at there.

Wouldn't be surprised if this is Brendan's last game, they look shot to bits.

I disagree, the whole system is designed around a principle of "a goal has been scored, let's see what we can find that could disallow it" It's sucking all the joy out of the sport.

What an utterly miserable system this is, get fucking rid of it

Yeah Valencia Getafe, for some reason, is the most cardy fixture in Europe, certainly the big 5 leagues anyway (I think some big Portuguese games run it close), has been for years. The ref's not the best tonight, only a 3.4 average, so there's probably value in unders.

Lee Mason doesn't need a head injury to make a decision like that, he was the worst ref in the league for the last ten years.

Willian

They flag if they think it's offside, same as it ever was, the difference is that they're supposed to wait until the play stops or until a potential scoring opportunity comes to an end (which he did).