Neil

It's down to the ref not wanting to set a precedent for the rest of the match. Yeah that's fair enough. But on the other hand if it's a red card challenge, it should be a red card. Or is it that the referee thinks things will generally get out of control if there's a red card straight away?

I know we have a few who know the rules pretty well on here/referee some games themselves: is there anything in the laws of the game which at all implies a sense of leniency should be used early in the game? Because that might have saved Cattermole, and you see it a few times. Potentially red-worthy challenge but only a yellow given when it's early on.

It was a clear as day red IMO. People would be absolutely fuming if it was the other way round and the opposition player had only got a yellow card.

A rare, great day for me - we'll see how long it takes for me to lose my winnings. 3pms didn't come off, but in-play has been class for me today. Not massive stakes but built up quite a tidy total from today just betting on various singles: Bale to score the next goal in the game earlier @ 7/1 (Ray Winstone takes the credit here) Valencia to win (15 mins to go) @ 7/2 Lazio/Napoli BTTS @ 8/11 Ronaldo to score the 4th goal @ 11/5 - tried to get him to score the 3rd goal, as well as it finishing Real 4-1, but t'internet fucked up. Sevilla to score at least 1 goal (25 mins to go) @ 23/10 And also a Southampton/City BTTS, Bayern double. Pretty much everything I've bet on today has happened and a couple of the bets I didn't manage to get on but thought would come off also happened. Not sure what's happening really.

No heart celebration, would not rate.

Weren't a Premier League team after him or have I made that up? Great last 10 minutes to this game. Dunno. But he really, really, REALLY loves a dig at goal. I like it, get him dave moy.

He left Sunderland? Swapped Sunderland for Rome, I bet he can't believe his luck.

Really cool idea that, hope it takes off.

Weren't a Premier League team after him or have I made that up? Great last 10 minutes to this game.

So why couldn't Napoli play like this in the first 80 minutes? Not a bad result but not a good one either - they need to beat Juve now. Edit: Lazio should have won it! Bar again.

Here comes Saha.

That was class, mind.

I believe the commentator just climaxed.

I err, yes, I agree. Any reason you're shouting his name? Thought I'd trick you into thinking he'd scored with his first touch Nah Hamsik will do the business mate.

I err, yes, I agree. Any reason you're shouting his name?

This is true.

Napoli's gameplan is based almost entirely on the counterattack, they don't have much else. Probably the reason you highlighting Hamsik giving it away. They try to hit the passes quickly and sometimes speculatively rather than hold possession. No idea why Pandev plays every week and Insigne sits on the bench. Yeah, they look like they're out of ideas most times they go forwards. Guess in a way it's impressive they're so close to Juve given this mentality. It's imes like this - 1-0 down, away to a resolute-looking Lazio (despite their recent form) - where that game plan comes unstuck. And when your game plan comes unstuck in that fashion, you form a reliance on one or two players and in Napoli's case, Cavani. Mazzarri is a very shrewd tacticion, one of the best in Serie A. He generally gets results. Absolutely terrble at handling young players though and the lack of an alternative gameplan will probably mean they fall short of Juve. Well, Insigne's been their best player by a mile since he came on at HT. That run before I know, I know, it's just one game, but Hamsik has been fucking dreadful.

Napoli's gameplan is based almost entirely on the counterattack, they don't have much else. Probably the reason you highlighting Hamsik giving it away. They try to hit the passes quickly and sometimes speculatively rather than hold possession. No idea why Pandev plays every week and Insigne sits on the bench. Yeah, they look like they're out of ideas most times they go forwards. Guess in a way it's impressive they're so close to Juve given this mentality. It's imes like this - 1-0 down, away to a resolute-looking Lazio (despite their recent form) - where that game plan comes unstuck. And when your game plan comes unstuck in that fashion, you form a reliance on one or two players and in Napoli's case, Cavani. Mazzarri is a very shrewd tacticion, one of the best in Serie A. He generally gets results. Absolutely terrble at handling young players though and the lack of an alternative gameplan will probably mean they fall short of Juve. Well, Insigne's been their best player by a mile since he came on at HT.

Because Metalist are like some pub team from Moldova called FK Shithead.

Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain and Kaka all start. Should be a good game, that.

Napoli's gameplan is based almost entirely on the counterattack, they don't have much else. Probably the reason you highlighting Hamsik giving it away. They try to hit the passes quickly and sometimes speculatively rather than hold possession. No idea why Pandev plays every week and Insigne sits on the bench. Yeah, they look like they're out of ideas most times they go forwards. Guess in a way it's impressive they're so close to Juve given this mentality. It's imes like this - 1-0 down, away to a resolute-looking Lazio (despite their recent form) - where that game plan comes unstuck. And when your game plan comes unstuck in that fashion, you form a reliance on one or two players and in Napoli's case, Cavani.

Very. Napoli have been very poor thus far.

Really? he's excellent. Having a really good season. Fair enough. Genuinely can't remember thinking "wow, he's a really good player" when I've watched him. Probably only half a dozen times, mind. Watching Lazio-Napoli and all he's done is give the ball away. I realise he's now going to score.

Is Marek Hamsik actually as good as he's talked up to be? Admittedly I hardly watch a load of Napoli games but I can't remember even being that impressed with him when I have watched. Am I missing something?

Very much so. There's 2 parts to it - who they play, and how they play. As for the first part, well, he's still deeming Gareth Barry as good enough to be starting for "title contenders". He shouldn't be starting for a team looking at finishing in the top 4, let alone defending their title. The same can be said, to lesser extents, for the likes of Milner, Lescott, Garcia hasn't looked up to it thus far. But the second part is the more serious problem. How often do you watch Man Utd and think wow, they look lifeless, flat, dull, whatever you want to call it. It happens, but only on rare occasions. For Man City, this is the case most weeks now. Aguero, Silva, Tevez, Dzeko, Toure and so on - these are fantastic players who are playing like they're being told not to go for the juggler (sorry Neesy). Why is Mancini so bothered about what the other team are going to do when you have some of the best players in the world playing for you? He's complicating what should be a fairly straightforward job. Let your best players just play football and let the opposition worry about what you've got in your team, much more than vice versa. It's a philosophy which has been engrained in the way Man Utd have played for the past however many years and differentiates the two teams. His results in Europe also show him up as the mediocre manager he is (by the standards he should be judged by). Consistently failed with Inter in Europe and has failed to get out of the group stages 2 seasons in a row with Man City. Coincidence? Of course it's not, he fails when the pressure is on and when being hard to play against just won't do. City need to bin Mancini before next season, simple as that.