Neil

Playing the percentages.

Stop lying through your teeth, Steve.

Great technique from Larsson.

Only half an hour in to the season and 2 ridiculous pieces of good luck for the Mackems. Carroll incident perhaps less so, but that Richardson decision is ludicrous.

That was a clear goalscoring opportunity was it not? I'm starting not to understand the rules anymore.

Clint Hill.

Our resident Bolton fan can tell us more, but this seems a tremendously harsh lesson for QPR in the need to take your chances. That said, the 1st was a wonder goal, and the 2nd and 3rd were both very unlucky deflections.

Take a boo Cahill.

Looks like QPR had a right go at Bolton before it all unravelled.

Cabaye wasn't dreadful. Ba was poor, I agree.

Cabaye wasn't too bad at all. Looked like he had a good eye for a pass but needs more match sharpness. Ba was off the pace.

I can't argue with this. As I said, the whole incident was pathetic from start to finish.

A dive to win a penalty during play is nothing like dropping to the ground after being slapped. The fact is Gervinho raised his hand to Barton. If Barton went down or not Gervinho had to be sent off. I'm not disputing that. I'm highlighting Barton's hypocrisy. How is it hypocrisy? Barton didn't cheat. Gervinho did hit Barton. Gervinho did dive during the game. Gervinho did the cheating. Barton got stamped on and then slapped. Maybe he went down to make sure the slap was noticed but it doesn't change the fact that he was slapped. There's a difference but they're not 2 entirely separate concepts. Barton's behaviour was entirely unnecessary just as Gervinho's was. Also, I'm not talking about the stamp whatsoever, and it had no bearing on the Gervinho incident.

I distinguish between diving and making a meal of something, personally. Diving is feigning something that hasn't happened. Or faking that there was malice in someone brushing your face accidentally. Being dramatic about something to ensure the right result follows (ie. a sending off) is just "playing the game" so to speak. Not particularly cool or nice to see, but you'd be a doormat/naive not to. It's, sadly, where football is... [/iMO] Again, more generally as you say, it's a reflection of the state of the game. What did he say on Twitter? "I went down to make it clear there was contact"? The whole mentality stinks. Gervinho was in the wrong for diving, Barton was in the wrong for grabbing him like he did, Gervinho was in the wrong for slapping him, Barton was in the wrong for falling to the floor like he'd been shot. Just everything about it stunk and painted a sad picture of the state of our game IMO.

A dive to win a penalty during play is nothing like dropping to the ground after being slapped. The fact is Gervinho raised his hand to Barton. If Barton went down or not Gervinho had to be sent off. I'm not disputing that. I'm highlighting Barton's hypocrisy.

For me, the man was a hypocrite today. He goes on about how he's so against diving and the mentality of cheating to gain an advantage, but he in turn responded to the Gervinho dive by falling to the floor in a pathetic manner to ensure Gervinho saw red.

Savage, Morgan and Barton having some lovely words.

Not been a good start for the people behind FF. Loads couldn't get logged on in the hours leading up to the GW1 deadline - myself included - and it's not even telling me what points my players got, or even recognising that anyone has played at all. As Beren says, the old site was easy to use and did the job perfectly well. Bamboozled as to why they've changed it.

Although Shola is a generally atrocious footballer, he didn't do too badly today. Won quite a bit up top but was hampered by fuck all support. You were generally far too deep today. Felt like your midfield and attack were 2 entirely separate entities.

Absolute garbage. What was wrong with the old site?

Shite game livened by a brawl. Arsenal - shock horror - lacked sharpness in the final third despite their possession, and Newcastle stuck to their task well but were hampered by a lack of offensive cohesion. Plenty of work to do for both sides, but a good point for you nonetheless. Krul - 7 - thought he commanded his area well, bar one escapade in the 1st half Simpson - 6 - alright Colo - 8 - MOTM S. Taylor - 7 - apart from that amusingly reckless run in the 1st half, he was solid R. Taylor - 6 - didn't do too badly all in all Jonas - 7 - worked hard all round Tiote - 6.5 - alright Cabaye - 6.5 - decent, obviously needs more match time Barton - 7 - some good passing, but ran a tightrope regarding the Gervinho situation Ameobi - 6.5 - had fuck all support but did a good job Ba - 5.5 - out of it, but will improve with more fitness Obertan - 7 - very promising Best and Lovenkrands - 5.5

I was a fan, but I begrudgingly accept your more long-term affection for said personality. In other words: http://www.jappleng.com/jSpot/Sekai/gallery/general-images-a38/okay-meme-face-i10150.jpg

I used to like Shak.

Ah, yes. The Stoke Principle.

Would've thought there's a thread about how your game was discussed first.