The Prophet

No.

I'd like to see Taylor moved to right back and Williamson in the middle too but it's never going to happen. I think if we played Barton it would probably be in place of Routledge knowing Hughton.

Inter won the Champions League playing it, the Dutch and Germans have reached the world cup semi-finals emplying it so is there something in the 4-2-3-1 formation? Watching the Germans toy with Argentina certianly highlighted the benafits of playing said formation over 4-4-2. It provides defensive insurance, an extra body in the middle and played correctly little is sacraficed going forward. There aren't many Premier League mangers willing to move from two banks of four so a 4-2-3-1 could certainly bring something new to the table. Given we'd still need to improve certian positions we could line up like this: -------------------------------Harper-------------------------------- Simpson------------Taylor--------------Colo------------Enrique -------------------Smith------------------Guthrie------------------ Routledge--------------------Nolan-------------------------Jonas -------------------------------Carroll--------------------------------- We'd have the extra insurance of Smith throwing himself around at the back or engaging in a man marking job and we'd still have a fairly direct front four. Obviously the limited nature of Smith and Nolan as footballers would still be a worry but I'd feel safer with the extra insurance as a pose to the immensly unfit pairing of Guthrie and Nolan. Obviously it's unlikely a coach of limited nature such as Hughton would ever play such a formation. It would also rely on everybody being well drilled and orgnaised, something we'll need anyway if we're to stay up. It could easily back fire but if we're wanting to try something outside the box I'd certianly give it some thought.

As a good as Arteta is for Everton he is seems to be becoming a bit of a perma crock. At 29 I'd certianly listen to offers but given his quality and how important he is to Everton I'd want a better deal that City are allegedly. Having said that I'd wait to see what Pinaar is doing. Don't want to be selling all your creativity at once.

Bah, we should have been in there. McDonald and Boyd should tear shit up in the Championship.

It really was, I thought they'd messed it up with a weak pass to Ozil. Then I thought he'd mess up the pass to Klose, but he didn't, it was just perfect floated onto his foot. Then Klose just slotted it home, I don't understand how that man steps up so much at international football. Strange, strange player. Aye, one of Ronaldo's record too isn't he?

Hope holland thrash them. Each goal comes about due to an act of cheating. At full time said cheaters climb onto the shoulders of their team mates and celebrate in front of the crying Uruguians starting with Suarez. Utter cunt.

I am sick to the back teeth about hearing how f***ing great rugby is and how football should follow it's examples. People DO cheat in rugby. They gouge eyes, stamp on heads, do illegal high and dump tackles, illegal cross over runs, fight with each other and many other things. The only thing Rugby does well (in most situations, not all) is punish people who transgress severely. It doesn't mean the players are any less cynical when trying to gain the upper hand on their opponents. I didn't say they didn't. I was simply alluding to the fact you don't get players bitching and moaning, rolling round on the ground feigning injury trying to get the other player sin binned. Probably because there's much more respect for the opponent and more importantly the ref. On an unrelated note this is also why the arguemnt 'we shouldn't have technology because it would slow the game down' is absolute shite. By the time the players roll round/bitch and surround the ref a decision could have been made in the issue, it just doesn't wash.

While Germany's youngsters have looked impressive at times they've still got a lot to prove. They may well go on to achieve great things but at the same time the media are going on as if they've already made it because they dumped out a woeful England side.

In rugby it is a serious of fouls not just 1. shoudn't have bothered after those two words, rugby is f***ing s*** and should not be compared to football in any way shape or form At least Rugby has some integrity about it as a pose to football which is slowly sliding towards a cheaters prosper but who gives a fuck because we want to live in the stone age culture. I'm not just talking about the hand ball either. The diving, the face holidng, the card waving, its's fucking pathetic.

But why not? It was well within regular time, a decent shot, he hand balled it, got sent off and gave away a last minute penalty. Every single thing by the book. Morally right? Yes. Because he knew he wouldn't get away with it. And he didn't. ...but he did get away with it. Had he not hand balled it would his team be going home? Yes. Are his team still in the world cup because of his blatent act of cheating? Yes. No. Handball isn’t cheating. Cheating is pretending the ball stayed in when you know it went out of play, feigning injury, intimidating the referee. Hand ball is a plain and simple foul. So was Maradona a cheat? Or did he just commit a foul? Diving is a foul by the letter of the law. So every time a player goes on his arse to get another player booked is he committing a foul or cheating? I guess it boils down to what you subjectively feel consitutes cheating. The rules aren’t subjective. Handball is a foul and players commit fouls all the time. For example, Pantsil tripped one of the Uruguayans in the box during tonight’s game. If the referee had seen it and awarded a pen Uruguay may well have won the game before extra time and Suarez wouldn’t have been sent off, and he wouldn’t have missed the semi. So a foul is a foul and cheating doesn't come into it? When a player dives is he commiting a foul or cheating? When a player deliberately punches the ball into the net is he cheating or mearly commiting a foul? Some fouls are classed as fouls because for the rules to permit them would mean a team could gain an advantage through foul play. For me subjectively both incidents are a foul but they're also cheating. So is punching the ball of your own goal line to prevent a goal.

Actually he didn't. He got sent off and gave away a penalty. What he did was illegal, and for it he was accordingly sanctioned. The circumstance was such that in the end his team progressed, 99.99% "thanks" to the incident he was the catalyst of. I ask you one thing. Would we be having this discussion now if Ghana had converted the penalty? My guess is no. It would be mentioned that Suarez was the guy who got sent off and gave away a penalty which Ghana had then converted. Voila, everyone is happy, Suarez serves a match ban and no one ever mentions this penalty again. He's ultimately branded a cheat not for the act, but for the consequence of it. He'd still be cheat even if got away with it, as I said in the post above I very much doubt we'd be having the discussion of a penalty goal though. Fact is he suffered indivdually but the nature of his act was to 'take one for the team' and in that respect he got away with it. Hence taking it out of his hands and awarding the goal would be a punishment to fit the crime.

They probably would, but this whole debate regarding should a goal be awarded to the attacking team wouldn't of surfaced.

But why not? It was well within regular time, a decent shot, he hand balled it, got sent off and gave away a last minute penalty. Every single thing by the book. Morally right? Yes. Because he knew he wouldn't get away with it. And he didn't. ...but he did get away with it. Had he not hand balled it would his team be going home? Yes. Are his team still in the world cup because of his blatent act of cheating? Yes. No. Handball isn’t cheating. Cheating is pretending the ball stayed in when you know it went out of play, feigning injury, intimidating the referee. Hand ball is a plain and simple foul. So was Maradona a cheat? Or did he just commit a foul? Diving is a foul by the letter of the law. So every time a player goes on his arse to get another player booked is he committing a foul or cheating? I guess it boils down to what you subjectively feel consitutes cheating.

But why not? It was well within regular time, a decent shot, he hand balled it, got sent off and gave away a last minute penalty. Every single thing by the book. Morally right? Yes. Because he knew he wouldn't get away with it. And he didn't. ...but he did get away with it. Had he not hand balled it would his team be going home? Yes. Are his team still in the world cup because of his blatent act of cheating? Yes.

Like I've already said I'm a hypocrite because I can't say I wouldn't of done the same in his position. No matter how I tried to justify it though I'd still be a cheat. That's why it should be taken out the players hands in a situation such as this. Suarez shouldn't have been given the chance to be the martyr.

Take a breather man, nobody is suggesting any of that nonsense. For me, if it is clear heading in but for the block (as it was in this case), then a goal must be given but that is sufficient. That would properly redress the situation and restore the attacking team to its fair and original position had it not been for the block. A penalty only gives them a chance to score (admittedly a pretty good one), what was taken away from them is a goal not a chance to score. Goal and red card is double punishment especially if the offending team had to play substantial amount of time with 10 man. If it is not clearly going in, then penalty and red card.

I'm glad he's staying. There is no doubt he made mistakes but he shouldn't be made the scape goat for the inexcusable performance of the players.

He's rated at £30million by Ajax apparently. I think we've bid £3m. And Alan Smith's slippers. And Alan Smith. A fiver and a bag of pork scratchings I've heard

Regarding madras's point it boils down to technology again. You'd need it to determine if a goal was 'certain'.

Chance? Do they have to take the penalty blindfolded? What about the guy being sent off? Ok advantage was the wrong word to use. What I'm trying to say is a goal was a certainty therefore it shouldn't be left be left to a penalty where there is a chance the player could miss.

Must admit I've never been a Suarez fan, theatrical, diving, card waving wanker.

I'm with madras on this, the header was defiently going in it shouldn't be left to chance if the opposition gain an advantage or not.

Yes because a completely unnecessary dive and an instinctive handball to keep your country in the world cup is exactly the same thing.. It's similar to an extent. They've both cheated to enhance their sides chances of advancing to the next stage, obviously the former has done so to a greater degree.

I guess I'm a hypocrite because I can't say in the heat of the moment I wouldn't do the same thing. Fact is I'd still be cheating. That's the problem though Suarez shouldn't be given a chance to be a cheat and/or hero, a goal should be awarded to take it out of the equation.