Village Idiot

Atlético one down against Athletic.

Do you have a source for that stat, by the way? I'd love to take it to the Spanish forum I post in and spark some debate. Nah i just assumed like most governing bodies the rules are handed down by the governing bodies and its up to the refs to enforce the rules how they see fit. I suppose you would have to go through the rulebook to find out, i doubt the difference in yellow cards are due to the refs solely there has to be a difference in ruling to the other major leagues for that drastic a difference. Our refereeing committee passes down a series of rules "interpretations" every season. The most significant change this year, for example, is the punishment for manager dissent, which is now much harsher. As I said the source of having so many cards for handballs is that our refereeing committee considers them unsporting behavior, and that a player deliberately extending his arms when the ball is near him is deliberately putting himself at risk of a handball and shouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt. If the ball is coming at you, you should keep your arms to your torso. To be honest, I think our interpretation isn't that baseless. What's deliberate and what's not is very hard to judge, and it's hard enough for refs to spot the actual offences without deciding if they were deliberate or not. Our committe just assumes the worst. I just think the amount of cards is silly and should be limited to when the handball stops a dangerous play. Having people being sent off for handballs in midfield is just stupid.

Good one. To be honest, I never seen him play so I can't really judge him but I'm really interested on reading what people have to say. Reading on him his peak seemed relatively short, and it has always surprised me the huge reputation he has over in the UK/Ireland. Again, I'm too young to ever having seen him play. Is he really considered in the same echelon as Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff or Di Stefano? Not over here at least.

Do you have a source for that stat, by the way? I'd love to take it to the Spanish forum I post in and spark some debate.

Deliberate handballs are considered "unsporting behavior" and thus yellow cards. Thing is that there's an obsession with considering all handballs deliberate over here, which is mostly due to our refereeing committee interpretation of the rules.

That's ridiculous, but you know about our obsession with handballs. They are automatic card offences down here.

What does NETD stand for? North East something?

Just checked the stats repository over at the club's webpage and he was subbed off 4 times in the league in 2009-2010 (doesn't say which games), then once in 2010-2011 (the Atlético one where he was stretchered off), and then owt.

Checked the match report, Bojan came in for him.

Heh, he was subbed off 3 days ago? In the League maybe? Ah, think it must have been he hasn't been substituted - injury aside - for 4 years, before the last game. ....I think? Maybe they were just lying. If it's in the league and no injury related, then maybe. All the times he's been subbed off that I can recall have been in the Cup or the CL.

Customary Alexis miss. Poor guy.

Heh, he was subbed off 3 days ago? In the League maybe? Nah, he was stretchered off in 2010 against Atlético, off the top of my head.

Heh, he was subbed off 3 days ago?

Thought the telly was stuck on repeat here.

Being a Barca supporter must be the easiest thing. Even when a team get a goal back you know you'll still win. Well, we lost last week. But yeah, I thank my lucky stars for being born in this city and not being an Espanyol fan. Aye, to the team who's manager i would like to manage us. Montanier? Aye, like the way his teams play. Aye, his Real Sociedad is playing some really good stuff this season, but it has taken them a while to gel. He almost got sacked last year.

Aye, the B team is starting to pull some impressive crowds. The club has been advertising it heavily, too. We won 3-1, hope it's an omen for wednesday. That Araujo fella is blossoming lately, btw, started slow but has become one of Barça B's best players. Did you buy him in the end or is he on loan? Weird as f*** loan but then again who the f*** knows what's going on when it comes to South American transfers. Two year loan with an option to buy. We aren't averse to loans to plug holes in the Barça B squad, since you can't really plan for having decent enough youth players for every position.

Being a Barca supporter must be the easiest thing. Even when a team get a goal back you know you'll still win. Well, we lost last week. But yeah, I thank my lucky stars for being born in this city and not being an Espanyol fan. Aye, to the team who's manager i would like to manage us. Montanier?

Aye, the B team is starting to pull some impressive crowds. The club has been advertising it heavily, too. We won 3-1, hope it's an omen for wednesday. That Araujo fella is blossoming lately, btw, started slow but has become one of Barça B's best players.

Being a Barca supporter must be the easiest thing. Even when a team get a goal back you know you'll still win. Well, we lost last week. But yeah, I thank my lucky stars for being born in this city and not being an Espanyol fan.

1-1 Man, our defence this season...

Wasn't your last meeting at the Nou Camps 8-0? Yeah, as I said we have far more problems at El Sadar than at home. Won with in injury time this year, lost last year, drew the one before that... it's Spain's Britannia stadium.

Man, if Thiago had just put that one in, what a goal would have been. Boy's first touch is just out of this world. Osasuna always scare me, though, they are such a good defensive unit on their day. Closest thing to Stoke we have. We usually turn them over at home, though.

I guess they think he likes to play in the Championship.

I still remember the collective in Spanish football forums when you came in for him. He was never such a big prospect to begin with, and had just had his first half-decent season as a pro. And then comes NUFC with €8m and the wages of a prince. Surely you should have a street dedicated to Newcastle in La Coruña, no other club has done more to ease Depor's financial troubles than NUFC.