Hanshithispantz

How would Gervinho diving to unfairly win a penalty be "helping the referee make the right decision"? For the record I think Gervinho's dive has been a bit overplayed, he made the most of it like but i've seen much worse. Barton has admited as much since too.

It is cheating like. It's exactly like feigning and injury or taking a dive. Just because there was contact, it doesnt mean Barton throwing himself to the ground isnt cheating. By your logic, if a player goes down after minimal contact, it's not taking a dive, it's not simulation. Undeniably. Conning the ref has got absolutely f*** all to do with it - it's just so far away from the point it's untrue. Gervinho's actions, a million per cent, deserved a red card, whether Joey goes down or not. It brings up another question, too. If the ref had seen that it wasn't a foul (demonstrated by the play-on) - why wasn't the guy reprimanded for diving? All in all, it would have been a crazy injustice had Gervinho finished the match. Barton just made sure of it; well played lad. Conning the ref has everything to do with it. If Barton hadnt threw himself to the floor would Gervinho have been sent off? Debatable. Yes, Gervinho raised his hand, yes he deserved to go, but for me you cant deny Barton helped the ref make up his mind. I do Like Barton. He's a good player and integral part of the team for me. Think he gets too much stick for his comments at times but he cheated like, without a doubt. Theres a massive differance betwean 'conning' the ref into giving you an underserved penalty by diving under minimal contact, and 'conning' The ref into deservedly sending off a player for slapping someone, like. Both are unsporting, but only one is cheating (ie gaining a unfair advantage)..

That's brilliant, but later on in the season it will be someone like Nani 'exaggerating' and getting Barton or Tiote sent off. Read my lips: It's ruining the game. If Nani drops to the deck theatrically after been slapped by Barton then fair enough. I seriously cannot see how this is "ruining the game" like

Superb

Still not cheating, there was conact, he reacted. Not cheating. If there was no contact and he dropped like he'd been hit with a bat, the yeah, that would be cheating.

I wouldn't be taking so much of an issue with it if he hadn't given such preaching bollocks as though he's on a moral crusade to stamp out cheating. It's nothing to do with it being "naughty Joey Barton". It has everything to do with him acting like a cock. Can't think of many players in the league who wouldn't have done the same. Doesn't make it right of course, but true. Wouldn't class it as cheating either. He dived to ensure someone got sent off. And more generally, I agree. That whole situation painted an awful picture of our game where players feel the need to go outside the rules to gain an advantage. The whole attitude stinks and although I'm not sure how practical it would be, I really think red cards for diving needs to be introduced. It may involve getting a few wrong but surely it would be a big deterrent? Unsportin aye. It was hardly cheating though. What Barton did was in the same bracket as swarming the ref to get a player sent off, if he hadn't have done it Gervinho may still have been (wrongly) on the pitch. I'm not saying I agree with it, but theatrically making the ref aware that you have been slapped is hardly cheating.

LEGEND.

Please be true. Please be true. Please be true. Please be true. Please be true. Please be true. Would be pretty astonished if we go him like.

Has Barton ever actualy claimed he was "Englands best midfielder"? Didn't he say he was the best on current form and claim that hew was better than Barry and Parker or something?

Yeah I found Live Chat when looking for the e-mail. Bet has been cancelled within minutes so it's all good

Ah right, cheers wormy. Didn't think of emailing them like

Is it possible to get a refund from SkyBet? I had Tottenham/Everton in a double with Villa/Fulham, but since it's called off that part of the bet will be void, meaning i've got a 10er on Villa/Fulham which I don't realy want.

Urgh. Pretty sick about this like. Cannot blame Jose though, he's 100% right, it just leaves a bit of a sour taste that he's been making up excuses/lies over tha past 6 month.

Oh ffs

Did he actualy say "fuck you Newcastle"?

Wish these idiots would just keep out of it. I wish people would shut the fuck up about us selling all of our players, because it clearly isn't happening. There isn't anything that could've been done to keep Enrique IMO. It's like people need something to panic about., We could have turned down the £6m offer and told him he's seeing out his contract like. Because forcing players to stay when they're unhappy would work so well. There's a reason Arsenal are selling Fabregas. After forcing him to stay for the past 2-3 seasons? I'm pretty sure Jose would have gotten on with the job at hand and not been in a perma-sulk for 12 month, we would only be making him play at our club, not keeping him shackles and keeping him on bread and rice. If we have no one coming in I would agree. If the money is going to be used to get Pieters in then it was the right decision to get him out of our club. In a way, yeah, I know little about Pieters though so if it was the right decision or not i'll have to see. I'm not exactly against the sale of Enrique this season btw, I just don't agree with the notion that we HAD to accept £6m. Last season of his contract of not I think it's not enough, and we could possibly claw back half of that anyway with him in the side next season through better league finishes alone.

Wish these idiots would just keep out of it. I wish people would shut the fuck up about us selling all of our players, because it clearly isn't happening. There isn't anything that could've been done to keep Enrique IMO. It's like people need something to panic about., We could have turned down the £6m offer and told him he's seeing out his contract like. Because forcing players to stay when they're unhappy would work so well. There's a reason Arsenal are selling Fabregas. After forcing him to stay for the past 2-3 seasons? I'm pretty sure Jose would have gotten on with the job at hand and not been in a perma-sulk for 12 month, we would only be making him play at our club, not keeping him shackles and keeping him on bread and rice.

Wish these idiots would just keep out of it. I wish people would shut the fuck up about us selling all of our players, because it clearly isn't happening. There isn't anything that could've been done to keep Enrique IMO. It's like people need something to panic about., We could have turned down the £6m offer and told him he's seeing out his contract like.

Maybe they will use the money to try and buy Pieters rather than let Jose leave for nothing in 12 months and have no money to buy a replacement next season. Pretty sure the £30-40m we've made the past 6 months would be enough to buy us a left back mind.

Shittest left back ever that has played 10 times for his country at the age of 23. This forum, man. Most pessimistic fans ever. Aye but in this case international caps shouldn't come into the equation when like Wallsendmag said, they have no one else at left back, and were even relying on van Bronckhorst recently (who no one here would be thrilled with). I would be canny pissed off if we tried to get Feyernoord's assistant manager out of retirement like.

The Glen Johnson argument has been used before, but yeah... Glen Johnson.

Actualy just hit that sickening wall. Feel fucking disgusted

Luke Edwards comment.

That is certainly the most idiotic thing i've ever read like.

What? That suggested line-up from Hans, in the manner it was posted. Ba would have a lonely afternoon. Not usually one to shoot others' ideas down so bluntly, but it doesn't look like a good team selection to me considering what we have available. Who do we have available exactly? Best? Marveaux? Obertan? Vuckic? Even Ameobi? But to play 3 central midfielders with Barton outside of them at home in the first game of the season looks like a bad idea to me. Fair enough if Cabaye plays more advanced in behind Ba - as Pardew hinted at back around when we signed him - or if you're at least trying Gosling there in a roaming role, but that's not what you posted. Barton plays narrow enough as it is in a 4-4-2 and Jonas is hardly the greatest at supporting the striker. It just looks far too narrow and pedestrian to me for a game we should be looking to grab by the scruff of the neck. I'd be looking to go 4-4-2 with the usual midfield (Cabaye in for Nolan, naturally) and Ba +1 (probably Shola based on the pre-season selections). Aye fair enough, It probably is a bit 'negative' like. I would just be weary about throwing the likes of Marveaux and Obertan first game of the season, especialy after the pre-season we've had. I forgot aabout Best in all honesty I'd be happy going 4-4-2, but i'd still prefer us to bring Marv & Obertan (& Vuckic or Abeid) off the bench as opposed to starting them, atleast against Arsenal.