Manchester United

If we win this game today, we have got Arsenal at home.

At least todays game was an improvement. Still not putting away the chances but at least we are creating them.Looking forward to the next round.

no comments on the dive from Rooney?

8/10

It was a brilliant dive because live I was up in arms demanding a penalty. It also shows how messed up the diving rules are. The ref had no chance to get that call correct. From where he was standing it looked liked there was contact for all money. If sanity prevailed the dive would be cited and Rooney would be banned for the next 3 matches. It wouldn't stop people diving in a final but it would be a big deterrent in every round leading up to it.

I thought English players didn't dive though?

You could argue the first goal's legitimacy too - rooney's offside  presence definitely made the goalkeeper hesitate before diving.

Does not take long for the haters to come on.

Watching the game I thought it was a penalty but it was disappointing to see that he dived, but Rooney was not interfering with the first goal although he was offside..

I agree he wasn't deliberately interfering, I just thought if he wasn't there at all then the keeper would have dived immediately rather than hesitating, thus saving the goal.

It's a very debatable one though, the dive for the peno was far more obvious.

"Interfering with play" is always a funny one to me. To quote my Dad when told someone was not interfering: "What's he doing on the pitch then?"

Interfering with play: murkiest rules ever.

I was blatantly offside in the box one day, ran back on side as another play burst through and grabbed the ball, he found me and I scored.

Other team was up in arms. My team called me a genius.

Whichever side you're on you'll argue 50/50's like this in your favour every time.

Personally, if I was the keeper, I would have been distracted by Rooney's presence, i.e. had he played at it I would have had to adjust my dive. Given proximity to the goal you have to pre-empt this, there wouldn't be enough time to react.

Personally, if I was Rooeny, I would be back slapping myself for pulling the 'b*tch please' and hands up pose which meant the ball went in without me interfering.

Regardless, damn near impossible to call in the moment from a linesman/ref.

Well yeah, wherever you are on the pitch, especially near the opposition goal, defenders and the goalkeeper are going to be aware of where you are so will most likely position themselves accordingly.

Didn't know your dad was Brian Clough.

• As a goalkeeper of much (limited) ability, if a player is between you and the ball and they are offside, then the goal shouldn't have been allowed.
• As a watcher of football, there would have been few positions the ref could have been in to accurately make a call that he interfered with play, hence the fact the goal stood. 
• As a Liverpool fan, you're a bunch of gold watch gifting, cheating scum and Rooney should be sent to the Russian Front.

Did Clough say that? Didn't know that but that's what my Dad always says. Guess that's where he got it from.

You've always been a sneaky little cheat though Rich.

Offside---preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by obstructing the opponent's line of vision or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.

Rooney stood still and did not move towards the ball. You must have missed the last few years if you think there is a Russian front. Rooney is one of you anyway.  lol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2956769/Guide-hate-Manchester-United-think-Wayne-Rooney-stayed-feet-Ander-Herrera-s-goal-not-stood.html

Haha.

The rule doesn't have anything to do with staying still, but unfortunately for PNE it does come down to whether the referee determines that the player was OFFSIDE and directly in the line of sight between the ball and the player. In all honesty, Rooney was probably fine but it could be a rule that needs tweaking so that if the player is off side and within a certain distance from the keeper then a goal would be disallowed. If it's enough to distract a keeper, then he is impacting on play.

The Russian Front would suit Rooney. Hogan's Heroes constantly threatened it and it seems that Shrek and Bob Crane have the same taste in sexual activities.

That's beside the point. I'm not a c*nt, unlike Rooney.

I'm not touching that one but you do like the man bun and paddle boarding...

Adrian Durham LOL

ManU's #1 fan

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2956622/If-Arsenal-good-fans-believe-Premier-League-Champions-League-favourites.html

That makes me a prentious hipster wanker, a much more loveable proposition than a c*nt.

In regards to the Rooney offside, the rules were recently (last year?) 'Reinterpreted' to mean that its not an offside anymore.

Personally I disagree with it, but eh.

In regards to his dive, obvious blatant dive but it opens up a new argument I'd be interested in your opinions on: If a player lunges in two footed studs up at you, and you jump over it thus avoiding contact, isn't that still a reckless challenge and foul?

Yes. I 100% agree with this (TBF haven't seen the dive) but if I have to stay in the tackle & risk injury to earn the foul, rather than avoiding it all together I don't think the rules are protecting the victim of a bad tackle, but rather the tackler.

However, the challenge for referee's and players a like is understanding whether someone's avoiding a tackle, or being a diving b*tch. That's something that is very hard to pick up on. I've been watching West Wing the TV show lately and they're arguing about hate crimes legislation, I.E. making up rules based on interpreting someone's intention. I.e. did you kill him because he was black vs did you kill him because he pissed you off & had he been white the outcome would have been the same. I tend to think it's nigh on impossible to legislate/make rules about someone's intent, unless it's been audibly documented. In the case of race based murdering it's a bit easier as they may have documented their racism during the act. On a football field without the benefit of a replay? No bloody way.

Sorry to bring racial based murder into the discussion, it just seemed relevant.

The law states the 7 offences committed in a manner of either carless, reckless, using excessive force as:

-  kicks or attempts to kick

- trips or attempts to trip

- Strikes or attempts to strike

- jumps at an opponent

- charges at an opponent

- tackles an opponent

- pushes an opponent

Contact does not have to be made & an offence is still committed even if the player avoids/jumps out of the way of someone attempting one of the above

Case and point.

First the article defending every little thing about ManU, then the article attacking every little thing about Arsenal.

Pretty much sums up Durham.

Ask Chris Kerr. Should have his own thread to settle all and any Fever disputes and to educate the ignorant masses...

Further to what you wrote above I found this interpretation guide, page 121-123 http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopmen...

: seems to suggest that it isn't a pen, if there is no contact. Which I agree is a bit crap. A highly rash two footed challenge avoided though may fall under this definition of dangerous play:

Disciplinary sanctions • If a player plays in a dangerous manner in a “normal” challenge, the referee should not take any disciplinary action. If the action is made with obvious risk of injury, the referee should caution the player.

Playing in a dangerous manner is defined as any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player himself). It is committed with an opponent nearby and prevents the opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.

Playing in a dangerous manner involves no physical contact between the players.

rooney didnt attempt to evade injury - in fact he even dragged his leg to try and ensure there would be some contact

hilariously he was so far away from the keeper they still didnt touch

You and the rest of the haters are the only ones that actually care. The score was 3-1. get over it.

A bit like Henry cheating in the WC against Ireland.

12 or 72?

Maybe LVG will come up with another pamphlet about offsides, diving and whether a player is interfering with play or not.

Or he could just point towards the table while reminding everyone we haven't played well yet.

I think it's quite crazy how good your results have been. I don't think i've seen a worse United team. I feel like you've bought enough good players that even if they're running around like headless chickens it doesn't matter - they still manage to win.

They're only where they are because DDG has produced about 5 world class performances this season. Without him they would be 7th.

Same as Wenger,     the only reason you are not first.

I agree hes been outstanding; but you could say that about most teams. Sanchez has pulled us through at least 5 games