CL knock out stage

[old git]

Cracking stuff in the RTE studio tonight. Fair play to Souness sticking up and standing up to Dunphy and Giles.

Best retort back to Dunphy in ages, when he said to Souness you do not know what you are talking about.

"who exactly did you mange Eamonn"

same dunphy who was talking tonight how good utds defence is.... the same dunphy who on the preimership slated same defence as weak and leaking to many soft goals.. having said that watched match on utv and jim beglin must be the worst ever .. first half disagreed with every referee decision in utds favour and kept going on about how unlucky this young arsenal team had been tonight... the same team who took 65 mins to register first shot on target and were totally outplayed by utd over the 90 mins .. the old show pony ronaldo looked very impresive tonight also

[SkStu]

quick question - why cant the red card be appealed? Making a big deal of it over on the BBC matchtracker without actually explaining why...

cant wait to watch that game later tonight!!

[old git]

Disgraceful decision by the ref. Fletcher is going to miss the final now. That card should be cancelled out. Now way should he have been sent off.

disgracefull decision wonder will as much fuss be made by media about this incorrect penalty award ... seems he will miss final as you can only appeal red card if ref sent of incorrect player ...
adabayor nasty over the top tackle on carrick was worth more than a yellow and could have done carrick some serious damage

[highlight100]

Will Fletcher serve a ban in the premier league as-well?

[NeilMcD]

No European competition is not connected with the Premiership.

[old git]

same dunphy who was talking tonight how good utds defence is.... the same dunphy who on the preimership slated same defence as weak and leaking to many soft goals.. having said that watched match on utv and jim beglin must be the worst ever .. first half disagreed with every referee decision in utds favour and kept going on about how unlucky this young arsenal team had been tonight... the same team who took 65 mins to register first shot on target and were totally outplayed by utd over the 90 mins .. the old show pony ronaldo looked very impresive tonight also :

jesus it's getting worse now giles saying he thought it was a penalty but player should have only received a yellow as he tried to play ball .. then says he got touch on ball and then brought down fabregas for penalty even souness saying it was a penalty now only dunphy disagrees now

[old git]

quick question - why cant the red card be appealed? Making a big deal of it over on the BBC matchtracker without actually explaining why...

cant wait to watch that game later tonight!!

all the experts on t.v saying u can only appeal on mistaken identy ( e.g wrong player sent off )

[SkStu]

thanks og, seems like a crazy rule to me!

[old git]

thanks og, seems like a crazy rule to me!

seems a crazy rule alright ... in the preimership it can be changed by referee after game or appeal panel .

[Emmet7]

Disappointing from Arsenal, the first goal and slip by the defender ruined the game as a competitive fixture. I hope Aresenal come back stronger from this and they will have Arshavan next year. Their defence was torn apart at will by Utd. But I think Arsenal are a better team than the final result suggests.

Dunphy up to his usuall immature behaviour in the studio, not respecting other people on the panel. The guy is incredibily insecure, he thinks anyone new who comes on the panel will take his job in time.

It's time Dunphy was put out to pasture now. No-one who actually knows their football thinks Dunphy is an expert. Fair enough Giles comes out with an odd thing that makes sense although even he can say some bizarre things at times such as saying Ryan Giggs was not a great player! But Dunphy is just there to back up Giles.

It was like Punch and Judy on the panel tonight with Giles and Dunphy and poor Sounses stuck in the middle. Please let this be the last season we have to watch this circus, which some people believe is incisive analysis.

[MikeBassett]

Fletcher's sending off was a complete joke, no penalty in my book and not even a yellow card either. He clearly won the ball before making contact with Fabregas. The only negative on the night for United, great performance.

Ronaldo, in fairness once again proved himself tonight. He's now scrored in the Last 16, Quarter-final and Semi-final of this year's competition.

Thought Berbatov was very poor when he came on, sick of him now.

I can't see Barcelona going out of the competition at Stamford Bridge, I think we'll be in for a few goals in this one

[smasher]

Fletcher's sending off was a complete joke, no penalty in my book and not even a yellow card either. He clearly won the ball before making contact with Fabregas. The only negative on the night for United, great performance.

Ronaldo, in fairness once again proved himself tonight. He's now scrored in the Last 16, Quarter-final and Semi-final of this year's competition.

Thought Berbatov was very poor when he came on, sick of him now.

I can't see Barcelona going out of the competition at Stamford Bridge, I think we'll be in for a few goals in this one

Clear pen in my estimation. Fletcher will be missed!

[Roadend]

FOR SALE: 60,000 Arsenal flags. Nearly new, only waved for 7 minutes.

[OwlsFan]

Fletcher's sending off was a complete joke, no penalty in my book and not even a yellow card either. He clearly won the ball before making contact with Fabregas.

The first touch doesn't seem to be relevant in decisions anymore. Tackles from behind are not allowed even if the ball is played. The player was through on goal. Penalty. Sending off. These are the rules whether it's 2-2 or 20-0. Tough on Fletcher but they're the rules. Just about every tackle from behind is now given as a free kick.

[KK77]

The first touch doesn't seem to be relevant in decisions anymore. Tackles from behind are not allowed even if the ball is played. The player was through on goal. Penalty. Sending off. These are the rules whether it's 2-2 or 20-0. Tough on Fletcher but they're the rules. Just about every tackle from behind is now given as a free kick.

Harsh but Owlsfan is totally right on this.

[elroy]

Cracking stuff in the RTE studio tonight. Fair play to Souness sticking up and standing up to Dunphy and Giles.

Best retort back to Dunphy in ages, when he said to Souness you do not know what you are talking about.

"who exactly did you mange Eamonn"

Super stuff alright, Souness gave as good as he got. IMO he is the best analyst of the two. When you compare them to the rubbish that is on display on the beeb, itv and sky, they are miles ahead. Their "analysis" is worth watching, whereas I very rarely watch the others.

[shakermaker1982]

tonight Souness will be in the studio Jamie Redknapp. "It's a game of two halves Richard. Int that right Andy? Tell him".

COME ON BARCA!

[DeLorean]

Harsh but Owlsfan is totally right on this.

He came in from the side and got a good touch on the ball before Fabregas fell over him. If he went through Fabregas to get a touch on the ball I would agree with ye, and I wouldn't even call it harsh, but that's not what happened. He was pretty much side by side with Fabregas so how could it be a tackle from behind?

[Weatherman]

Going, going, going,
United are going to rome,
It was boys v men,
Now we'll beat chelsea again,
Coz united are going to rooooome!!

It really was boys v men as dunphy n co summed up last nite. the two early goals took the gooners by surprise n there was no way they where coming back from that! the young boy gibbs has really showed his age in the two games against united, he looked lost in both legs. no stopping united now!!

Really think chelsea are going to beat barca tonite in stamford bridge, boswinga shud stay on the left to do a job on messi again and hiddink will go with anelka n drogba up top id say. chelsea will be too strong in the end as barca wont have the width of the pitch in their favour for the wide game they play. 2-0 chelsea!

[OwlsFan]

Super stuff alright, Souness gave as good as he got. IMO he is the best analyst of the two. When you compare them to the rubbish that is on display on the beeb, itv and sky, they are miles ahead. Their "analysis" is worth watching, whereas I very rarely watch the others.

The Beeb, ITV and Sky, especially the former two, usually have about 10 minutes max for "analysis". They don't have time to go in to the drivel that masquerades as "analysis" on RTE. Did the Panel say it was "men against boys" before the game or did they get it wrong at the start as usual (didn't see it - saw the game)? What had Drunkphy to say about Ronaldo whom he has castigated at every opportunity? I suspect Giles bemoaned the absence of Tevez before the game and never mentioned it at the end. I saw the start of the discussion at the end of the game where they picked a theme (Arsenal not spending) and did it to death - nice to see Souness disagreeing. That's what I have been pleading for for the past 20 years. Didn't hear any mention of the top Arsenal players who were missing including the Russian whom they spent a lot of money on, Arshavin. But some balance at last.

Believe it or not, I have no huge problem with the RTE panel so long as there is balance. There has been none for 20 years.