What are the nuetrals saying today?

[TonyM]

Going to work now and am interested to hear what the nuetrals think.

- Do they think we are getting there due to our first half performance, the close score and the size of our squad?
- Do they think we are still soft with glaring defensive lapse "gifting" United 4 times?
- Has the extra time made them look at United and biased refs any differently?
- How did they perceive Ferguson's post match comments?
- Are they starting to see us (and Spurs etc) as vital to change the old elite?

I really hope some of the nuetrals are as sickened as we are by the "one rule for the top 4 teams...". I suspect one Spurs fan will be given the Keane penalty v Chelsea yesterday.

And all that said I really feel like the story of yesterday is not the extra time but our defensive errors so I feel like it was our own fault rather than the refs that we lost. Just hope no one says this to me though because I'd find it hard to agree publically.

Anyone got some comments from neutrals today related to us, United, the refs, etc?

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

So far I've had differing text messages and opinions with people who I've talked with (neutrals). Many said that we were raped with the extra extra time but some felt that we deserved to lose the way we were playing in second half.

[Mase]

A few scouse 1 fans at work said that "it's complete bollocks and United have the refs on the pay roll!" They also said "Michael Owen is a judas cunt who will get taught a lesson when he goes back to Anfield".

[lets all have a disco]

A few a work were shocked the game went on so long mentioned the word robbed a few times.

[shawzy]

My boss is a staunch Dipper 1 fan.He rang me to say we deserved a draw and the extra time was a farce.
I am angry about the extra time, but the defending was piss poor from us..Especially those 2 headed goals by Fletcher.You just cant switch off like that against the rags.
Im sure a lesson has been learned and will be sorted.

[Slim]

[Patrick]

What about Graham Poll?

GRAHAM POLL: Fergie once explained the rules of football to me: At the home of Manchester United, you play until they win!
By GRAHAM POLL
Last updated at 8:13 AM on 21st September 2009
Comments (26)
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Welcome to Graham Poll's exclusive online column. It will be hitting your computer screens every Monday throughout the season as the former top World Cup referee assesses the big Premier League stories and controversies. Graham's keen for you to engage with his debates - so please post your questions to him using the comments section at the bottom of this page. He'll return later each Monday to offer his response...

In my after dinner speech I often tell how I got the ‘hairdryer’ from Sir Alex Ferguson on one of my first visits to Old Trafford for not knowing one of the rules of football; at the home of Manchester United you play until they win!
For as long as I can remember fans have had the suspicion that Ferguson has an influence over referees decisions and appointments - a suspicion I cannot share - and with Mike Riley - one of ‘Fergie's favourites’ - having taking over as the head of refereeing for the PGMOL, they will be looking even closer at the referees at the home of the Champions.

Keeping watch: Mark Hughes complains to an Assistant Referee after Manchester United scored the winning goal in added-on time
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR POSERS FOR POLL USING THE COMMENTS SECTION AT THE FOOT OF THIS PAGE... GRAHAM WILL BE BACK LATER ON MONDAY WITH AN ANSWER
However, Ferguson was not pleased at having Martin Atkinson appointed for Sunday’s derby, a man he has still not forgiven for what he believed was a performance that eliminated United from the FA Cup against Portsmouth two seasons ago.
Maybe after this pulsating game was decided by a late, late winner from Michael Owen, Atkinson will be welcomed back any time.

Laws of the game are specific in saying that “the allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee” and so Atkinson cannot be faulted technically for finding an extra three minutes in addition to the four minutes he allowed at the end of the second half.
I struggled to see where the additional, additional time came from which enabled United to score the winner. Alan Wiley, the fourth official showed the time allowed - as decided by Atkinson - as four minutes, which I felt was reasonable given the substitutions and number of goals.

There was one further substitution in the time allowed, Carrick for Anderson, for which 30 seconds is usually allowed. I therefore expected the final whistle at 94.30, as did Mark Hughes.
The Owen winning goal was timed at 95.28 and so I could fully understand the City boss’s frustration. When you’ve worked so hard to come back three times and feel that you’ve earned a point in a key match it must be galling to concede such a goal.
Such is football with the laws as they stand, though.

I would like to see an amendment to the law relating to time-keeping, whereby an independent time keeper actually records the amount of time the ball is in play.
Then once that time reaches 45 minutes the referee is informed and the half ends at the next natural stoppage.
Of course that will never be brought in, with the footballing authorities so adamant that the laws must be the same for all levels of football, but for me it really is time for change.