the disallowed goal

[zuricity]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

[Dunne's Half-Time Pint]

Honest question:
I know they worked quite well last year, but have Stoke scored a single goal from Delap's throws against anyone else in the league this season?
I'd guess not.

Arsenal in the FA Cup the other week mate was one of many.

rescinded if that's the case... I assumed most teams had their number by now.

[Kladze]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

[zuricity]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

You obviously did not see the foul that Wiley blew against Richards when he was clearly in the air ,but above the guy (fuller ) in the second half..... Wiley blew up for that one too ....

[Ted Hughes]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

It doesn't matter if you can be impeded or not, refs always give it when that kind of minimal contact occurs. It's ridiculous over protection of shite goalkeeping but it happens in almost every game. If it was 10th min v rags rather than 95th min v City, there'd be a brief head shake from Andy Gray & it would never be mentioned again. Why should shay not get the same over protection as every other keeper? Why should we be so fucking even handed? You can bet your life we'll soon get one disallowed for the same thing.

[Kladze]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

It doesn't matter if you can be impeded or not, refs always give it when that kind of minimal contact occurs. It's ridiculous over protection of shite goalkeeping but it happens in almost every game. If it was 10th min v rags rather than 95th min v City, there'd be a brief head shake from Andy Gray & it would never be mentioned again. Why should shay not get the same over protection as every other keeper? Why should we be so fucking even handed? You can bet your life we'll soon get one disallowed for the same thing.

What I was trying to get at Ted - and I've had a fair few so not too successfuly maybe - is that Shawcross made no contact with Given .... it was Given who made contact with Shawcross.
And it was after the header was successfully completed anyway.

[M147WN]

I'd have gone fuckin ballistic if we'd had a similar effort disallowed!
Is this the "it evens out over the season" analagy?
Got out of jail tonight for sure!

[Ted Hughes]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

It doesn't matter if you can be impeded or not, refs always give it when that kind of minimal contact occurs. It's ridiculous over protection of shite goalkeeping but it happens in almost every game. If it was 10th min v rags rather than 95th min v City, there'd be a brief head shake from Andy Gray & it would never be mentioned again. Why should shay not get the same over protection as every other keeper? Why should we be so fucking even handed? You can bet your life we'll soon get one disallowed for the same thing.

What I was trying to get at Ted - and I've had a fair few so not too successfuly maybe - is that Shawcross made no contact with Given .... it was Given who made contact with Shawcross.
And it was after the header was successfully completed anyway.

He did mate, his arm is over Given's shoulder. Right or wrong, refs give 95% of those as fouls. I don't like it but it happens just the same to us & has done for less contact than that.

[Kladze]

Fair enough - we're going to have to agree to disagree mate :-)

[Ted Hughes]

Fair enough - we're going to have to agree to disagree mate :-)

Rightho I'll go & start an argument somewhere else ;-)

You'll have the last laugh anyway because there'll probably be a whole show dedicated to it on Talksport tomorrow as their usually is when we get our annual decision.

[Kladze]

lol

[Slim]

Was never was a foul. Quite frankly on balance of play and poor decisions Stoke were robbed, still take the point and 4th though. :)

[Bluez]

Honest question:
I know they worked quite well last year, but have Stoke scored a single goal from Delap's throws against anyone else in the league this season?
I'd guess not.

I think in the FA cup game the commentator mentioned before the game that Stoke had scored 13 goals directly from delaps throw ins. That didn't include flick ons or goals scored due to a poor clearance.

[Fish111]

If the boot was on the other foot and we had that goal disallowed then i'd be feckin furious. Goalkeepers get too much protection for my liking but having said that i'm not arsed as the decision went our way for once and i'll take a point away to Stoke any day considering they are unbeaten this calender year. People deride Stokes play but they are the new Bolton and will be around in mid-table prem for a few years i reckon.

[Abu Dhabi]

I am sorry, it was a foul mate. Putting your hand over the keeper and preventing him from taking off always is. Specially in the 6. Yard box.

[Fish111]

I am sorry, it was a foul mate. Putting your hand over the keeper and preventing him from taking off always is. Specially in the 6. Yard box.

Personally i don't think it was but i really couldn't give a shit whether it was or wasn't. The decision went our way and we're fourth, that'll do me. Vieira should also have been sent off, that decision went our way as well. Plus, was their defender was a tad unlucky to walk as maybe their other fullback could have got back to cover? It's all about opinions and luck. The luck was with us last night on this occasion.

[Dubaimancityfan]

It was the keeper's ball & should have been an easy take but Given made a right fucking mess of it allowing a bloke to get his head higher than he could reach with his hands. Pathetic keeping.

Luckily for Given, the geezer had his arm over his shoulder & made contact. Whenever that happens refs give a foul, wrongly imo but they do, so there's no reason it should be any different just because it's City.

I've seen enough now to form the opinion that we need a keeper who dominates the box if we're ever going to win the PL. Given's a great keeper but he's useless in that department & it's asking a lot of the defenders to win every ball in every game for a whole season. It's simply not going to happen.

Well said Ted, that's my argument too, the goalie always gets the rub when players bundle into them and Wiley reacted the same as most refs (remember Urs Meier and the Portugal England game ?) same thing. Goal looks good but goalie is impeded.

I also agree about Given. I think Mancini would replace him tomorrow if he could.

I simply cannot believe he asked to have his studs changed in the first half ! what on earth was that about ? How long has he been playing football ?

You CANNOT be impeded by a player who is ALREADY in the air having made (and continuing to make) a clean jump at the ball. End of story .... FACT

etcetera

I agree with Zurich and Ted on this one.Whether it was a foul or not is irrelevant. Its how the Ref saw it that counts and he did
not have the benefit of video replay as those of us who saw it on T.V did. I've seen many softer fouls given in favour of keepers and this one was no different.

[Wooders]

we wouldn't have scored from it but there was a similar free kick given against ade up the other end of the pitch so at least he was consistent
imho - it was a goal and should have stood

[btajim]

we wouldn't have scored from it but there was a similar free kick given against ade up the other end of the pitch so at least he was consistent
imho - it was a goal and should have stood

Where's the "Top 4" comeback from the Mancini clique had Stoke won 2-1? "One more game in hand", yeah?

[Im_Spartacus]

we wouldn't have scored from it
but there was a similar free kick given against ade up the other end of the pitch so at least he was consistent
imho - it was a goal and should have stood

Where's the "Top 4" comeback from the Mancini clique had Stoke won 2-1? "One more game in hand", yeah?

Fucking hell mate, you whinge about the shit that went on on this board before Hughes went, spitting your dummy out and fucking off for a few months because an internet forum became a bit too lairy.

Yet here you are with incendiary comments, naming a "Mancini Clique" - which I think number two on this board, fanning the very flames and trying to cause the very same divisions that you yourself proclaimed as one reason for taking a break.

You really couldnt make it up.