Football Focus

[red devil]

Someone please tell me that didn't happen...pretty please?

Have to say Citeh, and Silva in particular, were pure class and fully deserved their day in the sun.

I was very surprised Fergie didn't use Jones to man mark Silva out of the game, especially since he used that tactic against Charlie Adam last week...and Adam is no Silva.

Going down to 10 men was obviously a big turning point, but we didn't help ourselves with some suicidal defending afterwards. I don't think Evans will ever recover from this, his confidence has always been wafer thin.

Defensively we have been suspect recently, Liverpool and Chelsea created lots of chances. Vidic can't come back soon enough.

I agree about Cleverley's early season influence being missed, but a club like Utd shouldn't have to rely on a 21yo rookie.

I still think the title is there to be won, and we have actually started better than previosu seasons, so I'm still optimistic, since we traditionally get better as the season progresses. Citeh are in unknown territory, and no one knows how they will react to the pressure and expectation of being top and now favourites to win the league...should be an interesting next few months.

If we end up as Champions this will eventaully be forgotten, but for now I'm just glad I don't live in Manchester anymore...

[Parkdrive]

Oh it happened, and what makes you think that the City fans will let you forget this EVEN IF you win the title. This will be etched in their memories forever. As to whether or not they have the character and resilience, which some seem to believe is unique to Manchester United, to win the league, only time will tell. As a betting man. I wouldn't bet against City.

On a scale of 1 to 6, how do you rate yesterdays performance?

[red devil]

As a Gooner Atila I 8-2 say this but you're the last person who should gloat... past experience tells us your Mr Nice personna eventually slips and the real obnoxious git eventually surfaces, so remember to watch your P's and Q's, don't want to get yourself banned...again

[Parkdrive]

red devil Wrote:

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> As a Gooner Atila I 8-2 say this but you're the

> last person who should gloat... past experience

> tells us your Mr Nice personna eventually slips

> and the real obnoxious git eventually surfaces, so

> remember to watch your P's and Q's, don't want to

> get yourself banned...again

Who is the obnoxious persona you refer to, and why take exception to this when you, and others, weighed in with the 8-2 gag, and as for gloating, what goes around.....................

[StraferJack]

Gosh, Atila is back and I didn't even notice. the 8-2 gag is achingly tired I'll grant you, but please atila, spare us the "who is this Atila person" schtick. You've tried it before and it never works

You always come back and post in the music and football threads pretty much exclusively

You like phrase like "what goes around..."

Just say it's you so we can all skip 3 pages of denial and counter-argument

[Parkdrive]

Has anyone heard about the sick swan in the Manchester area?

[StraferJack]

oh, and lame gags

I forgot about them

[Otta]

Good to have you back! But hopefully people can give a clean slate, and we can all just talk football.

I do think yesterdays result was more impressive than the 8-2 to be honest, and in a way, Man U should consider that a compliment.

In other news, Chelsea had a bloody bad day, and now accusations of racism against Terry. I hate Terry, but suspect this is bollocks.

[Parkdrive]

Sports journo says to Sir Alex after the game, whats worse, the scoreline or the fact that you were at home, he replies, "six of one and half a dozen of the other". :)-D

[StraferJack]

agreed with everything there Otta

Too early to say if Arsenal have turned a corner after the dismal start to the season but 6 wins out of last 7 isn?t bad. Let?s see how we deal with Chelsea next week tho

[maxxi]

Otta Wrote:

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> >

> In other news, Chelsea had a bloody bad day, and

> now accusations of racism against Terry. I hate

> Terry, but suspect this is bollocks.

Was aware of this (but hadn't seen anything on youtube etc.) before watching highlights on MOTD2 and even then - when I would have expected the relevant footage to have been edited out - it's clear that Terry is using a racist insult and doing it twice.

[StraferJack]

Terry's defence has a ring of plausibility tho

""I'm disappointed that people have leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand.

"I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term. I would never say such a thing and I'm saddened that people would think so"

so if you see him say it, it's supposedly repeating what Ferdinand said to him.

And I REALLY don't like Terry....

[Parkdrive]

maxxi Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > >

> > In other news, Chelsea had a bloody bad day,

> and

> > now accusations of racism against Terry. I hate

> > Terry, but suspect this is bollocks.

>

> Was aware of this (but hadn't seen anything on

> youtube etc.) before watching highlights on MOTD2

> and even then - when I would have expected the

> relevant footage to have been edited out - it's

> clear that Terry is using a racist insult and

> doing it twice.

If this is true it's a horrible turn of events, and it'll be interesting to see what investigation, if any, is undertaken and if proven, what punishment is dished out. I sincerely hope we don't continue to hear more of these stories, it is morally reprehensible and has no place in todays society.

[maxxi]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Terry's defence has a ring of plausibility tho

>

> ""I'm disappointed that people have leapt to the

> wrong conclusions about the context of what I was

> seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand.

>

> "I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist

> slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying

> that I never used that term. I would never say

> such a thing and I'm saddened that people would

> think so"

>

> so if you see him say it, it's supposedly

> repeating what Ferdinand said to him.

>

> And I REALLY don't like Terry....

Ah, the post-modern defence. I was only shouting "F****** Black C***" (twice in succession) as an illustration of what I didn't say.

Didn't occur to him to yell or at least prefix this with "I didn't say- (that)!" or to shake his head with derision whilst belting out the 'comment'. But fair enough - I suppose it's the same kind of casual racism we were supposed to accept from Prince Harry with regard to his 'mate' so a footballer shouldn't be held to a higher standard.

[Otta]

I never noticed it on MOTD (was a bit tipsy by then). If it's true, then I hate Terry even more, but Mich as I dislike him, I wouldn't have thought he was racist.

[StraferJack]

It's pretty clear cut - if it proves to be true he (like Suarez) should have the book thrown at him. If it happened, it isn't "causal" racism, it's absolutely racism

But as allegations go it's pretty big, so needs more than partial & disputed evidence. Even with evidence the FA is more than capable of sweeping it under the carpet, which is why problems like this persist unfortunately but the alternative is free-for-all where anyone with a grudge can farme anyone else

Otta is giving Terry the benefit of the doubt personally, and legally I would say that has to be the case.

But if you were to ask me HOW surprised I would be should it be proven....

[Bluerevolution]

[Atticus]

That one replay from side on doesn't look good for Terry. This aside, he is everything I detest about premiership football.

[Annette Curtain]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> agreed with everything there Otta

>

> Too early to say if Arsenal have turned a corner

> after the dismal start to the season but 6 wins

> out of last 7 isn?t bad. Let?s see how we deal

> with Chelsea next week tho

The Strafer is a Gooner

Interesting

NETTS:)

[Undisputedtruth]

I'll be interested to hear what Anton has to say with the John Terry incident.

Not as clear cut as the Suarez incident.

[Alan Medic]

The 4 most important people at #afc are: 1 Wenger; 2 Van Persie; 3 the doc who keeps Van Persie fit; 4 the physio who helps the doc who...

That's a tweet from Henry Winter. He's probably not far wrong.

[Otta]

Not as clear cut as the Suarez incident.

Ha ha, I take it you've seen some evidence that th rest of us have yet to see?

I'm still not saying he's innocent, because, like you, I don't actually know. I suspect there will never be a definite answer, as surely the FA would have reviewed any TV Footage, and acted quickly. I would have thought that would be the best way to deal with it anyway, but perhaps it'll drag on for ages.

I just find it hard to believe that Evra, having been repeatedly racially abused, did not react at al to the player, and didn't think to mention it to the ref.

[Undisputedtruth]

Otta Wrote:

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> I just find it hard to believe that Evra, having

> been repeatedly racially abused, did not react at

> al to the player, and didn't think to mention it

> to the ref.

What an absurd notion you have, Otter.

Have you ever been racially abused, Otta? Just because you don't react to racial abuse doesn't mean the incident didn't happen. Evra is a professional footballer and as such he put his team's interests first before reporting the matter to the authorities.

With regards to the video incident, John Terry was shouting and there must have been players around to be able to hear what he had said. In fact Cashley Cole was near to him and probably best placed to witness what was said.

There appears to be plenty of evidence with the Suarez case but not with the Terry's. Hence my previous statement.

[Alan Medic]

Stan Collymore view is quite interesting.

[Alan Medic]

Sven sacked at Leicester. Martin O'Neill comes to mind.