Today's Football 2018-19 Season

[dublinbluenose]

....absolutely. I actually thought Guardiola got it wrong playing Kompany and not playing Fernandinho. City played a high-line which exposed Kompany and left his partner unsettled. Spurs always looked one pass away from getting a forward in behind.

Spurs exploited the space Fernandinho covers. It was much too gong-ho and meant Spurs were always in the game. I’m sure a calmer approach would’ve resulted in a City victory. Just hope their season doesn’t capitulate.

It's no coincidence he's not reached the champions league final without having Messi to pull a rabbit out if a hat for him.

Hopefully the two VAR decisions are all the team talk that is required between now and the end if the season.

 

[Eggs]

It's no coincidence he's not reached the champions league final without having Messi to pull a rabbit out if a hat for him.

Hopefully the two VAR decisions are all the team talk that is required between now and the end if the season.

....i’m reminded of us in 1970 when we went out of the European Cup in midweek and then lost an FA Cup semi-Final a couple of days later. A long season can collapse in a very short spell.

Hopefully City pull themselves together and use the exit to positively influence their next two massive games.

 

[Pete_Beno]

City have had injuries to deal with. How the hell do Liverpool manage not to have any of their squad injured?

Is that apart from Gomez and Oxlade-Chamberlain who've been pretty much out for the season? Lovren, Lallana also injured at the moment. If you only ever look for ways 'the RS are spawning it' then that's all you'll ever find.

 

[Pete_Beno]

Sadly their forwards are in their best years, unlike say Agüero or Fernandinho who breaks every other month and has to be carefully managed

Fernandinho leaving at the end of the season as well, they need to spend big on replacing him as he makes them tick imo. Kante?

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

....I don’t know why some on here dismiss the Reds. It’s folly. They could easily blow Barcelona away in the home leg and will be a threat at Nou Camp. Barcelona looked defensively weak at United.

Barcelona would have a better chance in a one-off against them but I can’t see the Reds losing a two-leg semi final.

I hate them, they have no place in a European competition after getting the entire country banned.

I will always take that stance.

I would be happy with a Barcelona / Spurs final too for the record.

 

[N.S.N.O.]

VAR needs adapting. This farce about the ref running to the touchline needs to end. Somebody just tell him if it's a pen

Think it's only right the Ref has a look at the VAR replays when it's a tight call... Last night worked very well, City would have won with an offside goal without it...

Imagine potentially winning a competition because of an offside goal? Hmmmm, not making comparisons obviously...

 

[Groucho]

It will be an all Jewish semi-final tie, I guess.

How’s this relevant to anything?

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

I for one can't wait for the introduction of the if it hits your hand and goes in it is a handball and no goal rule. To me it seems to be pretty common sense that in FOOTball, a sport that has a central goal of winning by playing and scoring without hands or arms, it would be made expressly illegal to score with ones hands or arms. Yet every time a goal like the Llorente one happens I see online all this nonsense about was it intentional and natural positions and all this other stupidity. He scored a goal with his hand so it shouldn't count none of this other stuff should bleeping matter.

Sorry about the rant if you actually read all that but it just gets me really pissed.

The rules around handball in general are ridiculous. If it isn’t intentional, it isn’t given - The majority of fouls in the game aren’t intentional but they’re fouls nonetheless; if your hand/arm stops the ball from going where it would otherwise go, it should be handball. Forget how far away you are, what the intention was, etc.

 

[arminisgod]

It’s absolutely fine and last proved how well it can work.

No it didn't. The hand ball goal shouldn't have stood. All that time wasted by the ref running to the touchline... And because of it he didn't get to see the best angle.

Still I called it live that it hit his arm first.

Same for the night before. Barca should have had that penalty. Clearly played the man first... But by the time it takes to run over to the touchline to watch it they rush the decision to try and get on with the game

 

[Jack1882]

Took a few years off me that game. Watching that can't be good for the old ticker.

 

[Eggs]

I hate them, they have no place in a European competition after getting the entire country banned.

I will always take that stance.

I would be happy with a Barcelona / Spurs final too for the record.

.....absolutely, the vast majority of us will do a lap of honour in the garden and sing Blue Moon in the pub if they lose the semi-Final and City get over the line and win the league.

I’m just saying I think they can blow Barcelona away. I think it might be very similar to the City semi-Final last season, the Reds will take some beating over two legs and I can truly see them winning.

 

[ijjysmith]

No it didn't. The hand ball goal shouldn't have stood. All that time wasted by the ref running to the touchline... And because of it he didn't get to see the best angle.

Still I called it live that it hit his arm first.

Same for the night before. Barca should have had that penalty. Clearly played the man first... But by the time it takes to run over to the touchline to watch it they rush the decision to try and get on with the game

I thought and still think it was a fine goal.

It’s your personal preference to not like VAR. I personally think it’s going fine.

 

[Abraders]

Took a few years off me that game. Watching that can't be good for the old ticker.

Congrats

 

[arminisgod]

I thought and still think it was a fine goal.

It’s your personal preference to not like VAR. I personally think it’s going fine.

I'm all in favour of VAR... Just not how it's being used.

It was wrong last night. If the ref had seen the handball the goal wouldnt have stood. But he didn't see it on his rushed replay.

 

[ijjysmith]

I'm all in favour of VAR... Just not how it's being used.

It was wrong last night. If the ref had seen the handball the goal wouldnt have stood. But he didn't see it on his rushed replay.

I still don’t think the decision was wrong.

And really don’t have an issue with the time things are taking.