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mikew1985 14,512 posts
Seen 14 hours ago
Registered 11 years ago -
The-Bodybuilder 17,186 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 14 years agoecureuil wrote:
Indeed I was. Does that change the fact that you're easy to troll?
Weren't you just complaining about the shitty quality of the thread five minutes ago?
The point was that clearly a handful or on a United troll. And sure, it's a dick thing to do, but to so easily fall for the bait just perpetuates it.
Maybe just not take the bait perhaps?
Edited by The-Bodybuilder at 20:31:05 03-10-2012 -
It is possible to have a valid point whilst also enjoying poking the flames. -
The-Bodybuilder 17,186 posts
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Registered 14 years agoIndeed it is. I can see the valid point.
My point is if someone (not naming names) can't take it, thy should simply ignore it, and throw a fit. -
Well that's just a big fat lie. -
mikew1985 14,512 posts
Seen 14 hours ago
Registered 11 years agoHe's definitely not been around much recently, he's not lying there.
I've probably posted more in here this season and even I'm sporadic at best. -
King_Edward 11,470 posts
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Registered 8 years agoHe just has a sensor that goes of whenever someone takes a pop at Fergie or De Gea. -
The-Bodybuilder 17,186 posts
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Registered 14 years agoDe Gealol. -
The-Bodybuilder 17,186 posts
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Registered 14 years agoI think you've just been lurking ecu. Maybe not commenting as much, but your timing to post whenever the topic of United (fergie, De Gea, United are doomed financially, etc.) does seem somewhat uncanncy.
No shame in that. I'm much more of a lurker these days. -
Syrette 49,793 posts
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Registered 15 years agoMan Utd fans are sensitive? This is news to anyone? -
ElNuevo9 14,128 posts
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Registered 11 years agoAll football fans are sensitive about their club FFS. -
Feanor 14,272 posts
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Registered 16 years agoMan United fans take the cake, though. 12 titles out of the last 20 and they still act like they've had it rough. -
MadCaddy13 2,833 posts
Seen 9 hours ago
Registered 9 years agoAmerica has the right type of sports - in title winning senses. Every team has the possibility of winning a title/ series. But for us it's either Chelsea Man U or man city. Until some bored rich guy cheats (unlimited money cheat). Imagine the prem being a mixed bag of winners. Well like the championship -
Internet lolz. -
roz123 7,112 posts
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Registered 10 years agoIs it now a rule that Europa league teams play on a sunday after having a game on thursday? -
morriss 71,290 posts
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Registered 14 years agoWasn't it always? -
roz123 7,112 posts
Seen 3 months ago
Registered 10 years agoNo, we played Newcastle on a saturday and Pardew had a moan about it. Now it seems games like Liverpool Stoke have been moved back one day. It makes sense though I was just wondering if it was a reaction to those comments
Edited by roz123 at 09:13:53 04-10-2012 -
faux-C 11,204 posts
Seen 11 months ago
Registered 13 years agoroz123 wrote:
It's been a rule for ages. The game you're talking about had to be played on a Saturday because of some police thing. It was a one off.
No, we played Newcastle on a saturday and Pardew had a moan about it. Now it seems games like Liverpool Stoke have been moved back one day. It makes sense though I was just wondering if it was a reaction to those comments
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Dougs 85,243 posts
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Registered 15 years agoNot sure it's a rule as such, just common sense where possible. -
Dougs 85,243 posts
Seen 18 minutes ago
Registered 15 years agoDoh, wrong thread
Edited by Dougs at 11:49:31 04-10-2012 -
reddevil93 14,295 posts
Seen 5 hours ago
Registered 11 years agoFrom the times:
Be silent, conspiracy theorists: United have no power over the refereeing calendar
Tony Evans
The conspiracy theorists are out in force this week. Chris Foy, after refusing to give Manchester United a penalty at Old Trafford last weekend, finds himself in npower League Two for the Accrington Stanley v Rochdale match.
That'll teach him for crossing Alex Ferguson. Except...
The reality is different. The evil empire of the Govan gang boss has not struck again. As much as we'd all love to imagine Ferguson as leader of the lizard people, manipulating world events from a cave below Carrington, it's just not right.
The selection of referees is decided six weeks in advance and takes in many factors. It's affected by international matches, Uefa's competitions, domestic cups. Sometimes it needs to be shuffled about at the last minute because of injuries. Foy was given this game back in August.
Ah, but the statistics scream out that this is a lie, you say. Well let's look at some stats.
Every referee does between five and ten Football League matches in a season. Only the three elite officials - Howard Webb, Mark Clattenburg and Martin Atkinson - do fewer. Last season, Foy did seven lower-level games, including two League One matches.
So far this season, nine of the 16 Select Group of officials have taken charge of a Football League contest. League Two gets to see less of the Select Group than the divisions above, but last season it was graced by members of the Select Group 12 times. Kevin Friend, Mark Halsey, Mike Jones, Neil Swarbrick and Jon Moss went straight from a top-flight game to a fourth-tier match in the space of a week.
Ah, you say, what about Clattenburg? In charge of the 6-1 defeat by Manchester City and never seen again. At least not at a United game. At least not for 36 league matches.
The problem with this is that Clattenburg has not taken charge of Liverpool for 40 league games. Or Arsenal for 36. Or does the malign reach of Ferguson go farther than we all imagined?
Before we all tie ourselves in knots, let's state a few simple truths:
So let's address these issues. Home teams get more decisions from referees. Home teams with big crowds tend to do even better. It's simple psychology. Plus, when you have a lot of the ball and you camp out in the opposition half, you draw fouls. It used to happen at Anfield in the 1980s. It happened at Highbury around the millennium.
But why don't opposition teams get penalties at Old Trafford? For the same reason they don't score that many against United. They don't get into the home side's penalty area that often. It's the same reason why few teams win there.
The most interesting point, though, is United's political power. They are masters of back-room machinations. At one disciplinary session, the other club involved received polite but cursory greetings from the FA bigwigs involved. Enter Ferguson and the mood changed. The treatment the United delegation received was different. It was like a reunion of old friends and after the backslapping there was a scramble to make sure Ferguson was comfortable, that he had a hot drink and everything he needed. "I knew we'd lose then," a representative of the other club said. And they did.
But again, there's no conspiracy. Ferguson has status and respect for two reasons: longevity and success. United's success in the boardrooms is built on more than the manager, though.
When United play away games, David Gill, Sir Bobby Charlton and other high-ranking officials often attend. They glad-hand, they schmooze, they are humble in victory and generous in defeat. They make friends. It's networking at its best. United know how to negotiate the corridors of power, from the most ramshackle ground in the league to the G14 table.
Doesn't everyone do that?
No. Carlo Ancelotti was shocked to find that at some Chelsea away games he was the most senior club official in the stadium. A former manager of another club who were once on the wrong end of a set-to with United complained that his sole boardroom representative at away games was unable work the room like United's charm squad.
For all the spit-flying, hairdrying image that Ferguson likes to project, United know how to win friends and influence people. And they do.
So yes, United probably have more pull with the FA, Premier League, Uefa, Fifa, the Pope and God than your club. But they're not in the business of getting Foy, or any other referee blacklisted.
No conspiracy this time, sadly, just a quirk of the refereeing calender. But make no mistake. Powerful clubs flex their muscles whenever they can. And they don't come more powerful than United. -
That article basically says exactly what I've been saying no? -
reddevil93 14,295 posts
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Registered 11 years agoApart from the conspiracy shite you were spouting about the refs, yeah. -
dsmx 8,235 posts
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Registered 13 years agoIf what you meant was that United try to be nice to everyone they meet so it doesn't come back to bite them in the arse later, then yes kalel. -
The only person that used the word conspiracy was ecu.
You guys really need to stop being so reactionary and defensive and reading extremism into every negative post about United. I know it helps build your case to push reasonable posts to extremes to make them sound ridiculous, but you're arguing against points that have never been made. As per my post above:
I've never once suggested corruption. He just exerts a disproportionately high amount of influence. It's nothing more than a combination of being the longest serving manager of the biggest club, and being highly outspoken (which is why he has had the most bans). He is in short, a scary bully.
This is in many ways the gist of the article you just posted. OK, I implied I didn't think it was coincidence that Foy got "demoted" and I still don't, but you need to stop accusing people of conspiracy theories. There have been none put forward. Its just a strawman. -
reddevil93 14,295 posts
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Registered 11 years agoYou still think its not coincidence? That's funny. And you didn't imply it, you said it was disgraceful how Fergie can get away with such things. -
reddevil93 wrote:
You still think its not coincidence? That's funny. And you didn't imply it, you said it was disgraceful how Fergie can get away with such things.
No I didn't! Again, you're seeing things that aren't there. Look at what I said:
That right there is the power of Fergie, and why he has these moans. You can guarantee next time Foy referees a Man U game he'll be giving them the benefit of doubt on every single borderline decision (as will every other ref if they know what's good for them).
Fergie doesn't directly influence anything. He doesn't say "I want this to happen" and therefore it happens. He does however put constant pressure on officials and the FA with his moaning and accusations, and as a result things he influences things in his favour.
It really isn't cool. Yes he could have given a couple of pens but it was no worse a referring than you see in every other game. The time thing was a non-issue.
Genuinely a bit of a disgrace.
Fergie and every other manager is welcome to try and do this though. It's a disgrace that it works!
Edited by kalel at 14:18:49 04-10-2012 -
It's a bit like Rafa's "facts", except that was incredibly blunt and stupid way of doing it. Same principle though. Putting a spotlight on the ref.
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