Have You Stopped Laughing Yet? - OTT

Pace.

 

Kick and out-run will always be effective in football.

 

Direct play beats pointless possession.

 

Cardiff's 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace in early April should not be allowed to stand, the Welsh club have said in a five-page letter seen by the BBC.

The document, sent by club lawyers to the Premier League, alleges Palace boss Tony Pulis knew sporting director Iain Moody was trying to obtain their starting line-up before the game.

The club say they have proof Moody succeeded. Pulis declined to comment when contacted by the BBC, although Palace previously denied the claims.

A Cardiff spokesman said on Thursday evening: "A formal complaint has been submitted, concerning what we consider to be a serious breach of Premier League rules.

"We have asked for an investigation into the matter, which is now in the hands of Premier League officials who will report their findings in due course.

"At this time it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics while the investigation is ongoing. The club has every faith in the process and will welcome the views of the Premier League."

Cont: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27062091




Any thoughts? It could make the difference and although the 'advantage' of knowing a line-up in advance is debatable but if Cardiff are correct there was a concerted and successful attempt to obtain it which broke several rules. In the scrap at the bottom teams will do anything to gain any advantage and this applies to the claimed cheating and this subsequent complaint.

 

Particularly against slow, weak and stupid.

 

very slow, weak and stupid.

Would be shocked if Barca keep Bartra. He never looked Barcelona quality.

of course this is but only of many many problems.

In retrospect I bet they're now regretting forcing Pep out when he wanted to make changes to prevent these problems from arising before it's too late.

We always return to the root problem of football these days - traditionalism.

 

If they want average, weak and stupid they can take their pick from our back line. I still cannot believe he failed so badly at just trying to foul Bale. Just take him out. It's not difficult. Bang. Job done.

 

That's just cheating.

 

Jitty. Stop being obtuse. You are not a fool. Only a fool could watch a pattern over several years and be surprised when it unfolded for the umpteenth time.

Anyway. As things stand, I've got far more on my plate than would allow me to debate Arsenal's form or lack thereof at the business end of a season.

 

Have you actually looked at your schedule and your results? I have. In your first 19 games, you dropped 5 points to sides outside of the top 5 (excluding United) - Villa and Soton. Since then, in your last 15 games, you have dropped.............7 points to sides outside of the top 5 (excluding United) - West Brom, Swansea and Stoke. So what exactly has changed? Your consistency against everyone below Everton has stayed almost exactly the same, and you even took a point more against United at home. So what's the difference? Well - 3 games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton. You earned 5 points from those home games in the first half (itself not a great return), and then dropped all 9 in the return. Added to your games against United and Citeh (a total of one point) and your answer is staring you in the face - you got 0 points from away games against the top 4 non-Arsenal sides, and managed a -16 goal differential to boot. And it's not just about injuries - you lost to both Manchester sides with both Ramsey and Ozil in the lineup.
You have been entirely consistent this season - great against everyone except for the top sides. It's about the fixtures and your level of talent, not about injuries making you a different side in the second half.

 

Maybe it's both?

 

No, since it is a pattern which repeats every season.

 

I am entirely willing to concede that if Arsenal's squad was completely healthy the entire season they'd have lost somewhat less disastrously to us and Liverpool - the way they lost to us in the Carling Cup at home, for example.

 

What squad is healthy throughout the season though?

If RvP and Carrick were healthy all season, even with Moyes, United would not be losing to the likes of West Brom and Newcastle at home.

 

Well, that was kind of my point

 

The answer to the question posed in the thread title is a resounding NO!

Had to get that in before they start a new OTT!

 

I see Yaya Toure is having yet another one of those whines:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27074317

 

They play Barca away in their last game and have Valencia away next. All to play for still.

 

Daehli is wonderful to watch