OTF

Honest question here, can you please link me to this rule - I looked for it and could not find it. Can't agree with that. Nor that. Their player made a blatant meal of it and as I said got to the ball second. There's a massive difference in coming in two footed towards a player, and coming in two footed at the ball. The bad tackles are the ones where players use extra force/propulsion to come through other players to get the ball, not when the same force/propulsion is applied in getting to the ball first. The facts count for nothing though, the FA won't rescind the card because they're a bunch of impotent bureaucrats. If Marriner (cunt) had of not given a foul/card then they would have done the same and sat on their hands, which highlights the hypocrisy. In all cases exlcuding the most obvious they'll side with the referee. Case in point being De Jong's "challenge' on Ben Arfa where excessive force was applied going through our player and the FA did nothing.

On par with Beye who came diving across to poke the ball away from Robinho against Man City in 2008. Ref from a bad position (lazy carnt) gave it a red. Upon review it was rescinded being adjudged to have been the fantastic tackle that it was. One problem with Tiote is his horrible record of mostly innocuous yellows. That would have worked against him with the decision being made on the pitch as well IMO.

The camera work on the closeup is poor, but what is clear is that their player wasn't injured in the incident and was second man to the ball. Tiote didn't go through him to get to the ball so to the letter of the law it wasn't serious foul play. It obviously wasn't the denying of a goal scoring chance and so far as I could see he didn't spit at their player. Other than those the only other way of getting a straight red is violent conduct. Excessive force or brutality was not used against an opponent. A reckless tackle only garnishes a yellow card.

Definitely. You normally want players to find a higher gear at times, with Tiote it's the exact opposite with him needing to switch down gears on occasion.

Looking at it again Tiote got to the ball first and didn't go through their player, there was contact but it was as much initiated by their player as Tiote. I'm not saying their player fouled Tiote as the contact was incidental. Their player didn't have possession of the ball, and there was no chance of injury as Tiote feet were down before he got there.

By your reckoning if you're completely on your own and dive two footed to stop the ball (say to stop it from going out) you should be sent off. If it doesn't endanger another player, and isn't at[/] an opposition player then according to the laws of the game it isn't serious foul play and therefore isn't a red card. They're the indisputable facts. De Jong came across and went through Ben Arfa using excessive force and obviously more than just endangered his safety. The FA deemed that there was no foul committed there and so if they uphold this red it's further confirmation that they're limp wristed beurocrats with no balls. Unfortunately I fully believe that the farce will continue and they won't rescind it.

With the exception of Barton we out out a team largely full of players who excel at turning over possession. Smith, Nolan, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Best, Perch and Williamson in particular are poor at playing possession football. When you then consider that Barton was played out of position on the left it makes it even worse. Goes to show how much we rely on Enrique, Tiote and Jonas, all players who are confident on the ball. Carroll and even Shola are generally also good at keeping the ball. If we had controlled possession in this game we would have been able to exert our authority. The guys that played are largely all accessory players on that they complement the core players that control the way we play. Without the core players we failed to exert our presence. All IMO of course. Barton could have been moved into the middle perhaps, as Smith and Nolan together are too slow, bad in possession and lack creativity. Alternately Guthrie could have played in the middle. His last game for us was horrific and he has seemingly gone right off the boil buy he was previously a player with a good range of passes who was smart in possession, decent at free-kicks and could hit the odd cracking goal. Pointless to speculate like this but hopefully this is a sign that Pardew is still coming to terms with the players he has at his disposal.

I don't know where this misconception has come from, but the laws of the game In reference to serious foul play say 'Any player who lunges at an opponent when challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both feet with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious fouls play.' Tiote didn't lunge at another player and didn't endanger another player, end of story.

It won't be rescinded and appealing it could result in a further ban. It was a cracking tackle, well timed etc. All said and done though it wasn't a good decision to make it particularly with that cunt of a ref, at an away game where the crowd are going to have their influence. Technically it should be rescinded if you look at the video footage of it, but the FA are useless cowards.

hahaha, love it. He anticipated the embarrassing defeat resulting in the pitch invasion and purchased a scarf before hand to spend 2 hours pretending to support them so he could go on the pitch during the invasion to slog one of their players.

ESPN have analysed the footage and believe they have identified the assailant.

Cunt of a thing to do, hope they find the coward and charge him with assault and ban him from attending games.

Good question.

Yep, got it wrong. Barton on the left did not work, Routledge on the right didn't offer much. Would have been better with them switched. Unless he still has a slight injury concern ould have been so so so so much better with Enrique out there.

Tiote's tackle was a quality tackle. Timed perfectly, all the ball, their player was milking it on the ground. Ref is a twat, got involved in the follow up where lots of Stevenage players got involved making it look worse. Plus Tiote actually showed some enthusiasm which would have made it stand out in stark contrast to the rest of the side.

Yeah take nothing away from them they fully deserved it.

Should never have come for that ball. If he stayed where he was Coloccini would have made the tackle.

Blue kit's a curse TBH. Play better in our proper strip.

...that clearance from Krul Learnt his lesson obviously...

It was a straight red, but wasn't justifiably so. .. And here;s Airey on for Lovelyhands.

This.

Commentator talking sense.

How is that a red card? Fucking Joke.

Who's Tiote on for? Alan Smith?

Enjoying this break in transmission.