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Arsenal's free kick that lead to the goal was a dive, but that happens in football. All you people on your high horse, what team of angels do you support that never dives? It's not Arsenal's fault that the referee made another poor desicion, or that Barca didn't defend it properly, and allowed Campbell a free header.
After the sending off though, it was never really a fair contest. At this level, one team having an extra player is huge. But on the whole, Barca were the best team in the tournment, but I bet they would've preferred to beat Arsenal 11 v 11.
As for changing the rules, like said before advantage should have being played. But look at it another way - without going and trying to find the law I'm pretty certain in there somewhere it mentions something like "denying a goal scoring opportunity" which is what you get red carded for, how the fuck has he denied a goal scoring opportunity when the ball ends up in the back of the net.
Because the decision was based on the foul on Eto'o, not on what happened afterwards. Had he played the advantage then Lehmann would only have been booked.
For me that decision underlines the fact that too many referrees are quick with their whistle and don't seem prepared to let play continue for a ten seconds to see if advantage is maintained. If it isn't then they can always pull play back.
As for the domination aspect, I thought that Barca were just starting to settle after the initial onslaught, nad had been for about five mins) and the pass to Eto'o was an example of that.
I am not sure that it would have been as clear cut as the Arsenal fans seem to think. Fact still remains that for all their complaints, they shouldn't have had a goal and they should have been down to ten men regardless of whether Lehmann was dismissed.
The thing about this game was the swings and roundabouts in the decisions. Arsenal can point to the sending off and Barca could point to the Eboue dive. Some you get, some you don't.
The other interesting aspect, which seem to be ignored by the "Henry is World Class" is that in anoother big game he choked at the vital moment when he was one-on-one with the keeper. Regardless of the referee's decisions he should have buried it and the Arse would have been two up. He didn't score, they lost.
I also love the comments from Lee Dixon this morning on 5Live when he said that it was on the "wrong side of the area" for Henry. Come on guys, he's supposed to be world class.
People should give Rijkaard alot of credit as well. His substitutions were perfect. Larsson was the best player on the pitch and Belletti scored the winner. He's building a fanastic reputation for himself, but you'll never see him steal the limelight from his players, like someone like Mourinho might try and do.
That's crap.
It's like saying a 100m runner is a better athelete than a 400m runner because he finished in 10 seconds. Not comparing like for like.
*sighs*
I'm not doubting Larss-hole did well when he came on, but it's a lot easier to do well when the rest of the players on the pitch are knackered, especially against a defence that's been up against it for the whole game.
I'd love to see Larsson try and do what Henry did last night.
If it was the other way about there's no way in hell you'd be banging on about Barca being horrible nasty cheaters. Or if arsenal players were waving imaginary yellow and red cards about you'd have something to say.
Incidentally, Arsenal played better with 10 men last night than MUFC did in 99 with 11, they just didn't get anywhere near as lucky.
Henry should have scored. If he scored a hat-trick I'd imagine you'd still find something to argue your point because of your dislike for the man and the team he plays for. I'm not going to have this debate all over again, I still think he's 10 times the player RVN is, but we're never going to agree.
But the amount he did upfront was amazing when you consider he was on his own against a fantastic defence and I don't think it's an exageration to say Arsenal would have probably been beaten a lot more easily if Henry didn't keep so much of the play in the Barcelona third.
Could you imagine how much the cosh Arsenal would have been under if they had, say, Kanu as a lone striker?
Fair enough. Henry did indeed have it tougher, but by his standards he didn't have a fantastic game. Nor did Ronaldinho but he still looked dangerous.
Larsson can only play the game that's there to be played, and he did it fantastically. It's not easy playing against 10 men, sometimes it makes teams more resolute and they work harder as a collective defensive unit. For me, Larsson changed the game. He did exactly what Rijkaard wanted him to do and more. Brilliant way to sign off his club career.
Luck doesn't exist.
Geez, haven't we been there.
Firstly, if it was just about the team or the man then I wouldn't want Wenger as England coach and I wouldn't think that Shearer was World Class. It's not, I just think that the media hype him up too much.
Secondly, had he scored a hat-trick, I would have conceded the point about his class. Fact is, he choked again. Except this time it's everyone else's fault.
With the way Ruud has been playing in the past few months, I don't think I'd disagree there
Probably, possibly, maybe.
They would have won, if he'd done something which he seems to find easy against the likes of Middlesborough reserve defence and is lauded for. Or if he'd been Shearer.
I'm not the one who argues that Henry is world class. I also wouldn't say it about Kanu.
...was the key point of that post
No he didn't, stop spouting wazz.
It wasn't a foul, but you're the ref, you know that doesn't mean it was a dive.
And besides which, if we were going to book for every dive, Barca would have ended up forfeiting the match.
I still love the irony of a supporter of Manchester United stamping his feet about diving and cheating. That team would finish every game with 8 men if cheating was to be clamped down on- Ronaldo, Rooney, RvN, Saha and Giggs all go down faster than a Mackem lass on the Bigg Market.
Shame there's no Soccer AM tomorrow, coz Eboue would have definitely been in the Platoon edition. Possible the best dive this season...
And what a good camera angle!!
Arsenal have got no one else to blame but themselves, considering how shit Barca played!!!
Of course it was. He wasn't touched and yet he went down pretending to have been fouled. How is that not a dive?
At what point here have I been "stamping my feet"?
Read my comments again and you will find that I am dissing Henry's comments about the referee and his claims that Barca were diving all over the place. I think that the irony of his comments is great considering how Arsenal scored their only goal of the night...
Are you shitting me man? Of course it was a dive! Even my gooner mates are big enough to admit that it was a dive.
You are clearly talking shite. I bet you can't provide any examples of diving by those players this past season.
I don't think Eboue dived to be honest, but in no way was that a foul. But even if he did, it's not like Ronaldinho and Eto'o didn't spend most of the night rolling around like they'd been shot.
Even if they had, it wasn't shown on camera that well, so no conclusive evidence.
But Eboue's is so conclusive it's unreal!!
Also, the Eto'o goal was marginal and in that case the striker should get the benefit of the doubt. 6 miles!!!! Bollocks.
And if he gave advantage in the first half, Arsenal would have been hammered royaly.
You lost, shit happens...there's always another season.
Arsenal with ten men weren't "hammered royally", so how on earth would a full team have been?
Eboue didn't dive, but it wasn't a foul.
Eto'o was at least two yards offside, but it wasn't given. And Barcelona were also offside for at least one of the goals they did score.
You're not a bitter Spurs fan are you by any chance?
MY bad, Poppet.
Thought you were a gooner. (easy mistake to make since you are acting like one
If Barca's goal stood, Arsenal would have been hammered, just my gut feeling.
Eboue DID dive and of course it wasn't a foul.
As far as offside, I thought we were talking about Eto'o's "second" goal (with the Larsson pass), I can't remember whether he was off side for the first one, was too busy watching Lehmann fouling. Shouldn't have been a red though.
No I am not a Spurs fan, thanks.
I am a Liverpool fan. :yippe:
If anyone watched every game scum played this year, you seriously saying that no-one would find an example of the likes of Ronaldo diving?? Delusional to say the very least.
Don't even know why I responded to that cos really couldn't give a fuck, it just gets me some of the tripe that gets spouted by scum fans.
And I mean a proper gooneresque dive i.e. no contact, and fall over.
Then I shall take on board your opinion.
Every team has a player that will have at some point made a dive and thrown shame on his club...
It's nothing new.
Surely we should seek a solution to this, like more consistent yellow carding and shit ...
Maybe this will happen from next season.
But I've seen Arsenal players fall over fuck all this year, in lots of games. Similar to Drogba and Robben. Pure blatant cheating. No contact. Ronaldo used to be like that too, but he's cut it out. He still draws fouls etc but he doesn't go over fresh air anymore.
For once ill be hoping Arsenal do well (except when they play my team) just because of Rosicky