Premiership 2007/08

[Darloboy]

There's no way Martin Taylor should be banned for any longer than normal, there was clearly no malice in his tackle, yes it was a bad one but Eduardo is just very unlucky it's resulted in an injury when there's been plenty of worse tackles this season that haven't caused injury.

[Sam]

Wenger is a very thoughful person, someone might have told him about how it sounds, but he would know it wasn't the right thing to say and I can be pretty sure he retracted the comments of his own accord.

I still think we'll win the league. Van Persie should be back soon, and when he is we have two of the best strikers in the Premiership/world, and I think the Eduardo injury and the cock-up against Birmingham will only serve to spur us on for the rest of the season. Man Utd might have strength in depth, but best eleven's, ours is by far the best. I honestly think we have the best central midfield partnership in the world and the amount of goals they create for us (directly or indirectly) is silly.

Edited February 24, 2008 by Sam

[Steeb]

Now I've seen it?

Fucking. Ew.

[TMM]

This is the sort of thing I'm trying to get at in regards to the length of the ban:

And here’s the worst thing for me - the maximum ban Martin Taylor can serve is three games. It’s nonsense. I was critical of Eboue’s tackle last week but the fact that Eboue and Taylor get the same ban is ludicrous. You might have seen Jeremie Aliadiere red carded yesterday for a small slap. How is it fair that Aliadiere will get three games for not hurting an opponent at all yet Taylor, who may have broken Eduardo’s leg beyond repair, gets the same ban?

Intent or not, it is a tackle that could end the guys career. That deserves a lengthy ban.

Back on to the strength of the starting line-ups. If I had to select my best eleven from the top three, it'd be like this.

GK - Cech

RB - Sagna,

LB - Clichy/Evra (one I'm not 100% sure on as they are both as good as each other, but Evra might just shade it)

CB - Gallas

CB - Toure/Ferdinand (again, they are both as good as each other except Ferdinand can switch off at times, so maybe Toure)

RM - Hleb

LM - Ronaldo

CM - Fabregas

CM - Flamini

ST - Adebayor

ST - Anelka

Two Chelsea players, two/three Man Utd players and the rest Arsenal. Call it bias maybe, but I've seen enough games this season to say that, going on form, that is the best team in my opinion. I still don't rate Lampard and never will, Terry is a dirty fucker and is to slow, Rooney can vanish from a game so quickly and other than those, I can't really see any arguements. Actually it'd be interesting to see what people would chose actually.

[IAceI]

Phil Bardsley really is a clumsy fuck.

That is all.

[therockbox]

This is the sort of thing I'm trying to get at in regards to the length of the ban:

And here’s the worst thing for me - the maximum ban Martin Taylor can serve is three games. It’s nonsense. I was critical of Eboue’s tackle last week but the fact that Eboue and Taylor get the same ban is ludicrous. You might have seen Jeremie Aliadiere red carded yesterday for a small slap. How is it fair that Aliadiere will get three games for not hurting an opponent at all yet Taylor, who may have broken Eduardo’s leg beyond repair, gets the same ban?

Intent or not, it is a tackle that could end the guys career. That deserves a lengthy ban.

[alldaws1]

Intent or not, it is a tackle that could end the guys career. That deserves a lengthy ban.

That's ridiculous. It's like saying you deserve a lengthy jail sentence if you were framed for a crime. The intent is what should decide the length of the ban and the guy obviously didn't mean it. You're telling me Taylor should receive a lengthier ban than if he actually did intend to do it but didn't actually hurt Eduardo?

[TMM]

I think it's accepted there was no intent to injure him, but was there intent to 'let Eduardo know he was there' which is exactly what that challenge seems to me. Bear in mind Martin Taylor's foot is about a foot off the ground which doesn't really make it 'mis-timed'. Mis-timed would have had Taylor clatter into his ankle instead of his leg, which may had done exactly the same damage, worse or nothing at all. It's clumsy and dangerous but it isn't mis-timed, which to me says there was intent to make Arsenal players aware that the game wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

[Sam]

Back on to the strength of the starting line-ups. If I had to select my best eleven from the top three, it'd be like this.

GK - Cech

RB - Sagna,

LB - Clichy/Evra (one I'm not 100% sure on as they are both as good as each other, but Evra might just shade it)

CB - Gallas

CB - Toure/Ferdinand (again, they are both as good as each other except Ferdinand can switch off at times, so maybe Toure)

RM - Hleb

LM - Ronaldo

CM - Fabregas

CM - Flamini

ST - Adebayor

ST - Anelka

Two Chelsea players, two/three Man Utd players and the rest Arsenal. Call it bias maybe, but I've seen enough games this season to say that, going on form, that is the best team in my opinion. I still don't rate Lampard and never will, Terry is a dirty fucker and is to slow, Rooney can vanish from a game so quickly and other than those, I can't really see any arguements. Actually it'd be interesting to see what people would chose actually.

Edited February 24, 2008 by Sam

[TMM]

I can see what you're saying about Essien, but you need to remember Flamini's performances this season. He has been our most important player this season. Fabregas' assists and goals are great, Adebayor's goals as well, but how many of those have been directly or indirectly assisted by Flamini; a hell of a lot.

I agree the central defensive partnerships is always going to be simply down to who you support. I think Gallas and Toure are the best, you think Ferdinand and Vidic. I can see the arguement for both.

AND WHO CHANGED MY NAME!?! :'(

[Dan]

That was never a penalty.

[R.W.]

This is the sort of thing I'm trying to get at in regards to the length of the ban:

And here’s the worst thing for me - the maximum ban Martin Taylor can serve is three games. It’s nonsense. I was critical of Eboue’s tackle last week but the fact that Eboue and Taylor get the same ban is ludicrous. You might have seen Jeremie Aliadiere red carded yesterday for a small slap. How is it fair that Aliadiere will get three games for not hurting an opponent at all yet Taylor, who may have broken Eduardo’s leg beyond repair, gets the same ban?

Intent or not, it is a tackle that could end the guys career. That deserves a lengthy ban.

So how long are we banning Eboue and Flamini for after those shocking tackles last week? Flamini clearly had intent in trying to take Nani out, and we can just be thankful he missed.

[TMM]

This is the sort of thing I'm trying to get at in regards to the length of the ban:

And here’s the worst thing for me - the maximum ban Martin Taylor can serve is three games. It’s nonsense. I was critical of Eboue’s tackle last week but the fact that Eboue and Taylor get the same ban is ludicrous. You might have seen Jeremie Aliadiere red carded yesterday for a small slap. How is it fair that Aliadiere will get three games for not hurting an opponent at all yet Taylor, who may have broken Eduardo’s leg beyond repair, gets the same ban?

Intent or not, it is a tackle that could end the guys career. That deserves a lengthy ban.

So how long are we banning Eboue and Flamini for after those shocking tackles last week? Flamini clearly had intent in trying to take Nani out, and we can just be thankful he missed.

'Shocking'? Hardly. Eboue, I despise the cunt, it was a dangerous tackle and he deserved the red card. Ban him for life for all I care. Flamini's tackle on Nani was one of those 'fuck you keepy uppy bastard' tackles born out of frustration, but was perfectly legal because it was along the ground, one footed and he got the ball, so...yeah, I have no idea how on earth you can compare the two.

[-A-]

I wonder what the best odds on Chelsea are at the moment.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The only real instance where i think someone should be banned for a lengthy period of time is if is a strong kick to the chest or above, or if the player shows real intent and kicks the player in a rediculously strong fashion. The only problem with this is that there are several tackles like this that dont actually deserve this because it was an accident, and sometimes a tackle even weaker than the criteria could damage a players career.

There are some tackles that come in late and very dangerous, not because of intent but purely because the player isn't good enough to tackle like that - people expect all players to be world class and able to be precise with everything, which is hardly a Birmingham City players trait. All it takes is someone to go in half a second later and someones career could be over.

[Mj3]

Re:Eduardo

Alex McGleish said it, hes not a dirty player, and Eduardo was just too quick for him. I couldnt say it was 100% reckless, but it is very unfortunate, by miracle, I hope he plays again.

[gnfnrhead]

Terrible challange & he deserves a long ban. Not a permanent ban but i'd say 6 or so games at least.

Never a penalty. Clichy clearly got the ball.

Adebayor nearly go his shirt pulled off him a couple of minutes earlier but that was ignored.

The free kick for Birmingham's first goal was also generous. But i'll accept that they can go either way.

For Walcott's first goal, Adebayor was in the air long before the keeper backed into him. Not a foul by Adebayor.

[Turbo Yannis]

Fuck off with the longer ban nonsense. It was a bad, clumsy tackle but it's obvious that Taylor didn't mean to snap him they way that he did. He probably feels like a dick right now as it is without all this talk of banning him for longer than three games.

[gnfnrhead]

So potentially ending a players career is now the same as a player intentional handball on the line?

Taylor had the intent of getting him. I'm sure he didnt mean to break his leg but it was clear he knew he was going to get him as if saying, its not going to be easy today.

[Turbo Yannis]

I never said that. This is why I fucking hate speaking about some things here, people twist your words to make it suit them and their arguement.

It was a red card, what happened was unfortunate and for Taylor, that should be the end of it.

By all means stay on your high horse though.

Edited February 24, 2008 by Turbonegro