The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[lanky316]

Am I the only one who thinks the Barnes non-foul is actually just really unlucky? He plays the ball (as in passes, not tackles) and his boot comes up naturally to catch Matic with very little force, it's just the angle of it that looks nasty. It doesn't look particularly malicious. Regardless, Matic was clearly a red card offense.

You're not alone, he passes the ball and Matic runs in to the follow through, it's that simple. It's hardly Barnes' fault that Matic mistimed his tackle, an inch the other way and Barnes is clattered. I think the key thing is that Chelsea barely respond to the challenge until after Matic gets up and assaults him.

[Liam]

Am I the only one who thinks the Barnes non-foul is actually just really unlucky? He plays the ball (as in passes, not tackles) and his boot comes up naturally to catch Matic with very little force, it's just the angle of it that looks nasty. It doesn't look particularly malicious. Regardless, Matic was clearly a red card offense.

You're not alone, he passes the ball and Matic runs in to the follow through, it's that simple. It's hardly Barnes' fault that Matic mistimed his tackle, an inch the other way and Barnes is clattered. I think the key thing is that Chelsea barely respond to the challenge until after Matic gets up and assaults him.

I still think what Barnes did was a red card, but I'm also of the opinion that it wasn't as malicious as all that. However, if you catch someone the way he did, you should be sent off - especially considering he'd had a few different yellow card tackles go unpunished according to observers.

[Baddar]

I do see that side of it, but it's the player's responsibility to stay in control at all times. Whether he intended to or not, Barnes could have broken Matic's leg.

[stokeriño]

Who says the tackle has to be malicious for it to be a red card? Reckless, horrifically dangerous. That's why it's a red card. That's why most red cards are red cards. Often a red card tackle is a normal challenge that arrives a fraction of a second late. Malicious? Obviously not. How many do we actually see where it's said that "yep, they were definitely trying to hurt that player"? (Unless they later write about it in a book... ) Calling him 'unlucky' as though to imply there was nothing in it is a red herring.

The point of this is that the challenge was deemed unworthy of a foul being called. Let alone a yellow. Let alone a red. That's the disgrace, and it's not Barnes'.

[lanky316]

Yet hardly anyone at the time responds to it. Obviously we've all seen it in slow motion 49596 times and we've seen the still of his foot being high after passing the ball but the tell is when it happens and Chelsea didn't give a stuff. 4/5 players within yards and they all just play on and ignore it, it's only Matic getting up and assaulting someone that gets their attention. People then look back at it and say "ooh that could have hurt" but in the moment people take it for what it was, a player passing it and catching someone coming in late.

[stokeriño]

Meaning what? That the severity of a punishment is directly proportional to the amount of jumping up and down other players do within a given 2 second period?

I don't even know what the point you're trying to make is.

[brenchill]

Barnes was being an over-excited "LOOK MOM I'M ON TV PLAYING CHELSEA!" twat all afternoon. He was lucky not to go on a few occasions.

[lanky316]

The point is simple, nobody thinks it's a nasty leg breaking lunge and nobody looks twice. It's just, "he's passed the ball and Matic is a bit late. Play on". No appeals for a foul, no outrage it is what it is. A pass. It is not normally customary in football for people to be sent off or booked for passing so it's unlikely that anything would have been noticed. It becomes an incident after the melee in which the only thing that Barnes has done is get shoved over. We then repeat and analyse and people begin to notice the high foot in the follow through after the pass and try to defend the actions of Matic.

[stokeriño]

So in your opinion, should Barnes now be suspended retroactively?

[Gazz]

The more ridiculous thing is since he wasn't booked, he can be retrospectively suspended. If he'd been booked, no action could be taken.

[stokeriño]

The more ridiculous thing is since he wasn't booked, he can be retrospectively suspended. If he'd been booked, no action could be taken.

The weird and wonderful web of FA rules and regulations...

[lanky316]

Probably shouldn't get retrospective punishment, the best argument for any action taken over the incident is a booking. He passes the ball and the late lunging player is caught, I'm not even sure if there's too much that Barnes could have done about it. In the moment he should have been booked for the Ivanovic jump and could have been booked for this so on the day would have gone but you don't get retrospective yellow cards.

I suspect he will get punished for it due to the furore after the event but there really isn't that much in it.

[9 to 5]

The FA is run by a complete set of belms.

[Dan]

[Baddar]

Jose is complaining about that not being given as pen on GoS now.

[stokeriño]

Probably shouldn't get retrospective punishment, the best argument for any action taken over the incident is a booking. He passes the ball and the late lunging player is caught, I'm not even sure if there's too much that Barnes could have done about it. In the moment he should have been booked for the Ivanovic jump and could have been booked for this so on the day would have gone but you don't get retrospective yellow cards.

I suspect he will get punished for it due to the furore after the event but there really isn't that much in it.

Well I just completely disagree with you then. I thought you were making some argument along the lines of "well it was something that apparently no human being in attendance was capable of seeing, so we can't blame the ref for not seeing it at the time either", but to say that's not a red card at all?

I'm sorry, but years and years of having other red card decisions explained to me has taught me that "being able to do anything about it" doesn't matter either. How often do you hear about a player's "momentum" carrying him through into a red card challenge? To claim otherwise now is to claim that yesterday things worked differently to how they have worked for years and years. Bonkers. Utterly bonkers.

[brenchill]

Mourinho is going to war here

[stokeriño]

Feeling a bit sorry for Ben Shepherd. He's got the bad luck of being 'the personification of Sky Sports' this morning and he's very, very uncomfortable answering Jose's questions.

Nonetheless, this is awesome. (clap-clap-clapclapclap)

[9 to 5]

They are running scared of Jose here.

[brenchill]

Bloody hell, Shephard... talk about stoking the fire.