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Birmingham vs Arsenal | EPL | Sat 27th March 3:00/15:00

wellington

Well-Known Member
If you're not interfering with play, what the hell are you doing out there?
The rule is clearly a joke. I agree with "in the box" as an easier way to interpret it. I won't even start with the video replay/technology.
 

Anzac

Established Member
Burnwinter said:
Benitez was interfering because there was only one reason Sagna wasn't glued to Philips as the ball came in, which is that he's been tracking Benitez for the previous five seconds.

Every time I've heard the "interfering with play" rule discussed it's been precisely about that scenario where the offside player (who obviously doesn't receive or shoot) puts a defender or keeper in two minds.

I think I know what you are trying to say, that Benitez kept Sagna preoccupied from Phillips? My position is that no one 'knew' that Phillips was there at all, and Sagna had to sit on Benitez initially because Clichy had played him onside. If Sagna had any idea that Phillips was free then he should have left Bentiez to close down Phillips, UNLESS Benitez was still being played onside by someone else.
 

Burnwinter

Established Member
It's all a much of a muchness to me. You can definitely fault Sagna for tracking Benitez who was offside. You can also fault Clichy for initially playing him onside, and Campbell and Song for drifting towards the ball, leaving the gaping central space into which Philips moves. So it was pretty average defending all around.

I'll stop arguing the point now anyway, because I don't think the offside law is sufficiently clear in its interpretation that there's any argument that can rest on it :)
 

Anzac

Established Member
Burnwinter said:
It's all a much of a muchness to me. You can definitely fault Sagna for tracking Benitez who was offside. You can also fault Clichy for initially playing him onside, and Campbell and Song for drifting towards the ball, leaving the gaping central space into which Philips moves. So it was pretty average defending all around.

I'll stop arguing the point now anyway, because I don't think the offside law is sufficiently clear in its interpretation that there's any argument that can rest on it :)

Song didn't drift towards the ball = he came out of the line to challenge Phillips after Diaby missed the header, and then both he & Diaby chased the ball.

But I get what you're saying about the 'passive' offside/interferring with play rule. IMO the best way to play it is that the attacking player won't be called until such time as he impedes the defender or makes a play at the ball.
 

Burnwinter

Established Member
Mmm fair points Anzac.

God I'm still pretty cranky about that match. Got too much on this week to be thinking about it constantly as well :|
 

Anzac

Established Member
Burnwinter said:
Mmm fair points Anzac.

God I'm still pretty cranky about that match. Got too much on this week to be thinking about it constantly as well :|

Don't sweat it mate - 2 days untill Barca & we'll have plenty to talk about then one way or the other. :wink:
 

Clrnc

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Player:Tomiyasu
Swish said:
However, you need to start appreciating that most of us won't resort to hunting for an entire scapegoat when it comes to a loss. Unlike you and the others in your quarter asking irrelevant questions that have no bearing on the here and now due to the transfer window such as 'why is he our number 1? why didn't we sign a new goalkeeper in Jaunary?', I, along with others will ask the questions like 'why didn't we kill this game off when we had the chance? with all the known problems we suffer at the back, why do we put ourselves in a weak position that can succumb to these often errors?'.
Thats the difference between us. You are asking yourself questions that cannot be answered and I am facing the fact that our keeper lost ask the points.

Sometimes, there are side questions as to why we draw or lost a game, othertimes when a single player lost us the game with an error, its easy to conclude. Its like how people blame Wenger for the draw with the lineup, but fail to take into account that we are winning the game.

Oh and yes, I am blaming you for your childishness in your first point. I will leave it at that.
 

yakso

Active Member
Clrnc said:
Swish said:
However, you need to start appreciating that most of us won't resort to hunting for an entire scapegoat when it comes to a loss. Unlike you and the others in your quarter asking irrelevant questions that have no bearing on the here and now due to the transfer window such as 'why is he our number 1? why didn't we sign a new goalkeeper in Jaunary?', I, along with others will ask the questions like 'why didn't we kill this game off when we had the chance? with all the known problems we suffer at the back, why do we put ourselves in a weak position that can succumb to these often errors?'.
Thats the difference between us. You are asking yourself questions that cannot be answered and I am facing the fact that our keeper lost ask the points.

Sometimes, there are side questions as to why we draw or lost a game, othertimes when a single player lost us the game with an error, its easy to conclude. Its like how people blame Wenger for the draw with the lineup, but fail to take into account that we are winning the game.

Oh and yes, I am blaming you for your childishness in your first point. I will leave it at that.

I agree with you. What is easier to do to win the match we drew against Birmingham? Make all our player more clinical? Replace all our outfield player with better players? Or simply get a more accomplished GK?

I understand the point of view that had Nasri, Arshavin taken their chances we would have won but instead of replacing them we can replace Almunia which is a much easier option.
 

Swish

Established Member
We all know Almunia is ****. But there is nothing we can do about him and the goalkeeper spot right now due to a closed transfer window.

So, what are our choices?

1) Your approach, slag him off, blame him for everything and neatly packaged all of our problems into one box and take it to the dump at the end of the year, or

2) my approach, accept that he is ****, he will cost us games and accept that the outfield players didn't do enough to put the game to bed in the 90 minutes to avoid what frankly, is not a rare occurance anymore.

Complain about how **** he is and how we need to get rid of him at the end of the year, but reality lives in the here and now, hence why I am not just slagging off the inept Almunia, but also looking at the rest of the team who also need to take a fair share of the blame for not killing off the game when we had the chance. We can't replace Almunia because honestly, Fabianski is worse. So, its a problem we have to deal with for the remainder of the league.

Slagging him off, saying we need to get rid of him and bring in a new keeper doesn't help anyone right now. Neither does your interpretation of those who are more level headed when looking at this situation, being Almunia apologists.
 

Swish

Established Member
yakso said:
I agree with you. What is easier to do to win the match we drew against Birmingham? Make all our player more clinical? Replace all our outfield player with better players? Or simply get a more accomplished GK?

I understand the point of view that had Nasri, Arshavin taken their chances we would have won but instead of replacing them we can replace Almunia which is a much easier option.
This kind of proves the point. This isn't an option, so therefore, the only option is to make all our players more clinical.

We can't replace Almunia, we can drop him and play Fabianski and Mannone, but they are just as bad, if not worse.
 

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