Chelsea v Barca

[Yoda]

It's a FACT! The ref didn't give any of them as penalties, so none of them were penalties. Check the result in the paper tomorrow.

Sod the players. It's the MEDIA that needs to be dressed down as part of the "Respect" campaign. The ref is taking a tonne of abuse from the studio, while there's plenty of excusing Chelsea behaviour at the end as "understandable."

"Unacceptable", and "disgraceful" are words that are getting very little airtime over that behaviour.

Agree with the Chelsea players, Drogba and Ballack were TOTALLY out of order and should be given a ban by UEFA.

Going by the RULE BOOK, Chelsea had two penalties not given by a ref who has made ONE HELL OF A COCK UP tonight, but Chelsea (Drogba) should have put it beyond doubt way, way before that though.

 

[Joshski]

poor contriversial game but the two goals!!!

 

[GT49er]

Sorry chaps - got dragged away by daughter begging to borrow the car (for a month!) - what was the final score?

 

[Yoda]

the Anelka/Pique one which was on the blind side of the ref.

But the Lino should be giving that, it's what's he's meant to be there for.

Malouda fell pathetically and shouldn't have had a free kick.

50-50, have seen them given. Have seen them not given.

There was nothing in the Drogba Abidal challenge and Drogba's reputation probably went before him.

Agree with that. Not enough in it for Drogba to go down like that.

Ballack at the end was a joke, the player was facing the other way.

Shouldn't matter. Eto'o had already raised his arms, by the current rules, penalty.

Never a foul on Anelka by Abidal either.

Agree with you there. Plus Yaya Toure had got back to cover anyway.

 

[timbha]

great call from Andy Gray on 91st minute about when he sees the board go up showing 4minutes ET, something almost always happens.

Not a decent forward on the pitch on tonight's showing.

So, Super Gus is not so super tonight - would be funny if Everton beat them in FA Cup

 

[Nigella's Cream Pie]

Usual cr*p about penalties not being given for handball.
It's quite simple - was it hand to ball or ball to hand?
Both were the latter - so not deliberate, justice done.

 

[NMH]

Sorry chaps - got dragged away by daughter begging to borrow the car (for a month!) - what was the final score?

2-0 to Chelsea. Get your house on the blues to win in the final, they were THAT good.

 

[NMH]

great call from Andy Gray on 91st minute about when he sees the board go up showing 4minutes ET, something almost always happens.

Not a decent forward on the pitch on tonight's showing.

So, Super Gus is not so super tonight - would be funny if Everton beat them in FA Cup

Not a chance, everton was so shit in the semi-final I'm amazed they even beat United's reserve team that day.

 

[Yoda]

Usual cr*p about penalties not being given for handball.
It's quite simple - was it hand to ball or ball to hand?
Both were the latter - so not deliberate, justice done.

No there were not. The rules were changed a couple of years ago to STOP all that debating. If a player raises his arm/s, on a cross or shot, it is deemed as handball now. If their hands were by their sides when the ball hit's them, it is not, and that is the only time it cannot be handball now.

 

[Skint Gull]

Fuckin hilarious to see Chelsea getting so upset but I can understand why, the ref was a shocker.

Don't get me wrong, the Sky pundits (well Redknapp and Souness) were well ott but the 2 handball shouts should definately have been given. The latter of those 2 was possibly more debateable but the ref had already given Barca the benefit of the doubt 3 times so you expect to get it.

For what it's worth this is my take on the 5 major incidents:
1) If the tackle on Malouda was even a foul you have to give it when the first contact happened outside the box so definately not a pen
2) If I was a Barca fan and Abidal didn't try and put Drogba off i'd be livid. There was a tiny tug on his shirt but you see that all the time when players are close to shooting, it's called pressure
3) STONEWALL penalty
4) For me another stonewall but I understand not everyone believes in this type of handball but after turning down 3 others that really had to be given

 

[trueblue]

Fuckin hilarious to see Chelsea getting so upset but I can understand why, the ref was a shocker.

Don't get me wrong, the Sky pundits (well Redknapp and Souness) were well ott but the 2 handball shouts should definately have been given. The latter of those 2 was possibly more debateable but the ref had already given Barca the benefit of the doubt 3 times so you expect to get it.

For what it's worth this is my take on the 5 major incidents:
1) If the tackle on Malouda was even a foul you have to give it when the first contact happened outside the box so definately not a pen
2) If I was a Barca fan and Abidal didn't try and put Drogba off i'd be livid. There was a tiny tug on his shirt but you see that all the time when players are close to shooting, it's called pressure
3) STONEWALL penalty
4) For me another stonewall but I understand not everyone believes in this type of handball but after turning down 3 others that really had to be given

I'd mostly agree with that. I think the ref missed a trick on the first one though. He obviously didn't want to give a spot kick because it really wasn't serious and the player was going nowhere - shouldn't make a difference, but good common sense in such a big game. So why not penalise the defender for obstruction? He could have given an indirect free-kick inside the box, and it would have been justified.

Personally, I don't think number 4 should have been a pen, but 3 was without a doubt.

Having said that, the decision to send off Abidal was an absolute joke.. so he can hardly be accused of deliberate bias.

 

[WhingForPresident]

If Drogba would've scored that sitter in the first leg and the sitter today, they wouldn't have been in that position.

I think he'll find that he is the "f***ing disgrace"
And Ballack, Terry, Lampard and the rest of those moaning bastards.

Barcelona

 

[crodonilson]

Gutting for Chelsea, I feel very sorry for them and their supporters.

However lets not forget we have the dream final for many people in Man U v Barcelona.

Lets hope Man U can do it for Chelsea and the rest of England and stuff those Spaniards.

 

[El Turi]

Platini's made it quite clear that he's not happy with the Premiership's dominance of the Champions League which does make you wonder about some of last night's decisions.

 

[sten_super]

Platini's made it quite clear that he's not happy with the Premiership's dominance of the Champions League which does make you wonder about some of last night's decisions.

Rubbish. Did you not see the sending off of Abidal when there was absolutely no contact? The ref had a bad game, definitely, but he was in no way myopic towards one team.

I agree with Snoobs' comments regarding the controversial moments. For me Chelsea were denied one clear penalty (the Pique handball) and Barcelona were unfairly given one red card. On that balance, and given the soft ref they had in the first leg, I don't think Chelsea can have too many complaints. As many others have said, if Drogba put away either one of the chances he had in either leg then we wouldn't be having this debate.

 

[coventrygull]

Gutting for Chelsea, I feel very sorry for them and their supporters.

However lets not forget we have the dream final for many people in Man U v Barcelona.

Lets hope Man U can do it for Chelsea and the rest of England and stuff those Spaniards.

I don't think Barcelona would like being called Spanish

 

[Man of Harveys]

Platini's made it quite clear that he's not happy with the Premiership's dominance of the Champions League which does make you wonder about some of last night's decisions.

Yeah. Like the harsh sending off of a, erm, Barcelona player. Obviously not only are THEY all biased against us but they're even also aware that's it's much harder to beat ten men. Damn slippery customer, Johnny Foreigner. Unlike good honestly-endeavouring British fair-playing Chelsea.

 

[keaton]

No there were not. The rules were changed a couple of years ago to STOP all that debating. If a player raises his arm/s, on a cross or shot, it is deemed as handball now. If their hands were by their sides when the ball hit's them, it is not, and that is the only time it cannot be handball now.

No. It's not a penalty unless it's deliberate handball. That invoves moving your hand towards the ball or having them in an unnatural position. Unnatural position is open to debate but i wouldn't say either were penalties based on the rules and not opinions based on commentators who've never read the rules.

 

[keaton]

If Barca were whining bastards for one player talking to a newspaper a day later saying Chelsea were too defensive and the Ref didn't protect them what does that make the Chelsea players and fans, British press and Sky commentators?