FA Cup Final Thread - 2014/15 season

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

FA Cup Final  

Arsenal vs Aston Villa

[mystiroakey]

Super Danny Welbeck..

I think people are placing to much on the mistake and not enough on his pace and flick around de gea to be honest.

Well played son. You done em..

Wilf will be the man do do em next..

[TRUSSMAN66]

And you'll find I am a United fan, there's more than one. Or are you a a Man City fan?

No s**t.....

Spent 200 million and I can't see an improvement on last year......Difference is this guy has nicked a few wins..

Can't see you finishing top 4..

Thats gone WHOOSH right over your head. I'm a United fan, a West Ham United fan. Its like saying Olly is a Man City fan cos he would want Norwich City to win a game.

So, no, I don't think we'll finish top four, but Sam is probably not focusing on that right now!

You sounded like a bitter red for most of that game !!!!

Come out the closet..

[Ent]

Shaw was poor first half and possibly injured.

Didn't agree with herrera change but may have been an injury.

Players on the field need to take some responsibility, di Maria was crap- says a lot that that's been his best game for months as he put in 1 good cross.

[Ent]

Super Danny Welbeck..

I think people are placing to much on the mistake and not enough on his pace and flick around de gea to be honest.

Well played son. You done em..

Wilf will be the man do do em next..

Come on mysti he ran onto a short back pass and got a toe onto it.

[Derbymanc]

Isn't that what he's supposed to do?

[TRUSSMAN66]

Isn't that what he's supposed to do?

The same guys who are always pouring p**s on City.........

Crying tonight.......Lovely !!!

[westisbest]

Some people counting out Blackburn to soon.

Fancy them to beat Liverpool.

[Derbymanc]

I get peace and quiet now Truss as my lot will leave me alone for a week

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Some people counting out Blackburn to soon.

Fancy them to beat Liverpool.

Have to admit I enjoyed the Blackburn fans chanting "we support our local team" at Anfield - when they took more to that game than they had turn up for the round before against Swansea at Ewood Park!

[Fernando]

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal on Angel Di Maria's sending off:

"In Spain he knows that he doesn't touch the referee, but that is also in his emotion. I've already spoken with him, he knows my opinion but also I have to see on the video.
"I think he's touched the referee and that's forbidden in every country, so he has no excuses."

[mystiroakey]

Super Danny Welbeck..

I think people are placing to much on the mistake and not enough on his pace and flick around de gea to be honest.

Well played son. You done em..

Wilf will be the man do do em next..

Come on mysti he ran onto a short back pass and got a toe onto it.

and many may not have...

good player is welbs..

man u played well first half- then your players went completely mental with some of the most blatant diving you will ever see.

[mystiroakey]

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal on Angel Di Maria's sending off:

"In Spain he knows that he doesn't touch the referee, but that is also in his emotion. I've already spoken with him, he knows my opinion but also I have to see on the video.
"I think he's touched the referee and that's forbidden in every country, so he has no excuses."

well said LVG.

[mystiroakey]

Shaw was poor first half and possibly injured.

Didn't agree with herrera change but may have been an injury.

Players on the field need to take some responsibility, di Maria was crap- says a lot that that's been his best game for months as he put in 1 good cross.

he put in 2 and had an accomplished first half- but then like many others went insane second half.

Rooney and De gea are your only consistent performers..

rooney needs to start up front every game

[Fernando]

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal:

"I said in advance that [the top four] is a priority but as a manager, and as a player and club you want to win titles and now we cannot win a title.

"I've said in the dressing room we gave [the game] away by ourselves and that is the biggest disappointment. In the second half, we had the first chance also then we gave it away again.

"We don't lose from the opponent, we lost from ourselves and it was very disappointing. You play this match to win; to beat the opponent, we wanted to be in the semi-final."

[Dolphin Ziggler]

And you'll find I am a United fan, there's more than one. Or are you a a Man City fan?

No s**t.....

Spent 200 million and I can't see an improvement on last year......Difference is this guy has nicked a few wins..

Can't see you finishing top 4..

Thats gone WHOOSH right over your head. I'm a United fan, a West Ham United fan. Its like saying Olly is a Man City fan cos he would want Norwich City to win a game.

So, no, I don't think we'll finish top four, but Sam is probably not focusing on that right now!

You sounded like a bitter red for most of that game !!!!

Come out the closet..

I don't share the hate for Man United, Chelsea and City are the evils of the Premier League from my youth. And Spurs, cos no one should like Spurs

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Watched the second half of match tonight. From what I saw the referee was excellent.

[Ent]

Agree with lvgs sentiments.

Think what you want of him and his methods but the players are losing control of games they've been in good positions in time and time again and throwing away games with stupid errors.

[Ent]

Watched the second half of match tonight.  From what I saw the referee was excellent.  

He wasn't really.

Missed a pull on welbeck, a number of fouls by monreal, diving from Sanchez.

Fellaini was basically a free for all, he was committing fouls and being fouled with the ref just letting it all go.

Bellerin yellow etc etc

Overall a very poor performance.

[Azzy]

The ref was fantastic for me. I'd rather he misses the odd foul but punishes diving than the other way around.

[Ent]

So you prefer general incompetence to genuinely being fooled by players cheating?

If a player dives and the ref buys it, it isn't his fault. When he makes a balls of every other decision it is.

The ref missed some dives tonight too.

[mystiroakey]

every ref will miss the odd foul.

fellani is a strange player - he can jump about with arms failing- it seems to me a lot of what he does is physicality- just jumping for space. I can't recall an elbow being used- which he does normally love . Many refs give fouls if you are the bigger lump of the two going for the ball- others dont-The later is correct IMO

I think it was the best ref display i have seen all year within a contest that needed it and called for many decisions.

[Ent]

It wasn't, he was poor.

His mistakes snow balled. Missed Rojo pulling welbeck down, Rojo hammers cazorla (fairly dangerously imo) later in game.

Misses foul on di Maria by monreal, allows monreal to do deliberate hand ball with no fear. Let's Sanchez away with diving, other players think it's fair game.

Had he sent joe hart off for stag butting him earlier in the season he may not have been in such a Rush to get rid of di Maria (probably not though).

He was just really poor and lots of comments saying so prior to sending off. He's spotted a blatant dive and people think he's been great.

[mystiroakey]

Its a very polorising opinion this one..

Half think great. Half think poor. Not much in between.

[Azzy]

So you prefer general incompetence to genuinely being fooled by players cheating?

If a player dives and the ref buys it, it isn't his fault. When he makes a balls of every other decision it is.

The ref missed some dives tonight too.

He missed three tackles by all accounts. Tackling isn't a plague on our game. Diving is, and he made a stand for all fans tonight. If other refs now do the same, he'll go down as a hero in my eyes. The ref who stamped out diving.

[Ent]

No he didn't as he gave several freekicks for diving.

Poor officiating changes more outcomes and ruins more games than diving ever has or ever will.

[compelling and rich]

if di maria is a booking for diving then there should have been about another 7 of them in that game. lots of players were going down under very little contact, his consistency was terrible. di maria second booking for pulling a shirt but joe hart can pretty much head butt him and get nothing. rojo getting booked but not bellerin in the same instance giving wenger a chance to sub him off. the only ones ive seen who think the ref did so well are anti united brigade/pro arsenal

also people falling over themselves about wellbeck like he ran the show or something after scoring in a empty net after a terrible mistake

no complaints about the result we were poor again and pretty much gift wrapped arsenals semi final slot

[Ent]

if di maria is a booking for diving then there should have been about another 7 of them in that game. lots of players were going down under very little contact, his consistency was terrible. di maria second booking for pulling a shirt but joe hart can pretty much head butt him and get nothing. rojo getting booked but not bellerin in the same instance giving wenger a chance to sub him off. the only ones ive seen who think the ref did so well are anti united brigade/pro arsenal

also people falling over themselves about wellbeck like he ran the show or something after scoring in a empty net after a terrible mistake

no complaints about the result we were poor again and pretty much gift wrapped arsenals semi final slot

Agree with most of that.

Very frustrating performance, players need to look at themselves. 442 with 2 forwards happy to help out in midfield and still absolutely crap.

[Derbymanc]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

[lfc91]

Definatley the right decision to send off Di Maria. However to me that doesn't automatically point to a good game for the Ref. He did miss several decisions during the game.

In terms of the result I think the right team won. United played well in the first half but didn't replicate that in the second half. The subs may have played a part in the outcome, it seemed to have a detrimental effect on the teams performance second half. Ultimately though it was a Valencia mistake that cost United the game.

Thoughts for the 2 teams to make the final anyone?

[Azzy]

The difference with di Maria and Januzaj is that they were in good positions, looking to take advantage in a situation where United could have scored. Particularly Januzaj, why on earth did he go down? Dives like that should be a straight red.

And it's not like that Grealish lad for Villa, who 'dived' to avoid getting absolutely mullered by (Lescott?). Januzaj was as dirty a dive as they come.

[Stella]

Definatley the right decision to send off Di Maria. However to me that doesn't automatically point to a good game for the Ref. He did miss several decisions during the game.

In terms of the result I think the right team won. United played well in the first half but didn't replicate that in the second half. The subs may have played a part in the outcome, it seemed to have a detrimental effect on the teams performance second half. Ultimately though it was a Valencia mistake that cost United the game.

Thoughts for the 2 teams to make the final anyone?

Whilst I admit he dived, the Arsenal player did pull at him, albeit not with much strength. the ref could have easily given a free-kick for Utd.

[compelling and rich]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

[Fernando]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

But he booked him like he did Di Maria so your point is moot

[lfc91]

Then it comes down to the referees take on the situation. Personally though, I've seen many situations where a player gets pulled back/an arm goes across them and they go down, and the ref gives neither a free kick nor a card for diving he just waves it on.

There was a situation in the liverpool blackburn game where sturridge ran through into the box chasing the ball, a blackburn defender put his arm up and across Sturridge and he fell. If the pen isn't given (which it obviously wasnt) should it have been a card for Sturridge? I see why many may feel aggrieved by the decision, as you see intances every week where a player goes down far to easy and a free kick is given or play is just allowed to continue with no card.

[compelling and rich]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

But he booked him like he did Di Maria so your point is moot

no he wasnt, he wasnt even booked!!

[hampo17]

So because he got the decision wrong, actually he completely bottled it, in that game do you think he should have let Di Maria off? Every player knows you can't touch the referee.

[Guest]

Pathetic to even be discussing the Di Maria incident. Clear cheat, clear dive & a clear sending off, admitted by everyone, even LVG. Ref was very, very good, especially given the nature of the game & the current reputation of English refereeing.

[Stella]

Pathetic to even be discussing the Di Maria incident. Clear cheat, clear dive & a clear sending off, admitted by everyone, even LVG. Ref was very, very good, especially given the nature of the game & the current reputation of English refereeing.

But you're discussing it?

Once he put his hand on the ref, it was a red, but the Arsenal defender did pull at him, and as we know, professional footballers do go down a tad easy.

[Derbymanc]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

You put your hands on a ref then yes it should be a straight Red, just because the ref chose not to do it for someone standing next to him makes no difference to the Di Maria incident.

Did Di Maria put his hands on the ref ---------Yes
Should he have been sent off for it -----------Yes

[Guest]

Relating to Arsenal victories at OT, any see that helicopter crash in Argentina? Such tragedy & it appears Sylvain Wiltord's lack of popularity has managed to save his life. The former Arsenal & French International would of been on those helicopters, had he not been voted off the show the previous day.

[jbeadlesbigrighthand]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

Joe Hart should certainly have got a yellow for that, probably a red. That he didn't is immaterial to the fact that di Maria was right to get a yellow. Football would be improved at all levels if there was greater respect for the ref.

[Fernando]

Di Maria wasn't given a second yellow for pulling a shirt, he was given it for putting his hands on the ref, everyone knows you can't do that and even LVG (in the middle of having paddy's with the press) can't condone it.

Think it should have been a straight red for that personally.

yet this isnt? wheres the consistency?

But he booked him like he did Di Maria so your point is moot

no he wasnt, he wasnt even booked!!

My bad he got booked before it That being said FA will told him to clamp down after that so no excuse for Di Maria lucky it's only a 1 game ban.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

This is why criticism of refs is funny. You see that as being the right decision then the ref had a good game, which is funny cos one decision does not a game make

[Hammersmith harrier]

Referees are not going to be respected until they are more open about the decisions they make, they hide behind a clock of ambiguity, if we introduced ref mics like in rugby then the whole process would be more open. That won't happen however as football refs are generally speaking attention seeking idiots.

[Derbymanc]

It's not just that though is it Hammer, you couldn't trust the players not to be shouting and swearing if something didn't go their way. Although I suppose they could use them and only release the audio if need be.

Agree with them not being open, think they should have to come out and explain their decisions, would lead to less managers/pundits/players questioning a decision, especially if they were made to look daft by the refs explanation.

[TRUSSMAN66]

Referees are not going to be respected until they are more open about the decisions they make, they hide behind a clock of ambiguity, if we introduced ref mics like in rugby then the whole process would be more open. That won't happen however as football refs are generally speaking attention seeking idiots.

You get the referees you deserve...............Can't think of another sport where as soon as a decision is made you have three or four players surrounding the referee trying to bully him.......Or shouting constant abuse as guys like Rooney and others are seen to do ad nauseum....

The Arsenal kid should have gone..........Then again Newcastle should have got a penalty last week........

Moan about the bad decisions you get in your favor and then posters might feel sympathy for the bad decisions you don't !!

[Hammersmith harrier]

It's not just that though is it Hammer, you couldn't trust the players not to be shouting and swearing if something didn't go their way. Although I suppose they could use them and only release the audio if need be.

Agree with them not being open, think they should have to come out and explain their decisions, would lead to less managers/pundits/players questioning a decision, especially if they were made to look daft by the refs explanation.

At which point the players get instant fines and bans, they'd soon stop with the abuse if it was all being recorded, works both ways, the referees have to explain themselves and the players have to behave themselves.

For as long as they can hide behind the poor decisions they make then they deserve all the abuse they get, those with the balls to admit their mistakes deserve respect not those that cower away from it.

[TRUSSMAN66]

It's not just that though is it Hammer, you couldn't trust the players not to be shouting and swearing if something didn't go their way. Although I suppose they could use them and only release the audio if need be.

Agree with them not being open, think they should have to come out and explain their decisions, would lead to less managers/pundits/players questioning a decision, especially if they were made to look daft by the refs explanation.

At which point the players get instant fines and bans, they'd soon stop with the abuse if it was all being recorded, works both ways, the referees have to explain themselves and the players have to behave themselves.

For as long as they can hide behind the poor decisions they make then they deserve all the abuse they get, those with the balls to admit their mistakes deserve respect not those that cower away from it.

I agree referees should explain themselves and a rule should be brought in that only the captain is allowed to question the referee.....

I think for abuse and surrounding the referee yellow cards etc are a problem..........Could lead to 8 a side......

So bring in ten minute sin bins like rugby and it would soon stop !!

[FootballLight]

I'm confident of our chances tonight. Although we faced lower league opposition away, Clarke saw the other side of the game and thought do what we have been good at this season and hit on the break and make it difficult for the opposition to score. We should have maybe been a little bit more clinical and maybe showed our quality but the pitch made it a level playing field in truth and that's what Clarke did well. Although, London Irish play on our pitch which is no good and I hope that doesn't play a factor in our performance and the game itself tonight and we can come away knowing we are in the semi-finals.

URZ!!!

[NickisBHAFC]

Reading in the fa cup semi finals would make me quite dissapointed.

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