Football analysts on TV

[Sanguine]

ROFLoy Hodgson and PhiLOLip NeviLOLe trying to excuse St Wayne Rooney of from a blatant dive by claiming he had to do it or his leg would have been broken.

'greed with the .

Andy Gray was on Talksport this morning defending it too. Rooney wasn't 'avoiding contact', he left his feet in and missed the keeper. Embarassing.

[YateleyRoyal]

Good to see Kilbane and Neville as the pundits - they both played for Everton, so they're nearly former Liverpool players, right?

[jd82]

Keown was a oxf*rd omnishambles last night. He could barely contain his delight when Utd were losing, and apparently doesn't know any of the laws of football.

That being said, I didn't think that Rooney was offside for the second goal. Joke of a dive for the penalty though.

[Winston Smith]

Good to see Kilbane and Neville as the pundits - they both played for Everton, so they're nearly former Liverpool players, right?

Along with Lineker the former Everton man and Hodgson the former Liverpool manager.

I nearly threw up onto my Craig Johnstone bed spread last night when I saw that line up

[No Fixed Abode]

Good to see Kilbane and Neville as the pundits - they both played for Everton, so they're nearly former Liverpool players, right?

Yep - and Roy Hodgson - There had to be a Liverpool connection in there. Also a piece on Mark Lawrenson before the game......

[No Fixed Abode]

Quite like Michael Owen as a pundit, seems insightful beyond the obvious.

Owen's awful!

Agree with SF. His commentating is woeful, and he was unbelievably biased during the Palace v Liverpool game over the weekend.

[YateleyRoyal]

Good to see Kilbane and Neville as the pundits - they both played for Everton, so they're nearly former Liverpool players, right?

Yep - and Roy Hodgson - There had to be a Liverpool connection in there. Also a piece on Mark Lawrenson before the game......

Mark Lawrenson - the former Preston player?

[Whatevs]

I guess its ok to cheat if the keeper is asking for it

Class showing from Utd.
A blatant dive for the last one and I really don't understand how Rooney wasn't interfering with play for the second. Interfering with play seems to now mean actually touching the ball. The ball went straight at an offside player, who stepped out the way, therefore throwing the keeper off. I just don't get the rule now.

Would have been disappointed if Herarra's goal had been given against us. The keeper has to position himself to defend against Rooney so can't understand how he's not interfered

[Whatevs]

When the yellow came out I thought he'd actually booked Rooney for the dive.

Even though no contact was made he still put Rooney at a disadvantage with a very poor challenge that didn't get anywhere near the ball. Think Gerrard got a similar penalty against Chris Morgan due to 'intent'. Think it's covered in Law 12 as 'attempt', not sure.

[jd82]

I guess its ok to cheat if the keeper is asking for it

Class showing from Utd.
A blatant dive for the last one and I really don't understand how Rooney wasn't interfering with play for the second. Interfering with play seems to now mean actually touching the ball. The ball went straight at an offside player, who stepped out the way, therefore throwing the keeper off. I just don't get the rule now.

Would have been disappointed if Herarra's goal had been given against us. The keeper has to position himself to defend against Rooney so can't understand how he's not interfered

Just watched it again - I can see what you're saying, but I think as Rooney was never between the ball and keeper he's not interfering, the keeper should know he's in a in offside position, commit to making the save in the knowledge that if Wayne touches it he's offside.

Edited for half the post dissapearing

[No Fixed Abode]

Good to see Kilbane and Neville as the pundits - they both played for Everton, so they're nearly former Liverpool players, right?

Yep - and Roy Hodgson - There had to be a Liverpool connection in there. Also a piece on Mark Lawrenson before the game......

Mark Lawrenson - the former Preston player?

But how many former Preston players are out there? Why Lawrenson? What connection does he have to Manchester United? Surely they could have done a piece on a player who has played for both clubs?

[TBM]

Mark Lawrenson - the former Preston player?

But how many former Preston players are out there? Why Lawrenson? What connection does he have to Manchester United? Surely they could have done a piece on a player who has played for both clubs?

Probably cos he's on their payroll.....why pay extra to someone else, when they've got someone already

[Zammo]

Mark Lawrenson, the former Preston player who went on to win the FA Cup in a final featuring last night's Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker? Plenty of connections there.

BUT.....any former Preston / Utd players out there? Beckham (on loan).

[Royal Rother]

I guess its ok to cheat if the keeper is asking for it

Class showing from Utd.
A blatant dive for the last one and I really don't understand how Rooney wasn't interfering with play for the second. Interfering with play seems to now mean actually touching the ball. The ball went straight at an offside player, who stepped out the way, therefore throwing the keeper off. I just don't get the rule now.

Would have been disappointed if Herarra's goal had been given against us. The keeper has to position himself to defend against Rooney so can't understand how he's not interfered

Just watched it again - I can see what you're saying, but I think as Rooney was never between the ball and keeper he's not interfering, the keeper should know he's in a in offside position, commit to making the save in the knowledge that if Wayne touches it he's offside.

Like he's got time to work that one out as the ball is in mid flight.

So much of goalkeeping is instinctive reactions to scenarios and if a player is in front of you and might get a touch as the ball is coming your way it affects what you do in the tiny split second you've got to react.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Yeah I'm struggling to see why BBC used a person who is already on their payroll who comes from Preston, supports Preston, played for Preston and whose dad played for Preston in a piece about Preston. Very odd.

[Handsome Man]

It's a well-interpreted offside rule at the moment. If a player in Rooney's position doesn't touch it or get in the goalie's line of sight, it is excellent that all current referees seem happy to let such goals stand. The current interpretation of interfering with play seems very clear, and tends to be carried out consistently.

Diving like Rooney shouldn't be allowed to pass without some criticism from the media: they can't all be his mate. If a really skilful defender does enough to avoid touching an attacker, then it is wrong that the player can fall to the ground anyway and claim a penalty. There is no point in having retrospective bans for diving however, because too many cases are arguable when looked at through slowed down TV footage shot from a distance.

[YateleyRoyal]

Yep - and Roy Hodgson - There had to be a Liverpool connection in there. Also a piece on Mark Lawrenson before the game......

Mark Lawrenson - the former Preston player?

But how many former Preston players are out there? Why Lawrenson? What connection does he have to Manchester United? Surely they could have done a piece on a player who has played for both clubs?

Well they had former Preston player Kevin Kilbane, and former United player Phil Neville, and former Preston player Mark Lawrenson, and current England manager Roy Hodgson.

But they probably aren't good enough.

[Winston Smith]

Should have had Preston from The Ordinary Boys

[No Fixed Abode]

It's a well-interpreted offside rule at the moment. If a player in Rooney's position doesn't touch it or get in the goalie's line of sight, it is excellent that all current referees seem happy to let such goals stand. The current interpretation of interfering with play seems very clear, and tends to be carried out consistently.

Diving like Rooney shouldn't be allowed to pass without some criticism from the media: they can't all be his mate. If a really skilful defender does enough to avoid touching an attacker, then it is wrong that the player can fall to the ground anyway and claim a penalty. There is no point in having retrospective bans for diving however, because too many cases are arguable when looked at through slowed down TV footage shot from a distance.

Do you remember the Alex Song goal v United earlier in the season? That was disallowed, incorrectly IMO. No consistency from the officials over this rule.

[Handsome Man]

It's a well-interpreted offside rule at the moment. If a player in Rooney's position doesn't touch it or get in the goalie's line of sight, it is excellent that all current referees seem happy to let such goals stand. The current interpretation of interfering with play seems very clear, and tends to be carried out consistently.

Diving like Rooney shouldn't be allowed to pass without some criticism from the media: they can't all be his mate. If a really skilful defender does enough to avoid touching an attacker, then it is wrong that the player can fall to the ground anyway and claim a penalty. There is no point in having retrospective bans for diving however, because too many cases are arguable when looked at through slowed down TV footage shot from a distance.

Do you remember the Alex Song goal v United earlier in the season? That was disallowed, incorrectly IMO. No consistency from the officials over this rule.

The one that was disallowed because the players were in the goalie's line of sight? That's probably when they first mentioned the rule on the TV. I couldn't find a video, but weren't there two players in the way and it went through a pair of legs?

That's not like what Rooney did by letting the ball pass him on the way into the net.