Now I have a question just what constitutes a penalty? In the last 4 home games I have seen 4 nailed on penalties turned down twice for handball, once for pulling a player down and today for flattening a player by crashing into his back. If anything the penalty claim in the first half was even more obvious if you have both hands up over your head and you stop the ball with them how is that not a penalty? Same as a few weeks back player has both arms stretched out in front of him handles the ball and the ref gives nothing. Yet it seems anytime one of our players makes a tackle the get straight red cards not yellow I could understand if the same was applied to the other team but for some reason it seems like there is a them and us decision break which would be more understandable if it was happening when we played away from home but it is even more the case at Ashton Gate.
I fully agree that the team is not playing well but I do wonder how much this apparent discrepency in the decision makeing by the officials is making the players feel worse as they feel that no matter what ever happens on the pitch the officials are going to give all the decisions to the opposition, I know how flustrating that can be I once decked a ref after the match after the most one sided performance by an official I had ever been unfortunate to be on the end of, turned out both his sons played for the team we were playing against and he shouldn't have refed the game by rights but as they used their mothers maiden names noone had realised. I got a life time ban reduced to 2 weeks after the information about the family connection came out. Was still told I was a naughty bot by some really old foggies on the discipline panel though but no action was taken against the referee.
Just Back from the game
posted on 2/4/12
Hawk - as a Rams fan who went to the game, I have to say that there were 4 appeals in this game alone that could easily have been given - 2 for each team.
Why the ref failed to given any of them is beyond me. The worst of the lot was your defender hauling down Paul Green, our midfielder. I was no more than 20 yards from it and it was claer as day. He not only did not give the penalty but gave a free kick in the opposite direction. Watch Late Kick Off tonight and you'll see what I mean.
The handball was clear cut but, arguably, from such close range that he felt it was ball to hand. Technically, there has to be a movement of the hand towards the ball after it has been struck but if I was you, I'd be pretty unhappy about that one.
Aside from the non-pens, I have to say that City looked toothless and will struggle to stay up. To have Pearson playing as the attacking midfielder is desperate for anyone. He's not exactly profligate in front of goal.
posted on 6/4/12
Pearson has done quite well in that role in the few games he has played there he isn't the most prolific of scorers but he often causes panic amongst defenders as they don't expect him to be able to get anywhere near the ball but his pace takes them by surprise I think DM forgot your team would be well aware of his pace so wouldn't get so caught out, The problems we have had for most of the season has been at the back where we have hardly ever had a leader but injuries have decimated the few players we had there and unfortunetly our best midfielder has been missing for a couple of months and will play no further part this season. Thanks to Maynard messing about we had no chance to sign a replacement as he waited until the last moment to leave which left us no chance to get a replacement as Pitman has not developed as well as it looked he might seems to be nothing more than a supersub great comming on when players are tiring but just can't do anything when on from the start(rather like Liverpools David Fairclough for those of a certain age)
Currently the best players we have fit enough to play are on loan players and they are not as dedicated as the players who belong to the club concerned as a relegation for the club they are loaned too isn't going to affect them too much.
I have to do an Arsne regarding the pen when you said our player pulled your man down as due to my diabetes I often need frequent trips to the loo so miss incidents from time to time like I missed our goal, I just was getting back into my seat when your defender thought Pitman was a door and tried to go through him from behind. People keep on sayimg these things even out over a season if thats the case We should get about 10 penalties in our last few games.