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Stilly

By Stilly
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Posted
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No wonder they need to rotate. The training kills them :(

Does anyone thinking dropping Gerrard and Torres for the Saturday game was a mistake? I do. I feel they'll not be match fit now. We'll see!

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David Kenny

David Kenny

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I don't know, I've just read that and I still don't see how that's remotely close to approaching the conspiracy theories we've heard from the other managers I've mentioned. I watched that interview and he spent very little time talking about the referee. I remember the West Ham game well (it hurt) and I don't remember him talking about the ref. I recall him focusing on the team and saying he thought we played well and deserved to win. That was in a game when we were denied a penalty, only for Carra to bring Ljunberg down in the fifth minute of the allotted three for injury time.

Edit: Of course, there is a chance my memory of that game has been skewed by time or bias but a quick google of the game has provided no quotes from Rafa regarding the referee.

I guess we should agree to disagree. :(

I wouldn't normally resurrect a dead discussion (honest) but this was too perfect to resist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/ap...verpool.chelsea

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dogsout

dogsout

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:(

He's right, though. Plautz has overseen his last five CL games with only a single home win. Coincidence?

I'm just messing, I already said I expected this to happen after Plautz's performance in the first leg. He started it by having a pop at Drogba's diving the other day. The only thing I'm surprised about is he hasn't spoken about the need to protect Torres.

The home team wins most games in Europe dont they? :D

Not when Konrad Plautz is the referee. :(

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DC Lemon

DC Lemon

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Oh, Jesus, I'm not even sure I want us to win tonight.

Can somebody fast forward to after Moscow and see how it pans out?

If it is a Man v Liverpool final, I can't see any other possible outcome than a mass suicide pact for the losing fans. I'm in!

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Silent Runner

Silent Runner

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AFAIK only one player so far has invoked the law, some lad in the SPL or something. And there's a gentleman's agreement between the big clubs not to do it to each other - which is why Milan have been quoted £40m for Ronaldinho when they could buy out his contract for less than half that.

I think if it starts it just shifts the balance of power even further towards the player, clubs will have to start pinning players down to seven year contracts on astronomical wages and clubs will struggle to cope.

I also don't understand how it could work legally because it's only the player himself that can buy out his contract, not another club - so Mancini would presumably stump up £4m himself and then get a £4m signing on fee from Liverpool, but I dunno, that's a bit shady - like the rumours of Rafa trying to get Crystal Palace to buy Heinze last year.

So to answer your question, no, I can't see it happening.

It looks like Alexander Hleb at Arsenal is going to invoke this rule this Summer to get out of his contract. Which sucks.

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Graham S

Graham S

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I just did something incomprehensible and idiotic on a spreadsheet, with expectations and probabilities and all that, and how happy I'd be if Liverpool won, versus how miserable I'd be if we lost to Man United, versus how little I'd care how either of them got on in the final, versus how happy/ miserable I might be tonight.

In theory I should be 2.8 times happier (or rather, less miserable) overall if we lose tonight.

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Guest

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I think he's got a point (although I probably would), managers don't normally comment on individual players do they? It seems like a fairly transparent attempt to influence the referee from Benitez.

Even if it's clear he's just a filthy cheat? Even some Chelsea fans are sick of him.

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David Kenny

David Kenny

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Even if it's clear he's just a filthy cheat? Even some Chelsea fans are sick of him.

I don't think he is a cheat, in the way the Ronaldo or even Gerrard are, in that I don't think he dives when there's no contact. He does get fouled a lot, because of the way Chelsea play and the fact that he is so strong on the ball, he just makes sure the referee knows he's been fouled.

What does annoy me about him is the rolling around 'injured' he does afterwards.

Regardless of his 'antics' it's pretty shitty of Benitez to claim to have a dossier, and certainly goes against the notion that he is a classy manager.

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I don't think he is a cheat, in the way the Ronaldo or even Gerrard are, in that I don't think he dives when there's no contact. He does get fouled a lot, because of the way Chelsea play and the fact that he is so strong on the ball, he just makes sure the referee knows he's been fouled.

What does annoy me about him is the rolling around 'injured' he does afterwards.

Regardless of his 'antics' it's pretty shitty of Benitez to claim to have a dossier, and certainly goes against the notion that he is a classy manager.

What! He gets a slight touch/someone breathes near him and it's as if all the worlds oceans have come crashing down on his head. He then proceeds to ragdoll and twitch and roll and twist like a worm cut in half.

Didn't someone recently say that Benitez was obsessed with details? So it might be natural he'd "know his enemy".

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rjpageuk

rjpageuk

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It reminds me of the dossier Mourinho claimed to have on Wengers comments! :huh:

In all seriousness I can see this from both sides. I think Drogba is the biggest diving cheat in the league and it is a fact that this was a big help to Chelsea in the first leg as the referee was so weak (and blew up anytime anyone touched anyone else).

Having said that it is a bit off to highlight an individual like this and will probably just motivate Drogba for the game tonight which is the last thing we need.

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dogsout

dogsout

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I don't think he is a cheat, in the way the Ronaldo or even Gerrard are, in that I don't think he dives when there's no contact. He does get fouled a lot, because of the way Chelsea play and the fact that he is so strong on the ball, he just makes sure the referee knows he's been fouled.

You know football is a contact sport, right? He goes down whenever there is slight contact and he doesn't have the advantage. Contact does not constitute a foul.

As for Rafa trying to influence the ref, I agree, he blatantly is. I'm glad he is because maybe it'll lead to a referee officiating properly where Drogba is concerned for once. Though I doubt it.

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Guest

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Tbh I'm rather worried that Benny's words will fire up Drogba and he'll put in a proper performance. Apparently of late he's been a bit slack.

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David Kenny

David Kenny

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You know football is a contact sport, right? He goes down whenever there is slight contact and he doesn't have the advantage. Contact does not constitute a foul.

As for Rafa trying to influence the ref, I agree, he blatantly is. I'm glad he is because maybe it'll lead to a referee officiating properly where Drogba is concerned for once. Though I doubt it.

Not all contact is a foul, but Drogba is pushed in the back, pulled by the shirt, and leaned on virtually every time the ball comes near him. I agree he doesn't need to be quite so dramatic about it, but I don't think he's actually diving. I don't see it as cheating to make sure the ref is aware that a foul has taken place.

This is in stark contrast to a couple of years ago when he was rightly lambasted for blatent diving, and subsequently cut that out of his game.

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dogsout

dogsout

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Not all contact is a foul, but Drogba is pushed in the back, pulled by the shirt, and leaned on virtually every time the ball comes near him. I agree he doesn't need to be quite so dramatic about it, but I don't think he's actually diving. I don't see it as cheating to make sure the ref is aware that a foul has taken place.

This is in stark contrast to a couple of years ago when he was rightly lambasted for blatent diving, and subsequently cut that out of his game.

I know what you mean when you refer to 'making sure the referee sees the foul'. I've seen loads of players over the years that are good at that. Owen and Torres both spring to mind. I don't think Drogba falls into that category myself. He smashes into people and uses his size and strength to his advantage, the near belly to back suplex he attempted on Skrtel in the first leg is a good example of this. As is the way he leaned into Carragher in the penalty claim (which was outside the box) in the first leg. It's something I've seen him do countless times before drawing a foul throughout our meetings over the last few years. It's very frustrating to watch him get away with it time and again. He initiates the contact, then goes down in an attempt to win the foul.

Have a look at the video of his encounter with Vidic at the weekend. I'd say that it supports my argument; he doesn't even think about it, he just does it instinctively and reflexively.

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V3zna

V3zna

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This is in stark contrast to a couple of years ago when he was rightly lambasted for blatent diving, and subsequently cut that out of his game.

Eh?

Is there more than one Drogba? I've yet to see the non diving one.

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David Kenny

David Kenny

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I know what you mean when you refer to 'making sure the referee sees the foul'. I've seen loads of players over the years that are good at that. Owen and Torres both spring to mind. I don't think Drogba falls into that category myself. He smashes into people and uses his size and strength to his advantage, the near belly to back suplex he attempted on Skrtel in the first leg is a good example of this. As is the way he leaned into Carragher in the penalty claim (which was outside the box) in the first leg. It's something I've seen him do countless times before drawing a foul throughout our meetings over the last few years. It's very frustrating to watch him get away with it time and again. He initiates the contact, then goes down in an attempt to win the foul.

Have a look at the video of his encounter with Vidic at the weekend. I'd say that it supports my argument; he doesn't even think about it, he just does it instinctively and reflexively.

I thought he was fouled by Carragher in that instance (as you say it probably was outside the box), but he obviously didn't get that one. I'm not saying Drogba never simulates, he's no saint, I'm just saying that people seem to accuse him of constantly diving when in fact the truth of it is that he is fouled an awful lot.

If you mean the fact that he looked like he was going to fall over when he belted Vidic in the face until he realised he was really hurt then yes, that was one of the more hilarious examples of his capacity to exaggerate contact. I don't think that means he does it all the time though.

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Guest

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He does do it all the time though Wong. In the first leg last week he could have been drunk the amount he was falling over.

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