Man Utd and Referee influence

[The Guest]

Some don't like him mentioned, but Rafa Benitez if memory serves is the only man to raise this matter.

An educated, successful Manager from Spain, sitting behind a desk reading from his notes at a press conference, reading point after point of manipulation from those cunts.

 

This wasnt rage like Keegan or Atkinson, this was, you know something, this aint a fair fight and Ill tell you why...

 

The rest is history,

a) the journalists sat quietly taking notes of this amazing opportunity of a story and took each point to task proving to the public that what he said was true.

 

b) they called it Rafa's rant and fans over the grounds had their chant "he is cracking up"

 

 

I honestly believe things will get better when he goes, and I don't mean retirement.

 

I hate Chelsea but nowhere near as much as them, part of me wants Benitez to get that team going just for the fun of the run in.

 

I fucking loved it at the time. I thought finally someone has come out and slaughtered the cunt.

 

Let's not turn it into some big conspiracy unveiling though. Looking back on it, it might look like that but it wasn't. Rafa was getting involved in the mind games. He was trying to get in the mind of Ferguson and the refs. It may have worked as well but in reality he shit his undies, starting playing even more negative football and cost us the title after putting us in the best position to win it in near 20 years. In the mind of some fans including myself, as ridiculous as it sounds, it was the final nail in the coffin.

 

After years of shit/baffling decisions in the league we finally got the luck to go with the great players Rafa had assembled to make a great first 11. No matter how good a manager Rafa could be when the chips where down in the league he couldn't hack it. It was too much for me and the following season was something that had been waiting to happen for a long time in my eyes.

 

It's all opinion I suppose but despite the shit the club has been through since he's left I believe the club would be in an even worse position had he stayed. His time is seen as golden age now and it was but when he left his ability had well gone and it still hasn't proved to have returned.

 

Getting back on topic the only time this will not be seen as just some stupid conspiracy theory is when somebody actually sits down and makes comparisons. It's all well saying a certain ref hasn't been involved in a Utd game for years etc but you need to compare this with all the refs and all the clubs. Are there any other refs giving penalties who then ref Utd again soon. What about bad/controversial decisions for other clubs and the refs who made them? You can't just pull out one or two strange things and naming big numbers because not reffing a team for 20 weeks might be the norm etc.

[Redshadow]

The Guest? " the only time this will not be seen as just some stupid conspiracy theory is when somebody actually sits down and makes comparisons. It's all well saying a certain ref hasn't been involved in a Utd game for years etc but you need to compare this with all the refs and all the clubs."

 

Someone Did do - Here; The Dim in Beirut

 

There's about 3/4 articles all specifically focused on Just what you're speaking about around halfway down the page? Very informative but immediately shouted down by Manc's & unbelievers - naturally....

 

And BTW? The rant Wasn't a 'rant' per se - it was a critique & unlike Keegan crapping himself in public all those years ago? It worked; In their game vs Chelsea the next day? United might have come out on top 3-0 due to Chelsea being beyond awful under Scolari but? Just before their first goal? They had a goal disallowed & a stonewall penalty turned down, then months later when We played at the OT dump? We got a pen' And a Red Card in our favour - it was a surgically timed blow aimed at a game at OT (ours) months away & to cause as much disruption for Them? As possible in the meantime (which it Would have done had Chelsea defended properly in That game the day after) In that respect? It worked & then some. You only have to look at How much it scared the FA into tightening the rules on commenting re' officials but somehow forgetting to do so for Him & his mob rather conveniently;

 

Anyway IMO? With that One outburst? Rafa' hit Far nearer to the mark than he ever knew. The reason Fergie & his mob ridicule it (& Rafa') even now? Is because he came That close to unmasking them for what they really are & stripping away their odious powers re' officials in public & doing that? Would have changed things here forever & in spite of all the opposition, the smear jobs, the late goals (for & against) the final (doomed) charge at Stamford Bridge in the CL & all it took out of us re' the PL. In spite of it all? We So nearly did it - that team might have failed but? Theirs was a heroic failure that puts their 3 successors (& no doubt this 4th) in the 3 & 1/2 seasons since? Utterly to shame...........

 

Don't forget? Reinstate Gerrard's goal at Home v Stoke (in Sept' 2008 - the Home game with them BTW? Not the away game in Jan' 2009 as some have mistakenly put on here - he only hit the post at the end of that one)? And we're only 1 point off the title - stop Cahill scoring Right at the end of the League Derby in January on top of that? And Gerrard's exocet missile into the Everton net in the second half? Would have been The one that won us that title come May 2009.............

 

Yes, the margins really are That fine & anyone blaming Rafa' & Only him for something that was probably decided in August 2008 & (certainly) orchestrated against us from around September onwards of that year with the likes of the press, Manc's & allies & most of the rest of the English game against us? Is most certainly in the wrong - Rafa' did All he could & more - he fought like fury to win that title in particular & brought us So close - I was So proud of the team that season & always will be for what they tried their hearts out for & whatever the record books say? I Know we were the best side in England that year - by a country mile.............

 

But in the end? You can't overcome Them & their influence without removing it All at source - until that's done? It'll Always be "another season, nothing changes" So Who I wonder is finally Going to play Kingmaker & king breaker & remove Him from office for good & all time - for without that happening? Any other changes are only transitory & cannot be permanent. Until then? We might as well whistle in the wind & whilst They like it that way? Many including myself have had more than enough of this & it's about time something was done. Will say one thing though before I go?

 

The sight of not just A Liverpool but a Liverpool reliving their past & making a final charge for the league towards May? Clearly scared some people in English Football - All the trouble we've had re' officials & all the 'smear jobs', hatchet jobs & constant media attacks? since May 2009? Have started Since then & the beginning of the following (2009/2010) season &? They've got steadily worse reaching their utter nadir this year with the "no penalties for Liverpool barring murder in the box" rule apparently now being enforced - You ask me? As I said it's No coincidence that All these problems - began back in August 2009 - not a coincidence at all..........

Edited December 18, 2012 by Redshadow

[Lycan]

When ferguson dies the media may suddenly become interested in this.

 

I can see it myself. Jimmy Saville style. Not that i'm calling Demento a nonce or anything.

[setreal]

Oh dear

[The Guest]

The Guest? " the only time this will not be seen as just some stupid conspiracy theory is when somebody actually sits down and makes comparisons. It's all well saying a certain ref hasn't been involved in a Utd game for years etc but you need to compare this with all the refs and all the clubs."

 

Someone Did do - Here; The Dim in Beirut

 

There's about 3/4 articles all specifically focused on Just what you're speaking about around halfway down the page? Very informative but immediately shouted down by Manc's & unbelievers - naturally....

 

And BTW? The rant Wasn't a 'rant' per se - it was a critique & unlike Keegan crapping himself in public all those years ago? It worked; In their game vs Chelsea the next day? United might have come out on top 3-0 due to Chelsea being beyond awful under Scolari but? Just before their first goal? They had a goal disallowed & a stonewall penalty turned down, then months later when We played at the OT dump? We got a pen' And a Red Card in our favour - it was a surgically timed blow aimed at a game at OT (ours) months away & to cause as much disruption for Them? As possible in the meantime (which it Would have done had Chelsea defended properly in That game the day after) In that respect? It worked & then some. You only have to look at How much it scared the FA into tightening the rules on commenting re' officials but somehow forgetting to do so for Him & his mob rather conveniently;

 

Anyway IMO? With that One outburst? Rafa' hit Far nearer to the mark than he ever knew. The reason Fergie & his mob ridicule it (& Rafa') even now? Is because he came That close to unmasking them for what they really are & stripping away their odious powers re' officials in public & doing that? Would have changed things here forever & in spite of all the opposition, the smear jobs, the late goals (for & against) the final (doomed) charge at Stamford Bridge in the CL & all it took out of us re' the PL. In spite of it all? We So nearly did it - that team might have failed but? Theirs was a heroic failure that puts their 3 successors (& no doubt this 4th) in the 3 & 1/2 seasons since? Utterly to shame...........

 

Don't forget? Reinstate Gerrard's goal at Home v Stoke (in Sept' 2008 - the Home game with them BTW? Not the away game in Jan' 2009 as some have mistakenly put on here - he only hit the post at the end of that one)? And we're only 1 point off the title - stop Cahill scoring Right at the end of the League Derby in January on top of that? And Gerrard's exocet missile into the Everton net in the second half? Would have been The one that won us that title come May 2009.............

 

Yes, the margins really are That fine & anyone blaming Rafa' & Only him for something that was probably decided in August 2008 & (certainly) orchestrated against us from around September onwards of that year with the likes of the press, Manc's & allies & most of the rest of the English game against us? Is most certainly in the wrong - Rafa' did All he could & more - he fought like fury to win that title in particular & brought us So close - I was So proud of the team that season & always will be for what they tried their hearts out for & whatever the record books say? I Know we were the best side in England that year - by a country mile.............

 

But in the end? You can't overcome Them & their influence without removing it All at source - until that's done? It'll Always be "another season, nothing changes" So Who I wonder is finally Going to play Kingmaker & king breaker & remove Him from office for good & all time - for without that happening? Any other changes are only transitory & cannot be permanent. Until then? We might as well whistle in the wind & whilst They like it that way? Many including myself have had more than enough of this & it's about time something was done. Will say one thing though before I go?

 

The sight of not just A Liverpool but a Liverpool reliving their past & making a final charge for the league towards May? Clearly scared some people in English Football - All the trouble we've had re' officials & all the 'smear jobs', hatchet jobs & constant media attacks? since May 2009? Have started Since then & the beginning of the following (2009/2010) season &? They've got steadily worse reaching their utter nadir this year with the "no penalties for Liverpool barring murder in the box" rule apparently now being enforced - You ask me? As I said it's No coincidence that All these problems - began back in August 2009 - not a coincidence at all..........

 

Reading any post of yours is like trying to decipher the matrix. Do you realise how difficult this forum would be if everybody decided to write in this beyond lazy style? What I am trying to say as I always do whenever I see your posts is it's fucking unreadable. Seriously how do you expect anyone to respond to it?

 

I read the first paragraph and give up. You posted a link to a website which is even harder to read than one of your posts. After finally getting to a bit which actually even mentions this subject, it doesn't actually do anything I said needs doing. It just goes through a number of referees that have not had United games since making bad decisions or sending players off. This is not enough evidence. There needs to be comparisons to other clubs in similar circumstances and examples of every time United players have been sent off etc and what happened to each referee after it.

 

Until that happens it will just remain a conspiracy theory.

[grimble]

Redshadow - what in the name of Jesus, Mary and Titfinch is it with the bold text? What amazes me is that you have actually gone out of your way to put some words into bold in the hope that it makes your posts read better. It may be the case - for all I know, you might be the most articulate person on Earth, but when I see one of your posts, I pick out your bold words, read them, and come away with:

 

"Did very worked we far that home the that that so always him since all."

 

Just stop it. Please. It's upsettingly shit.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Oh feck. Hes back. The forum marauding bolder.

[Dr Nowt]

How life affirming was this?

 

[YOUTUBE]nm26-29uubg[/YOUTUBE]

 

Actually made me do that sort of weird bird of prey hovering / miming sitting on the thunderbox position, taken up above the sofa in anticipation of a televised goal or other such exciting and longed for live sporting moment.

[Elysian Red]

Each time you pass a bold word use it as a marker

[Redshadow]

Not quite Always bold - just when I want to do it - Here's me in one of my odder moods Not doing the bold; Basically? Below 'tis my opinion of the whole United/Ferguson/FA/Referees debacle & believe me? It Is a debacle & then some...............

 

The Guest? " the only time this will not be seen as just some stupid conspiracy theory is when somebody actually sits down and makes comparisons. It's all well saying a certain ref hasn't been involved in a Utd game for years etc but you need to compare this with all the refs and all the clubs."

 

Someone Did do - Here; The Dim in Beirut

 

There's about 3/4 articles all specifically focused on Just what you're speaking about around halfway down the page? Very informative but immediately shouted down by Manc's & unbelievers - naturally....

 

And BTW? The rant Wasn't a 'rant' per se - it was a critique & unlike Keegan crapping himself in public all those years ago? It worked; In their game vs Chelsea the next day? United might have come out on top 3-0 due to Chelsea being beyond awful under Scolari but? Just before their first goal? They had a goal disallowed & a stonewall penalty turned down, then months later when We played at the OT dump? We got a pen' And a Red Card in our favour - it was a surgically timed blow aimed at a game at OT (ours) months away & to cause as much disruption for Them? As possible in the meantime (which it Would have done had Chelsea defended properly in That game the day after) In that respect? It worked & then some. You only have to look at How much it scared the FA into tightening the rules on commenting re' officials but somehow forgetting to do so for Him & his mob rather conveniently;

 

Anyway IMO? With that One outburst? Rafa' hit Far nearer to the mark than he ever knew. The reason Fergie & his mob ridicule it (& Rafa') even now? Is because he came That close to unmasking them for what they really are & stripping away their odious powers re' officials in public & doing that? Would have changed things here forever & in spite of all the opposition, the smear jobs, the late goals (for & against) the final (doomed) charge at Stamford Bridge in the CL & all it took out of us re' the PL. In spite of it all? We So nearly did it - that team might have failed but? Theirs was a heroic failure that puts their 3 successors (& no doubt this 4th) in the 3 & 1/2 seasons since? Utterly to shame...........

 

Don't forget? Reinstate Gerrard's goal at Home v Stoke (in Sept' 2008 - the Home game with them BTW? Not the away game in Jan' 2009 as some have mistakenly put on here - he only hit the post at the end of that one)? And we're only 1 point off the title - stop Cahill scoring Right at the end of the League Derby in January on top of that? And Gerrard's exocet missile into the Everton net in the second half? Would have been The one that won us that title come May 2009.............

 

Yes, the margins really are That fine & anyone blaming Rafa' & Only him for something that was probably decided in August 2008 & (certainly) orchestrated against us from around September onwards of that year with the likes of the press, Manc's & allies & most of the rest of the English game against us? Is most certainly in the wrong - Rafa' did All he could & more - he fought like fury to win that title in particular & brought us So close - I was So proud of the team that season & always will be for what they tried their hearts out for & whatever the record books say? I Know we were the best side in England that year - by a country mile.............

 

But in the end? You can't overcome Them & their influence without removing it All at source - until that's done? It'll Always be "another season, nothing changes" So Who I wonder is finally Going to play Kingmaker & king breaker & remove Him from office for good & all time - for without that happening? Any other changes are only transitory & cannot be permanent. Until then? We might as well whistle in the wind & whilst They like it that way? Many including myself have had more than enough of this & it's about time something was done. Will say one thing though before I go?

 

The sight of not just A Liverpool but a Liverpool reliving their past & making a final charge for the league towards May? Clearly scared some people in English Football - All the trouble we've had re' officials & all the 'smear jobs', hatchet jobs & constant media attacks? since May 2009? Have started Since then & the beginning of the following (2009/2010) season &? They've got steadily worse reaching their utter nadir this year with the "no penalties for Liverpool barring murder in the box" rule apparently now being enforced - You ask me? As I said it's No coincidence that All these problems - began back in August 2009 - not a coincidence at all..........

 

NB And BTW The Guest? Try Reading the link in depth? there's at least 3 (I counted) articles on this subject in particular on there somewhere & on one of them? He does indeed compare some reffing stats from United to others in direct opposition to them (including us one season) the results are rather surprising - or not depending on your point of view -they didn't surprise me - just confirmed pretty much? Something/a trend that I (& no doubt many others) had guessed is occurring all along & which? Is far to common to be anything like mere coincidence. As to us? Said it before on this post & will say it again one last time? The fact our troubles doubled & just got worse re officialdom from August 2009 onwards to the nadir of the present day re' us? Is anything But a coincidence & unfortunately? Our club have anything but the mentality needed to combat such blatant bias - sad but? That's the way it is right now & it doesn't look like changing anytime soon............

Edited December 20, 2012 by Redshadow

[Dr Nowt]

Not quite Always bold - just when I want to do it - Here's me in one of my odder moods Not doing the bold; Basically? Below 'tis my opinion of the whole United/Ferguson/FA/Referees debacle & believe me? It Is a debacle & then some...............

 

The Guest? " the only time this will not be seen as just some stupid conspiracy theory is when somebody actually sits down and makes comparisons. It's all well saying a certain ref hasn't been involved in a Utd game for years etc but you need to compare this with all the refs and all the clubs."

 

Someone Did do - Here; The Dim in Beirut

 

There's about 3/4 articles all specifically focused on Just what you're speaking about around halfway down the page? Very informative but immediately shouted down by Manc's & unbelievers - naturally....

 

And BTW? The rant Wasn't a 'rant' per se - it was a critique & unlike Keegan crapping himself in public all those years ago? It worked; In their game vs Chelsea the next day? United might have come out on top 3-0 due to Chelsea being beyond awful under Scolari but? Just before their first goal? They had a goal disallowed & a stonewall penalty turned down, then months later when We played at the OT dump? We got a pen' And a Red Card in our favour - it was a surgically timed blow aimed at a game at OT (ours) months away & to cause as much disruption for Them? As possible in the meantime (which it Would have done had Chelsea defended properly in That game the day after) In that respect? It worked & then some. You only have to look at How much it scared the FA into tightening the rules on commenting re' officials but somehow forgetting to do so for Him & his mob rather conveniently;

 

Anyway IMO? With that One outburst? Rafa' hit Far nearer to the mark than he ever knew. The reason Fergie & his mob ridicule it (& Rafa') even now? Is because he came That close to unmasking them for what they really are & stripping away their odious powers re' officials in public & doing that? Would have changed things here forever & in spite of all the opposition, the smear jobs, the late goals (for & against) the final (doomed) charge at Stamford Bridge in the CL & all it took out of us re' the PL. In spite of it all? We So nearly did it - that team might have failed but? Theirs was a heroic failure that puts their 3 successors (& no doubt this 4th) in the 3 & 1/2 seasons since? Utterly to shame...........

 

Don't forget? Reinstate Gerrard's goal at Home v Stoke (in Sept' 2008 - the Home game with them BTW? Not the away game in Jan' 2009 as some have mistakenly put on here - he only hit the post at the end of that one)? And we're only 1 point off the title - stop Cahill scoring Right at the end of the League Derby in January on top of that? And Gerrard's exocet missile into the Everton net in the second half? Would have been The one that won us that title come May 2009.............

 

Yes, the margins really are That fine & anyone blaming Rafa' & Only him for something that was probably decided in August 2008 & (certainly) orchestrated against us from around September onwards of that year with the likes of the press, Manc's & allies & most of the rest of the English game against us? Is most certainly in the wrong - Rafa' did All he could & more - he fought like fury to win that title in particular & brought us So close - I was So proud of the team that season & always will be for what they tried their hearts out for & whatever the record books say? I Know we were the best side in England that year - by a country mile.............

 

But in the end? You can't overcome Them & their influence without removing it All at source - until that's done? It'll Always be "another season, nothing changes" So Who I wonder is finally Going to play Kingmaker & king breaker & remove Him from office for good & all time - for without that happening? Any other changes are only transitory & cannot be permanent. Until then? We might as well whistle in the wind & whilst They like it that way? Many including myself have had more than enough of this & it's about time something was done. Will say one thing though before I go?

 

The sight of not just A Liverpool but a Liverpool reliving their past & making a final charge for the league towards May? Clearly scared some people in English Football - All the trouble we've had re' officials & all the 'smear jobs', hatchet jobs & constant media attacks? since May 2009? Have started Since then & the beginning of the following (2009/2010) season &? They've got steadily worse reaching their utter nadir this year with the "no penalties for Liverpool barring murder in the box" rule apparently now being enforced - You ask me? As I said it's No coincidence that All these problems - began back in August 2009 - not a coincidence at all..........

 

NB And BTW The Guest? Try Reading the link in depth? there's at least 3 (I counted) articles on this subject in particular on there somewhere & on one of them? He does indeed compare some reffing stats from United to others in direct opposition to them (including us one season) the results are rather surprising - or not depending on your point of view -they didn't surprise me - just confirmed pretty much? Something/a trend that I (& no doubt many others) had guessed is occurring all along & which? Is far to common to be anything like mere coincidence. As to us? Said it before on this post & will say it again one last time? The fact our troubles doubled & just got worse re officialdom from August 2009 onwards to the nadir of the present day re' us? Is anything But a coincidence & unfortunately? Our club have anything but the mentality needed to combat such blatant bias - sad but? That's the way it is right now & it doesn't look like changing anytime soon............

 

So this is what it would be like if Paul Tomkins vomited his articles out, rather than typing them.

[boots123]

Unless someone in the national media starts doing their job this will go exactly nowhere and remain a conspiracy theory. It's fraud and they do fuck all about it.

 

Utd seldom get denied a penalty, Liverpool seldom if ever get awarded one, got to be more than something fishy going on, plus it always seems to be the usual suspects referees who give them or deny us.:wallbutt:

[boots123]

i'd like to know, are people on the board of the FA, allowed to have shares in man utd football club

[Newport]

I fucking loved it at the time. I thought finally someone has come out and slaughtered the cunt.

 

Let's not turn it into some big conspiracy unveiling though. Looking back on it, it might look like that but it wasn't. Rafa was getting involved in the mind games. He was trying to get in the mind of Ferguson and the refs. It may have worked as well but in reality he shit his undies, starting playing even more negative football and cost us the title after putting us in the best position to win it in near 20 years. In the mind of some fans including myself, as ridiculous as it sounds, it was the final nail in the coffin.

 

Which is kind of funny because it isn't true. We actually did slightly better after the rant than we did before. 2.25 points on average before and 2.27 points on average after. The problem was that they had two games in hand and earned 2.6 points on average.

 

And that negative foootball? 42 goals scored in 18 matches after the rant compared to 35 in 20 matches before. Including some big wins against Villa (who were quite good back then) and United at their place. Oh and destroying Real Madrid at Anfield. After the only defeat in the league on the last day of February we went ten games unbeaten (nine wins and one draw) scoring 3.2 goals per game.

 

Are you sure you didn't mix it up with the season after when we finished 7th?

[MLB]

There is unquestionably something dodgy about it. Ferguson weilds too much power for someone who is just a cantankerous footie manager.

[Major Tom]

There is unquestionably something dodgy about it. Ferguson weilds too much power for someone who is just a cantankerous footie manager.

 

This. Everyone is singing to Ferguson's tune. FA, PL, PMGO and even Locog.

 

Utd have definitely won most of their league titles due to extra minutes being played and dodgy penalties.

 

Fucking Ferguson, the cunt.

[Reacher]

 

This. Everyone is singing to Ferguson's tune. FA' date=' PL, PMGO and even Locog.

 

Utd have definitely won most of their league titles due to extra minutes being played and dodgy penalties.

 

Fucking Ferguson, the cunt.[/quote']

 

I've not been on for a while so have I missed something and having a whoooosh moment? You've changed your tune mate?

[The Guest]

Which is kind of funny because it isn't true. We actually did slightly better after the rant than we did before. 2.25 points on average before and 2.27 points on average after. The problem was that they had two games in hand and earned 2.6 points on average.

 

And that negative foootball? 42 goals scored in 18 matches after the rant compared to 35 in 20 matches before. Including some big wins against Villa (who were quite good back then) and United at their place. Oh and destroying Real Madrid at Anfield. After the only defeat in the league on the last day of February we went ten games unbeaten (nine wins and one draw) scoring 3.2 goals per game.

 

Are you sure you didn't mix it up with the season after when we finished 7th?

 

It's kind of funny because it is true. Stats as usual are manipulated to whatever agenda your pushing. Negative football doesn't mean not scoring any goals it also doesn't mean not gaining any points. It means the opposite of attacking/positive football. You know, not attacking much in the game so that it's harder for the opposition to score because you are being defensive. It's this thing called tactics. They use it in football quite a lot.

 

Let me try and put it in some easy terms so a thick cunt like yourself can understand. Say Rafa turns up with the Chelsea team and they are playing against an under 12's girls team. Rafa puts 10 centre halves and a goalie on the pitch lined up in a 10-0-0 formation. They go on to win 10 nil. Is that attacking football? I'll answer it for you. No it's not. But extremely thick minded cunts seem to think it is. I'm not going to go into further detail because you should be able to figure out the point I am trying to make. I went to every single home game and a few aways that season and I can use my own fucking eyes.

 

Rafa had signed some world class players and we had a lot of luck that season but even then it was inspite of his tactics. He liked to "control" the game for the first 60/70 mins which usually meant not playing any sort of attacking football. and stopping the other team from playing. Time and time again this invited the opposition on to us. We would be on the back foot either drawing or even losing. He would then start to throw more players forward and subbing attacking players on and more often than not we came back. Taking the one, two or even three chances that fell to us. As anyone who has watched football for any prolonged amount of time will tell you, you can't just keep relying on taking one or two chances a game.

 

We were incredibly lucky that it happened as much as it did that season. The sad thing was that when Rafa had shit his undies and starting playing even more negative we drew games and fell behind in the title race. It was only at this point when we had nothing to lose we started playing attacking football. We were never back in the race at any point although people seem to remember that we were. He showed in that period we were capable of playing that football and battering teams. Unfortunately it was too late. He neeed us to play like that when we went top. It didn't happen and he cost us the title.

 

He put us there in the first place mind but that solidified the view for me that we would never win the league under him because no matter how good a position he could get us in he would always shit his bills and throw it away because of how he threw away the league that season. RedShadow makes the point every so often about if we had of won this or that game which we lost or drew by a thin margin. My answer to that is well actually we won a fucking shitload more games by thin margins than we lost/drew on and if we had won those other games then we would never have played that attacking football at the very end when the league was already gone and Rafa would have thrown it away in some other negative manner.

[No2]

It's kind of funny because it is true. Stats as usual are manipulated to whatever agenda your pushing. Negative football doesn't mean not scoring any goals it also doesn't mean not gaining any points. It means the opposite of attacking/positive football. You know, not attacking much in the game so that it's harder for the opposition to score because you are being defensive. It's this thing called tactics. They use it in football quite a lot.

 

Let me try and put it in some easy terms so a thick cunt like yourself can understand. Say Rafa turns up with the Chelsea team and they are playing against an under 12's girls team. Rafa puts 10 centre halves and a goalie on the pitch lined up in a 10-0-0 formation. They go on to win 10 nil. Is that attacking football? I'll answer it for you. No it's not. But extremely thick minded cunts seem to think it is. I'm not going to go into further detail because you should be able to figure out the point I am trying to make. I went to every single home game and a few aways that season and I can use my own fucking eyes.

 

Rafa had signed some world class players and we had a lot of luck that season but even then it was inspite of his tactics. He liked to "control" the game for the first 60/70 mins which usually meant not playing any sort of attacking football. and stopping the other team from playing. Time and time again this invited the opposition on to us. We would be on the back foot either drawing or even losing. He would then start to throw more players forward and subbing attacking players on and more often than not we came back. Taking the one, two or even three chances that fell to us. As anyone who has watched football for any prolonged amount of time will tell you, you can't just keep relying on taking one or two chances a game.

 

We were incredibly lucky that it happened as much as it did that season. The sad thing was that when Rafa had shit his undies and starting playing even more negative we drew games and fell behind in the title race. It was only at this point when we had nothing to lose we started playing attacking football. We were never back in the race at any point although people seem to remember that we were. He showed in that period we were capable of playing that football and battering teams. Unfortunately it was too late. He neeed us to play like that when we went top. It didn't happen and he cost us the title.

 

He put us there in the first place mind but that solidified the view for me that we would never win the league under him because no matter how good a position he could get us in he would always shit his bills and throw it away because of how he threw away the league that season. RedShadow makes the point every so often about if we had of won this or that game which we lost or drew by a thin margin. My answer to that is well actually we won a fucking shitload more games by thin margins than we lost/drew on and if we had won those other games then we would never have played that attacking football at the very end when the league was already gone and Rafa would have thrown it away in some other negative manner.

 

Total rewriting of History. I don't know about you but I was sure we were gonna win the league after Fulham away, I seem to remember a few thousand scousers signing exactly that.

 

On the subject of negative football, the mancs went about 2 months without conceding a goal, winning a shit load of games 1-0. They also had the best front 3 the premier league has probably has ever seen, these 2 reasons where the main factors they "won" the league, despite what you and others may say we didn't lose it.

[The Guest]

Total rewriting of History. I don't know about you but I was sure we were gonna win the league after Fulham away, I seem to remember a few thousand scousers signing exactly that.

 

On the subject of negative football, the mancs went about 2 months without conceding a goal, winning a shit load of games 1-0. They also had the best front 3 the premier league has probably has ever seen, these 2 reasons where the main factors they "won" the league, despite what you and others may say we didn't lose it.

 

I am not rewriting anything mate. After Rafa shit his undies we were never in a position to win the league and were never going to. I said it at the home game when we drew and went top. A lot of people booed. I didn't but I certainly knew why people were doing it. We played shit negative football and never went for the throat despite having a far superior team. We got a draw and anyone with a brain knew it was a missed opportunity. We could have gone completely clear at the top and didn't. We gave the mancs the opportunity to come back at us and they did.

 

They went clear to the point that it wasn't in our hands anymore. I said it to my mate at the time. That's it we've blew it and no doubt we will win some games and look like we are challenging but we never really will be. That Fulham game was great but even then I didn't believe it and I was right to.

 

Looking back on it if we hadn't blew it then to his negative tactics we would have blew it at some other point. All them great games at the end probably wouldn't have happened if we had turned some of those earlier draws into wins because that's what Rafa's like. Only go for broke when it's the last option.

 

The Man Utd point is just a mirror of the earlier point I made. But I will spell it out for you as well. Say Rafa turns up with his Chelsea team and decides he's going to play 2-3-5 without a defensive mid in sight. They create 100 chances hit the bar 50 times but win 1-0 is that negative performance with negative tactics? I'll answer it for you. No it's not. The manner in which the team is set up and plays spells out whether its attacking or not, not the outcome. Plenty of goals can be conceded playnig negative football and we proved plenty of goals can be scored playing it as well. By and large though they don't go hand in hand. The majority of our goals weren't scored playing negative football though, they were scored when we were playing attacking football after the negative football failed. On too many occasions though we either didn't play the attacking football early enough in the game or simply not at all.

[Jonjo Baldy]

In the 10-11 season, Fergie had a rant at Atkinson, and subsequently they got Howard Webb to re the title deciding game between them and chelski, they won of course. Jef Winter made a good comment about fergie influencing the choice of ref.

[Guest davelfc]

Champions League draw 5000-1 repeat of dress rehearsal | Mail Online

 

UEFA chiefs were astonished when the Champions League draw was made on Thursday when they saw which teams were paired together.

In an extraordinary twist, the draw ended up being exactly the same as the fixtures pulled out during the dress rehearsal.

Although the order in which the ties were drawn was different, the pairings were identical.

[The Tott]

Some don't like him mentioned, but Rafa Benitez if memory serves is the only man to raise this matter.

An educated, successful Manager from Spain, sitting behind a desk reading from his notes at a press conference, reading point after point of manipulation from those cunts.

 

This wasnt rage like Keegan or Atkinson, this was, you know something, this aint a fair fight and Ill tell you why...

 

The rest is history,

a) the journalists sat quietly taking notes of this amazing opportunity of a story and took each point to task proving to the public that what he said was true.

 

b) they called it Rafa's rant and fans over the grounds had their chant "he is cracking up"

 

 

I honestly believe things will get better when he goes, and I don't mean retirement.

 

I hate Chelsea but nowhere near as much as them, part of me wants Benitez to get that team going just for the fun of the run in.

 

 

 

one nil down

 

four one up

 

Poor aul Rafa's cracking up

[fowler9]

so how exactly can the ref see the Rooney incident today and only deem it a yellow?

 

and on an unrelated note to todays game I've just learnt that they haven't had a penalty against them in the league since December 2011, in the same time they've won 16, now I know any side at the top end of the league will have more go their way than against but thats fucking ridiculous!

[Strontium]

so how exactly can the ref see the Rooney incident today and only deem it a yellow?

 

It's either shithousery or corruption, neither of which is especially palatable.

 

Your pundit apologists on Morons of the Day will talk about refereeing being tough, but that can't explain an incident like this, which the referee sees clearly.

 

If you kick another player, it's a red card. No ifs, no buts. This is a case of the referee actively IGNORING the rules to the benefit of Manchester United. It cannot be defended or innocently explained away.