DaveT

'......a bit of an oaf on the floor....' I actually laughed out loud at this. This is a guy (assuming he's not a WUM) that supports a team with Zouma and Keane in their defence.

Cheatarito. Ha, love it! Each week's MotD is just a procession of refereeing howlers. Increasingly these days, I'm questioning the competence of these people less and less and their integrity/honesty more and more. I'm pissed off that there's not been more of a fuss about Tierney, and of course, he's not required to explain his decision. Would have been interesting to see f he'd been dropped this weekend - as was the linesman who allowed our goal at West Ham - but there's not a full set of PL matches because of the cup. And then there's Kevin Friend. How the fuck does he not send Sissoko off? And how does he not give a penalty when Vertonghen boots that guy in the head in the penalty area when he was hacking it clear?! I also question Marriner's integrity on that first Burnley goal, as replays confirm he had an absolutley perfect view of it, no excuse of having a crowd of players to squint through. Craig Pawson at the weekend - need to make sure we don't leave ourselves at the mercy of any of his weird and wonderful decisions.

United are also in a dogfight for the CL places, and even though their fans would probably prefer City to win the title ahead of us, the team will be desperate to take something from that game.

To pick up on a theme - the semi of the Youth Cup game against Watford has been set for 12pm on Sunday. So, anyone who was thinking of going, like me - would have to leg it straight down to the Twelfth Man to watch the Fulham game. Unless it goes to ET/penalties, in which case you're fucked. Why would the club accept (propose?!) this timing? As for the u23s - Curtis Jones bounced right back on Friday at Derby, was really good. Adam Lewis was also pretty good as DM, especially after being shown up by that Everton right winger ..... who should have been sent off for an awful challenge on Woodburn, I think it was - ref didn't even give a foul! I think we all agree the refs in the PL are woeful - but drop down a level and they're even worse.

Great stuff as ever. 'Anthony Taylor was fucking shocking though' - that's a redundant comment, isn't it, as he's always shocking. City ought to give him one of their medals if they win the title, as his failure to send off Kompany against us could prove to be the most pivotal decision of the season. As for the Chelsea goalie - can't imagine him pulling that shit if Conte had still been manager - that would have been funny.

And City get the ones hovering above the relegation zone

Referee managed to not even give a free-kick for a straight red challenge on Woodburn, not dissimilar to the one Torreira was sent off for at Spurs on Saturday.

Schalke are TWENTY-FIVE(!) points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga.

That Ashley Barnes situation....... it was clearly a foul, the goalie impedes him, ergo penalty. But he also pulls a Tom Daly by throwing himself over the goalie. That's obviously befuddled the tiny brain of Anthony Taylor who can't process the fact that he's just witnessed a foul and a dive at the same time......and makes the wrong call. What makes it funnier is hearing Dyche on 5Live this morning talking about 'natural' and 'unnatural' falls, suggesting that Barnes' fell into the former category when the reality is that he just didn't have enough momentum for him to have gone over the the goalie the way he did and needed some self-propulsion. As for Everton - just checked their line-up....which was one designed to keep the score down, not win a game, so I suppose, we have to be thankful for small mercies.

Yeah, that. And Gary Lineker's a Leicester supporter!

Yup, the Lingard penalty is completely straightforward, whereas Mo...... And nobody seems at all bothered that Lindelof's equaliser is clearly offside. Didn't see it myself, but I heard that MotD didn't even show the McGuire/Mane incident. Totally balanced and impartial as ever, good old MotD.

Just one of those frustrating nights. Worst possible pitch for us, trying to play quick incisive football through a forest of legs on a pitch full of surface water. Good pitch for them, defending deep, long balls over the top for their runners. Alisson caused up a couple of near heart attacks, but his sweeper-keeping was outstanding. Some of our lads just didn't get to grips with the conditions, Shaqiri particularly disappointing. I don't think Keita's best suited to playing as one of those double pivots, needs to be closer to the front three, trying to break the lines like he did for the what-should-have-been-a-penalty. His defensive work has been quite disappointing especially when his ball-winning was actually a strength at Leipzig. I didn't have a particularly good view of the Keita penalty shout at the match - but Atkinson did. And still didn't give it Really makes you wonder about the integrity of some of these people. Thought we were getting shafted by the officials at the time.....having just watched a replay of the whole game, it was every bit as bad as it felt at the time, maybe worse. McGuire clearly offside at the start of the 2nd half, lino at that end doesn't give it. Mane clearly onside following a Henderson/Salah free-kick at the other (Kop) end, the other lino flags him off. As for the McGuire potential red, all I'll say is - 'seen them given' Still, one more point ahead of City. And I'm so glad I don't support a team managed by Puel, defend deep and in numbers, fall over constantly, waste time (this doesn't come over as bad on t.v., because the cameras pan away but it's sooo annoying inside the ground), .....remember the 0-0 with Southampton a couple of years back?

I noticed on MotD how that hypocrite Shearer wasn't too bothered that Pogba went down with next to no contact to win a penalty. I guess it wasn't against his beloved Newcastle so he's not too bothered. He's been waiting for an opportunity to get after Mo since Boxing Day. Interestingly, neither Bong last weekend - nor Dummett on Boxing Day - complained about the decisions.

And yet he'll probably still get accredited with any goals they score in the meantime!

Yup. Should have had three last season, didn't get any.