[Longview01]

Most go for Man Utd.

Thats not true, a few months ago didnt Reading get a nice dodgy penalty and hold Man U at 1-0 for nearly the entire game?

[Ballbag]

That is one, I'll give you that. But how many times over the years have we seen 4 5 even 6 mintues of added time played at Old Trafford when the red devils are losing, how rare is an away penalty at said ground?
It may not be as bad as it used to be, but historically Fergie's team do get away with blue murder sometimes.

[Dickie]

True, but this can be said of many teams who are at the top of the countries footballing leagues. It's just that Man United have been at, or near, the top of English football for about the last 14 years.

I'm sure in Scotland Celtic and Rangers are said to have favouritism, or in Spain, Barcelona and Madrid. It's the nature of football and what with refereeing being the subject of every pre and post match coverage sometimes certain incidents can be far too overlooked. If we were getting picky I'd say that the ref only gave Celtic's free kick down to pressure from players and the crowd, but that's football!

No need to complain, it wasn't this game that Man U messed up, it was being too presumptuous away at Copenhagen.

Bring on Chelsea on Sunday, i'll be there, East Stand, Tier 2, Row 4, Seat 25 as usual.

[Ballbag]

As a supporter of a lowly Championship club, it is difficult sometimes to remember that there are more than three or four clubs in the Premiership. Which is an indictment of the Premiership, I guess.

Belatedly getting back to your comments Yudanator. I agree with you regarding the big 3 or 4 as being pretty much all that the premiership is about. I believe a wage cap can't come soon enough in football to stop precicely what the big 4 are doing (namely Chelsea, and also United) and that is buying sucess.
They have to be pegged back before they get too far ahead of the rest of the country.

Also, Man Utd fans out there, don't feel too hard done by for not winning last night, and hence very much indangering your chances of progression in this years competition. Think yourself lucky that you're in that situation in the first place. I've had to listen all day to a Utd fan here in my office moan about how unlucky they were and how it's not fair that they lost etc etc (he is from London by the way........ obviously). At least they're in the bloody Champions league, and by doing that they've obviously done well last season, just think of the little guys for once.

[kendra k]

saha's penalty was good, in that it was clearly a handball. it was bad, in that boruc totally pwned him!!!!

boruc looked like he was ready to rip somebody apart. he was hot.

[Gaviano]

what a shame both teams couldn't lose.

Too true. Wasn't a penalty. Wasn't a foul that lead to the goal. Wasn't a good game to watch. Man U forgetting about a decent final ball. Celtic unable to string two passes together. It was like 60,000 people had turned up to watch my works team play the Job Centre.

[Longview01]

Great news Chelsea are currently losing thanks to Mertesacker in the 27th Minute, hopefully Chelsea will lose tonight.

They still go through tho, damn it!

A lose at the weekend for Chelsea would be nicer

[Ballbag]

My ideal result at the weekend would be for a draw, followed by a massive brawl started by both sets of teams that results in a mass riot between both teams (inc Abramovich and Glazer pelting each other with wads of cash). The result of which sees the FA coming down like a ton of bricks on both teams for bringing the game into disrepute and docking them each 20 points, and relegating them to the conference north and conference south respectively.

I can but dream.

[Ballbag]

Has no one else thought for just one minute that perhaps Chelsea "threw" the match last night, in an attempt to see Barcelona knocked out of the competition!!!!!

I really wouldn't put it past them.

[Console]

Excuse my ignorance, but why would that be low?

[Ballbag]

It wouldn't be stooping as far as Chelsea go, they'll do anything to stop other teams catching up with them. Do you think they need all of those world class players in their team? They didn't need Scott Parker, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ballack, Petr Cezk (sp) and many more, they simply buy them to prevent other teams getting their hands on them.

Preventing Barca from progressing would have been very high on the agenda last night.

At the highest level the there is a lot more stooping than you think little Flower, by all the big clubs, your precious Man Utd included I'm afraid.

[MK Chris]

Excuse my ignorance, but why would that be low?

I would say that in any sport, as far as being sporting is concerned, you should always try your best to win every match and not deliberately throw matches or not try, especially if the reason for doing so is to see other teams or individuals out of the competition.

[Ballbag]

Indeed Topher, and I totally agree, alas I think the board, marketing people and sponsors of the major teams don't.

Which is very sad indeed.

[MK Chris]

The problem with any sport is that politics gets in the way. It's the same from top flight football to local league table tennis. I know you need people to run the leagues and competitions; the trouble is that usually those people are old farts with no interest in promoting involvement in the sport in question.

[Console]

Excuse my ignorance, but why would that be low?

I would say that in any sport, as far as being sporting is concerned, you should always try your best to win every match and not deliberately throw matches or not try, especially if the reason for doing so is to see other teams or individuals out of the competition.

But surely in a 'big picture' kinda way, throwing a match to get a stronger team out will help their chances of winning overall. You're right, it's not exactly good sportsmanship, but I wouldn't say it was low, certainly not as low diving or something. To me it just seems like using the rules to your advantage.

[Ballbag]

Yes, and more and more often the big business get too involved and begin thinking of clubs / players / indivuduals as products. I think the greatest example of this was when Man Utd changed their badge (I think it was late 90's early 00's). The changed it from reading Manchester United Football Club, to simply reading Manchester United, thus removing the phrase football club from the name, and with it some might say the identity of the now "product".

I think it's going to get worse before it gets better.

[Ballbag]

It is very much worth it to the Samsungs, Emirates, AIG's, MUPLC, Chelsea Villiages, Umbro's of this world. Most definately. The problem lies with the fact that it is very difficult to prove that someone has "thrown a match", even if the special one had put out a team of reserves last night, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble, he would have claimed that he was "resting his players", or "I have too many injuries" etc etc.

To me it is not a case of "using the rules to your advantage" it is a case of bad sportsmanship. It's just not cricket.

Back in the day before the big bucks came flooding into football, the English clubs in the European cup would love the chance to play Juve, Inter, Real etc etc in Europe, for the prestigue and the challange and the "stuff dreams are made of". Not any more though, it's "get as far as you can" and "generate as much revenue as possible". Whenever there's a mention on TV or radio of a team reaching the champions league, or even the knock out stage of the champions leage, it's never in terms of the sucess and glory that'll go with it, but more so in terms of "how much cash it is worth to the club". It's a big shame.

[Mafro]

I got a sim-free Samsung E900 mobile the other day and discovered that the wallpaper section was choc-a-bloc full of Chelsea pictures. I actually vomited when I realised that they can't be deleted.

[Ballbag]

I got a sim-free Samsung E900 mobile the other day and discovered that the wallpaper section was choc-a-bloc full of Chelsea pictures. I actually vomited when I realised that they can't be deleted.

I get the same feeling when I see hoards and hoards of youngsters walking around in United or Chelsea tops.

[Mafro]

Much like the nausea that comes with reading your posts then, eh?

[Ballbag]

That's a little personal isn't it?

I was merely saying that it upsets me to see that the youth of today (I put yourself and the Flower in that group) would rather support the biggest and most sucessful clubs there are, and by doing so are only lining the pockets of the Samsungs and AIG's of this world and furthering the gap between those clubs and the rest of the football league.

I know you'll say "I can support who I want, for the reasons I chose". That is fair enough, it is just sad that you chose United (coincidently at a time when they're doing well) I have absolutly no doubt that if you and the Flower were 10-15 years youngers you'd be sporting the blue of Chelsea.

As someone suggested here earlier, I suppose you'll all be Italy fans come the European championships, they are afterall reigning world champs.

[Mafro]

Calm down dear, it was only a joke. Good lord no, I'm not an Italy fan, bunch of filthy cheats. It's Scotland and Jamaica for me.

[Ballbag]

I am being (as always) immensly calm. Oh, and good lord yes, you would be a Chelsea fan, I can't see any reason why not.

Oh, and you're not an Italy fan because they're cheats? How about you're not an Italy fan because you're not Italian, that's how I would have put it.

[Mafro]

You, know what I mean, some of their antics during the World Cup. Don't even get me started on the match fixing scandal, A.C. Milan shouldn't even be in the bloody Champion's League and they end up getting the easiest group of all time.

[Ballbag]

Swings and roundabouts Mafo. During the late 90's and early 00's United and Real were consistantly "aided" through the competition with easy groups. Not to mention kept apart until the latter stages.