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Post by jim on Mar 20, 2008 13:06:46 GMT
I just read on the OS that Richard Hudson, Roy Pook and Matt Phelan won't play again this season, potentially players that would have been instrumental in the play-off chase. I also read this on www.supersport.co.za/soccer/ "Fifa president Sepp Blatter told reporters this month that world soccer’s governing body was aiming to crack down on tackles that caused serious injuries.
“We are considering a number of options,” Blatter said. “But one we could consider is if a player is out injured for nine months, then the player who has caused him that injury also cannot play again until his victim has recovered.” This statement was made in relation to Martin Taylor's tackle on Eduardo, but I wonder if Richard Hudson would still be running around if the clogger that crocked him knew that he faced the rest of the season out too?
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Post by Roger on Mar 20, 2008 13:19:32 GMT
I also read this on www.supersport.co.za/soccer/ "Fifa president Sepp Blatter told reporters this month that world soccer’s governing body was aiming to crack down on tackles that caused serious injuries.
“We are considering a number of options,” Blatter said. “But one we could consider is if a player is out injured for nine months, then the player who has caused him that injury also cannot play again until his victim has recovered.” Typical bollox from an allegedly corrupt official who is presiding over a sport where the only thing that seems to matter is how much money you have Just how do you police it? And what about employment law If the injury ended a career would the perpetrator be banned for life? These things happen - I don't believe that Gaisford intended to cause serious injury to Richie - it is still a contact sport so injuries are inevitable.
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Post by jim on Mar 20, 2008 13:43:23 GMT
It would be very difficult (if not impossible) to determine whether a tackle is deliberately malicious, mistimed or just not very good. I think comes down to a question of intent, and who but the tackler can really know that? In fairness, only Gaisford knows if he wanted the ball or the man. I wasn't using this thread to attack any particular clogger, just using Hudson's sidelining as an example. It would be an awful sport to watch if every defender paused to consider his long-term future before making a tackle.
Martin Taylor is being villified for what looked like a rash and ill-timed tackle because Eduardo's injury was so bad. I saw Cashley Cole fly into a Spurs player last night - it looked full of intent (and his reaction when receiving only a YELLOW card was enough on its own for Hatzidikis to send him off). Is that cos the Spurs player could still walk? Refereeing consistency generally isn't good enough at the moment to make those kind of sweeping changes to the rules and ethics of the game; one player's verbal warning is another's 3 match ban.
What worries me is, as you say, Blatter presides over the sport and every FA in the world HAS to listen at least, even if it's common knowledge that his marbles rolled away a long time ago - didn't he have something to do with the new unfathomable offside rules?
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Post by Sam Skilton on Mar 20, 2008 16:00:07 GMT
The Sepp Blatter topic comes up quite a lot on the BBC forums, and I believe that he is trying to overcomplicate and ruin the game. He seems determined to change things, and many people are against all of his proposals. This is another ridiculous one, because Martin Taylor's tackle was nowhere near as bad as some others seen this season in the premiership.
Also, it confuses things especially in the lower leagues. Some players may never regain fitness and give up football. Would this mean that the player who injured him would have to give up too? Also what would happen in the stage where the player is regaining fitness levels? And how would clubs in the lower leagues know when players are returning? What if the player made a transfer and the other team lost track of him?
There are so many problems with almost every idea that Blatter comes up with, I dont know why he has so much authority. I think this one is as bad as any of them.
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Post by Roger on Mar 20, 2008 16:21:34 GMT
There are so many problems with almost every idea that Blatter comes up with, I dont know why he has so much authority. Really You must be in a very small minority then
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Post by Sam Skilton on Mar 20, 2008 19:55:32 GMT
What ideas has he tried to bring in which people were against?
1) Less than 4 English teams in the Champions League.
2) He said we were all wrong for appointing Capello as England manager and we should have an Englishman, just weeks after an Englishman had failed to even reach the European Championships.
3) He also wants to bring in a foreign player quota. This would mean the premiership would struggle to keep its status as best league in the world because many of the players that make it that, will be forced out each week.
4) His latest proposal that players should be forced out for the same amount of time as the victim of their tackle, even if it is completely accidental.
Point proved?
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Post by Adam on Mar 21, 2008 4:18:29 GMT
What ideas has he tried to bring in which people were against? 1) Less than 4 English teams in the Champions League. 2) He said we were all wrong for appointing Capello as England manager and we should have an Englishman, just weeks after an Englishman had failed to even reach the European Championships. 3) He also wants to bring in a foreign player quota. This would mean the premiership would struggle to keep its status as best league in the world because many of the players that make it that, will be forced out each week. 4) His latest proposal that players should be forced out for the same amount of time as the victim of their tackle, even if it is completely accidental. Point proved? Blatter does smack of trying too hard to make his mark on the game, and the tackles theory is desperately flawed. If you can 'prove' malice then byall means throw the book at players, but it won't be easy. To see less 'flying' challenges we need a slowing of the game and a change in mentality which will not happen. For what its worth: With the other points above, I actually agree with Mr Blatter. I think the 4 teams in Champs league is a farce, as 3 of these are NOT champions! Maybe first 2 and the FA cup winners, or even a return of the Cup winners Cup in addition to the EUFA cup, might be better. I think all national teams should be exactly that: the best of what your country has to offer. If the best we can offer is rubbish, then that's no more wrong than the fact that the Faroe Islands players are rubbish. Id rather lose with national pride than win with a load of johnny foreigners running the show. The foreign player quota would ahve to be brought in slowly, but a max of say 6 foreigners in a team would get my approval. Im not sure the league would suffer, as frankly some of the championship games are much better spectacles than the 'chess' often played by the like of chelski. It may be against employment law etc, but football is a special case and I dont think it would be any more wrong than justifying why there are no ethnic minority players in the current national sides.
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Post by Sam Skilton on Mar 21, 2008 11:44:19 GMT
I would say we have to have at least the top four English teams in the Champions League though. Look at the competition at the moment. Four of the eight teams left and from England. And last year? Three of the last four were also English, and I would expect that again this year.
Would there be any benefit in teams from different countries going out in the first round and having no impact whatsoever on the competition?
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Post by jim on Mar 21, 2008 13:19:14 GMT
I've always thought that the Champions League was a misnomer - European Super League maybe. If it's a Champions League it should be for Champions, pure and simple. And it isn't even a League all the way through, now we're in the knockout stages! I might write to Mr Blatter and suggest a name change...
The European & Israeli Champions & Non-Champions League & Knockout Competition Cup. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be the most stupid idea that's passed across his desk.
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Post by Adam on Mar 21, 2008 17:13:49 GMT
I would say we have to have at least the top four English teams in the Champions League though. Look at the competition at the moment. Four of the eight teams left and from England. And last year? Three of the last four were also English, and I would expect that again this year. Would there be any benefit in teams from different countries going out in the first round and having no impact whatsoever on the competition? I see where you're coming from but as Jim says its not a 'champions' league, just a 'weve had a decent year' league. Id prefer actually max two teams per country, straight knockout, maybe with England, Italy, Spain and a few other country's actual champions given a bye, like the FA cup.
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Post by Kershaw on Mar 21, 2008 17:49:59 GMT
I find the champions league in the later stages incredibly boring to watch it's just counter attack after counter attack. UEFA cup is much faster and more interesting competition at this time of year even if Spurs are out of it :-(
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Post by I sit in the stand get over it on Mar 21, 2008 20:57:28 GMT
I think there are too many English teams in the Champions League as well, and believe that every country should have the same amount. What really got on my nerves was when Liverpool - as much as it pains me to say it - finished 5th and still were allowed in at the expense of poor old Everton, just because the won it the previous year!! I don't know how, but something needs to be done with the amount of English teams in the champions league. It just isn't fair on the other countries.
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Post by Brad on Mar 21, 2008 21:02:19 GMT
I think there are too many English teams in the Champions League as well, and believe that every country should have the same amount. What really got on my nerves was when Liverpool - as much as it pains me to say it - finished 5th and still were allowed in at the expense of poor old Everton, just because the won it the previous year!! I don't know how, but something needs to be done with the amount of English teams in the champions league. It just isn't fair on the other countries. Everton were still allowed in it, just liverpool had to go through knockouts and everton were knocked out in early stages.
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