Well Paddy Evra doesn't seem to think it was as clear cut as you claim.



Whether it was dreadful error from the lino or a simple wrong choice when faced with a difficult decision, the simple fact is that Palace just had a corner given against them rather than having a goal kick. The way Warnock's been crying about it you'd think they had a goal wrongly disallowed or not had a blatant penalty given.



Whining over an incorrectly given corner is just pathetic.







The FA would prefer it if players stopped hassling refs. But it's difficult to clamp down on in the heat of the game.



They've made it very clear though that managers have even greater responsibility and they won't accept officials being slagged off on TV.



If managers are allowed to slag off refs then it's probable that the players will put even more pressure on refs. The players are already over the line in that respect so managers have to accept they can't use after-match interviews as a way of giving officials a kicking.

What do people think of the Champions League Play Offs for teams finishing 4th-7th?



I'm completely against it myself.



It'll increase the length of the season for the players. It'll be extra fixtures to find room for, alongside international matches. It'll be extra fixtures for supporters to shell out for. It'll make recruiting for CL seasons even more difficult for the teams involved.



But I'm mainly against it because I just know that Liverpool or Arsenal are going to eventually fail to get 4th place and then the gits are going to win the play off and qualify anyway!

Will there be a trophey for the winner of the playoff? They could call it the Rafa cup





Seriously isn't 38 games enough time to prove your worth for a champions league place? Wonder if the FA would just want two semis and a final played at Wembley to help pay the damned thing off

Nah, does finishing 7th in a league give you the right to play in the Champions League? 7th is hardly champion material.



Perhaps 4th v FA Cup winner (if they aren't already in) would be better, with the loser getting the Europa League spot.

If Liverpool finish outside the top 4 they just appeal for justice to Uefa non stop until they are allowed in anyway. No need for a play off system.

But if United had finished 5th in 2005 and won the CL, they would have done nothing. They'd have been happy not to accept the offer to defend their trophy on the grounds of fair play.

Quote Lord God Jose Mourinho="Lord God Jose Mourinho"What do people think of the Champions League Play Offs for teams finishing 4th-7th?'" I'd rather they gave the 4th CL spot to the winners of the FA cup. No substance to the story but a report that a PL team is interested in bidding for an IPL franchise: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... chise.html

Quote Lord God Jose Mourinho="Lord God Jose Mourinho"What do people think of the Champions League Play Offs for teams finishing 4th-7th?'" I'd rather they gave the 4th CL spot to the winners of the FA cup. No substance to the story but a report that a PL team is interested in bidding for an IPL franchise: www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... chise.html

And what if Chelsea were to win the cup this season? Would the place then go to the runners up which quite conceivably be West Brom, Reading or Crystal Palace.



ATEOTD there are 4 places awarded to the 4 best achieving teams in our countrys league. To start giving a chance to the 7th placed team (which could easily be Liverpool this season) who could finish 25 points behind the team in 4th is daft. If Man City, Tottenham or Villa finish 4th this season they will deserve that spot and there should be no qualms about it.

We'd never finish 5th though so doesn't matter.

One sale of a certain Shrek lookalike and you'd be lucky to finish top half.

Is that similar to when everybody said wed be gash without Ronaldo...one man team...yadda yadda yadda.

No, not at all.........I've always said you were a two man team.

I'd have thought it'd go to the 4th placed league side as they operate the UEFA spot today. If that's wrong and they give it to the cup runners-up then great!

So looking at the league table, Utd's one man team (Rooney) is better than Liverpool's two man team? (Gerrard and Torres).



Rooney > Gerrard and Torres combined.

Except Rooney has played as many as Gerrard and Torres combined so I'd say Rooney > Gerros.

However in their only meeting this season Torres beat Rooney so I'd say it's a draw.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one.

Fair way of doing it. In that case..



Zamora>Rooney



Dindane>Torres

O'Hara>Gerrard



Superb.

Maybe it's all just a pre-cursor to a RL/ US-style end of season play-off & Grand Final.

As in RL the final League position would determine home advantage in the play-offs with a final at Wembley (conveniently helps with funds for Wembley too)



Whilst a massive break from tradition it's possibly something Sky may want as part of a renewed (and maybe larger) TV deal.

They (over)hype up matches between 'The Big 4' as it is but imagine what they would do during the play-offs building up to a one-off match at Wembley to win the English title in front of 90,000 fans?



Matches that could be -

United v Liverpool

United v Chelsea

Chelsea v Liverpool

United v City (if they continue to improve)

Chelsea v Arsenal

And then some!

Looks like Nani is back to normal

What a goal! Absolute cracker for Lyon. Will be hard for Madrid in the second leg but still fancy them to go through.

He wasn't very good tonight. His final balls were shocking!