TMM

Oh fuck, Liverpool/Chelsea has nothing to do with this. The referee - on this single occasion, the sending off - did EVERYTHING right. He blew when he saw a sending off offence. Yes, he was shit overall, but that decision was RIGHT.

No, he didn't. He SHOULD'VE let the play go on. Maybe he was overwhelmed by the occasion, but in that case he should never have been appointed referee.

Just like Andy Gray said in commentary, Sammy Eto was offside, and thus shouldn't have counted, but if it was Random Prem Team A vs Random Prem Team B, he'd say that the officials did well by giving him the advantage.

Can't change the way we want the rules to happen, just because they happen against you. This is the same, the referee did EXACTLY what he was meant to.

Eto'o wasn't offside. Cole played him on. Eto'o was offside for their actual first goal.

Oh fuck, Liverpool/Chelsea has nothing to do with this. The referee - on this single occasion, the sending off - did EVERYTHING right. He blew when he saw a sending off offence. Yes, he was shit overall, but that decision was RIGHT.

No, he didn't. He SHOULD'VE let the play go on. Maybe he was overwhelmed by the occasion, but in that case he should never have been appointed referee.

No.

The law's state he shouldn't. Hence he shouldn't.

The referee's have said that they've been told to let the play go before blowing, which he didn't. That's my point.

Can someone tell me what Henry said in the post-match interview?

Basically said the referee was crap, applauded the team, said Ronaldinho and Eto'o was AWOL throughout the game, praised Larsson, basically that.

Oh fuck, Liverpool/Chelsea has nothing to do with this. The referee - on this single occasion, the sending off - did EVERYTHING right. He blew when he saw a sending off offence. Yes, he was shit overall, but that decision was RIGHT.

No, he didn't. He SHOULD'VE let the play go on. Maybe he was overwhelmed by the occasion, but in that case he should never have been appointed referee.

No bias their TMM?

Maybe, but I'm just saying that the referee was quick to blow his whistle. By all rights, he should've let the game go because there WAS a player through on goal. That's my problem. It was a blatant foul by Lehmann as he grabbed Eto'o's leg, I have no qualms about that, it's just the surounding factors piss me off.

People don't seem to remember the Liverpool/Chelsea game last season where Cech clattered the Liverpool player (I forget who) and the referee gave play on and Liverpool went on and scored. That one was worse because it was in the penalty area, and Cech could've been sent off and Liverpool would've had a penalty. My problem is that the referee was to whistle happy; he should've let the game gone on a little longer, and if Giuly missed, send Lehmann off and give the free-kick, I would've had absolutely no problems if that had happened. It's just that the referee was in over his head and just out of his depth. How on Earth he was given the game to referee, I have no idea.

Other than that, Barcelona really weren't that special. Sure they had most of the possession, but prior to scoring, they didn't really do much with it at all, in fact, after the sending off, both teams had about the same amount of clear-cut chances. In a fair game with a good referee, I honestly think we would've won that game.

Not really.

I assumed the ref blew before the ball went into the net, and his decision was made. It wasn't bad, it was just against what English fans want, and to an extent, what the Barca fans wanted too.

He made a choice, a fair choice.

Perhaps, I'm not complaining because yeah, down to ten-men, but at the time they didn't score, and at the moment we're winning. The point I'm trying to make though is the proper refereeing decision in that instance would be to let the goal stand and not punish Lehmann at all.

Definately a red, last man back, grabbed his foot, tripped to the floor.

Lehmann deserved to go, he grabbed Eto'o's foot.

No he didn't deserve to go. The goal should have stood. Yes it was a sending off offence, but Barcelona put the goal in the net, thus a goal. It's one or the other, not both, and the referee made the wrong decision.

He did pick one or the other, not both..

I know that. What I meant is people are saying Lehmann deserved to be sent off, and I would agree had Barcelona not scored, but they did, which means he should've stayed on the pitch.

Lehmann deserved to go, he grabbed Eto'o's foot.

No he didn't deserve to go. The goal should have stood. Yes it was a sending off offence, but Barcelona put the goal in the net, thus a goal. It's one or the other, not both, and the referee made the wrong decision.

What a pity Arsenal's goal had to come from Eboue diving like a bitch. It completely ruins the spirit of the final.

So does ridiculous refereeing though. By all rights, Lehmann should be on the pitch and we should be a goal down. Don't like it, but that's the way it should be.

Yeh i agree with Dan, way too much diving from Arsenal.

To much diving? That whole one time yeah? Good eyes mate...

We've gone missing. The bitter Yiddo's have kidnapped us!

EDIT: Great timing...we're alive!

Does nobody in the 21st century have a DVDR or even a VCR!?! I swear...

No, but I do have the internet.

EVIL! The crimes you commit...ah who cares. Anyone know when the new series starts airing in US and the UK? I know they've started filming.

See? Dodgy Italians...

Does nobody in the 21st century have a DVDR or even a VCR!?! I swear...

It wouldn't suprise me if nothing comes of this. But I'm optimistic. It's largely assumed among the Italian press that they're as good as on the way out now.

I really hope so. And I've noticed the distinct lack of Johnny Pefect/Dirty Johnny...someone get him in here now to blindly defend his cheating team.

To give you an idea of things, Romano Prodi (Italy's new PM) was quoted as saying he believed Juventus should and will be relegated and punished as fully as possible.

As for JP, I'm sure Chelsea will welcome him with open arms. They're winning more than Man Utd nowadays.

He could always just float between whoever is top of the league at that time...maybe he also supports that Barcelona? Bayern?

He'll go back to supporting Man Utd, simple really.

But Man Utd didn't win the league. He'll support Chelsea, mark my words.

Billy Connolly. Always has been and always will be. Can go off to random places, tell a hilarious story and come back to the story he was trying to tell. Ok so that's just him forgetting what he was talking about in the first place, but it's still hilarious.

It wouldn't suprise me if nothing comes of this. But I'm optimistic. It's largely assumed among the Italian press that they're as good as on the way out now.

I really hope so. And I've noticed the distinct lack of Johnny Pefect/Dirty Johnny...someone get him in here now to blindly defend his cheating team.

I'm not to happy with the Shevy thing, don't get me wrong I think he's a great player one of the Worlds best, but it's more of an Abramovich signing then a Mourinho one. On the other hand tho all of Mourinho signings have been suspect, so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out.

Who do you support by the way? I seem to recall you saying somewhere that you're a Chelsea fan, and not being happy about signing Shevchenko? The guys behind only Henry and Ronaldinho in terms of being the best striker in the world, how can ya not be happy?

Real Madrid proved that having the biggest names doesn't necessarily equate to having the best team. Maybe he'd prefer a home grown youngster. Like a non-shit Carlton Cole.

True...but I think it's fair to say that a lot of the players who went to Real Madrid in the "buy everyone remotely good" phase they were/are going through sort of started 'phoning in' their performance. A lot of them let their ridiculous price tags go to their head and seemed to think that turning up for the game was good enough.

Whether Shevchenko would be like that I don't know, but I don't think he would. Besides, if he goes to Chelsea, they have Mourinho who won't put up with shit from his players. Although there is the problem of Shevchenko and Abramovich being buddies, which could really screw things up for Chelsea if something goes wrong. Anyway, if they did sign him, they would finally have a reliable goal-scoring striker who isn't a prick.

I'm not to happy with the Shevy thing, don't get me wrong I think he's a great player one of the Worlds best, but it's more of an Abramovich signing then a Mourinho one. On the other hand tho all of Mourinho signings have been suspect, so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out.

Who do you support by the way? I seem to recall you saying somewhere that you're a Chelsea fan, and not being happy about signing Shevchenko? The guys behind only Henry and Ronaldinho in terms of being the best striker in the world, how can ya not be happy?

Just watched the season finale, and it was damn good.

As much of a bastard Baltar is, you can just see the guilt utterly pilling up on him, after he caused the death of not only the 12 colonies, not only had a hand in the death of 10,000 above New Caprica by giving Number 6 the nuclear war-head, but now because of doing that, he's brought the Cylon's to their new home, and has basically just screwed everything, EVERYTHING up.

I loved the attempted rigging of the polls by Roslin and the subsequent fallout, leaving Baltar the new President. Baltar just wanted power, and as the old saying goes, "absolute power corrupts absolutely", and he's just proved that, by showing he doesn't give a damn about the people, just wanted, essentially to be called "sir" and have control.

Loved the whole "one year later" thing and to see what's happened to everyone since colonising New Caprica. The Chief and Cally together and heads of a workers union, Starbuck and Anders married, Roslin a school teacher, Gaeta being Baltar's...man-servant-dude, and everyone else.

The series ended really, really well in my opinion and the show can go so many different routes with the third season, and I seriously can't wait...although I have to. It's gonna kill me.

I think it's highly likely that Shevchenko will becoming to the Bridge with Gallas going the other direction, either way it seems Willly G is out with Ballack coming an taking his beloved number 13 shirt.

You could say Shevy's as good as on his way. AC Milan have said he's not for sale, which is football talk for "cough up a shit load more money and we'll talk", which as we all know, Chelsea will have no problem doing. I see Shevchenko getting utterly pissed if Milan stop him from going. If/when it does happen, I expect to see Crespo and Gallas going to Milan as part of the deal because Crespo wants out as well and Mourinho's letting him go.

The thing is, I have a sickening feeling that SOMEHOW they'll get off with the footballing equivalent of a very hard slap on the wrist. I can't see them getting relegated, which they really should be. They should get the full massive fine, get relegated and have any recent trophies taken away. But Italian football has always been known to not really care for the rules. Would it really surprise anyone if they manage to "get away with it", or at the very least get off lightly?

Not really similar, but when Fiorentina went into administration they had to sell their name and couldn't use their kit color and were relegated to the bottom of the bottom league. Then a club in Serie B goes into administration, and Fiorentina miraculously get chosen to replace them and everything goes on like nothing happened (I'm going from memory, but that's mostly right...right?.

I'll give you Cole cos Bridge hasn't played all season, and there's no other viable left-back, but I cannot pardon Campbell or Walcott espcially over Lennon or Defoe and thats coming from Yid hating blue boy.

...Lennon is in the team...

He doesn't have influence in the England squad per-say, he has influence in the FA, but not particularly over who goes in the England squad and who's picked.

And how many Premiership games have Campbell, Cole and Walcott played between them this season?

And out of them games has any performance warranted a place in the national side?

Well in regards to Ashley Cole, he's arguably the best left-back in the world, and is now fully fit, there's no logical sense not to take him. Campbell, yeah he can be shit at times, but on his day he's one of (if not the) best defenders in England, plus he has experience. Walcott, yeah, I don't get that, but as a secret weapon, sure why not.