2011/12 UEFA Europa League

[Sam]

Bilbao have won their last 12 games at home, and lost two of the last 21.

Sounds like the perfect scenario for Manchester United then

[Matt]

I'm not sure that particular example is anything to do with bias, it could well just be Collymore being dumb as fuck.

[Adam]

Fair point. Either way, the people employed on this programme make me angry.

Edited March 8, 2012 by AdamDRFC

[Sam]

What's the point of starting an interview and then after a minute cutting it off because there isn't enough time.

[Colly]

Sorry Sir Alex, there's a Steven Seagal film starting...

[DavidMarrio]

Wouldn't be Channel 5 with Home and Away, Steven Segal and Thursday night football now would it.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

The freekick for the third is still baffling me because I honestly never knew that rule existed. No doubt the defending on the goal is shocking, but since when did it become a rule that if a player loses his boot the opposition get a freekick? I mean seriously, how is that not a shit rule?

Has anybody seen that happen before? I've seen numerous players lose their boot and play continue, so it really did surprise me when it happened and surprised me even more when I found out it's actually a rule.

[Sam]

I think it's because he passed it, nonetheless a total nonsense and I think Bilbao should have really put it out in that sort of situation kind of like when the play stops for an injury.

[DavidMarrio]

If the boot was on the other foot , I doubt United would have kicked it out.

[Liam]

Not being funny, but you can moan about the decision all you want, but there were then two or three awful moments of defending before the goal. There are bad decisions in every football match (not saying this is one, but still), yet it didn't lead directly to the goal, Man United's piss poor defence did.

[MJB]

David De Gea

Poor sod, he played his heart out and seemed so frustrated without Ferdinand in front of him. Terrible performance by United and we didn't even deserve the result we got, could have been so much worse. Rafael should hang his head in shame for that third goal.

All credit to Bilbao though, they played some great football.

[Sam]

Not being funny, but you can moan about the decision all you want, but there were then two or three awful moments of defending before the goal. There are bad decisions in every football match (not saying this is one, but still), yet it didn't lead directly to the goal, Man United's piss poor defence did.

Ei no doubt the defending was awful all game, as has been the case at various times this season. I think Fergie has to take some of the blame there when he insists on starting defenders in midfield rather than using a midfielder in said position. Think we would have looked more solid with Carrick in the middle than Jones and his knock the ball forward and chase it routine.

Edited March 8, 2012 by Sam

[IAceI]

Can Dave Woods not pronounce Bilbao or something? Does he have to refer to them as "Athletic" every time? Chris Kamara has it right on Twitter, calling them Athletico Wigan and Athletico Oldham

Their clubs name is Athletic Club. In the same way Sporting Clube de Portugal - or Sporting to most of us - are referred to Sporting Lisbon. It's pretty much there to inform everyone where they are from, but their actual club name is just Athletic Club in this instance so Dave Woods was actually right in that respect to call them Athletic. But that was one of the few things he and Graham got right - Graham Taylor's 'daylight rule' for the offside makes you wonder if he's even watched football in the past few years.

Regarding the boot instance, didn't Gascoigne score against Arsenal with no boot? That was given. The decision genuinely baffled me and I don't think it was particularly fair on Man Utd - but they have no grounds to whine about the goal as such because they allowed Athletic to play the ball from their own half and score, they should have sorted that out so they only have themselves the blame.

Rafael's lack of awareness was criminal for this sort of game - he was up against Iker Muniain all night and should have probably been aware that Muniain would be sniffing for that loose ball. Just because Rafael was tired doesn't mean the other side are, their intensity levels are something to behold - Guardiola gave them a lot of praise from the 2-2 draw earlier in the season for their stamina and the way they just keep running. Even Llorente is constantly closing down, and when he finally gasses, on comes Super Gaizka Toquero whose willingness to chase every ball puts most Border Collie's to shame.

Athletic were absolutely wonderful to watch. They passed intricately, as if they were playing one big game of 5-a-side and you can see that when one player moves into a space the other players are always looking for their own bit of space - so a player often has three passes available to him. Compare that to the more lethargic look of Man Utd - and generally most English teams - who are often more static and don't seem be as dynamic as their continental opponents.

Athletic dominated possession for long periods of time, and you could almost hear Rooney panting because he was running from wing to wing on such a regular ocassion, and to be fair to him, he did it pretty much every time. The choice of Park Ji-Sung in the middle of the park was pretty evident that Sir Alex knew they were in for a tough night of running - and they certainly were.

I can't praise Athletic enough for the way they have changed under Marcelo Bielsa. It was touch and go at first as he tinkered the formation a lot to play a 3-1-3-3 formation before he finally settled on a back four, and they didn't win any of their first five, I genuinely thought it was going to be a bit of a tough ride for them but he started getting the results. He has retained the ability to go direct and the tough tackling physical side of the game from Caparros before him and added intricate passing to it, a team who chase the player in posession down like a pack of wild dogs and who can combine brilliantly to score goals like that second one.

Credit to De Gea though, he kept Man Utd in it a lot of the time with some great saves. At times he was pulling off saves from areas of the goal where the spiders dwell and he didn't deserve to concede three goals but he was undone by some poor defending from the four men in front of him and some good play from Athletic. I think Sir Alex would like to win the Europa League but I also think he'd be pleased to get it over with and concentrate on hauling in Man City at the top of the table. Will be a spicy return match though, that's for sure. The San Mamés isn't going to be a cosy place to go for Man Utd.

Aupa Athletic!

[Colly]

Gascoigne did indeed score with no boot on, but I think its similar to a pitch invader, the ref won't immediately stop play if its not affecting that area and Gazza was through on goal having had his boot stamped off. Would've been very harsh to stop him.

That said I missed the second half last night so didn't see the Man U incident.

[Summers]

Collins was defending with one foot on in one of our recent games. Ref didn't stop play.

[Summers]

foot? Boot.

[SeanDMan]

I'd be fairly choked at the ref if a player had lost a fucking foot and he didn't give the man time to get himself off the pitch.

[Adam]

Can Dave Woods not pronounce Bilbao or something? Does he have to refer to them as "Athletic" every time? Chris Kamara has it right on Twitter, calling them Athletico Wigan and Athletico Oldham

Their clubs name is Athletic Club. In the same way Sporting Clube de Portugal - or Sporting to most of us - are referred to Sporting Lisbon. It's pretty much there to inform everyone where they are from, but their actual club name is just Athletic Club in this instance so Dave Woods was actually right in that respect to call them Athletic. But that was one of the few things he and Graham got right - Graham Taylor's 'daylight rule' for the offside makes you wonder if he's even watched football in the past few years.

Yeah I read about it after the game, I wasn't even aware of their "Basque players only" rule which seems a crazy (and somewhat illegal in a way) policy in the modern era but it makes it all the more impressive that they're such a good team.

That offside rubbish from Taylor made me genuinely scared that the man was ever the England manager.

[Matt]

Can Dave Woods not pronounce Bilbao or something? Does he have to refer to them as "Athletic" every time? Chris Kamara has it right on Twitter, calling them Athletico Wigan and Athletico Oldham

Their clubs name is Athletic Club. In the same way Sporting Clube de Portugal - or Sporting to most of us - are referred to Sporting Lisbon. It's pretty much there to inform everyone where they are from, but their actual club name is just Athletic Club in this instance so Dave Woods was actually right in that respect to call them Athletic. But that was one of the few things he and Graham got right - Graham Taylor's 'daylight rule' for the offside makes you wonder if he's even watched football in the past few years.

Yeah I read about it after the game, I wasn't even aware of their "Basque players only" rule which seems a crazy (and somewhat illegal in a way) policy in the modern era but it makes it all the more impressive that they're such a good team.

That offside rubbish from Taylor made me genuinely scared that the man was ever the England manager.

They get around it because they also allow anyone who has parents/grandparents from the Basque region and anyone who was trained in the Basque region for most of their youth career. Or something like that, I'm sure Ace will be able to clarify properly.

[MDK]

I knew about that from playing as Bilbao in an old CM game.